Atlantic and East Coast Hurricanes 1900–98: A Frequency andIntensity Study for the Twenty-First Century

Abstract

The Atlantic Ocean has spawned three hurricanes in three years that have made direct hits on the U.S. east coast. The unusual activity has sparked a question of whether East Coast landfalling hurricanes are increasing in frequency and intensity. Results of data studied from 1900?98 indicate that there is a slight increase in hurricane frequency and a fairly constant intensity level for East Coast landfalling hurricanes. The recent landfall of Hurricane Bonnie in North Carolina, Hurricane George in Alabama/Mississippi, and simultaneous formation of four hurricanes in the mid-Atlantic during the 1998 season have stimulated the question of whether hurricanes are becoming more frequent and intense along the East Coast heading into the twenty-first century.