Republished November 30, 2017 - 7:29 PM
Original Publication Date November 30, 2017 - 10:41 AM
MIAMI - Thursday was the last day of an intense and destructive hurricane season with 17 named storms, 10 of which became hurricanes.
The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season will be remembered for a deadly trio of storms — Harvey, Irma and Maria — that ravaged Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and numerous other islands.
The storms killed at least 441 people and did about $369 billion in damage. This season is one of only six years on record to include multiple Category 5 hurricanes. It's only the second season to include two hurricanes making landfall at that intensity.
Hurricane Harvey made landfall in South Texas on Aug. 25, leading to days of downpours that dumped more than 50 inches (1.3 metres) of rain. Harvey damaged or destroyed about 200,000 homes as the storm system flooded much of Houston and smaller coastal communities.
Irma followed, hitting almost the entire state of Florida on Sept. 11. It had the strongest maximum sustained winds observed in the Atlantic since Wilma in 2005.
Maria caused widespread destruction in Puerto Rico on Sept 20, leaving much of the island without power. It was the 10th most intense Atlantic storm by barometric pressure.
The Atlantic's hurricane season begins June 1 each year.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017