DATA a; INPUT YEAR N_STORMS N_CAT N_HS_HIT N_HR_1_9 N_HR_1_5 N_W1 N_W2 N_W3 N_W4 N_W5 N_H_HIT N_HR N_TS N_SS ; DECADE = 10*INT(YEAR/10); LINES; /* Can use the keyword DATALINES -- or CARDS -- instead */ 1886 10 7 7 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 2 0 1887 17 3 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 7 0 1888 9 3 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 0 1889 9 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 0 1890 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1891 11 2 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 3 0 1892 9 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 0 1893 12 6 8 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 2 0 1894 6 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 0 1895 6 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 1896 6 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 1897 5 2 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 1898 9 3 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 0 1899 6 3 4 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 2 5 1 0 1900 7 1 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 4 0 1901 10 2 6 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 2 3 7 0 1902 5 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 1903 9 2 2 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 2 8 1 0 1904 5 2 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 1905 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 1906 11 4 6 4 4 1 1 2 0 0 4 6 5 0 1907 4 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1908 8 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 3 0 1909 10 4 8 4 4 0 1 2 1 0 4 4 6 0 1910 4 2 2 2 2 0 1 1 0 0 2 3 1 0 1911 4 2 2 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 2 3 1 0 1912 6 2 4 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 4 2 0 1913 4 2 3 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 0 1914 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1915 5 3 4 3 3 1 0 0 2 0 3 4 1 0 1916 14 6 8 6 6 3 1 2 0 0 6 11 3 0 1917 3 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 0 1918 5 1 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 2 0 1919 3 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 2 0 1920 4 2 3 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 2 4 0 0 1921 6 2 2 2 2 0 1 1 0 0 2 4 2 0 1922 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 1923 7 1 4 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 4 0 1924 8 2 3 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 5 3 0 1925 2 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1926 11 4 4 3 3 0 1 1 1 0 3 8 3 0 1927 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 3 0 1928 6 2 3 2 2 0 1 0 1 0 2 4 2 0 1929 3 2 2 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 2 3 0 0 1930 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1931 9 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 0 1932 11 2 5 2 2 1 0 0 1 0 2 6 5 0 1933 21 5 7 5 5 0 2 3 0 0 5 10 1 0 1934 11 3 5 2 2 0 1 1 0 0 2 6 5 0 1935 6 2 2 2 2 0 1 0 0 1 2 5 1 0 1936 16 3 7 3 3 1 1 1 0 0 3 7 9 0 1937 9 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 0 1938 8 2 4 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 2 3 5 0 1939 5 1 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 0 1940 8 2 4 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 4 4 0 1941 6 2 4 2 2 0 1 1 0 0 2 4 2 0 1942 10 2 3 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 2 4 6 0 1943 10 1 4 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 5 0 1944 11 3 4 3 3 1 0 2 0 0 3 7 4 0 1945 11 3 4 3 3 1 1 1 0 0 3 5 6 0 1946 6 1 4 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 0 1947 9 3 7 3 3 1 1 0 1 0 3 5 4 0 1948 9 3 4 3 3 1 1 1 0 0 3 6 3 0 1949 13 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 0 0 3 7 6 0 1950 13 3 4 3 3 1 0 2 0 0 3 11 2 0 1951 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 2 0 1952 7 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 6 1 0 1953 14 3 7 3 3 3 0 0 0 0 3 6 8 0 1954 11 3 4 3 3 0 0 2 1 0 3 8 3 0 1955 12 3 5 3 3 1 0 2 0 0 3 9 3 0 1956 8 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 4 0 1957 8 1 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 5 0 1958 10 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 3 0 1959 11 3 6 3 3 2 0 1 0 0 3 7 4 0 1960 7 2 4 2 2 1 0 0 1 0 2 4 3 0 1961 11 1 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 8 3 0 