Weinkle et al. 2012 is now online at the Journal of Climate. I provided a summary of the paper a few months ago when it was accepted, including these factoids:
- Over 1970 to 2010 the globe averaged about 15 TC landfalls per year
- Of those 15, about 5 are intense (Category 3, 4 or 5)
- 1971 had the most global landfalls with 32, far exceeding the second place, 25 in 1996
- 1978 had the fewest with 7
- 2011 tied for second place for the fewest global landfalls with 10 (and 3 were intense, tying 1973, 1981 and 2002)
- 1999 had the most intense TC landfalls with 9
- 1981 had the fewest intense TC landfalls with zero
- There have been only 8 intense TC landfalls globally since 2008 (2009-2011), very quiet but not unprecedented (two unique 3-year periods saw only 7 intense landfalls)
- The US is currently in the midst of the longest streak ever recorded without an intense hurricane landfall
Here is the abstract:
Do you remember the hysteria over Hurricane Katrina? “Every year they will get worse and more of them!”