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Subject: E11) In what years did the Atlantic basin develop the greatest and fewest number of tropical cyclones ?

Starting in 1944, systematic aircraft reconnaissance was commenced for monitoring both tropical cyclones and disturbances that had the potential to develop into tropica cyclones. This is why both Neumann et al. (1993) and Landsea (1993) recommend utilizing data since 1944 for computing climatological statistics. However, for tropical cyclones striking the USA East and Gulf coasts - because of highly populated coast lines, data with good reliability extends back to around 1899. Thus, the following records hold for the entire Atlantic basin (from 1944-present) and for the USA coastline (1899-present):

CategoryMaximumMinimum
Tropical storms/hurricanes19*
(1995)		4
(1983)
Hurricanes12
(1969)		2
(1982)
Major Hurricanes7
(1950)		0
(many times,1994 last)
USA landfalling storms/hurricanes8
(1916)		1
(many,1991)
USA landfalling hurricanes6 +
(1916,1985)		0
(many,2001)
USA landfalling major hurricanes3 &
(1909,33,54)		0
(many,2003)
(*) As a footnote, 1933 is recorded as being the most active of any Atlantic basin season on record (reliable or otherwise) with 21 tropical storms and hurricanes.
(+) 1886 is recorded as the most active hurricane season for the continental USA with 7 landfalling hurricanes.
(&) 1893 tied three years in the 20th Century with 3 landfalling major hurricanes in the continental USA.

Atlantic basin
Individual years with the numbers in each category
Year NS H MH ACE
^ Click header for diagram ^
18516.3.1.36.
18525.5.1.73.
18538.4.2.76.
18545.3.1.31.
18555.4.1.18.
18566.4.2.49.
18574.3.0.43.
18586.6.0.45.
18598.7.1.61.
18607.6.1.62.
18618.6.0.50.
18626.3.0.46.
18639.5.0.50.
18645.3.0.27.
18657.3.0.49.
18667.7.1.88.
18679.7.1.60.
18684.3.0.35.
186910.7.1.51.
187011.10.2.88.
18718.6.2.88.
18725.4.0.65.
18735.3.2.69.
18747.4.0.47.
18756.5.1.72.
18765.4.2.57.
18778.3.1.73.
187812.10.2.181.
18798.6.2.64.
188011.9.2.131.
18817.4.0.59.
18826.5.2.63.
18834.3.2.67.
18844.4.1.72.
18858.6.1.58.
188612.10.4.166.
188719.11.2.182.
18889.6.2.85.
18899.6.0.104.
18904.2.1.33.
189110.7.1.116.
18929.5.0.116.
189312.10.5.231.
18947.5.4.135.
18956.2.0.69.
18967.6.2.136.
18976.3.0.55.
189811.5.1.113.
18999.5.2.150.
19007.3.2.84.
190112.5.0.93.
19025.3.0.33.
190310.7.1.102.
19045.3.0.25.
19055.1.1.28.
190611.6.3.163.
19075.0.0.13.
190810.6.1.95.
190911.6.4.92.
19105.3.1.64.
19114.3.0.36.
19126.4.1.74.
19134.3.0.43.
19141.0.0.3.
19155.4.3.118.
191614.11.6.177.
19173.2.2.52.
19185.3.0.29.
19193.1.1.48.
19204.4.0.31.
19216.4.2.75.
19224.2.1.58.
19237.3.1.54.
19248.5.2.89.
19252.1.0.7.
192611.8.6.222.
19277.4.2.56.
19286.4.1.75.
19293.3.1.43.
19302.2.1.39.
19319.2.1.39.
193211.6.4.136.
193321.10.5.213.
193411.6.0.60.
19356.5.3.95.
193616.7.1.108.
19379.3.0.61.
19388.3.1.73.
19395.3.1.34.
19408.4.0.52.
19416.4.2.61.
194210.4.1.66.
194310.5.2.94.
194411.7.3.96.
194511.5.3.67.
19466.3.1.22.
19479.5.2.112.
19489.6.4.106.
194913.7.3.98.
195013.11.7.243.
195110.8.5.137.
19527.6.3.87.
195314.6.4.104.
195411.8.2.113.
195512.9.6.199.
19568.4.2.54.
19578.3.2.84.
195810.7.5.121.
195911.7.2.77.
19607.4.2.88.
196111.8.7.205.
19625.3.1.36.
19639.7.2.118.
196412.6.6.170.
19656.4.1.84.
196611.7.3.145.
19678.6.1.122.
19688.4.0.35.
196918.12.5.158.
197010.5.2.34.
197113.6.1.97.
19727.3.0.28.
19738.4.1.43.
197411.4.2.61.
19759.6.3.73.
197610.6.2.81.
19776.5.1.25.
197812.5.2.62.
19799.5.2.91.
198011.9.2.147.
198112.7.3.93.
19826.2.1.29.
19834.3.1.17.
198413.5.1.71.
198511.7.3.88.
19866.4.0.36.
19877.3.1.34.
198812.5.3.103.
198911.7.2.135.
199014.8.1.91.
19918.4.2.34.
19927.4.1.75.
19938.4.1.39.
19947.3.0.32.
199519.11.5.227.
199613.9.6.166.
19978.3.1.40.
199814.10.3.182.
199912.8.5.177.
200015.8.3.116.
200115.9.4.106.
200212.4.2.66.
200316.7.3.175.
Average
1950-2000 		10.05.92.396.2
"NS" - Named Storms (Tropical Storms, Hurricanes and Subtropical Storms)
"H" - Hurricanes
"MH" - Major Hurricanes (Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale 3, 4, or 5)
"ACE" - Accumlated Cyclone Energy An index that combines the numbers of systems, how long they existed and how intense they became. It is calculated by squaring the maximum sustained surface wind in the system every six hours and summing it up for the season. It is expressed in 10 to the 4th kt**2.

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