Hurricane Ivan (1980)

Hurricane Ivan (1980)

The 1980 Atlantic hurricane season was tied with 1932, 1969, and 1994 for most named storms in Atlantic Ocean during the month of November – only to be surpassed in 2001 and 2005. The season officially began on June 1, 1980, and lasted until November 30, 1980. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Ocean.

The season was fairly active, with fifteen tropical cyclones forming. It was the first time since the 1971 season that there were no active tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin during the month of June. The season was neutral, having neither an El Niño nor a La Niña. Three tropical cyclones during in the Atlantic Ocean in 1980 were notable. Hurricane Allen was then the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record and also devastated portions of the Caribbean Sea, Mexico, and the United States. Tropical Storm Hermine caused significant flooding in Mexico, which resulted in at least 38 fatalities. Hurricane Jeanne was one of only four tropical cyclones at hurricane intensity to enter the Gulf of Mexico and not make landfall.