2012 Bikini Bottom hurricane season

The 2011-12 Bikini Bottom hurricane season is a upcoming event where tropical cyclones form near Bikini Bottom, a city located near the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. It will begin on November 15, 2011, and end on April 30, 2012. However, if any cyclone forms between July 1, 2011, and June 30, 2012, it will factor into the season total.

This season marks the first time an organized list of names have been used to name tropical cyclones in this area.

Season summary
Although the season doesn't begin until November 15, a tropical storm, Amelia, has formed early, on September 23, over two months ahead of the average starting date, December 2.

Hurricane Amelia
On September 21, a high pressure ridge over Rock Bottom began to spawn a thunderstorm. The thunderstorm became more visible on imagery until it detached and became the first invest of the 2011-12 year. It continued to improve until September 22, when it became a tropical depression. Three hours later, the storm was upgraded to Tropical Storm Amelia. Amelia quickly gained power as it traveled across the land. On the afternoon of September 24, it became a Category 1 hurricane. It soon turned to Bikini Bottom. Due to a sudden eyewall replacement cycle, Amelia was downgraded to a tropical storm about 20 miles north-northwest of Downtown Bikini Bottom. The next day, it made landfall at Goo Lagoon as a 40 mph tropical storm, becoming only the second storm on record to directly hit Bikini Bottom (after a storm in 1947). While Amelia was over Downtown, it weakened to a tropical depression. Over the next couple days, the system got more and more disorganized until it degenerated into a remnant low. The low then became part of a frontal boundary.

As Amelia turned to the city, its effects weas felt. Up to an inch of rain was recorded at Bikini Bottom International Airport. Local residents are also taking notice. For example, SpongeBob SquarePants's pineapple has been boarded up, Goo Lagoon shut down, and the Krusty Krab sold Krabby Patties at just 40 cents.

Impact from Amelia was limited to heavy surf in Goo Lagoon and very minor building damage. Only $4000 was caused.

Amelia is the first named storm on record to form in the Bikini Bottom area. It is also the only storm to ever make landfall in Goo Lagoon (the 1947 storm struck downtown).

Accumalated Cyclone Energy
The table on the right shows the ACE for each storm in the season. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. ACE is calculated for only full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 34 knots (39 mph, 63 km/h) or tropical storm strength. Subtropical cyclones are not included in the ACE.

Storm names
The following names will be used for tropical cyclones forming near Bikini Bottom. Since this is the first time an organized list of names has been used, it'll mark the first time any of these names have been used.