1962 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 1963 9 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 7 2 0 1964 12 4 5 4 4 0 3 1 0 0 4 6 6 0 1965 6 1 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 2 0 1966 11 2 2 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 2 7 4 0 1967 8 1 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 6 2 0 1968 8 1 3 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 3 0 1969 18 2 3 2 2 1 0 0 0 1 2 12 5 1 1970 10 1 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 5 5 0 1971 13 3 5 3 3 2 1 0 0 0 3 6 7 0 1972 7 1 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 3 1973 8 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 3 1 1974 11 1 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 3 4 1975 9 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 6 2 1 1976 10 1 4 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 6 2 2 1977 6 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 1 0 1978 12 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 6 1 1979 9 3 5 3 3 1 1 1 0 0 3 5 3 1 1980 11 1 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 9 2 0 1981 12 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 4 1 1982 6 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 1983 4 1 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 1 0 1984 13 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 7 1 1985 11 6 8 6 6 3 1 2 0 0 6 7 4 0 1986 6 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 4 2 0 1987 7 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 4 0 1988 12 1 4 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 7 0 1989 11 3 4 3 3 2 0 0 1 0 3 7 4 0 1990 14 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 6 0 1991 8 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 4 0 1992 7 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 2 1 1993 8 1 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 4 0 1994 7 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 0 1995 19 2 5 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 11 8 0 ; RUN; PROC MEANS; RUN; PROC SORT; BY DECADE; PROC MEANS data = a noprint; BY decade; VAR N_STORMS N_CAT N_HS_HIT N_HR_1_9 N_HR_1_5 N_W1 N_W2 N_W3 N_W4 N_W5 N_H_HIT N_HR N_TS N_SS ; OUTPUT out = stats Mean = M_STORMS M_CAT M_HS_HIT M_HR_1_9 M_HR_1_5 M_W1 M_W2 M_W3 M_W4 M_W5 M_H_HIT M_HR M_TS M_SS STD = S_STORMS S_CAT S_HS_HIT S_HR_1_9 S_HR_1_5 S_W1 S_W2 S_W3 S_W4 S_W5 S_H_HIT S_HR S_TS S_SS ; ; PROC PRINT DATA = stats ; RUN; /* DESCRIPTION OF storms.dat (free format) storm.dat prepared by jh from file tracks.atl (the latter downloaded from ) YEAR 1886 to 1995 N_STORMS Number of storms recorded in database N_CAT Number with entry in "Hi US" category (computed from CARD TYPE A -- see below) N_HS_HIT Number coded as "hit_US = 1" on CARD TYPE A i.e. Made landfall over the United States as tropical storm or hurricane (see below) N_HR_1_9 Number where category > 0 (computed from CARD TYPE A -- see below) N_HR_1_5 Number that hit U.S. landfall as hurricane coded '1' = minimal hurricane to '5' = super hurricane (computed from CARD TYPE C -- see below) N_W1 Number of hurricanes that hit US with strength 1 (*) N_W2 Number of hurricanes that hit US with strength 2(*) N_W3 Number of hurricanes that hit US with strength 3 (*) N_W4 Number of hurricanes that hit US with strength 4 (*) N_W5 Number of hurricanes that hit US with strength 5 (*) N_H_HIT Number of hurricanes that hit US with strength > 0 (computed from strengths listed on CARD TYPE C) N_HR Number of storms where, on CARD TYPE C, Tp = Maximum intensity of storm = 'HR' = hurricane N_TS Number of storms where, on CARD TYPE C, Tp = 'TS' = tropical storm N_SS Number of storms where, on CARD TYPE C, Tp = 'SS' = subtropical storm ----------------------- * strength taken as maximum Saffir-Simpson category at landfall; max taken over (up to 5) regions listed on CARD TYPE C jh 1997.01.05 ============================================================================= ATLANTIC BASIN BEST TRACK DOCUMENTATION............BY CHRIS LANDSEA (2/16/95) This documentation is based upon "A tropical cyclone data tape for the North Atlantic basin, 1886-1983: Contents, limitations, and uses", _NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS NHC 22_, 1984 written by B.R. Jarvinen, C.J. Neumann, and M.A.S. Davis. The North Atlantic 'best track' (so named as it is the 'best' track and intensity estimates of tropical