1933 Atlantic Hurricane Season

The 1933 Atlantic hurricane season was the second most active Atlantic hurricane season on record, with 20 storms forming during that year in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. The season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1933, and was surpassed in total number of tropical cyclones by the 2005 season, which broke the record with its 28 storms. The 1933 season saw tropical activity as early as May, and a tropical cyclone was active for all but 13 days from June 28 to October 7. Tropical cyclones that did not approach populated areas or shipping lanes, especially if they were relatively weak and of short duration, may have remained undetected. Because technologies such as satellite monitoring were not available until the 1960s, historical data on tropical cyclones from this period are often not reliable. Compensating for the lack of comprehensive observation, one hurricane researcher estimates the season produced 24 tropical cyclones.

Eleven of the season's 20 storms attained hurricane status. Six of those were major hurricanes, with sustained winds of over 111 mph (179 km/h). Two of the hurricanes reached winds of 160 mph (260 km/h), which is a Category 5–the highest of 5– on the modern Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. The season produced several deadly storms, with eight storms killing more than 20 people. All but two of the 20 known storms affected land at some point during their durations.