Historic Milestone: US Sees First Hurricane-Free Year in a Decade

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As we near the conclusion of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, the countdown to its official end has begun. While the season draws to a close, it’s an opportune moment to reflect on its notable events and characteristics.

In this latest update of Tracking the Tropics, our team revisits the season’s activity, which saw a total of 13 named storms. Among these, five escalated into hurricanes, with four achieving the status of major storms, reaching Category 3 and above.

To put this into perspective, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) states that an average hurricane season typically includes 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. This year, the numbers fell slightly below the average in terms of named storms and hurricanes but exceeded in the intensity of major hurricanes.

NOAA officials, in a statement released on Tuesday, highlighted the season’s distinct pattern, describing it as “notable for its striking contrast — wavering between periods of relative calm and bursts of intense activity, generating very powerful storms.” This duality underscored the unpredictability and ferocity that characterized this year’s hurricane activity.

The 2025 season was the first since 2015 with no U.S.-landfalling hurricanes, but the country was still affected by storms.

“For the first time in a decade, not a single hurricane struck the U.S. this season, and that was a much needed break,” Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator, said in a statement. “Still, a tropical storm caused damage and casualties in the Carolinas, distant hurricanes created rough ocean waters that caused property damage along the East Coast, and neighboring countries experienced direct hits from hurricanes.”

Tropical Storm Andrea, the first named storm, formed on June 23. This was the latest start to an Atlantic season since 2014.

Tropical Storm Chantal was the only storm to make landfall in the U.S. It brought excessive rainfall and flooding to North Carolina.

Late in the season, Category 5 Hurricane Melissa became the third most intense Atlantic hurricane on record by pressure. It meandered in the Caribbean, gathering strength before pummeling Jamaica, Hispaniola and eastern Cuba.

Melissa was one of three Category 5 hurricanes this season. This was only the second season on record to see more than one Category 5 storm.

The National Hurricane Center on Monday released a preliminary report looking back at its forecasts for the season. The report said there were slightly more track errors this year than in 2024, but “the long-term trend is clear—steady and substantial improvement in reducing track errors over the past three decades.”

The report highlighted the NHC’s forecasting of rapid intensification (RI), with climatological data indicating that this year’s storms were 50% harder to predict than usual. The report said that, despite this, 2025 was “one of the most skillful years of intensity forecasting for NHC.”

“Although RI remains one of the greatest challenges in hurricane forecasting, continued
advancements in hurricane modeling and scientific understanding are making a noticeable
difference—even in the most difficult cases,” the report said. “While there is still work to be done, significant progress is clearly underway.”

The NHC also pointed to AI models as one of the factors allowing forecasters to issue more “aggressive” intensity forecasts. The report said the Google DeepMind ensemble was especially useful.

“The 2025 season marked the first time that NHC incorporated AI-based models into real-time operations, and early results indicate considerable promise,” the report said.

The NHC is expected to release its full verification report for the 2025 season after finalizing the tropical cyclone reports for each system.

“Throughout the hurricane season, and all year long, the National Weather Service works around the clock to meet our mission of saving lives, protecting property and enhancing the national economy,” Ken Graham, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service, said in a statement. “I’m grateful to this talented team for their steadfast dedication to the safety of the American public.”

Hurricane season ends November 30. Tracking the Tropics returns in June with weekly episodes for the 2026 hurricane season.

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Historic Milestone: US Sees First Hurricane-Free Year in a Decade

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Historic Milestone: US Sees First Hurricane-Free Year in a Decade

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