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U.S.' Longest 'Hurricane Drought' Due to Sheer Luck, Study Finds

In a stroke of luck, no major hurricanes rated Category 3 or higher have struck U.S. soil during the past nine years.
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/ Source: Live Science

In a stroke of luck, no major hurricanes rated Category 3 or higher have struck U.S. soil during the past nine years, a new study finds. This is the country's longest "hurricane drought" in recorded history, or since 1851, the researchers said. The previous record lull lasted eight years, from 1861 to 1868, they said.

Hurricane Wilma, a hurricane that hit Florida in 2005, was the last Category 3 storm to make landfall in the United States. Other storms — including Hurricane Ike (Category 2, 2008), Hurricane Irene (Category 1, 2011) and Hurricane Sandy (Category 1, 2012) — caused significant damage, but their winds weren't as strong. [A History of Destruction: 8 Great Hurricanes]

Image: Hurricane Wilma as seen by satellite
Hurricane Wilma seen by satellite as it crossed Florida in October 2005. Wilma was a Category 3 storm when it made landfall in the state and is the last major hurricane to hit the U.S. since that time.NOAA / NASA