What was the most active Atlantic hurricane season ever?
Those of us along the Gulf coast can all agree that it's been a long hurricane season. There have been 15 named storms so far, and it seems like many of them have either directly hit or come a little too close for comfort.
But you might be surprised to learn that this year has been nothing -- at least in terms of storm count -- compared to the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record.
That record was set in 2005 when 28 tropical and subtropical systems formed, according to the National Hurricane Center. Of those, 15 became hurricanes, seven of which were major. Katrina, Rita and Wilma were three of the standout hurricanes from that season.
The more than two dozen storms were responsible for nearly 4,000 deaths and more than $158 billion in damage, making 2005 the costliest tropical cyclone season in recorded history.
Interestingly, the storm naming cycle lasts six years, so many of the storms that made headlines in 2017 had sister storms in the 2005 season. A comparatively tame Tropical Storm Harvey hit Bermuda in 2005, leaving in its wake zero damage and no deaths. That year also saw its own Hurricane Maria, a deadly Category 3 storm that caused millions of dollars in damage in Europe.
