2006 Atlantic hurricane season

2006 Atlantic hurricane season
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formed	June 10, 2006
Last system dissipated	October 2, 2006
Strongest storm
Name	Gordon and Helene
• Maximum winds	120 mph (195 km/h) (1-minute sustained)
• Lowest pressure	955 mbar (hPa; 28.2 inHg)
Seasonal statistics
Total depressions	10
Total storms	10
Hurricanes	5
Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+)	2
Total fatalities	14 total
Total damage	$504.42 million (2006 USD)
Related articles
Timeline of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season 2006 Pacific hurricane season 2006 Pacific typhoon season 2006 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
Atlantic hurricane seasons 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season was the least active in the basin since 1997, with nine named storms as well as an additional unnamed tropical storm identified by the National Hurricane Center. 2006 was the first season since 2001 in which no hurricanes made landfall in the United States, and was the first since 1994 in which no tropical cyclones formed during October.^[1] Following the intense activity of 2003, 2004, and 2005, forecasters predicted that the 2006 season would be only slightly less active. Instead, it turned out to be a below average season, as activity was slowed by a rapidly forming moderate El Niño event, the presence of the Saharan Air Layer over the tropical Atlantic, and the steady presence of a robust secondary high-pressure area to the Azores High centered on Bermuda. There were no tropical cyclones after October 2.^[2]

The season began on June 10 with the formation of Tropical Storm Alberto, which moved from the Caribbean Sea through the east coast of the United States. Hurricane Ernesto caused heavy rainfall in Haiti, and directly killed at least seven in Haiti and the United States. Four hurricanes formed after Ernesto, including the strongest storms of the season, Hurricanes Helene and Gordon. In total, the season was responsible for 14 deaths and $500 million in damage. The calendar year 2006 also saw Tropical Storm Zeta, which arose in December 2005 and persisted until early January, only the second such event on record. The storm is considered a part of the 2005 season, as it developed in that calendar year.