cyclones as determined in a post-analysis of all available data) is maintained by the forecasters and researchers at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. Permission to make free access of this data and documentation were provided by Dr. Robert Sheets - director of NHC and by Mr. Neal Lottcate of the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, NC. Questions regarding the format and/or errors in the documentation/data should be directed to Chris Landsea (landsea@downdry.atmos.colostate.edu). Currently, the database extends from 1886 to 1993. The database filename is 'tra86to93.atl. Updates for the coming year will be provided as soon as the analysis is final at NHC. So, I hope this data provides some insight into the workings of the Atlantic hurricane for you as it, to some degree, has for me........CWL Note that the 'tra86to93.atl' file is UNIX compressed to save space on our computer so that the filename is 'tra86to93.atl.Z'. To read the file after you've ftp'ed it, you need to UNCOMPRESS the file. Otherwise, you can't access the data. -------------- P.S. Though the data extends back to 1886, one is cautioned in deriving seasonal statistics back that many years. The advent of aircraft reconn- aissance in 1944 is suggested (both by myself and C.J. Neumann) to be the start of reliable seasonal statistics on the frequency and duration of storms. However, as reported in Landsea (1993) ["A climatology of intense (or major) Atlantic hurricanes", _Mon. Wea. Rev._, 121, 1703-1713], there is a bias in the best track data in that strong hurricanes were over- reported in windstrength for the years 1944 to 1969 (and possibly before 1944 as well). This bias amounted to a five knot overestimation at the 100kt threshold for major hurricane status. The amount of overestimation is even worse for yet stronger storms. ---------------------- There are three basic types of datalines in the Best Track. TYPE A: 92620 08/16/1992 M=13 2 SNBR= 899 ANDREW XING=1 SSS=4 Card# MM/DD/Year Days S# Total#... Name........US Hit.Hi US category TYPE B: 92580 04/22S2450610 30 1003S2490615 45 1002S2520620 45 1002S2550624 45 1003* Card# MM/DD&LatLongWindPress&LatLongWindPress&LatLongWindPress&LatLongWindPress TYPE C: 92760 HRCFL4BFL3 LA3 Card# TpHit.Hit.Hit. TYPE A: Card# = Sequential card number starting at 00010 in 1886 MM/DD/Year = Month, Day, and Year of storm Days = Number of days in which positions are available (note that this also means number of lines to follow of type B and then one line of type C) S# = Storm number for that particular year (including subtropical storms) Total# = Storm number since the beginning of the record (since 1886) Name = Storms only given official names since 1950 US Hit = '1' = Made landfall over the United States as tropical storm or hurricane, '0' = did not make U.S. landfall Hi US category = '9' = Used before 1899 to indicate U.S. landfall as a hurricane of unspecified Saffir-Simpson category '0' = Used to indicate U.S. landfall as tropical storm, but this has not been utilized in recent years '1' to '5' = Highest category on the Saffir-Simpson scale that the storm made landfall along the U.S. '1' is a minimal hurricane, '5' is a catastrophic hurricane ........................................................................... TYPE B: Card# = As above. MM/DD = Month and Day of Storm & = 'S' (Subtropical stage), '*' (tropical cyclone stage), 'E' (extratropical stage), 'W' (wave stage - rarely used) LatLong = Position of storm: 24.5N, 61.0W Wind = Maximum sustained (1 minute) surface (10m) windspeed in knots (in general, these are to the nearest 5 knots). Press = Central surface pressure of storm in mb (if available). Since 1979, central pressures are given everytime even if a satellite estimation is needed. Positions and intensities are at 00Z, 06Z, 12Z, 18Z .......................................................................... TYPE C: Card# = As above. Tp = Maximum intensity of storm ('HR' = hurricane, 'TS' = tropical storm, 'SS' = subtropical storm) Hit = U.S. landfallings as hurricane ('LA' = Louisiana, etc.) and Saffir-Simpson category at landfall ('1' = minimal hurricane... '5' = super hurricane). (Note that Florida and Texas are split into smaller regions: 'AFL' = Northwest Florida, 'BFL' = Southwest Florida, 'CFL' = Southeast Florida, 'DFL' = Northeast Florida, 'ATX' = South Texas, 'BTX' = Central Texas, 'CTX' = North Texas.) */ RUN;