Hallelujah! Hurricane season ends Published Dec. 11, 2008 By Staff Sgt. Tanya Holditch Keesler News editor KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- As Keesler members drive through the gates on their way to work, they may notice the HURCON 5 signs have been removed. That's because Nov. 30 marked the end of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, which tied with 1936 and 2003 as the fourth busiest in recorded history, according to the Associated Press. This year there were 16 named storms, eight hurricanes and five major hurricanes, which are Category 3 hurricanes and above, according to Capt. Mark Sheldon, 81st Operations Support Flight officer in charge of weather. When the hurricane season began June 1, the National Climate Prediction Center estimated 12 to 16 named storms would form, two to five of which would become major hurricanes. An average season normally brings 11 named storms and six hurricanes, two of which are major, according to Captain Sheldon. The busiest hurricane season in recorded history was 2005, the year of Katrina. There were 28 named storms and 15 hurricanes,seven of which were major. Making history, six consecutive storms made landfall on the U.S. mainland this year -- Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike. Fay made history with four separate U.S. landfalls, all in Florida. This was also the first season where a major hurricane formed in five consecutive months, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Keesler members felt the rains of Hanna and saw the storm surges of Ike along Highway 90, but most remember Gustav as nearly 3,600 sheltered on base while 6,500 more evacuated to safe havens. Gustav subjected Keesler to sustained winds of 39 mph and gusts of 61 mph, according to Captain Sheldon. Estimated 6-foot storm surges were seen along Biloxi's Back Bay and Highway 90. Little damage was recorded, and Keesler came out virtually unscathed. Despite the season's small impact to most Keesler members, reservists from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squa-dron "Hurricane Hunters" flew more than 900 hours in tropical weather reconnaissance, keeping airfield operations personnel busy. "There was a significant increase (in the operations tempo) from last year," said Captain Sheldon. "We were prepared for the worst case scenario." During Hurricane Ike, base operations personnel assisted aircraft from Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Fla. They bedded down aircraft, which later flew to Louisiana to help with the search and rescue mission there. Despite the busy season, Tech. Sgt. Mark Savelio, noncommissioned officer in charge of weather operations, said he wasn't worried. Planning for the 2008 hurricane season began in February, he said. "After learning from Katrina, I was ready and my family was ready," said Sergeant Savelio. "We were just more aware of what we were looking for and better prepared."