2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season Ends With 14 Named Storms – 8 Hurricanes

For immediate release
Florida Press Office: Mark Friedlander, 904-806-7813, markf@iii.org

ST. JOHNS, Fla., Nov. 29, 2022—As the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season concludes tomorrow, it marks the seventh straight year in which at least 14 named storms formed.

Eight of the named storms became hurricanes, and two of the eight reached major hurricane (Category 3, 4, or 5) intensity. The season, which began June 1, serves as a reminder to residents living on the Gulf and East Coasts of the United States, as well as the Caribbean territories, that the dangers of high winds and floods destroying property and ending lives is real; and taking action to become more resilient is critical.  Insurance is the first step toward predicting and preventing a loss.

“As the nation’s financial first responders, insurers helped their customers recover economically from the impacts of another damaging hurricane season in 2022,” said Sean Kevelighan, CEO, Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I). “The widespread damage Florida experienced in the wake of hurricanes Ian and Nicole highlighted the importance of being financially protected from catastrophic losses and that includes having adequate levels of property insurance and flood coverage. In fact, we not only saw historic levels of flooding in coastal areas but throughout inland communities, as well.” 

The eight hurricanes were Danielle, Earl, Fiona, Ian, Julia, Lisa, Martin, and Nicole.  Fiona and Ian became major hurricanes. Hurricane Ian was the most damaging storm this season, causing devastating storm surge, high winds and flooding that led to a significant loss of life and widespread destruction throughout Florida.  Ian is expected to be the one of the costliest natural disasters in the nation’s history and made landfall twice in the U.S. The first time was near Cayo Costa, Fla., on Sept. 28 as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour. Two days later, on Sept. 30, Ian made landfall again near Georgetown, S.C., as a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 85 miles per hour, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  Hurricane Nicole made landfall on North Hutchinson Island, Fla., on Nov. 10, as a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 75 miles per hour.

“The biggest surprise of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season was that August had no named storm activity,” said Phil Klotzbach, PhD, a research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University (CSU) and a Triple-I non-resident scholar.  “This is the first time August had no named storm activity since 1997.”

CSU’s other notable observations about the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season included:

• Ian is tied with five other hurricanes for the fifth strongest continental U.S. landfall on record
• Nicole was the latest calendar year hurricane to make landfall on Florida’s East Coast on record
• There was no named storm activity between July 3 and Aug. 31

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