Census Bureau News -- Profile America Facts for Features: 2012 Hurricane Season Begins

WASHINGTON, May 31, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The north Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and lasts through Nov. 30. The U.S. Census Bureau produces timely local statistics that are critical to emergency planning, preparedness and recovery efforts. This edition of Facts for Features highlights the number of people living in areas that could be most affected by these dramatic acts of nature.

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In the Hurricane's Path

37.3 million
Population as of July 1, 2011, of the coastal portion of states stretching from North Carolina to Texas — the areas most threatened by Atlantic hurricanes. Approximately 12 percent of the nation's population live in these areas.
Source: 2011 Population Estimates http://factfinder2.census.gov

14.0 million
1960 coastal population of the states stretching from North Carolina to Texas. Approximately 8 percent of the nation's population lived in these areas at that time.
Source: 1960 Census http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/cencounts/

166%
Percentage growth of the coastal population of the states stretching from North Carolina to Texas between 1960 and 2011.
Source: 2011 Population Estimates http://factfinder2.census.gov and 1960 Census http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/cencounts/

179,034
Collective land area in square miles of the coastal areas from North Carolina to Texas.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html

7
The number of hurricanes during the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, four of them Category 3-strength or higher. Irene was the only hurricane to make landfall in the U.S., though Subtropical Storm Lee and Tropical Storm Don both made landfall on the Gulf Coast.
Source: National Hurricane Center http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2011atlan.shtml

1950
The year the Weather Bureau officially began naming hurricanes.
Source: Atlantic Oceanography and Meteorological Laboratory http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/J6.html

Alberto
The name of the first Atlantic storm of 2012. Hurricane names rotate in a six-year cycle with the 2012 list being a repeat of the 2006 names. For the first time since 1997, the World Meteorological Center did not retire a storm name.
Source: National Hurricane Center http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml

2005
In one of the busiest Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, 28 named storms formed, forcing use of the alternate Greek alphabet scheme for the first time. When the National Hurricane Center's list of 21 approved names runs out for the year, hurricanes are named after Greek letters. Of the 28 named storms in 2005, 15 were hurricanes, with four storms reaching Category 5 status (Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma) and three more being considered major.
Source: Atlantic Oceanography and Meteorological Laboratory http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/J6.html

Top Three States for Hurricane Impacts

Table: Hurricanes strikes (1851-2011) for select states by Saffir-Simpson category. Category 3-strength or higher, with sustained winds in excess of 110 miles per hour, is considered major. Updated and modified from Blake et al. (2011). Source: National Hurricane Center http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/nws-nhc-6.pdf

Preparing for Emergencies Using Census Bureau Statistics

The growth in population of coastal areas illustrates the importance of emergency planning and preparedness for areas that are more susceptible to inclement weather conditions. The U.S. Census Bureau's official decennial census and population estimates, along with annually updated socio-economic data from the American Community Survey, provide a detailed look at the nation's growing coastal population. Emergency planners and community leaders can better assess the needs of coastal populations using Census Bureau statistics.

Hurricane Irene

2011
Hurricane Irene made landfall on Aug. 27 as a Category 1 hurricane and caused widespread damage across a large portion of the eastern United States as it moved north-northeastward. Catastrophic inland flooding occurred in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Vermont. Irene was directly responsible for 40 deaths in the United States.
Source: National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092011_Irene.pdf

20 Year Anniversary of Hurricane Andrew

1992
Hurricane Andrew made landfall in Florida on Aug. 24, destroying a large swath of South Florida, most notably the city of Homestead. Andrew later landed on the central Louisiana coast on Aug. 26 as a Category 3 hurricane. Hurricane Andrew was the second costliest tropical cyclone in U.S history and killed 23 in the U.S.
Source: National Hurricane Center http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1992andrew.html

Category 5
The strength of Hurricane Andrew at landfall based on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with maximum sustained winds measured at 165 mph. Andrew was originally measured as a Category 4 storm but was later upgraded to Category 5 status in 2002 based on a reanalysis of wind speeds.
Source: NOAA http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/NOAA_pr_8-21-02.html

60,512
Population of Homestead, Fla., according to the 2010 Census taken April 1, 2010.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US1232275

106%
Percentage growth of the population in Homestead, Fla., between 1992 and 2010. The estimated 1992 population of Homestead, Fla., was 29,431.
Source: Population Estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/data/historical/1990s/index.html

23,419
The number of housing units in Homestead, Fla., according to the 2010 Census.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US1232275

11.5 %
Percent of workers 16 and over in Homestead, Fla., with no motor vehicle access.
Source: 2006-2010 American Community Survey, Table S0802 http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US1232275

$209,100  
Median home value of owner-occupied units in Homestead, Fla.
Source: 2006-2010 American Community Survey, Table B25077
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US1232275

28.4%
The percent of people who live below poverty level in Homestead, Fla.
Source: 2006-2010 American Community Survey, Table S1701
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US1232275

Note: Coastal counties include those with at least 15 percent of their total land area within the nation's coastal watershed. http://www.census.gov/geo/landview/lv6help/coastal_cty.pdf

Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau's Facts for Features series:

Editor's note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau's Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: [email protected].

Contact: Public Information Office
301-763-3030
[email protected]

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau