Hurricane Season Ends, Marked by Quiet August and Deadly September
Hurricane Season Ends, Marked by Quiet August and Deadly September
The Atlantic hurricane season ended Sunday with no Category 4 or higher hurricanes. This year was the eighth year the U.S. Climate Extremes Working Group (CEWG) has tracked a full-year record for the number of hurricanes and tropical storms. Only seven of these storms made landfall in the United States, and the five major hurricanes killed only 16 persons. The storms also destroyed at least 6,933 homes and 13,932 other properties.
There were more than 150 tropical storms, and about 70 hurricanes. These storms were relatively uncommon, affecting only 12.6 percent of the U.S. population. The number of hurricanes dropped in 2017, but it was a relatively mild year with only seven tropical storms. This year’s total storm count was up significantly from 2016, when no tropical storms or hurricanes formed until October.
The four major hurricanes struck Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin islands. On average, a major hurricane hits the United States between October and April 1 each year. Since the CEWG began tracking data in 1976, an average of 4.1 hurricanes and 11 tropical storms have hit the United States each year. The four major hurricanes this year made landfall at locations ranging from Florida, Virginia, and Alabama to Texas and Hawaii.
The first hurricane of the season hit the Florida Keys on October 8, 2017 (See Hurricane Harvey in “Hurricane Harvey” for detailed information about the storm). The storm was not named for its position but rather because of the damage done to the hotel and surrounding area.
Hurricane Harvey (Category 3) was the second most powerful Atlantic hurricane in recorded history. It had winds near 100 mph and was a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. The final hurricane of the season, Hurricane Irma (Category 3) made landfall in Florida on September 10, 2017 and caused substantial damage (See Hurricane Irma). While Harvey was a Category 3, Irma was