To say the 2017 hurricane season was a monster is one of the year’s biggest understatements. But, much to the relief of Texas, Puerto Rico, Florida and any other state, territory, or country in the Atlantic or Gulf coast, it is finally coming to an end.
Nov. 30 marks the end of Hurricane season—and, thankfully, this year’s is going out with a whimper—with nary a tropical depression in sight.
There were 17 named storms this year—the ninth most in recorded history. That’s five more than the average year. But the real concern wasn’t the number or storms, it was the intensity of the hurricanes that did hit. Three major storms impacted the U.S.
The force of those hurricanes made this the most costly hurricane season of all time. Hurricane Irma, a storm so powerful it vacuumed water out of the ocean, destroyed 25% of the homes in the Florida Keys. Hurricane Harvey, which dumped rain in Houston and other areas of Texas, could cost up to $180 billion. And the price tag on Maria still hasn’t been determined, but will be in the hundreds of billions as Puerto Rico tries to rebuild.