Research from government scientists found the past Atlantictropical storm season was busier than previously thought, with onemore tropical storm uncovered in research data.

The hurricane season–which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30–wasthought to have had only nine storms this past season, with five ofthem becoming hurricanes. But researchers with the National OceanicAtmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center uncovered atenth tropical storm that formed in the Atlantic.

The unnamed tropical storm formed on July 13 off the Northeastcoast on the tail of a cold front, according to researchers Eric S.Blake and John L. Beven, who published a paper that appears on theNOAA Web site (www.nhc.noaa.gov).

The storm became organized on July 17, they said, forming into atropical depression about 210 miles off the coast of NantucketIsland, Mass.

The storm reached tropical storm strength of peak wind speeds of52 miles-per-hour, moving over Newfoundland on the July 18. Itdissipated over the North Atlantic on July 19.

They said there were no reports of casualties or damage due tothe storm.

No hurricanes struck the East or Gulf Coast this past season,which was predicted to be another active one. Scientists blamed theeffects of an El Nin?o for the benign hurricane season. However,scientists also contend the hurricane season will remain severe foryears to come due to the effects of global warming.

Earlier this month, Colorado State University Professor WilliamGray and his team of forecasters predicted an above-averageAtlantic-basin tropical storm season in 2007, with seven hurricanesand 14 named storms expected.

In another report, Aon Re said the global tropical storm seasonwas normal.

The study said tropical cyclones for the Northern hemispheretotaled 31 in 2006–equal to the long term average. However, intensetropical storms, at or above Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale(those with sustained winds of 111 mph or more) were abovehistorical levels by 45 percent.

The eastern Pacific saw above average activity on a year-to-yearbasis, with 18 named storms–up from 15 in 2005. There were sixstorms of Category 3 or higher in 2006.

The western Pacific storm activity was down slightly from anaverage of 17.5 typhoons to 15 in 2006.

According to Aon Re, a unit of Chicago-based insurance brokerAon Corp., the worst storm catastrophe loss in 2006 was severeweather that hit the Great Lakes in Ohio Valley through theSoutheast that amounted to an estimated $3.4 million-plus inlosses.

This article originally appeared in The National UnderwriterP&C. For the complete article, please click here.

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