2017 Atlantic hurricane season

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The **2017 Atlantic hurricane season** was a hyperactive season and the costliest season on record. It has also been a record season in other ways, with the formation of Arlene on April 19; making it the first April storm to form since Tropical Storm Ana of 2003, followed by the intensifying in an area of cold sea surface temperatures and moderate wind-shear.

The season was very eventful. Hurricane Irma held peak intensity for 30 straight hours, and generated the third-highest amount of ACE produced by a single storm. Hurricane Maria caused a humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico and was the most powerful storm to strike Dominica. On October 14, Ophelia became the easternmost major hurricane on record and later became a powerful extratropical windstorm.

## Pre-season forecasts

On December 13, 2016, Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) issued their first prediction for the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, forecasting near-average activity with 14 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. They said in their prediction that there was high uncertainty with the outcome of the season, as typical with their December forecasts. The next day, Colorado State University (CSU) issued their annual December qualitative discussion, noting that the activity of the season would be heavily dependent on whether El Nino develops and the state of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). In this discussion, probabilities were slightly higher for an above-normal season than a below-normal season.

On April 5, 2017, TSR released its April forecast, lowering their numbers to 11 named storms, 4 hurricanes and 2 major hurricanes with an ACE of around 67 due to the possibility of El Nino. The next day, Colorado State University (CSU) released its April forecast, also predicting 11 named storms, 4 hurricanes and 2 major hurricanes. They predicted an ACE of 75, slightly more than TSR. On April 17, 2017, The Weather Company (TWC) issued their 2017 forecast, predicting 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 2 major hurricanes. A day later, North Carolina State University (NCSU) gave their prediction of 11-15 named storms, 4-6 hurricanes, and 1-3 major hurricane.

On May 20, 2017, TWC updated their forecast to 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes, after Tropical Storm Arlene formed and the chance of an El Niño forming was dropping. On May 25, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued their first forecast, saying it could produce 11-17 named storms, 5-9 hurricanes, and 2-4 major hurricanes, and gave a 70% chance of an above average season. On May 26, TSR updated the forecast slightly with the same numbers as their December prediction, the only change was the ACE prediction was changed from 101 units to 98 units. The same day, Force-Thirteen released their Pre-season forecasts, stating a prediction of 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes, also stating that the East Coast, Caribbean, and Texas-Mexico Coast had a higher than normal risk of a tropical cyclone impact.

## Mid-season outlooks

On June 1, CSU updated their predictions to have 14 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes. Along with the UKMO updating their forecasts to call for 13 named storms, and 8 hurricanes; with an ACE prediction of 145. On July 4, TSR released their last forecast for the season, calling for 17 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes, with a predicted ACE index of 116 units. NOAA released their last forecast on August 9, calling for 14-19 named storms, 5-9 hurricanes, and 2-5 major hurricanes.

## Storms

### Tropical Storm Arlene

*Main article: Tropical Storm Arlene (2017)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

Tropical Storm Arlene was an unusually early preseason system that developed from a strong extratropical cyclone that formed far-east of Bermuda on April 16. It moved southeast and broke off of the surrounding front, and starting losing those characteristics as a result. Convection started to form north and east of the center and despite a normally hostile environment, with fairly strong wind shear and oceanic temperatures of 68°F (20°C), Subtropical Depression One formed at 00:00 UTC on April 19. Convection continued to form and gathered near the center, and became fully tropical at 00:00 UTC on April 20. At 06:00 UTC, it intensified into Tropical Storm Arlene. Further intensifying, it peaked at winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). Then, it started to undergo extratropical transition, becoming fully extratropical at 12:00 UTC on April 21. It went south and then curved east, eventually dissipating in the open Atlantic by 00:00 UTC on April 23.

When Arlene first developed as a subtropical depression on April 19, it was the sixth recorded subtropical/tropical cyclone to form in the month of April in the North Atlantic basin, later when Arlene became a full fledged tropical storm on April 20, which is only the second time this has been recorded, after Ana in 2003. It was also the most intense Atlantic storm recorded in the month of April, with a pressure of 990 mbar (hPa; 29.23 inHg), surpassing Ana once more.

### Tropical Storm Bret

*Main article: Tropical Storm Bret (2017)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

Tropical Storm Bret was a rare storm that formed in the Main Development Region in June, an unusual occurrence. Bret would make landfall in Trinidad and Tobago, and then Venezuela, causing minimal damage and two deaths (one direct, one indirect).

### Tropical Storm Cindy

*Main article: Tropical Storm Cindy (2017)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

Tropical Storm Cindy developed in the Gulf of Mexico on June 20, and went on to landfall 2 days later in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, becoming the first to landfall in the state since Hurricane Isaac of 2012. Damage was minimal and 2 people were killed (One direct, one indirect).

### Tropical Depression Four

 Duration
 Peak intensity

Tropical Depression Four developed out of a tropical wave on July 6. Due to dry air, the depression dissipated a day later. It did not affect land.

### Tropical Storm Don

*Main article: Tropical Storm Don (2017)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Tropical Storm Emily

*Main article: Tropical Storm Emily (2017)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Hurricane Franklin

*Main article: Hurricane Franklin*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Hurricane Gert

*Main article: Hurricane Gert (2017)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

Gert formed and peaking as a Category 2 hurricane at a very high latitude of 40°N.

### Hurricane Harvey

*Main article: Hurricane Harvey*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

Harvey formed east of the Leeward Islands causing minimal damage as it passed through only to degenerate from the high wind-shear in the Caribbean. Its remnants tracked through and regenerated in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Bay of Campeche, rapidly intensifying into a monstrous storm that slammed into Texas a Category 4 hurricane, only to stall across Texas dumping over 4 feet of rainfall, and doing over $125 billion USD in damages, making it the costliest Atlantic hurricane on record, tying with Hurricane Katrina of 2005.

