NOAA calls 2010 hurricane season ‘The Gentle Giant’

The 2010 Atlantic hurricane season was one of the busiest on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports.
“As NOAA forecasters predicted, the Atlantic hurricane season was one of the most active on record, though fortunately most storms avoided the U.S.,” said Jack Hayes, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service. “For that reason, you could say the season was a gentle giant.”
In the Atlantic Basin a total of 19 named storms formed – tied with 1887 and 1995 for third highest on record. Of those, 12 became hurricanes – tied with 1969 for second highest on record. Five of those reached major hurricane status of Category 3 or higher.
“But short-term weather patterns dictate where storms actually travel and in many cases this season, that was away from the United States,” the NOAA reported.
“The jet stream’s position contributed to warm and dry conditions in the eastern U.S. and acted as a barrier that kept many storms over open water. Also, because many storms formed in the extreme eastern Atlantic, they re-curved back out to sea without threatening land.”
One of those hurricanes, Hurricane Earl, made landfall in Nova Scotia on Sept. 4 as a Category 1 storm.