The six-month 2016 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially ended Wednesday, had the most storms since 2010 and was the first season that saw more storms than normal since 2012.
The most memorable storm was deadly and devastating Hurricane Matthew, which left hundreds dead in Haiti and led to horrendous flooding in the Carolinas after spinning up the U.S. East Coast.
The season was an unusually long one as well, starting with bizarre Hurricane Alex in January and ending with Hurricane Otto, which made a rare Thanksgiving landfall in Central America.
In all, a total of 15 named tropical storms formed during 2016, seven of which turned into hurricanes (Alex, Earl, Gaston, Hermine, Matthew, Nicole and Otto), according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
A normal season sees 12 named storms, six of which become hurricanes.
Three of the hurricanes in 2016 were classified as major hurricanes (Gaston, Matthew and Nicole), meaning they reached Category 3 strength with wind speeds of 111 mph or higher. None of those storms hit the U.S. as a major hurricane however, extending the nation’s record streak to 11 years since the most recent major hurricane (Wilma) made landfall.
The U.S. has never had another 11-year period without a major hurricane landfall since records began in 1851, according to Colorado State University.
Five named storms hit the U.S. during 2016, the most since 2008 when six storms struck.
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SOURCE: USA Today, Doyle Rice
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