Reflecting on the 2023 Hurricane Season: Florida’s Encounter with Nature’s Fury

The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season was a trying time for many communities. While Florida only experienced one major landfalling hurricane, it was still a challenging season, with the fourth most-named storms in a single year since 1950 (2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season Ranks 4th for Most-named Storms in a Year, 2023). In this article, we will reflect on the season and acknowledge the difficulties faced by those affected by this storm along with local impacts.


As previously mentioned in the last article talking about El Nino: Navigating the Winter Season in Southwest Florida: Unraveling the Impact of El Niño initial predictions about this season were lower. The outlook from NOAA forecasters back in May was only at a 30% chance of an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season due to the effects of El Nino. This was because on average an El Nino year will limit tropical weather activity in the Atlantic Ocean. However, an updated outlook was released in August where forecasters factored in the above-average sea surface temperatures increasing the chances of an above-normal season to 60%. The August update was calling for 14 – 21 named storms, 6 – 11 hurricanes, and 2 – 5 major hurricanes (NOAA Forecasters Increase Atlantic Hurricane Season Prediction to ‘Above Normal,’ 2023). Now that the season has officially ended you may be curious how accurate these predictions turned out to be.


The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season recorded a total of 20 named storms, out of which 7 became hurricanes. Of these hurricanes, 3 were major hurricanes. It’s worth noting that the August outlook from NOAA was pretty accurate since most of the storms remained out at sea and were referred to as “fish storms”.

Hurricane Idalia

This past season was marked by the arrival of Hurricane Idalia, the only hurricane to make landfall in the United States. Idalia’s impact on Florida was unpredictable and therefore gained significant attention. The storm originated in the Eastern Pacific offshore of Central America before moving into the Atlantic basin. As it moved northward through the Western Caribbean Sea, it began to organize itself, and on August 27th, it was given the name Idalia. Shortly after, the hurricane headed for Florida, reaching peak intensity just before landfall as a major Category 4 hurricane. However, as the storm approached land, it weakened to a Category 3 and made landfall on August 30th, about 20 miles south of Perry, Florida. The hurricane brought sustained winds of 125 mph and a central pressure of 949 millibars (Hurricane Idalia, 2024).

Unfortunately, the people within the Big Bend region of Florida where the eye wall affected land did not fare very well with wind damage and water damage. Locally, Sarasota county was spared from the worst of the wind and rain luckily, but did not escape the storm surge. Coastal flooding while the storm was passing offshore in the Gulf of Mexico was the main concern forecasters including myself had leading up to the storm. And surely enough that is what many people along the coast saw. There was also a severe weather threat as well for the local area during the duration of the storm, but luckily that threat was limited with only a few tornado warnings being issued in areas that were not very populated.

All three counties including Manatee, Sarasota, and Charlotte reported an observed water rise ranging between 2 and 4 feet above dry ground along the coast. This created many problems across the region. According to Sarasota County, the storm surge flooding destroyed 18 structures and caused major damage to 1,100 other structures. Over in St. Armands Circle/Key reports of about 1 foot of water impacted many businesses and homes. Storm surge also affected many roads causing several road closures and road washouts near coastal regions including the intersection of Fruitville Road and U.S 41 (Herald-Tribune, 2023). Meanwhile, in Venice, the South Jetty did not fare well at all with extensive damages to the parking lot and the jetty itself. Damages included storm surge erosion in the parking lot, large boulders being moved, and sand pushed across the area. And all of this was caused by about 4 feet of water that piled up across the jetty. It’s safe to say never underestimate the power of water and waves. At the time of writing this (early January) the South Jetty walkway is still closed for repairs (Kuizon, 2023).

Storm Surge Flooding at the intersection of U.S. 41 & Fruitville Road (Source: Sarasota Police Department)

Roof Damage to a Local Business in Venice (Source: City of Venice)

Significant Damages to the South Jetty Walk Way from Storm Surge and Wave Action (Source: Chris Johnson – Owner of Jetty Jacks)

South Jetty Walkway Still Closed from the Public (Source: City of Venice)

As far as other impacts and statistics observed from Idalia, the highest wind gust recorded was 70 mph at about 2:22 AM at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport in Manatee County. Rainfall totals ranged from 4 to 7 inches across the region. A total of 386 people utilized the Sarasota County evacuation centers with another 382 people in Manatee County. More than 14,000 homes in Charlotte County and about 8,000 in Sarasota County were affected by power outages (Herald-Tribune, 2023). It is estimated that Sarasota County’s damage assessment was around $2.6 million in the aftermath of Idalia (Hurricane Idalia Damages Estimated at $2.6 Million, 2023).

As we reflect on the 2023 hurricane season, let us remember the importance of preparedness and resilience in the face of natural disasters, and work together to build a safer and more resilient future for all. Despite there only being 1 hurricane to impact the United States this past season, the old saying stays the same: “It only takes one.”

Be sure to comment below your thoughts about the 2023 season and leave a rating on this article if you found this informative!

References:

2023 Atlantic hurricane season ranks 4th for most-named storms in a year. (2023, November 28). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/2023-atlantic-hurricane-season-ranks-4th-for-most-named-storms-in-year#:~:text=The%20Atlantic%20basin%20saw%2020,hurricanes%20and%20three%20major%20hurricanes  

NOAA forecasters increase Atlantic hurricane season prediction to ‘above normal.’ (2023, August 10). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-forecasters-increase-atlantic-hurricane-season-prediction-to-above-normal 

Hurricane Idalia. (2024, January 1). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Idalia 

Hurricane Idalia damages estimated at $2.6 million. (2023, September 1). Retrieved January 3, 2024, from https://www.scgov.net/Home/Components/News/News/5494/23 

Herald-Tribune, S. (2023, October 3). NWS Hurricane Idalia report: Most damage in Sarasota and Manatee came from storm surge. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2023/10/03/report-finds-most-sarasota-manatee-idalia-damage-came-from-storm-surge/71030101007/ 

Kuizon, K. (2023, September 5). South Jetty in Venice closed over Labor Day due to Hurricane Idalia storm surge damage. FOX 13 Tampa Bay. https://www.fox13news.com/news/south-jetty-in-venice-closed-over-labor-day-due-to-hurricane-idalia-storm-surge-damage

~ Joey