As I write this, what is hopefully the last of the 2005 hurricanes, Epsilon, is quickly disintegrating in the Atlantic.

After a long (26 named storms) and deadly season (more than 1,400 U.S. dead) that set nearly a dozen records, even the National Weather Service had had it with tropical cyclones. In its latest advisory on Epsilon, the NWS wrote: "This is the last advisory ...It is about time..."

Indeed it is. I kept up with the 2005 season with morbid fascination. Intrigued by the early predictions of a mean season, I read most of the NWS advisories, watched the Weather Channel until dawn's early light, and kept up with the destruction like it was a 26-part TV serial.

For the most part, we in the Tar Heel state escaped much of the storms' fury, despite having a coastline that sticks its chin out in the ocean as if daring a hurricane to take its best shot. This year, we could have been sucker punched, but somehow we managed to hang tough, even against Ophelia in September.

While forecasters say the odds don't favor a repeat of the 2005 season, they warn that 2006 will still likely be an above-average season, but not as powerful as this year, when seven major storms battered the country.

With the vivid memories of the 2005 season still with us, let's hope that forecasters are right.