Gulf of Mexico Hurricane Drought the Longest in 130 Years

Jonathan Belles
Published: August 27,2016
No hurricanes have entered or developed in the Gulf of Mexico since September 2013, a stretch of well over 1,000 days. This streak is now the longest on record, dating to the late 1800s.
The last hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico was Hurricane Ingrid, which made landfall in northeast Mexico in September 2013.

Hurricane Ingrid on September 15, 2013
(Terra/MODIS/NASA)

Longest Stretches Without a Gulf of Mexico Hurricane since 1886
(Source: Weather Channel hurricane specialist Michael Lowry)

Start, End Dates	Days Without a Hurricane
9/17/2013 - ?	1,076 (As of August 27)
10/1/1929 - 8/13/1932	1,047
10/16/1989 - 8/24/1992	1,043

There have been numerous tropical storms that have made landfall along the Gulf Coast since Ingrid in 2013, including tropical storms Colin and Danielle from 2016 and Bill in 2015, to name a few.
(MORE: Hurricane Season Outlook | Hurricane Season Q & A | Debunking Hurricane Myths)
Note that the Gulf of Mexico was delimited as 22 to 31 degrees north, and Danielle would not have been included in the above streaks if it had become a hurricane. The Bay of Campeche was not included as part of the Gulf of Mexico.

Tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico since the last Gulf Hurricane, Ingrid in 2013.

It was just eight years ago that Gulf Coast residents were praying for a drought like the current one.

Tracks of 12 hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico (north of 22 degrees north latitude) from the 2004 through 2008 hurricane seasons.

Starting with Category 4 Hurricane Charley in August 2004, and punctuated by Hurricane Ike in September 2008, 12 hurricanes ravaged the Gulf of Mexico in that stretch of five hurricane seasons.
This terrible string included five of the top eight costliest hurricanes in U.S. history.
Of course, this current Gulf hurricane drought will eventually end. Now is a good time to refresh or make a hurricane plan.
MORE: Hurricanes, By the Numbers