2008 Atlantic hurricane season ends

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Today marks the end of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, one of the most active on record.

This season saw 16 named storms, including eight hurricanes, five of which were at least Category 3 strength.

With the 2009 season in mind, emergency planners are reflecting on their responses to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

In New Orleans, the city nearly emptied as Gustav neared in early September.

In Houston, less than two weeks later, officials' calls to "hunker down" may have kept evacuation routes from clogging before Hurricane Ike struck.

The strategies were different but the results largely the same: Both cities avoided repeating disastrous evacuations that cost lives during the deadly 2005 hurricane season.