2023 Atlantic hurricane season had the 4th most-named storms

Writer: Carolina Guzman
Published: Updated:
Credit: NOAA

Record-warm Atlantic sea surface temperatures and a strong El Niño characterized the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, giving us a season fourth in ranking with the most-named storms.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Atlantic basin saw 20 named storms in 2023, which ranks fourth in rank since 1950.

NOAA said Hurricane Idalia was the only hurricane that made landfall in the U.S.

It connected with the Florida Bend as a Category 3 hurricane on Aug. 30 near Keaton Beach, bringing a storm surge of 7 to 12 feet. There was widespread rainfall in Florida and throughout the southeast and tornado concerns.

The other significant landfall event came with Tropical Storm Ophelia arriving through Emerald Isle in North Carolina on Sept. 23 with 70 mph winds. It brought with it heavy rainfall, gusty winds and caused major river and storm surge floods in parts of eastern North Carolina.

“The Atlantic basin produced the most named storms of any El Niño-influenced year in the modern record,” said Matthew Rosencrans, lead hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center — a division of NOAA’s National Weather Service. “The record-warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic provided a strong counterbalance to the traditional El Niño impacts.”

The Atlantic basin saw a total of 20 named storms in 2023. Seven storms reached hurricane strength, with three intensifying into major hurricanes.

The Atlantic basin saw 20 named storms in 2023, ranking 4th for most-named storms in a year. Tropical cyclone names are selected by the World Meteorological Organization. (Image credit: NOAA)

An average season is defined as having 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

The 2023 hurricane season officially ends on Friday, and there are no new tropical developments expected within the next seven days, according to NOAA.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.