1989 Atlantic Hurricane Season

The 1989 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest season at the time. The season officially began on June 1, and ended on November 30. It was an above average season due to a La Niña that developed during the previous year. The first storm, Tropical Depression One, developed on June 15, and dissipated two days later without effects on land. Later that month, Tropical Storm Allison caused severe flooding, especially in Texas and Louisiana. Tropical Storm Barry, Tropical Depressions Six, Nine, and Thirteen, and Hurricane Erin and Felix caused negligible impact. Hurricane Gabrielle and Tropical Storm Iris caused light effects on land, with the former resulting in 9 fatalities from rip currents offshore the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada, while the latter produced minor flooding in the United States Virgin Islands.

The most notable storm of the season was Hurricane Hugo, a Category 5 hurricane that caused at least $10 billion (1989 USD) in damage and 111 fatalities as it ravaged the Lesser Antilles and the United States, especially the state of South Carolina. Hugo ranked as the costliest Atlantic hurricane until Hurricane Andrew in the 1992 season, and has since fallen to the eighth costliest hurricane following the even more destructive storms during the 2000s decade. Few other storms in 1989 caused significant damage; Hurricane Chantal and Hurricane Jerry both caused moderate damage in Texas; Hurricane Dean also caused light damage in Bermuda and the Canadian province of Newfoundland. Tropical Storm Karen, the final storm of the season, brought heavy rainfall and a tornado to Cuba, before dissipating on December 4. Overall, the storms of the season collectively caused 147 fatalities and $10.74 billion (1989 USD) in damage.