As of late September, the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts have been spared a major strike the likes of Hurricanes Katrina and Andrew. But that's not to say it has been due to a lack of activity.

Last month, the National Hurricane Center reported that Hurricane Humberto, which made landfall near the Louisiana and Texas border on Sept. 13, 2007, formed just off the coast of Texas and intensified into a Category 1 storm in just 18 hours. That's faster than any other hurricane on record when its close proximity to the coast is taken into consideration. If it had formed in the middle of the Gulf, it could have strengthened even more than it did, and potentially causing property damage in an area still trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina.

“We are now in the peak of the hurricane season, and conditions in the Gulf of Mexico are ripe for more activity,” said Claire Souch, senior director of model management at Risk Management Solutions, in a release. “Attention so far has been on the open Atlantic because this is where Hurricanes Dean and Felix formed, as well as the major storms of 2004 and 2005. Humberto demonstrates that the Gulf of Mexico is a major breeding ground for hurricanes that can materialize quickly.”

Perhaps more frightening for the region was the appearance of two Category 5 hurricanes — both of which stayed to the south of the U.S. Gulf Coast, striking remote parts of Central America. The first, Hurricane Dean, hit in mid-August, marking the first time a Category 5-strength hurricane made landfall since 1992's Hurricane Andrew. Instead of waiting another 15 years, though, Hurricane Felix followed just two weeks later, making contact with Nicaragua.

Two Category 5 storms in one season is rare. In fact, it's only the fourth time in recorded history that two Atlantic storms have reached maximum strength in the same season. How much longer can the U.S.'s luck continue? One hopes at least two more months, when the 2007 hurricane season officially ends.

Special Reports /

Hurricane Season Gathers Steam

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