After kicking the idea around for weeks, I finally got the courage to make this offbeat, perhaps amusing, 2020 Hurricane Season prediction thread, and as the disclaimer says above, this is not an official forecast, but instead is a really oddball look at the coming hurricane season using the Chinese Zodiac!
Now that I got this out of the way, let’s have some fun:
Think back to a time before Covid-19 when you dined in at your local Chinese restaurant. Their table mats most likely had the Chinese zodiac printed all over it, showing you 12 animal zodiac signs corresponding to different years of birth, and according to those animal signs you would have certain personal characteristics. Imagine now if this could be applied to the Hurricane Season as well.
There are 12 animal years and in this thread, we'll focus on "the Year of the Rat", which is 2020's Animal, and what it may have in store for the Atlantic basin!
Brace yourself, because here begins the madness...
The Chinese Zodiac

It actually gets a little more complex than most people think, because this ancient astrology system also assigns 5 different elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, Earth) to the yearly animal signs, making for a total of 60 different year combinations.
Here’s some history on the origin of the zodiac, for those interested, in the link below:
https://depts.washington.edu/triolive/quest/2007/TTQ07030/history.html
This ancient wisdom handed down by the Chinese is thousands of years old, and perhaps, just perhaps, it may also extend into tropical meteorology.

Honestly though, in a little more scientific tone, there may be some kind of recurring significant weather patterns happening, to some degree, every 12 years / 60 years around the world for some reason. If we take a step back for science's sake, we could say that Chinese Astrology indicates that there are possibly 12-year and 60-year natural cycles at play, and the animal signs only make it easier to point them out. I've always liked to use this zodiac, experimentally, to see how coming hurricane seasons might behave and haven't really posted this stuff before, but now that we're in this particular year, I felt the need to share this because of the following:
The year 2020 falls within possibly the most ominous 12-year cycle, the Year of the Rat, and one which is called the Metal Rat which happens every 60 years.
Going back sixty years we get to 1960, the year of Hurricane Donna, sixty years further back we get to 1900, the Galveston Hurricane year, and twice sixty (120 yrs back) we get to the infamous 1780 season. Only 1840 wasn't eventful, therefore according to this wizardry, 2020 is likely to be highly destructive...with the theme probably being one or more high-impact hurricanes, whether the total storm numbers are high or not. Both 1780 and 1900 are in the top 5 deadliest seasons on record in the Atlantic. Coincidence? This year combination apparently is snake eyes!
I did some serious digging around and found the data needed to make my 2020 prediction. Before you guys see my outlook for 2020, let's take a close look at the first of two main parameters...
The first parameter is the seasonal numbers in Total Storms/Hurricanes/Majors format (T/H/M) for all 'Rat Years' since 1851.
PARAMETER 1 -
Past Rat Year Cycles and their seasonal numbers (T/H/M), dating back to 1851:
1851 - 1950 era:
1852 - 5/5/1
1864 - 5/3/0
1876 - 5/4/2
1888 - 9/6/2
1900 - 7/3/2
1912 - 7/4/1
1924 - 11/5/2
1936 - 17/7/1
1948 - 10/6/4
Average of these years = 8.44/4.78/1.66, when rounded = 8/5/2. Not bad for a time when up to 6 storms may have been missed each year, according to the NHC's Christopher Landsea (reference, "Counting Atlantic Tropical Cyclones back to 1900"). This indicates these kind of years are normally busy, with strong hurricane presence even in very old records. The numbers here are almost equal to the 1950-2000 average of 9.6/5.9/2.3, so adjusting for fair comparison, many of these olden Rat years were likely well above average.
1950 - present era:
1960 - 8/4/2
1972 - 7/3/0
1984 - 13/5/1
1996 - 13/9/6
2008 - 16/8/5
Average of these years = 11.4/5.8/2.8, when rounded = 11/6/3. This is the result of the slower era skewed by the beginning of the active era, and it still shows higher activity than the 9.6/5.9/2.3 average from 1950 to 2000.
Also, if we look at the newer average for 1981-2010 which is 12/6/3, the seasons of 1984/1996/2008 averaged out to 14/7/4, corresponding to about 120% greater than an already busy average.
Now this next average could be the most important one concerning our current times:
*Ever since the current active era began in 1995 - the 1996/2008 'rat year' average is 14.5/8.5/5.5, which when rounded is 15/9/6*
15/9/6 is quite significant even for the current era, especially regarding major hurricanes, and with an even higher than high-level of activity being predicted by many experts this year in their seasonal outlooks, my wacky outlook adds 4 to the avg number of total storms above, but keeps the # of hurricanes and majors in line with the 1996/2008 averages, resulting in 19/9/6. The 19 total named storms is obtained by averaging the '15' from the 1996/2008 avg, with the upper extreme total storm number predicted so far as of April 2020, a whopping 22 named storms from NC state's prediction. (15+22)/2 = 18.5 = rounded to 19. We'll probably get to Teddy this year.
Outlook: 2020 - 19/9/6
ACE Range = 175 - 225
Numbers like these say 2020 might be in the league of these recent busy seasons ... 1995, 1996, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2017.
