The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season officially ended December 1, marking the end of a season that produced a record number of storms that consecutively struck the U.S.
The season ranks as one of the more active in the 64 years since comprehensive record-keeping began. A total of 16 named storms formed in 2008, based on an operational estimate by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Hurricane Center. The storms included eight hurricanes, five of which were classified as Category-3 strength or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale. These numbers fall within the ranges predicted in NOAA's pre- and mid-season outlooks issued in May and August. The August outlook called for 14-to-18 named storms, seven-to-10 hurricanes, and three-to-six major hurricanes. During an average season, 11 named storms, six hurricanes, and two major hurricanes may develop.
“This year's hurricane season continues the current active hurricane era, and it is the 10th season to produce above-normal activity in the past 14 years,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.
Recommended For You
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
