2017 Atlantic hurricane season facts for kids
The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was a very busy and powerful time for storms in the Atlantic Ocean. It officially started on June 1 and ended on November 30. This season was one of the most active and sadly, one of the most damaging ever recorded.
The storms caused at least $282.16 billion in damage, making it the most expensive hurricane season in history. More than 3,300 people lost their lives, making it the deadliest season since 2005. Most of the damage (over 99.7%) came from just three major hurricanes: Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Another storm, Nate, became the worst natural disaster ever in Costa Rica. Because of the huge damage and loss of life, the names Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate were "retired," meaning they won't be used again for future hurricanes.
Overall, the 2017 season had 17 named storms, 10 hurricanes, and 6 major hurricanes. This made it the fifth most active season on record.
Tropical Storm Arlene was the first storm of the season. It formed on April 19, even before the official start date. This was the third year in a row that a storm formed early.
In late August, Hurricane Harvey became the first major hurricane to hit the United States since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. It was also the first Category 4 hurricane to hit the U.S. since Hurricane Charley in 2004. Harvey caused a record amount of rainfall in the United States and tied for the most expensive tropical cyclone ever.
In early September, Hurricane Irma made history as the first Category 5 hurricane to hit the northern Leeward Islands. It later hit the Florida Keys as a Category 4 hurricane. Irma was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, outside of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.
Later in September, Hurricane Maria became the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the island of Dominica. It then hit Puerto Rico as a very strong Category 4 hurricane. Most of the deaths from this season were caused by Maria, and it led to a big human crisis in Puerto Rico.
In early October, Hurricane Nate became the fastest-moving hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. It was also the fourth hurricane that year to hit the U.S. mainland. Just over a week later, Hurricane Ophelia became the easternmost major hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. It later affected much of Northern Europe as a different type of storm called an extratropical cyclone. The season ended with Tropical Storm Rina, which faded away on November 9.
Storm Names and Retirement
Storm Names Used
The names below were used for the storms that formed in the North Atlantic in 2017. The names that were not retired will be used again in the 2023 season. This list was almost the same as the one used in 2011, but "Irma" replaced "Irene." Irma had only been used once before as an Atlantic hurricane, in 1978.
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Why Names Are Retired
On April 11, 2018, the World Meteorological Organization decided to retire the names Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate. This means these names will never be used again for an Atlantic hurricane. They were retired because they caused so much damage and led to many deaths. New names will replace them for the 2023 season: Harold, Idalia, Margot, and Nigel.
Images for kids
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Potential Tropical Cyclone Ten on August 28.
See also
In Spanish: Temporada de huracanes en el Atlántico de 2017 para niños
