Are There Seasons More Active Than 2005?

[Ptarmigan]

Since, everyone has been talking about how this hurricane season will be very active. As a result, 2005 is brought up. As you know 2005, gave us Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, very destructive and deadly hurricanes. Now, the question is, is 2005 the most active season ever recorded? Is it possible to have seasons comparable to even more active than 2005? Before the age of satellites, storms were recorded by ships and many tried to avoid them.

Here are seasons I think that are comparable or even more active to/than 2005.
1887
1893
1933
1936

Why do I think they were comparable to 2005? All of them were very active seasons, especially 1887 and 1933.

1887 recorded 19/11/2. Hurdat identified at least 4 addition storms in 1887, which would bring the total to 23. Also, no storm is recorded to form in the far eastern part of the Atlantic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1887_Atlan ... ane_season

1887 happened after the 1886 season, which was like 2004 because 7 of the 12 storms made landfall on America 10 out of 12 in the whole basin, including 3 on Florida and Texas. Four hurricanes affected Texas that year, which would happen again with Florida in 2004. 1886 was the year of the Indianola Hurricane that destroyed the city of Indianola. This was before the Great Galveston Hurricane and Katrina. In some ways, the 1886-1887 season reminds me of 2004-2005 with one different, most storms in 1887 did not make landfall.

1893 recorded 12/10/5. Also, it is the third most intense season in terms of ACE, right after 2005 and 1950. It is certainly possible that 1893 did have 12 storms. 1893 was one of the seasons in which there were two hurricanes that claimed over 1,000 lives, Sea Islands Hurricane and Cheniere Caminada Hurricane. Other seasons like 1893 were 1780 and 2005. 1950 had 13/11/8, most of the high ACE is from the record number of major hurricanes, 8, which even beats 2005! One hurricane, Hurricane #7 is recorded in the eastern part of the Atlantic in August. It would not surprise me if 1893 had storms that went undetected, probably as many as 3 to 6 storms.

1933 had 21/10/5, but in terms of ACE, but ranks at number 7 with 213. Once again, no storms are recorded in the eastern Atlantic, like what was recorded in 2005. It is very likely a major hurricane formed in the eastern Atlantic like Fred in 2009. Quite frankly, I think 1933 had more storms than 2005. I think 1933 had 7 to 12 storms, 4 to 8 hurricanes, and 1 to 4 major hurricane that went undetected. It would bring 1933's total to 33/18/9. Of course, we will never know.

1936 had 16/7/1. One interesting aspect of 1936 is that no storm is recorded to track in the Caribbean. Does this mean no storms were in the Caribbean. It is certainly possible, but a weak one could of crossed in the 1936 season. One hurricane, Hurricane #11 formed in the eastern part of the Atlantic in late August. 1936 set records in earliest number of storms, which held until 2005. It is possible like in 1887, 1893, and 1933 to have storms form in the eastern Atlantic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1936_Atlan ... ane_season

What does this mean? 2005 type seasons do happen and it is not unique. Also, the only reason why we recorded so many storms in 2005 were satellites, which did not exist back than. Thankfully, they are rare because conditions have to be perfect for it to be that active.

[Ptarmigan]

I like to add that there are likely other seasons that went unrecorded prior to 1851, that were comparable or even more active than 2005. One season that comes to mind is 1780. October of 1780 was a deadly month, which produced the Great 1780 Hurricane, which claimed 22,000 to 30,000 lives. October of 1780 had three hurricanes that claimed over 1,000 lives. The other season to have more than one hurricane to claim +1,000 lives were 1893 and 2005. 1893 and 2005 had hurricanes hit Louisiana, Cheniere Caminada Hurricane and Katrina.

I think it is very possible that the Atlantic Basin has seen +30 storms and +10 major hurricanes in one season, as I pointed out with 1933. Also, I think 1780 season could likely resemble that of 1887, 1933, 1995, and 2005.