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The 2015 Atlantic Hurricane season will come to an end on November 30. While generally unexceptional, this season did have its share of notable activity.
Statistically, this hurricane season ended up near to slightly below average. In all, there were eleven named storms, of which four became hurricanes. Two of those storms reached "major" intensity with winds of at least 111 mph.

The season was responsible for major flooding, and in one incident, a cargo ship carrying 33 people sunk as it tried to sail through the storm. A limited number of tropical storms came ashore in the United States; additionally, a few hurricanes flirted with the coast, although none actually came ashore.
This tropical season kicked off a bit before the traditional June 1 start date, with Subtropical Storm Ana forming on May 8. It transitioned to a tropical storm over the next 36 hours before coming ashore near Myrtle Beach, S.C. on the 10th. The earliest landfall on record, Ana brought heavy rainfall to the Carolinas along with gusts to 62 mph.

Ana was followed over the next few weeks by Tropical Storm Bill, which swept ashore along the Texas Gulf Coast in mid-June. Thanks to a wet spring in the Lone Star State, Bill was able to maintain some intensity deep into the Plains, bringing heavy rain along its path for several days. The "C" storm, Claudette, was unremarkable, forming along the North Carolina coast in July before ambling toward the Canadian Maritimes.

August and September, the traditional peak of the hurricane season, did not disappoint this year, as eight storms would form during that period. The season`s first hurricane, and first major hurricane, Danny, formed on August 18. The tropical system, which formed off the African coast, spun its way across the Atlantic, peaking at 115 mph before falling apart near the Leeward Islands.

This was quickly followed by Tropical Storm Erika, also a "Cape Verde" storm forming in the eastern Atlantic. Erika moved across the Leeward Islands, and was forecast to head for Florida as a hurricane. However, the storm never sufficiently organized and was battered by the terrain over Hispaniola, bringing its tropical storm life to an end.

The next two systems, Fred and Grace, were notable in that they also formed in the far eastern Atlantic. Fred made history as one of the furthest east tropical storm-formations on record before strengthening into a hurricane as it swept through the Cape Verde Islands. However, much like Grace a few days later, Fred quickly weakened as it fought dry air in the central Atlantic. Unremarkable were the following two storms, Henri and Ida, two tropical storms that formed in the open Atlantic in mid-to-late September, and never strengthened much before falling apart.

The toast of the 2015 Atlantic Hurricane season came from Hurricane Joaquin. The storm formed south of Bermuda and drifted southwestward into the Bahamas on September 28. Thanks to a very warm ocean, Joaquin strengthened very rapidly, becoming a hurricane on the 30th, and a major hurricane on October 1. Joaquin reached its peak intensity, on the cusp of Category 5 intensity with winds of 155 mph on October 3. Joaquin turned northeastward and moved between the East Coast and Bermuda, before losing its tropical characteristics. However, its remnants continued across the Atlantic, steaming into Portugal and Spain.

Joaquin`s impact was also widespread. Its hurricane-force winds battered the Bahamas for more than two days, causing substantial damage. Perhaps most infamously, an American cargo ship El Faro, while sailing from Jacksonville, Fla., to San Juan, Puerto Rico, navigated into the teeth of the storm and sunk on October 1 off the Bahamas, killing all 33 on board.

While Joaquin turned northeastward and moved between the East Coast and Bermuda, it was indirectly felt in the U.S. A second non-tropical low in the Southeast pulled substantial amounts of tropical moisture toward the Carolinas, leading to a week of heavy rain across the region. Nearly 27 inches of rain fell near Mount Pleasant, S.C., with the Columbia, S.C., area receiving more than 24 inches. This much rain caused rivers to burst through dams, causing widespread flooding, as well as killing 25 people and causing billions in damage.

The last storm of the season, Kate, formed in mid-November. The storm flirted with the Bahamas as a tropical storm on November 10. Then, thanks to favorable conditions, Kate was able to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before quickly weakening and losing tropical characteristics on the 12th.
While the season had its share of storms, it was actually slightly below average using the primary measure of overall intensity, a metric known as Accumulated Cyclone Energy. There were many reasons for this, including the strong El Nino pattern and an extended period of mid-season dry air.

Story Image: Hurricane Joaquin is shown near peak intensity near the Bahamas (NASA)

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Atlantic Hurricane Season Winds Down