The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season officially ended on November 30, but it will be remembered as one of the most active and destructive seasons on record. With 20 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes, the season tied with 1933 for the fourth-most named storms in a year, behind only 2005, 2019, and 2020

Atlantic Hurricane

A Season of Monster Storms

The season started early, with a subtropical storm forming on January 16, the earliest start of an Atlantic hurricane season since Hurricane Alex in January 2016. The storm was not named at the time but was later assessed as subtropical by the National Hurricane Center (NHC)

The season also featured several monster storms that reached Category 4 or 5 intensity, such as Franklin, Idalia, and Lee. Franklin was the first major hurricane of the season, reaching peak winds of 155 mph (250 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 929 mbar (27.43 inHg) on August 24. The storm brought tropical storm-force winds to Bermuda but did not make landfall. Idalia was the second major hurricane of the season, reaching peak winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 934 mbar (27.58 inHg) on August 30 The storm made landfall in Florida as a high-end Category 3 hurricane, causing widespread damage and power outages. Lee was the third and strongest major hurricane of the season, reaching peak winds of 165 mph (270 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 926 mbar (27.35 inHg) on September 6. The storm became the first Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic since Lorenzo in 2019, and later made multiple landfalls in Atlantic Canada as a powerful extratropical cyclone.

A Season of Near-Misses and Landfalls

Despite the high number of storms, the season had only two landfalls in the U.S., which was spared from the worst of the season’s fury. The first was Tropical Storm Harold, which struck southern Texas on August 22, bringing heavy rain and flooding. The second was Hurricane Idalia, which was the most destructive storm of the season in the U.S., causing an estimated $2.5 billion in damage.

Other storms that made landfall or affected land areas include:

Bret: The second named storm of the season, Bret formed east of the Caribbean Sea on June 18, becoming the earliest second named storm on record. The storm made landfall on Saint Vincent on June 19, bringing gusty winds and rain. Bret dissipated on June 20 over the eastern Caribbean Sea.
Cindy: The third named storm of the season, Cindy formed east of the Caribbean Sea on June 20, becoming the earliest third named storm on record. The storm brought heavy rain and flooding to the Windward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Cindy dissipated on June 23 over the central Caribbean Sea.
Franklin: The sixth named storm and first hurricane of the season, Franklin formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean on August 20. The storm rapidly intensified into a major hurricane on August 24, reaching peak intensity as a high-end Category 4 hurricane. Franklin passed near Bermuda on August 25, bringing tropical-storm-force winds and rain. Franklin weakened to a tropical storm on August 27 and became extratropical on August 28.
Idalia: The ninth named storm and second hurricane of the season, Idalia formed in the central Atlantic Ocean on August 26. The storm rapidly intensified into a major hurricane on August 30, reaching peak intensity as a high-end Category 4 hurricane. Idalia made landfall in Florida on August 31 as a high-end Category 3 hurricane, causing widespread damage and power outages. Idalia weakened to a tropical storm on September 1 and became extratropical on September 2.
Lee: The twelfth named storm and third hurricane of the season, Lee formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean on September 2. The storm rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane on September 6, becoming the first Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic since Lorenzo in 2019. Lee weakened to a Category 4 hurricane on September 7 and made landfall in Nova Scotia on September 8 as a powerful extratropical cyclone. Lee made another landfall in Newfoundland on September 9 as a strong extratropical cyclone. Lee became fully extratropical on September 10.
Ophelia: The fifteenth named storm of the season, Ophelia formed in the western Atlantic Ocean on September 24. The storm made landfall in North Carolina on September 25 as a tropical storm, bringing gusty winds and rain. Ophelia weakened to a tropical depression on September 26 and dissipated on September 27.
Philippe: The sixteenth named storm of the season, Philippe formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean on October 4. The storm was the longest-lived tropical cyclone in the Atlantic this year, lasting for 19 days. Philippe made landfall on Barbuda on October 16 as a tropical storm, bringing heavy rain and flooding. Philippe weakened to a tropical depression on October 22 and dissipated on October 23.
Tammy: The twentieth and final named storm of the season, Tammy formed in the central Atlantic Ocean on October 25. The storm made landfall on Barbuda on October 27 as a tropical storm, bringing heavy rain and flooding. Tammy weakened to a tropical depression on October 28 and dissipated on October 29.
Twenty-One: The twenty-first and final tropical cyclone of the season, Twenty-One formed in the southwestern Caribbean Sea on October 28. The storm made landfall in Nicaragua on October 29 as a tropical depression, bringing heavy rain and flooding. Twenty-One dissipated on October 30.

A Season of Records and Anomalies

The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season was a season of records and anomalies, some of which include:

The season had the most storms in the main development region on record, with 15.
The season had the most storms in the eastern Atlantic on record, with 11.
The season had the most storms in an El Niño year on record, surpassing the previous record of 19 in 2004.
The season had the most major hurricanes in an El Niño year on record, surpassing the previous record of 2 in 2004.
The season had the most Category 4 or 5 hurricanes in an El Niño year on record, surpassing the previous record of 1 in 2004.
The season had the second-highest accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) in an El Niño year on record, behind only 2004.
The season had the earliest second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth named storms on record.
The season had the earliest first, second, and third major hurricanes on record.
The season had the first Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic since Lorenzo in 2019.
The season had the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in Canada on record.

The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season was a reminder of the power and unpredictability of nature, and the need for preparedness and resilience in the face of climate change.