2009 Central Pacific hurricane season
Jun 1, 2009 – Nov 30, 2009 · Season ended
The 2009 Central Pacific hurricane season produced 2 named storms, 1 hurricane and 1 major hurricane, against a 1991–2020 average of 1.6, 0.8 and 0.5. Its accumulated cyclone energy was 14, 58% of the average.
2009 season at a glance
- Named storms: 2 (1991–2020 average 1.6).
- Hurricanes (64 kt+): 1 (average 0.8).
- Major, 96 kt+: 1 (average 0.5).
- Accumulated cyclone energy: 13.9, 58% of the 24 average.
- Named-storm days: 9.3, counting each six-hourly fix at 34 kt or more as a quarter day.
- First named storm: Maka, August 11.
- First hurricane: Neki, October 21.
- First major storm: Neki, October 21.
- Last storm to dissipate: Neki, October 27.
- All systems tracked: 3, including 1 that stayed below tropical-storm strength.
Counts use 1-minute best-track winds: named storms reached 34 kt (39 mph), the next column 64 kt (74 mph) and major storms 96 kt (111 mph).
Every storm of the 2009 season
- Maka: Maka formed in the Central Pacific in August 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 992 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 10 days.
- TD 2C: This system formed in the Central Pacific in August 2009 and peaked as a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1007 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 7 days.
- Neki: Neki formed in the Central Pacific in October 2009 and peaked as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 950 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
Each summary is built from the storm’s best track.
Strongest storm of 2009
Hurricane Neki was the strongest storm of the season, peaking at 125 mph (205 km/h), with a lowest pressure of 950 mb, on October 22. That is Category 3 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
17 Central Pacific storms since 1980 peaked higher, and 2 matched it. It produced 91% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
Landfalls in 2009
No storm in the 2009 Central Pacific hurricane season made landfall, according to the best track.
How 2009 ranks since 1980
The season ranks 8th of 47 Central Pacific seasons since 1980 for named storms (tied with 12 other seasons), 8th for hurricanes (tied with 18 other seasons) and 18th for accumulated cyclone energy.
The record since 1980 is 7 named storms, in 2015, and the highest ACE is 167, in 1992.
2009 storm names
The 2009 season used 2 names: Maka, Neki.
1 system was tracked without a name and is listed by number.
Central Pacific names are used in order across years from four lists, so a season picks up where the last one stopped. See the Central Pacific name lists.
2009 season FAQ
How many named storms were there in 2009?
The 2009 Central Pacific hurricane season had 2 named storms, 1 hurricane and 1 major hurricane, from 3 systems tracked in all. The 1991–2020 average is 1.6 named storms, 0.8 at 64 kt or more and 0.5 major per season. The first to form was Maka and the last was Neki.
What was the strongest storm of 2009?
Hurricane Neki. It peaked at 125 mph (205 km/h, 110 kt) with a lowest pressure of 950 mb on October 22. That is Category 3 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale. 17 Central Pacific storms since 1980 peaked higher. It produced 91% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
When did the 2009 season end?
The official season ended on November 30, 2009, as it does every year in the Atlantic, eastern Pacific and Central Pacific. The last system, Neki, dissipated on October 27. Storms that form in December still count toward that year: 2 Central Pacific storms since 1980 reached tropical-storm strength in December.