The U.S. hurricane season officially ended on November 30th, much to the surprise of meteorologists as this year marked the first time in a decade that no hurricanes made landfall in the United States. Only one major Atlantic tropical cyclone made landfall in the U.S. this year, impacting mostly the East Coast, especially North Carolina, and causing severe damage in nearby Caribbean countries. Overall, there was a significant decrease in the number of storms compared to last year when the U.S. saw multiple hurricane landfalls including Beryl, Helene, and Milton.
Neil Jacobs, the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), stated, “This year is the first time in a decade that we have had no hurricanes hit the U.S., which has provided us with a much-needed breather.” However, he added, “There was still one tropical storm that caused damage and casualties in North Carolina, and offshore hurricanes caused high waves along the East Coast, resulting in property damage, while nearby countries were directly hit by hurricanes.”
From June 1 to November 30, there were a total of 13 storms generated in the Atlantic and the Caribbean, including 4 tropical storms with wind speeds ranging from 39 to 73 miles per hour, 5 hurricanes with wind speeds between 74 and 110 miles per hour, and 4 major hurricanes with maximum sustained wind speeds of 111 miles per hour or higher.
Tropical Storm Chantal was the only storm to make landfall in the U.S. this year, landing in South Carolina on the morning of July 6 and quickly weakening to a tropical depression. Nevertheless, this storm brought dangerous strong winds, huge waves, rip currents, and torrential rains to both North and South Carolina.
At the end of August, North Carolina faced stormy weather once again as Hurricane Erin approached as a Category 5 hurricane, causing large-scale waves from Daytona Beach, Florida to Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada, and storm surges along the entire East Coast, with the Outer Banks being severely affected, leading to evacuations and property damage.
While the overall number of storms around the U.S. this year was one less than the historical average of 14, there were two fewer hurricanes than the average of 7, but the number of major hurricanes was higher than usual, totaling 3.
Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall on the western part of Jamaica on October 28, was the most destructive hurricane of the season and one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the Atlantic. Melissa swept across Jamaica, then moved through Cuba and the Bahamas, causing severe flooding, landslides, and strong winds with speeds reaching 185 miles per hour.
Reportedly, dozens of people lost their lives, over 1 million were displaced, and 70% of homes in western Jamaica were rendered uninhabitable by the devastation. Rescue teams are still working on recovery efforts.
Although the U.S. did not have any hurricane landfalls this year, the country still experienced several severe storms and flooding incidents. On October 11, the East Coast was hit by an unnamed storm. The remnants of a typhoon affected western Alaska on October 15, leading to around 1,500 people being displaced. Also, there was a disastrous flash flood in central Texas on July 4th and 5th.