Now lets have a look at the 2nd parameter...
PARAMETER 2 -
Significant (Cat 2+) Landfalls / Impacts during the Rat Year Cycle:
Before 1851:
1768 Earth Rat:
Oct - Major Hurricane strikes much of Cuba from west to east on Oct 15, devastating Havana and killing about 1,000 persons.
1780 Metal Rat:
June - St. Lucia Hurricane of 1780, the first killer of the year, left 4000-5000 dead across the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico.
Aug - The Louisiana Hurricane of 1780, likely a Cat 4 based on accounts, devastated New Orleans.
Oct - The Great Hurricane of 1780, The Savanna-La Mar Hurricane, and Solano's Hurricane. 27,000+ deaths, 22,000 from The Great Hurricane alone, likely a Category 5. This season deserves mention even though it's before the 1851-present because of its extreme impact. This brutal season was probably like a combination of 2005 and 2017 both in tracks and impacts. There were at least 5 major-impact storms that season.
1804 Wood Rat:
Sept - The Antigua-Charleston Hurricane, the most severe in Georgia and South Carolina in decades, ranked about as bad as the 1752 and 1893 hurricanes there. The storm was also noted to be one of the worst in the island of St. Kitts. This storm took a Hugo-like track apparently and was a powerhouse.
1851 - Present:
1852 Water Rat:
Aug - The Great Mobile Hurricane of 1852, estimated to be Cat 3, struck the Alabama/Mississippi coast during Aug 25-26, bringing a 12-foot storm surge and downing trees up to 30 miles inland.
1864 Wood Rat: none
1876 Fire Rat:
Sep - San Felipe the 1st in Puerto Rico, struck as Cat 3 and caused serious damage.
Oct - Cuba/Florida Hurricane, struck FL as Cat 2 or cat 3.
1888 Earth Rat:
Aug - Florida-Louisiana Hurricane, Major Hurricane strike in what would be present-day Miami.
Sept - Hurricane San Gil kills 900+ during its east-west trek across the Caribbean islands into the Yucatan.
1900 Metal Rat:
Sept - Great Galveston Hurricane, Cat 4, struck on Sept 8th and still remains the deadliest hurricane in American history. 8,000+ deaths, mainly due to storm surge.
1912 Water Rat:
Nov - Major late-season Hurricane strike in Jamaica, Cat 3 or Cat 4, causes severe damage.
1924 Wood Rat:
Oct - One of the first known Category 5 hurricanes, strikes Western Cuba during Oct 19-20.
1936 Fire Rat:
July - Cat 2 landfall in Florida Panhandle
Sept - Cat 2/3 struck NC's Outer Banks and passed just offshore VA, the storm caused major impacts on Hatteras and other parts of eastern NC/VA/MD.
1948 Earth Rat:
Sept - Powerful Cat 4 strike in South Florida, came from the south after hitting Cuba as a major too.
Oct - South FL struck again from the south by strong Cat 2, similar to Wilma in track and strength.
1960 Metal Rat:
Sept - Hurricane Donna strikes the Islands, then FL, then rides up the East Coast. Cat 4 strike in the Lesser Antilles and FL keys.
1972 Water Rat:
June - tricky because even though not a Cat 2, Hurricane Agnes caused widespread devastation in the US especially from flooding and tornadoes.
1984 Wood Rat:
Sept - Hurricane Diana, close-call Cat 4 off NC coast, came down to a Cat 2 before landfall.
1996 Fire Rat:
July - Hurricane Bertha strikes NC as Cat 2 and was a Cat 3 in the Atlantic unusually early in the season.
Sept - Hurricane Fran slams North Carolina again, as a Cat 3, and became one of the worst hurricanes on record in NC, causing severe widespread damage, even far inland.
2008 Earth Rat:
Aug - Hurricane Gustav strikes Cuba as a high-end Cat 4, causing major damage, then comes ashore Louisiana as a weakening Cat 2.
Sept - Hurricane Ike devastates Bahamas, Cuba and Texas during its week-long rampage. Hurricane Hanna kills hundreds in Haiti with massive flooding just a week later.
Nov - Cat 4 Hurricane Paloma strikes Cayman Islands region, and is among the strongest November hurricanes on record.
Significant Landfalling Hurricanes per Rat Year since 1851:
1852/1, 1864/0, 1876/2, 1888/2, 1900/1, 1912/1, 1924/1, 1936/2, 1948/2, 1960/1, 1972/1, 1984/1, 1996/2, 2008/3.
Average # of significant landfalling hurricanes per Rat Year: 1.43.
It's also noteworthy that some of the storms above featured multiple destructive landfalls. This tells us that we could expect 1 to 2 major landfallers this season, and if the season dishes out a greater number of named storms than most of these past seasons, because of the current busy era, the number of Cat 2+ landfallers and/or high impact storms will likely be closer to 3-4. Some of the hurricanes this season could also feature multiple landfalls.
