2011 hurricane prediction on target

The Atlantic hurricane season that ended Wednesday produced the predicted 19 named tropical storms, including Irene and six others, that developed into hurricanes, according to federal forecasters.

Irene, which passed to the west of Long Island, was the only hurricane to hit the United States this season, and the first since Ike hit Texas in 2008. Hurricane Gloria, in 1985, was the last to make landfall on Long Island, but the Island took a pounding six years later from Bob, which skirted Montauk.

"Irene broke the 'hurricane amnesia' that can develop when so much time lapses between landfalling storms," National Weather Service director Jack Hayes said in a statement Tuesday.

The hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, peaking from August through October.

In its preliminary outlook in May, the weather service predicted 12 to 18 tropical storms, with six to 10 of them becoming hurricanes. Its updated prediction in August was for 19 tropical storms and five hurricanes.

Irene tore along the eastern seaboard at hurricane strength, but weakened to a tropical storm just before it made landfall in Brooklyn on the morning of Aug. 28, despite most projections that showed the eye of the storm hitting Nassau or Suffolk. Although the eye passed northward through Queens, wind and rain wreaked havoc to the east.

Wind gusts of up to 91 mph hit Sayville, tides swamped many areas, Long Island Rail Road service was halted, and downed lines left 471,000 of the Long Island Power Authority's 1.1 million customers without power. Many of those customers were without power for several days.

The weather service will issue its preliminary outlook for 2012 in May.