In this season a total of 18 tropical depressions originated, a figure that overcomes the historical mean of 15.6 (considering the series that embraces the period 1967–1999). 78% of the depressions surpassed that category, what is also a superior figure than the climatological mean of 60% for the Atlantic basin. 61% of the tropical depressions had its origin in tropical waves coming from Africa. In Table 1 the classification of the tropical cyclones from the Atlantic is presented, according to the intensity of the maximum sustained surface winds.
Overall 14 tropical storms developed, out of which eight reached the hurricane category. Of those hurricanes three were intense (Category 3 or superior in of Saffir–Simpson scale, see Table 2). Alberto was a hurricane of category 3, while Isaac and Keith were of category 4. Among them Keith stood out, not only for having been the most intense of all, with minimum sea level pressure (MSLP) of 936 hPa and maximum sustained wind of 225 km/h, but also for having been the only hurricane that impacted in terrestrial areas, causing economic and life losses.
| Table 1. Classification of tropical cyclones according to the intensity of the maximum sustained winds on surface. |
| Clasification | Maximum sustained wind speed in km/h (mean for one minute) |
| Tropical depression | <63 |
| Tropical storm | 63 - 117 |
| Hurricane | >117 |
| Table 2. Classification of hurricanes according to the Saffir–Simpson scale. |
| Category | Central
pressure (hPa) |
Maximum
sustainde wind (Km/h) |
Damanges |
| 1 | ³ 980 | 118 - 153 | Minima |
| 2 | 965 - 979 | 154 - 177 | Moderate |
| 3 | 945 - 964 | 178 - 209 | Extensive |
| 4 | 920 - 944 | 210 - 250 | Extreme |
| 5 | < 920 | >250 | Catastrophic |
When observing the monthly distribution of the formation of tropical storms in Table 3, it stands out that these formed during the historically most active trimester. In the months of August, September and October the mean values for the period 1886–1999 were overcome. The quantity of seven tropical storms developed in September has occurred before only in the years 1949 and 1988, while the intensification of five hurricanes in this month equals that of the years 1955, 1961 and 1981. In September of this season the origin and development of an intense hurricane in the Caribbean was also of interest, such event had only occurred before in September 1935 and 1948.
In Table 4 a summary of the characteristics of the tropical cyclones developed in the year 2000 on the North Atlantic basin is shown and the trajectories are presented in Fig. 1. It is appreciated in this figure that ten tropical hurricanes developed on the Atlantic Ocean (Alberto, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Isaac, Joyce, Leslie, Michael and Nadine), one on the Caribbean Sea (Keith) and the remaining three (Bret, Gordon and Helene) over the Gulf of Mexico. Of all those trajectories that described by hurricane Alberto turns of interest, as it was the third hurricane of more duration after Ginger (1971) and Carrie (1957) in the chronology that dates from 1886.
| Table 3. Monthly mean frequency of TC (tropical storms plus hurricanes) for the period 1886–1999 and behavior in the year 2000. |
| Period | June | July | August | September | October | November |
| 1886 - 1999 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.4 |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Table 4. Tropical storms and hurricanes of the cyclone season of 2000 on the North Atlantic. |
| Name | Date
of beginning |
Date
in that concludes |
Maximum wind (km/h) | Minimum pressure (hPa) | Date and time (UTC*) in that maximum intensity is reached |
Saffir Simpson Scale |
| Alberto | 08-Abr | Ago-23 | 205 | 950 | 8/12 1200 | 3 |
| Beryl | Ago-13 | Ago-15 | 85 | 1007 | 8/15 0010 | - |
| Chris | Ago-17 | Ago-19 | 65 | 1005 | 8/18 1200 | - |
| Debby | Ago-19 | Ago-24 | 120 | 991 | 8/22 0305 | 1 |
| Ernesto | 09-Feb | 09-Mar | 65 | 1005 | 9/2 0600 | - |
| Florence | 09-Nov | Sep-17 | 130 | 985 | 9/16 1800 | 1 |
| Gordon | Sep-14 | Sep-18 | 120 | 981 | 9/17 0805 | 1 |
| Helene | Sep-15 | Sep-25 | 110 | 986 | 9/25 0600 | - |
| Isaac | Sep-21 | 10-Ene | 225 | 943 | 9/28 1800 | 4 |
| Joyce | Sep-25 | 10-Feb | 150 | 976 | 9/28 0000 | 1 |
| Keith | Sep-28 | 10-Jun | 225 | 939 | 10/1 0708 | 4 |
| Leslie | 10-Abr | 10-Jul | 65 | 1006 | 10/6 0621 | - |
| Michael | Oct-17 | Oct-19 | 160 | 965 | 10/19 1700 | 2 |
| Nadine | Oct-19 | Oct-22 | 95 | 997 | 10/21 0000 | - |
| *UTC: Means Universal Coordinated Time and differs in +5h of the local time for Cuba (Meridian 75 W). |
Fig. 1 Trajectories of tropical storms and hurricanes of the hurricane season of 2000. The positions are given every 6 hours. (. . .) means the phase of tropical wave and (· - - ·) that of depression. (*) The trajectory of Helene finishes in the day 22 in this figure, information on the rest of the trajectory can be found in the individual characteristics.
