Overview
- The National Hurricane Center marked the official close on November 30, noting an unusually quiet November with no named storms or even outlook disturbances.
- The basin recorded 13 named storms, five hurricanes and four major hurricanes, with three reaching Category 5 strength.
- No hurricane struck the continental United States for the first time since 2015, though a tropical storm affected the Carolinas and distant systems produced hazardous surf.
- Hurricane Melissa rapidly intensified and tied the 1935 Labor Day storm for strongest recorded landfall at 185 mph sustained winds, with a 252 mph gust reported; the WMO labeled it Jamaica’s “storm of the century,” and AccuWeather estimates exceed 100 deaths and about $48 billion in damage.
- Despite an unusual lull from August 24 to September 16, accumulated cyclone energy finished near 108% of the 30‑year average, and forecasters cited new AI models, including Google DeepMind, for earlier alerts on rapid intensification.