1996 Atlantic Hurricane Season

The 1996 Atlantic hurricane season was the first Atlantic hurricane season since 1965 in which every tropical cyclone attained tropical storm intensity. Producing a total of thirteen named storms, nine hurricanes, and six major hurricanes, the season officially began on June 1, 1996, and ended on November 30, 1996, dates which conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season's first tropical cyclone, Tropical Storm Arthur, developed on June 17, while the final cyclone, Hurricane Marco dissipated on November 24. The most intense hurricane, Edouard, was a powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane that affected portions of the Mid-Atlantic states and New England. The season featured four tropical cyclone landfalls, including two hurricanes, one of which was a major hurricane. In total, six major hurricanes formed during the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season—the highest number produced in a single season since 1961.

There were four notable hurricanes during the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season: Bertha, Cesar, Fran, and Hortense. Hurricane Bertha made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on the coast of North Carolina, causing a total of nine deaths and $335 million (1996 USD); Hurricane Fran made landfall in the same general area a little over a month later as a Category 3 hurricane, causing twenty-eight total deaths and $3.2 billion in damage. Hurricane Cesar developed in the east Caribbean during late-July and crossed Nicaragua into the east Pacific as a strong tropical storm several days later, at which time it earned the name Douglas. The system produced severe wind and flooding damage, leading to 122 total deaths and $253 million in damage. Finally, Hurricane Hortense formed in the east Atlantic during the month of September, and crossed Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, causing 39 direct deaths and $158 million in damage. Due to their severe damage, the names Cesar, Fran, and Hortense were retired by the World Meteorological Organization.