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2017 Atlantic hurricane season

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2017 Atlantic hurricane season
2017 Atlantic hurricane season
MarioProtIV · Public domain · source
BasinAtl
Year2017
First storm formedApril 19, 2017
Last storm dissipatedNovember 9, 2017
Strongest storm nameMaria
Strongest storm pressure908
Strongest storm winds175
Total depressions18
Total storms17
Total hurricanes10
Damages294.92
Fatalities3374
Five seasons2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Atlantic season2017 Atlantic hurricane season
East Pacific season2017 Pacific hurricane season
West Pacific season2017 Pacific typhoon season
North Indian season2017 North Indian Ocean cyclone season

2017 Atlantic hurricane season was an extremely active and catastrophic period of tropical cyclone formation in the Atlantic Ocean. It produced 17 named storms, 10 hurricanes, and 6 major hurricanes, ranking among the top five most active seasons on record. The season was marked by several devastating storms, including Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, and Hurricane Maria, which caused unprecedented destruction across the Caribbean and the United States. The National Hurricane Center and World Meteorological Organization ultimately retired three names due to the storms' severity and impact.

Overview

The season officially ran from June 1 to November 30, though activity began early with the formation of Tropical Storm Arlene in April. Atmospheric conditions, including above-average sea surface temperatures across the tropical Atlantic Ocean and a weak La Niña event developing later in the year, created an environment highly conducive for development. Key forecasting agencies, such as Colorado State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, predicted an above-average season. The season's activity was concentrated in the Main Development Region, with many storms forming from powerful tropical waves moving off the coast of Africa.

Storms

The season's notable systems began with Hurricane Franklin, which made landfall in Mexico in early August. Hurricane Harvey then devastated Texas in late August, stalling and producing catastrophic flooding in Houston and setting a new U.S. tropical cyclone rainfall record. In September, Hurricane Irma became a long-lived Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale, ravaging the Leeward Islands, including Barbuda and Saint Martin, before striking Cuba and Florida. Hurricane Jose followed a similar track through the Caribbean Sea but remained offshore. Hurricane Maria rapidly intensified to a Category 5 storm, causing a humanitarian crisis in Dominica and Puerto Rico by crippling the island's infrastructure. Later storms included Hurricane Nate, which made landfall in Louisiana, and Hurricane Ophelia, which unusually affected Ireland and the United Kingdom as an extratropical cyclone.

Records and meteorology

The season set numerous records, highlighted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria all reaching Category 4 or 5 intensity, marking the first time three storms of such strength had made landfall in the United States and its territories in one season. Hurricane Irma maintained maximum sustained winds of 185 mph for 37 hours, the longest on record globally. A key meteorological factor was the absence of significant wind shear and the presence of very warm ocean waters, extending into the Gulf of Mexico. The Accumulated Cyclone Energy index was exceptionally high, and the season featured the first major hurricane formation east of 30°W since 2010 with Hurricane Ophelia.

Impact

The collective impact was historically devastating, with an estimated $294.92 billion in total damages, making it the costliest tropical cyclone season on record at the time. Hurricane Harvey caused an estimated $125 billion in damage primarily in Texas, while Hurricane Irma caused widespread destruction across the Caribbean and Florida totaling roughly $50 billion. Hurricane Maria caused a near-total collapse of Puerto Rico's electrical grid and is estimated to have caused over 2,975 fatalities on the island alone. The storms caused severe flooding, widespread power outages, and prompted massive relief efforts from agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross.

Season effects

The table below documents all named storms of the season, their peak intensities, areas affected, and damage totals. It chronologically lists systems from Tropical Storm Arlene to Tropical Storm Rina. The most intense storm was Hurricane Maria with a minimum central pressure of 908 mbar. The deadliest storm was Hurricane Maria, and the costliest was Hurricane Harvey. The season's effects were felt from Central America to Western Europe, underscoring the broad geographical reach of the year's cyclonic activity.

Category:Atlantic hurricane seasons Category:2017 meteorology Category:2017 natural disasters in the United States Category:2017 natural disasters in the Caribbean