NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
North Atlantic
| Storm Type | October 2017 | October 1981-2010 Average | Record Most for October Period of Record: 1851-2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm (Winds > 39 mph) |
3 | 1.9 | 6 (1870, 1887, 1950, 2005) |
| Hurricane (Winds > 74 mph) |
2 | 1.1 |
6 (1870) |
| Major Hurricane (Winds > 111 mph) |
1 | 0.4 | 2 (1878, 1893, 1894, 1950, 1961, 1964, 1995, 2005, 2017) |
| Name | Dates of winds >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds |
Minimum Central Pressure |
Landfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Nate (Cat. 1) | October 4th–9th | 90 mph | 981 mb | Mississippi Delta, LA and near Biloxi, MS |
| Hurricane Ophelia (Cat. 3) | October 9th–16th | 115 mph | 960 mb | Remnants impacted Great Britain |
| Tropical Storm Philippe | October 28th–29th | 60 mph | 997 mb | Near Everglades National Park, Florida |
Significant Events
Hurricane Nate was a fast moving tropical cyclone that developed from a low pressure system in the southwest Caribbean. As the system moved to the northwest, it quickly strengthened and reached tropical storm strength on October 5 as it made landfall in Nicaragua. Nate continued to move to the north-northwest and reached maximum strength on October 7 as it passed over the Yucatan Channel with winds of 90 mph and a central minimum pressure of 981 mb. Nate made its first landfall in the U.S. over the Mississippi delta and made a second landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi on October 8 with estimated winds of 85 mph. Nate brought coastal flooding and storm surge with buildings immediately along the coast flooding. As the storm moved inland it brought heavy rains to the Gulf Coast and into the Southern Appalachian Mountains. At least 2 fatalities in the United States were blamed on Nate, in addition to over 25 fatalities in Central America. Nate was noteworthy for several reasons. Nate reached a maximum forward speed of 28 mph in the Gulf of Mexico, the fastest moving tropical cyclone observed in the basin. Nate marked the first time since 2005 that four hurricanes made landfall in the United States in a single year. Nate was also the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in Mississippi since Hurricane Katrina.
Tropical Storm Philippe developed from a low pressure system that traversed the southern Caribbean and skirted parts of Central America. As the storm moved northward, it strengthened to a tropical storm on October 28, south of Cuba. Philippe traversed Cuba and made landfall near Everglades National Park in Florida with sustained winds of 45 mph on the October 29. Impacts were minimal in Florida with several tornadoes being spawned. As Philippe moved out to the Atlantic, it briefly strengthened, but then quickly dissipated late in the day on the 29th. The remnants of Philippe interacted with a cold front and extra-tropical cyclone moving through the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. The massive storm in the Northeast brought hurricane force winds to the region in addition to flooding rains. Over 1 million customers lost power in the U.S with additional impacts felt in southeastern Canada.
East Pacific
| Storm Type | October 2017 | October 1981-2010 Average | Record Most for October Period of Record: 1949-2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm (Winds >39 mph) |
2 | 2.1 | 5 (1992, 2015) |
| Hurricane (Winds >74 mph) |
0 | 1.2 |
4 (2015) |
| Major Hurricane (Winds >111 mph) |
0 | 0.6 | 3 (1983) |
| Name | Dates of winds >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds |
Minimum Central Pressure |
Landfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Ramon | October 4th– 5th | 45 mph | 1002 mb | N/A — impacted Mexican Coast |
| Tropical Storm Selma | October 27th– 28th | 45 mph | 1005 mb | Near San Salvador, El Salvador |