### Hurricane Irma

*Main article: Hurricane Irma*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

Hurricane Irma rapidly organized eventually peaking a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 185 mph and a pressure of 914 mbar. Irma held that intensity for 37 straight hours, becoming the only cyclone worldwide to do so, and generated the third-highest amount of ACE produced by a single storm. It was also the strongest storm of the year, in terms of wind speed; and the strongest storm since Wilma in terms of wind speed. It made landfall on the northern Leeward Islands at its peak intensity and is tied with the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 for most intense landfall in terms of wind speed. Irma then struck Cuba as a minimal Category 5 and Florida as a minimal Category 4 hurricane doing copious amounts damage, with estimates at around $62.87 Billion USD.

### Hurricane Jose

*Main article: Hurricane Jose (2017)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Hurricane Katia

*Main article: Hurricane Katia (2017)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Hurricane Lee

*Main article: Hurricane Lee*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on September 13, and original forecasts predicted the system to gradually organize, but instead, the system rapidly organized, becoming Tropical Depression Fourteen at 03:00 UTC on September 15. The NHC upgraded the system to Tropical Storm Lee at 15:00 UTC on the next day, based on an increase in deep convection and an advanced scatterometer (ASCAT) pass, which showed tropical-storm-force winds. However, Lee then entered an area of high wind shear, and Lee weakened into a tropical depression, before finally degenerating into a post-tropical remnant low on September 19. After Tropical Storm Lee dissipated, the remnants fueled and later were absorbed by a developing trough. Which led to a deep burst of convection and new circulation, and at 21:00 UTC on September 22, it became a tropical depression, which the NHC declared Tropical Depression Lee. The new depression intensified into a tropical storm at 03:00 UTC on September 23, and started to rapidly organize, as small curved bands wrapped into a cluster of central convection. At 06:30 UTC on September 24, it was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane, however, the rapid intensification was halted by moderate southeasterly wind shear. However, at 09:00 UTC on September 26, the hurricane obtained Category 2 status. An Eyewall Replacement Cycle happened that night with a bigger eye, and colder cloud tops emerging, and at 15:00 UTC on September 27, the hurricane reached its peak intensity of 115 mph (185 km/h) and 962 mbar. The hurricane then curved to the northeast and became to quickly weaken from strong northerly wind shear and cooler ocean waters; as it fell below Category 3 strength at 03:00 UTC on September 28, and became a tropical storm at 15:00 UTC on September 29. Later becoming extratropical at 09:00 UTC on September 30. It finally got absorbed by a bigger extratropical cyclone to the north of the cyclone.

### Hurricane Maria

*Main article: Hurricane Maria*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Hurricane Nate

*Main article: Hurricane Nate (2017)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Hurricane Ophelia

*Main article: Hurricane Ophelia*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

On October 6, a circulation developed at the end of a cold front in the northeast Atlantic and acquired subtropical characteristics by October 7. The next day, the storm encountered stronger wind shear, removing some of its convection, and slightly weakening the system; however, the storm eventually became better organized and developed more convection around its low pressure center later in the day. Early on October 9, the system fully transitioned into Tropical Depression Seventeen. The tropical depression continued to strengthen, becoming Tropical Storm Ophelia later that day. Ophelia continued to strengthen due to low wind shear and on October 11, it became a hurricane. Ophelia became a Category 2 hurricane on October 12. On October 14, Ophelia unexpectedly intensified to a Category 3 hurricane, making Ophelia the sixth major hurricane of the season and the easternmost storm of such strength in the Atlantic basin on record. On October 15, Ophelia began to weaken, while accelerating northeastward towards Ireland and Great Britain, with the storm's wind field also expanding. Early on October 16, Ophelia transitioned into a hurricane-strength extratropical cyclone, as it began impacting Ireland and Britain.

### Tropical Storm Philippe

*Main article: Tropical Storm Philippe (2017)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Tropical Storm Rina

*Main article: Tropical Storm Rina*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

## Storm names

The following names were used in the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. They are on List III of the 6 rotating naming lists used for the Atlantic basin. This list is largely the same as the one used in the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season with the exception of Irma, which replaced the destructive Irene.

* Bret
* Cindy
* Don
* Emily
* Franklin
* Gert
* Irma
* Jose
* Katia
* Lee
* Maria
* Nate
* Philippe
* Rina
* Sean *(unused)*
* Tammy *(unused)*
* Vince *(unused)*
* Whitney *(unused)*

### Retirement

On April 11, 2018 during the 40th session of the RA IV hurricane committee, The World Meterological Organization retired 4 names: *Harvey, Irma, Maria* and *Nate* due to the extensive damages and deaths, They will not be used again for a hurricane, The replacements are *Harold, Idalia, Margot* and *Nigel* for the 2023 season. With four names retired, the 2017 season is tied with 1955, 1995, and 2004 seasons with the most retired names only surpassed by the 2005 season.

### Name List for 2023

* Bret
* Cindy
* Don
* Emily
* Franklin
* Gert
* Idalia
* Jose
* Katia
* Lee
* Margot
* Nigel
* Philippe
* Rina
* Sean
* Tammy
* Vince
* Whitney

## Season effects

This is a table of all the storms that formed in the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their duration, names, landfall(s), denoted in parentheses, damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all the damage figures are in 2016 USD.

## Potential Changes

**THIS SECTION IS UNOFFICIAL**
It is completely possible that Hurricane Lee's two phases were, in fact, two separate storms.