Before the 2017 hurricane season even started, weather researchers predicted it could be unusually strong and active. They were right, but no one knew just how historic the season would be.
For the first time since 2003, a tropical storm formed in April, well before the season officially starts June 1. By the end of the season, there were 17 named storms, the third most in recorded history. And, for the first time since 1893, 10 consecutive storms became hurricanes.
Although many of those storms never made it near the U.S., this year was the first since 2005 where a major hurricane made landfall on American shores. It's also the first time in recorded history where three Category 4 storms hit the U.S. mainland in one season.
When researchers looked at accumulated cyclone energy, which measures storm duration and strength, they found 2017 was the fifth most active season on record.
This year was also by far one of the most expensive. The U.S. suffered an estimated $202 billion in damages — that's over half of the approximately $370 billion in damages all storms caused this year. It's the second most costly season since 1960.
Even though conditions across the Atlantic suggest another tropical storm could form, we're probably in the clear for the rest of the year. Experts say a hurricane hasn't ever touched down in the U.S. in December.
