What could have been WORSE this year?

[Anonymous]

Charley might have hit Tampa, Frances might have not weakened, Ivan could have hit New Orleans, Jeanne could have been a category 4. I say Frances, even Bill Gray said (WHEN IT WAS EXPECTED TO HIT FL AT 145 MPH) Damage from Hurricane Frances will likely top Andrew.

[TS Zack]

I am sure whatever storm got closest to you then thats the one they will pick. I picked New Orleans and Ivan because if it did take that course to New Orleans I wouldn't be talking to you all here today from New Orleans. I would be somewhere wondering what I will have left if even a house. If I do have a house I am sure all my things are washed away and maybe even my house.

[The Big Dog]

The Thursday morning before Frances hit, we here in Palm Beach were expecting to get hit with a Cat 4 at 145 mph. Oh yeah, that one could have been much worse. True, Ivan was a Cat 5 at one point, but at least it was forecast to weaken somewhat. Nobody saw Frances dropping two cats and 40 mph. I'll never forget how I felt that morning. We caught a break.

[Derek Ortt]

jeanne without a doubt

had it not been for the beta effect, a very strong cat 3 would have hit right between lauderdale and PB, and hurricane winds also would have been in Miami as well. no unexpected EWR, we wouldnt have had a 110KT storm, we'd have had a 125 or stronger storm at landfall.

[cyclonaut]

I voted Frances..

IF Frances would have maintained her CAT 4 status & made landfall a tad to the south we would have witnessed a slow moving CAT 4 hurricane hit the heavily developed areas of West Palm - Ft.Lauderdale.

The wind damage & flooding due to heavy rainfall would have been devastating.

Charley would also have to be considered as a huge"What if?? If Charley would have made a direct hit on Tampa - St.Pete it would have been so much worse..

I guess its plausable to say "what if" with every natural disaster or even man made ones.

[SouthernWx]

In all honesty, all four could have been even worse....

Charley picked the least populated coastal county along the Florida SW coast to make landfall....landfall in Tampa Bay, Sarasota/Bradenton, or Fort Myers/ Naples would have been even worse.

Frances appeared destined to be another great Florida hurricane. I remember remarking to friends how similar it appeared to the "Great Miami hurricane" of 1926 as it roared just north of Puerto Rico....toward the Bahamas. If this monster hadn't slowed, turned NW, and weakened.....it could have been just as catastrophic for Dade and Broward counties as the 1926 hurricane.

Ivan weakened dramatically during the final 6-8 hours before landfall. If slightly farther west, the impact of a 931 mb cat-4 on the Buras to Port Sulphur area southeast of New Orleans would have been catastrophic....and even worse if a direct hit on New Orleans had occurred.

Jeanne was bad enough....but could have been even worse; if strengthening had begun earlier over the Gulf Stream; especially if landfall had occurred directly over highly populated Palm Beach and Broward counties.

This was a disasterous hurricane season for the U.S., particularly Florida.....but as bad as it was, could honestly have been far worse