2017 Atlantic hurricane season

The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was one of the worst on record. It had 17 named storms, 10 hurricanes, and 6 major hurricanes. Three big storms—Harvey, Irma, and Maria—caused most of the damage. These storms did so much harm that their names were retired afterward.

Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, causing huge floods in Houston and becoming one of the costliest storms ever. Hurricane Irma was very powerful, with winds so strong it was the strongest hurricane ever recorded outside the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean at the time. Hurricane Maria struck Dominica and Puerto Rico, causing terrible damage and many deaths. Another storm, Nate, became the worst natural disaster in Costa Rican history.

The season officially started on June 1 and ended on November 30, but storms could form at other times, as shown by Tropical Storm Arlene in April. Scientists had thought an El Niño would calm the season, but it did not develop. Instead, conditions became favorable for many storms, making the season much busier than expected.

Seasonal forecasts

Before and during the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, several weather groups made guesses about how many storms would form. These groups included the Tropical Storm Risk Consortium at University College London, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Colorado State University. They looked at past seasons and changes in weather patterns to make their guesses.

Early guesses suggested a near-average season, but as the season began, predictions changed. By the middle of the season, some groups predicted it could be very active, possibly one of the busiest ever seen. These changes happened because of shifting weather conditions, like the chance of El Niño forming or not.

Seasonal summary

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season.

Background

The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2017. It was one of the busiest seasons on record, with eighteen tropical storms. Ten of these became hurricanes, and six grew into major hurricanes. This season had the most named storms and hurricanes since 2005. It also had the first major hurricanes to hit the U.S. mainland since 2005.

The season caused many storms to hit land, leading to 3,364 deaths and $294.92 billion in damage. This made it the costliest hurricane season ever recorded.

Early/pre-season activity

The season started early with its first storm, Arlene, forming in April. More storms followed in June and July, but most were weak and did not last long.

August had four storms that became hurricanes: Franklin, Gert, Harvey, and Irma. Harvey hit Texas as a strong hurricane, causing huge damage. Irma became a very powerful hurricane, hitting parts of the Caribbean and the southeastern U.S. Both Harvey and Irma hit the U.S. as strong hurricanes within two weeks, a rare event.

Peak to late-season activity

September was very active with four more hurricanes: Jose, Katia, Lee, and Maria. Irma and Maria both reached the strongest level of hurricane strength in the same month, a first for the Atlantic. Maria caused big problems in Puerto Rico, leading to lots of damage. October had hurricanes Nate and Ophelia, and November had Tropical Storm Rina. The season officially ended on November 30.

Systems

Tropical Storm Arlene

A strong storm formed far out in the ocean and moved southeast. It developed into a tropical storm and was named Arlene. After reaching its strongest point, Arlene weakened and moved away.

Tropical Storm Bret

A storm formed near Africa and moved into the Atlantic Ocean. It became Tropical Storm Bret and made landfall in Trinidad and Venezuela before dissipating.

Tropical Storm Cindy

A storm formed in the Gulf of Mexico and moved toward Louisiana. It brought rain and wind but caused only minor damage.

Tropical Depression Four

A weather system formed in the Atlantic Ocean but did not develop into a stronger storm. It moved away and weakened.

Tropical Storm Don

A storm formed in the Atlantic Ocean and moved into the Caribbean Sea. It brought wind and rain but did not cause major damage.

Tropical Storm Emily

A storm formed near Florida and moved along the coast. It brought heavy rain and caused some flooding and damage.

Hurricane Franklin

A storm formed near Africa and moved into the Caribbean Sea. It became a hurricane and made landfall in Mexico, causing some damage but not too severe.

Hurricane Gert

A storm formed in the Atlantic Ocean and moved toward the northern coast. It brought strong winds and caused some damage in coastal areas.

Hurricane Harvey

A powerful storm formed in the Atlantic Ocean and moved toward Texas. It became a major hurricane and caused widespread damage and flooding, especially in the Houston area.

Hurricane Irma

A very strong storm formed near Africa and moved through the Caribbean islands. It caused major damage in several islands and parts of Florida.

Hurricane Jose

A storm formed near Africa and moved into the Atlantic Ocean. It caused some damage in the Caribbean and along the U.S. East Coast.

Hurricane Katia

A storm formed in the Gulf of Mexico and moved toward Mexico. It caused flooding and some damage but moved quickly.

Hurricane Lee

A storm formed near Africa and moved into the Atlantic Ocean. It became a hurricane but moved far away from land.

Hurricane Maria

A very strong storm formed near Africa and moved through the Caribbean islands. It caused major damage and loss of life in Puerto Rico and other islands.

Hurricane Nate

A storm formed near Central America and moved into the Gulf of Mexico. It became a hurricane and moved toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, causing some damage and flooding.

Hurricane Ophelia

A storm formed near the Azores and moved toward Europe. It became a hurricane and caused strong winds and damage in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Tropical Storm Philippe

A storm formed near Cuba and moved toward Florida. It brought rain and caused some minor damage.

Tropical Storm Rina

A storm formed in the Atlantic Ocean and moved toward the northeastern U.S. coast. It caused some rain and wind but moved far away from land.

Other system

A weather system formed near Africa but did not develop into a stronger storm. It moved away and weakened.

Storm names

Main articles: Tropical cyclone naming, History of tropical cyclone naming, and List of historical tropical cyclone names

These are the names that were used for storms that formed in the North Atlantic in 2017. The same list was used in the 2011 season, except for Irma, which replaced Irene. The name Irma had been used once before, in 1978.

Some people noticed that the name "Don" was used in July, which sounded like the name of the United States President, Donald Trump. But Max Mayfield, a former weather director, explained that the name was picked in 2006 to replace Dennis and had nothing to do with the president. Some news reports made jokes about this.

Retirement

See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricane names

In April 2018, a group of weather experts decided to retire the names Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate because these storms caused a lot of damage and harm. These names will no longer be used for storms in the North Atlantic. They were replaced with Harold, Idalia, Margot, and Nigel when the list was used again for the 2023 season. This was the most names retired in one season since (/wiki/2005_Atlantic_hurricane_season).

Season effects

This section lists all the tropical cyclones that formed during the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. It shows each storm's name, how long it lasted, its strongest point, where it affected areas, the damage it caused, and the number of deaths. Some deaths listed happened because of accidents related to the storm, but they were still because of the storm's effects. All damage amounts are shown in dollars from 2017.