Notice how certain areas like the Caribbean Islands, Florida, parts of the Gulf Coast and the Carolinas are frequent targets during these years. The Year of the Rat seems to favor more westward tracks and therefore more destructive paths. It is actually fairly rare for a Rat Year season to be inactive and uneventful, even the quieter years had their big ones.
The areas that appear to the in the bulls eye then, and possibly in 2020 are: Texas/Louisiana coast, Alabama-Panhandle of Florida, Peninsular Florida - especially South Florida, Bahamas/ Turks and Caicos, the Lesser & Greater Antilles from Cuba east to Hispaniola, PR, Virgin Islands, and last but not least - the Carolinas. The far southern Caribbean, Mid-Atlantic/ Northeast US, and Mexico/Central America seem to be luckier during these kinds of years.
I think all that you’ve read up to this point, adds some credence to a potentially dangerous 2020 season, if things like this were to be seriously considered. This is how I think 2020 could end up being, and considering my parameters 1 and 2, here goes my crazy experimental prediction:
2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Prediction:
2020 ends up with 19 named storms, 9 of which become hurricanes, and 6 major hurricanes. We get a category 5 hurricane for the 5th straight year in a row against the odds, and it may strike land at peak intensity. Two to Three of the named storms in 2020 make landfall as Category 2 or stronger hurricanes, and the season is a very destructive one overall. One of the hurricanes this season will likely affect many Caribbean Islands as a major (kind of like Ike 2008, Donna 1960, or even GH 1780) and then either head for Florida/ curve up the East Coast (Donna track) or enter the Gulf Coast and strike land there (Ike track). A second major hurricane will probably emerge out of the Caribbean and strike Cuba, and then head north into Florida (kind of like 1948’s hurricanes or the 1924 Cuba Hurricane). These two storms will likely be the centerpieces of the season and probably happen sometime between August 25 and October 25.
Predictions By Month:
May-June: Early-season activity is likely, we could see two named storms, 1 of them a low-end hurricane, by June 30. Running total thru June 30… 2/1/0.
July: Early season hurricane, possibly major, appears likely. A good analog would be both Berthas from 1996 & 2008. Landfall is also possible, especially northern Caribbean Islands/ Bahamas and NC. Two named storms in July overall, including the possible early major. Running total thru July 31… 4/2/1.
August: There may be a lull in activity during the first half of Aug, and then a big one forms after 8/20. This storm could be one of the main hurricanes of 2020 and possibly last into early-mid September. A few analogs would be Donna 1960, Edouard 1996. Two other tropical storms could also form in Late August, bringing the Aug predicted total to 3, including the one strong hurricane above. Running total thru Aug 31… 7/3/2.
September: Wild and destructive month with 6 named storms, 3 hurricanes and 2 of them majors. A severe landfall (Cat 3-4 most likely) is quite possible this month, especially from the Islands into Florida, and then into the Gulf or Carolinas. One of the Sept landfalls may actually be one of the storms that forms in late August. Analogs include Donna 1960, Fran 1996 and Ike 2008. Running total thru Sept 30… 13/6/4.
October: The busy, destructive streak continues, and October may rival September both in activity and impacts. A major hurricane landfall is likely, especially along the Antilles, Cuba and then northward into Florida. Analogs are Oct 1780, Oct 1924, and Oct 1948. 5 named storms, 2 hurricanes, and 1 of them major and possibly Cat 5. Running total thru Oct 31… 18/8/5.
November: 1 named storm, which also becomes a hurricane and then a major hurricane. This one could be a surprise landfall too, especially in the Western Caribbean. Final total thru Nov 30 … 19/9/6.
2020 could be a very risky and dangerous year. Possible analog years (impact-wise) to be considered for this year, in addition to the existing ones being mentioned by the experts, could be the Metal Rat years of 1780, 1900 and 1960. Given the current active era we're in, 2020 will likely have a higher number of storms than either 1960 or 1900, and there could still be one or two blockbuster landfalls. In the most likely outcome, according to this oddball method, 2020 could have a blended outcome of 1996 and 2008, and in the worst-case scenario, it could be similar to 1780, which was like 2017 on crack. Hopefully this season could instead be a best-case scenario, which would reasonably be similar to 1984 which was busy but had few significant landfalls. The last thing we need is a devastating hurricane season coupled with the Coronavirus pandemic going on. However, I would cautiously advise y'all to be more wary of the tropics this year than usual, just in case 2020 ends up being a beast.
Alright guys, all that which you've read is just my 2 cents, so please take all of the above with a grain of salt. I must say, however, all of this does give some reason to watch the tropics a little closer this year just in case. This thread is experimental and probably geared more towards amusement rather than serious predictions, this is my disclaimer. The future conditions of the Atlantic, i.e. the SST's, ENSO, Teleconnections, MDR favorability, SAL and other meteorological indicators/factors will have the ultimate say in how the season goes, and these factors could change as we head into the peak of hurricane season.
Well, let’s see how 2020 evolves over the next several months, it might be an interesting and wild ride!
Feel free to ask me questions or write whatever you wish here! We can track 2020 here too, and I’ll
try to keep this thread alive by posting updates, other experimental takes, visuals, and such whenever possible!
-FR

4/24/2020