The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season ends today, Nov. 30.
There were a total of 21 named storms, making it an above-average season, according to NOAA.
An average season has 14 named storms.
There were seven hurricanes, which is right at average, and four major hurricanes, which is slightly above average (3).
How did the forecast fare this season? Not bad. Here’s NOAA’s most recent outlook for the season, released in August:
NOAA's last update of its Atlantic hurricane season forecast, issued in August, ended up being right on target.
Here’s a quick look at 2021′s named storms.
THE FINAL NUMBERS
2021 season ranks as above average overall with 21 named storms, seven hurricanes and four major hurricanes. NOAA numbers for an average season are 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
2021 HURRICANES
* Elsa (Category 1), Grace (Category 3), Henri (Category 1), Ida (Category 4), Larry (Category 3), Nicholas (Category 1) and Sam (Category 4).
2021 U.S. LANDFALLING STORMS
* Tropical Storm Claudette: June 19; southeast Louisiana; 40 mph winds.
* Tropical Storm Danny: June 28; near Hilton Head, S.C. (Pritchards Island); 40 mph winds.
* Hurricane Elsa: Made landfall as a tropical storm on July 7 in Taylor County in Florida’s Big Bend region; 65 mph winds.
* Tropical Storm Fred: Aug. 16 near Cape San Blas, Fla., with 65 mph winds.
* Hurricane Henri: Made landfall as a tropical storm on Aug. 22 on the coast of Rhode Island near Westerly with 60 mph.
* Hurricane Ida: Aug. 29 in southeast Louisiana near Port Fourchon with 150 mph winds.
* Tropical Storm Mindy: Sept. 8 on St. Vincent Island, Fla., with 45 mph winds.
* Hurricane Nicholas: Sept. 14 on the central Texas coast near Sargent Beach with 75 mph winds.
STRONGEST HURRICANES
* It’s a tie as far as wind speed goes. The strongest storms of 2021 were Category 4s Ida and Sam, both with 150 mph winds. There were no Category 5 hurricanes in 2021.
DEADLIEST STORM
* Hurricane Ida left a trail of destruction across the eastern U.S. According to the CDC Ida, a Category 4 hurricane, is responsible for 32 deaths along the Gulf Coast (most in the aftermath of the storm). But Ida caused devastating flash flooding in the Northeast, including New York City and New Jersey, that clamed an additional 53 lives.
LONGEST-LASTING STORM
* Hurricane Larry formed on Aug. 31 and remained a named storm until Sept. 11. It was a hurricane for much of that time, from Sept. 2 until Sept. 11, when it was ruled a post-tropical storm after making landfall in Newfoundland.
THERE-AND-GONE STORM
* Tropical Storm Odette formed on late in the afternoon on Sept. 17 and was ruled a post-tropical storm 24 hours later.
EARLY AGAIN
* The 2021 season started early for the seventh year in a row. This year it was Tropical Storm Ana that jumped the gun. Ana formed on May 22 and never affected land. The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on June 1.
ALMOST OUT OF NAMES
* The 2021 season used up the entire list of names, starting with Ana and ending with Wanda. If there had been any more storms forecasters would have had to resort to a supplemental list from the World Meteorological Organization. This year the Greek storm names (used in 2020 and 2005) were kept on the shelf and a supplemental list was set to go.
STRANGELY QUIET END -- BUT WE’LL TAKE IT
* La Nina developed during the fall, leading to worries about a busier end stretch to the season (La Nina tends to ramp up hurricane activity). However those fears never materialized. The last two months of the season were almost strangely quiet, with only two named storms in October and one (Wanda) that carried over into November.
2021′S NAMED STORMS
Tropical Storm Ana: May 22-23, top winds of 45 mph.
Tropical Storm Bill: June 14-15, top winds 65 mph.
Tropical Storm Claudette: June 19-22, top winds 45 mph.
Tropical Storm Danny: June 27-29, top winds 45 mph.
Hurricane Elsa: July 1-9, top winds 85 mph.
Tropical Storm Fred: Aug. 11-18, top winds 65 mph.
Major Hurricane Grace: Aug. 13-21, top winds 125 mph.
Hurricane Henri: Aug. 16-23, top winds 75 mph.
Major Hurricane Ida: Aug. 26- Sept. 2; top winds 150 mph.
Tropical Storm Kate: Aug. 28- Sept. 1; top winds 45 mph.
Tropical Storm Julian: Aug. 28-30; top winds 60 mph.
Major Hurricane Larry: Aug. 31- Sept. 11, top winds 125 mph.
Tropical Storm Mindy: Sept. 8-10; top winds 45 mph.
Hurricane Nicholas: Sept.12-16; top winds 75 mph.
Tropical Storm Odette: Sept. 17-18, top winds 45 mph.
Tropical Storm Peter: Sept. 19-22; top winds 50 mph.
Tropical Storm Rose: Sept. 19-23, top winds 50 mph.
Major Hurricane Sam: Sept. 22-Oct. 5, top winds 150 mph.
Subtropical Storm Teresa: Sept. 24-25, top winds 45 mph.
Tropical Storm Victor: Sept. 29-Oct. 4, top winds 65 mph.
Tropical Storm Wanda: Oct. 31- Nov. 7, top winds 50 mph.
There were 21 named storms this season, which is above average.