The Atlantic hurricane season is normally most active from August-October and peaks during the second week of September. On average, 9-10 tropical storms are observed over the North Atlantic between June and November, with 5-6 of these systems becoming hurricanes. Typically, two to three systems reach intense hurricane status in a given year, as measured by a category 3, 4, or 5 on the Safir-Simpson scale (Simpson 1974). The 1996 Atlantic hurricane season featured 13 tropical storms (Fig. 51), with 9 of these systems reaching hurricane status. Six of these storms became intense hurricanes, with all but one intense hurricane (Bertha in July) forming during August-October. In total, there were 78.75 named storm days during the season, 45.0 hurricane days, and 13.0 intense hurricane days. The longest lived of these systems was Hurricane Eduoard (21 August-2 September), which lasted for 10.25 days as a hurricane and 7.75 days at intense hurricane status.
Nine tropical storms formed during August-October, two formed in June (Arthur and Bertha), one formed in July (Cesar), and one formed extremely late in the season on 19 November (Gustov). Interestingly, every tropical depression over the subtropical North Atlantic during the season strengthened into a tropical storm. This ratio of tropical storms to depressions appears to be unprecedented in the historical record.
The 1996 season was the second consecutive year for above-normal North Atlantic tropical storm and hurricane activity. These two active years follow the extremely inactive period of 1991-94, during which six to eight tropical storms and three to four hurricanes were observed each year. In total, 32 tropical storms have been observed in the last 2 yr, compared to 29 during the entire 1991-94 period. This ties 1995-96 with 1933-34 as the most active 2-yr period for tropical storm activity dating back to 1871. Also, 20 hurricanes were observed during the 1995 and 1996 seasons, with 10 of these systems reaching intense hurricane status, compared to 17 hurricanes and 4 intense hurricanes during 1991-94.
