A hurricane researcher says that when Delta makes landfall, it will be a record 10th named storm to hit the continental United States this year.
Phil Klotzbach of Colorado State University says that will break a record of nine named storms set in 1916. This year’s lineup includes Bertha, Cristobal, Fay, Hanna, Isaias, Laura, Marco, Sally, and Beta.
Delta also will be the fifth hurricane to hit the continental United States this year. The last time that happened was 2005.
Delta is the latest and nastiest in a recent flurry of rapidly intensifying Atlantic hurricanes that scientists largely blame on global warming.
Klotzbach says Delta also will be the first hurricane named from the Greek alphabet to hit the continental United States. Beta was a tropical storm when it made landfall earlier this year.