 Four Canadian Navy ships headed to the Gulf Coast of the United States , carrying relief supplies to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina , were slowed down trying to avoid Hurricanes Nate and Ophelia . The convoy included a destroyer , two frigates , and an icebreaker , and developed a plan to travel between the two hurricanes to minimize damage to their cargo . Crews , anticipating potentially rough seas and gusty winds even with the averted course , secured onboard supplies such as generators , chainsaws , diapers , and cots . The genesis of Tropical Storm Nate continued the unprecedented levels of tropical activity during the 2005 hurricane season ; when it developed on September 5 , it was the earliest in any season that the fourteenth named tropical cyclone formed , surpassing the previous record held by an unnamed storm during the 1936 season . 
