LATE IN THE GAME...

I was glancing over the list of 2008 hurricane names when I ran across "Kyle". Many of you may not remember 2002's Hurricane Kyle, but it was one of the most fascinating storms of the past decade. The storm managed to set records for longevity on a path that lasted for nearly a month. The system produced millions of dollars in damage in the United States. And it came right through North Carolina.

September 8th marks the "peak" of hurricane season. By October, we start to breathe a little easier. Our chances of getting hit by a hurricane drop below 5% in North Carolina. Naturally, the arrival of autumn brings cooler air and water temperatures. However, the arrival of autumn also complicates the process of hurricane forecasting. Our weather becomes less stagnant as cold fronts are "on the move" with greater rapidity. Coastal low pressure systems and a myriad of other weather phenomena, all of which serve to complicate the path of tropical systems, become more common during this time of year.

"Kyle" developed in mid-September of 2002 southeast of Bermuda. Early in its life cycle, Kyle was already showing signs of taking the famed "northeast turn" that would accelerate it to a quick death in the northern Atlantic. At one point, I clearly remember standing in front of the camera and saying that "Kyle is headed out to sea, to bother no one". Not one of my brighter moments.

Kyle did travel northeast, but only for a while. Eventually, the storm completed no less than 2 circular loops before heading back toward the United States and increasing to Hurricane Force. On October 11, nearly a month after it formed, Kyle came right up the southeast coast producing tornado damage in Georgetown South Carolina. Even though Kyle was only a tropical storm by the time it reached southeastern North Carolina, it had already secured a record as the 4th longest-lasting system in history.

If you ever hear me utter the phrase "never say never" while talking about hurricane trajectories, now you know why...