Strangest Hurricanes in History: Tracks, Timing, and Impacts

There is no doubt that this has been an unusual Atlantic hurricane season. In addition to the basin falling behind the average number of named storms for the year, the month of September has been eerily quiet until recent days. The basin produced no named storms through the first half of the month for only the second time since the satellite era, dating back to 1966. However, when it comes to tropical weather, there is no such thing as "normal." A few of these odd hurricanes demonstrate that with their atypical tracks, timing, and behavior. Here is a look back.

Hurricane Catarina - 2004

Hurricane Catarina was unusual for a number of reasons. Its point of origination was particularly strange, developing off the coast of southern Brazil in the South Atlantic. This is a part of the basin that does not generally produce tropical weather due to the cooler ocean waters and high amount of upper-level wind shear.

However, Catarina defied the odds in 2004, making landfall on March 28 near Santa Catarina state with winds clocking in at 100 mph. The storm was distinguished as the first hurricane-strength storm ever recorded in the South Atlantic. The occasion was so rare that the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) does not even have a naming system in place for this time of the year in this basin.

Hurricane Pali - 2016

Coming to life on January 7, 2016, Hurricane Pali was the earliest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Central Pacific. Pali went on to become a hurricane on January 12. The storm formed near the equator, a part of the world's ocean that does not usually see tropical weather because of the lack of spin. As such, Pali became the second-lowest latitude storm in recorded history.

The abnormally warm ocean waters to the southwest of Hawaii fueled Pali's development. The storm packed maximum wind speeds of 90 mph, a rarity for the middle of winter. Not only was Pali's organization odd, but so was its timing, making it one of the most unusual storms to ever roam the Pacific.

European Storms - Hurricane Vince and Hurricane Ophelia

Heading over to the other side of the Atlantic, Hurricane Vince was an oddity in its point of impact. This storm came together in the far eastern Atlantic off the coast of Portugal and Spain. The ocean water temperatures this far north are usually too chilly to support sustained tropical development, particularly during Vince's life span in the month of October of 2005. Vince made it to the status of a hurricane for a short time before weakening just before coming ashore in Spain as a tropical depression.

Years later, Hurricane Ophelia also hit Europe in October 2017. Ophelia made the long track to the northeast across the Atlantic, reaching the status of a major Category 3 storm. This designation made Ophelia the easternmost major hurricane in the record books. The storm lost its potency as it moved closer to land; however, both Ireland and the U.K. were impacted by Ophelia's hurricane-force winds. Ophelia was blamed for three fatalities in Ireland.

Hurricane Ivan - 2004

What distinguished Hurricane Ivan from its Category 5 storm peers was its looping path. Ivan first peaked with winds exceeding 160 mph as it roared through the Caribbean on its way to the U.S. Gulf Coast. After coming ashore in the Gulf, what was left of Ivan moved out into the Atlantic.

At this point, most storms head out into the open seas and gradually dissipate. However, Ivan tapped into the warm water and sufficient energy to reorganize over the Gulf and make a second landfall along the Gulf Coast. The storm was responsible for over 120 fatalities and $26 billion in economic damages.

Early and Late Storms - Hurricane Alex and Hurricane Lenny

The timing of hurricanes outside of the typical window also draws attention. Hurricane Alex became the first hurricane to ignite in the Atlantic in the month of January since 1938 when it formed in 2016. The feature came out of a subtropical system spinning near the Azores, eventually reaching the designation of a Category 1 hurricane with its 85 mph winds. Alex made landfall in the Azores as a tropical storm.

On the other end of the calendar, 1999's Hurricane Lenny was a late-season storm that did not bloom until November. Lenny was only 2 mph short of reaching a Category 5 status. While the timing of Lenny certainly distinguished it as an unusual event, it was the storm's path that really made it stand out from the crowd. Rather than moving in a typical east-to-west track, Lenny journeyed through the Caribbean in a west-to-east direction, earning it the moniker of "Wrong Way Lenny." The storm pummeled the Leeward Islands, Colombia, and Puerto Rico, killing at least 17 people.

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