1997 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1997 Atlantic hurricane season was a below-average hurricane season. It officially began on June 1, and lasted until November 30 of that year. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The 1997 season was fairly inactive, with only seven named storms forming, with an additional tropical depression and an unnumbered subtropical storm. It was the first time since the 1961 season that there were no active tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin during the entire month of August–historically one of the more active months of the season—a phenomenon that would not occur again until 2022. A strong El Niño is credited with reducing activity in the Atlantic, while increasing the number of storms in the eastern and western Pacific basins to 19 and 26 storms, respectively. As is common in El Niño years, tropical cyclogenesis was suppressed in the tropical latitudes, with only two becoming tropical storms south of 25°N.
| 1997 Atlantic hurricane season | |
|---|---|
Season summary map | |
| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | June 1, 1997 |
| Last system dissipated | October 17, 1997 |
| Strongest storm | |
| Name | Erika |
| • Maximum winds | 125 mph (205 km/h) (1-minute sustained) |
| • Lowest pressure | 946 mbar (hPa; 27.94 inHg) |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Total depressions | 9 |
| Total storms | 8 |
| Hurricanes | 3 |
| Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) | 1 |
| Total fatalities | 12 total |
| Total damage | $111.46 million (1997 USD) |
| Related articles | |
The first system, an operationally unnoticed subtropical storm, developed north of the Bahamas on June 1 and dissipated by the following day without any impact. Tropical Storm Ana developed offshore South Carolina on June 30 and dissipated on July 4, after causing minor affects in North Carolina. Hurricane Bill was a short-lived storm between that lasted from July 11 to July 13 and produced light rainfall in Newfoundland. As Bill was dissipating, Tropical Storm Claudette developed and generated rough seas in North Carolina. The most devastating storm was Hurricane Danny, which caused extensive flooding, particularly in southern Alabama. Danny resulted in 9 fatalities and about $100 million (1997 USD) in damage. The outer bands of Hurricane Erika brought rough seas and gusty winds to the Lesser Antilles, resulting in two deaths and $10 million in losses. The precursor to Tropical Storm Grace caused flooding in Puerto Rico, while Tropical Depression Five and Tropical Storm Fabian did not impact any land. Collectively, the storms of the 1997 Atlantic hurricane season resulted in 12 fatalities and approximately $111.46 million in damages.