Top Ranked Atlantic Hurricane Seasons

Watch footage of the rough surf along the Jersey Shore in the wake of Tropical Storm Ophelia on September 27, 2023.

There can be much debate about which Atlantic Hurricane Seasons are the busiest on record. The Tropical Meteorology Project at Colorado State lists the most active seasons by ACE, or Accumulated Cyclone Energy. Others look at the top seasons by the number of named storms, hurricanes, or major hurricanes. Hurricaneville ranks the Top 20 Atlantic seasons in each of these categories. NOTE: Many of the seasons tied, so the lists are a little longer than twenty.

Top Atlantic Hurricane Seasons – By ACE

Year	Named Storms	Named Storm Days	Hurricanes	Hurricane Days	Major Hurricanes	Major Hurricane Days	Category Five Hurricanes	Accumulated Cyclone Energy
1933	20	125.25	11	57	6	21.75	2	258.6
2005	28	126.25	15	49.75	7	17.5	4	245.3
1893	12	98.75	10	61.5	5	22	0	231.1
1926	11	86.75	8	58.5	6	22.75	0	229.6
1995	19	121.25	11	61.5	5	11.5	0	227.1
2004	15	93	9	45.5	6	22.25	1	226.9
2017	17	93	10	51.75	6	19.25	2	224.9
1950	16	103	11	53	6	15.5	0	211.3
1961	12	79.25	8	46.25	5	16	1	188.9
1998	14	88	10	48.5	3	9.5	1	181.8
1887	19	106.25	11	47	2	6.75	0	181.3
1878	12	90	10	50.25	2	10	0	180.9
1999	12	78.5	8	41	5	14.25	0	176.5
2003	16	81.5	7	32.75	3	16.75	1	176.3
1932	15	85.25	6	27.75	4	13	2	169.7
1886	12	84.25	10	49.5	4	4.5	0	166.2
1996	13	79	9	45	6	13	0	166.2
1969	18	92.25	12	40.25	5	6.5	1	165.7
2010	19	89.5	12	38.5	5	11	0	165.5
1955	13	85.5	9	43	4	8.5	1	164.7

Top Atlantic Hurricane Seasons – Most Named Storms

Year	Named Storms	Named Storm Days	Hurricanes	Hurricane Days	Major Hurricanes	Major Hurricane Days	Category Five Hurricanes	Accumulated Cyclone Energy
2005	28	126.25	15	49.75	7	17.5	4	245.3
1933	20	125.25	11	57	6	21.75	2	258.6
1995	19	121.25	11	61.5	5	11.5	0	227.1
1887	19	106.25	11	47	2	6.75	0	181.3
2010	19	89.5	12	38.5	5	11	0	165.5
2012	19	101.25	10	28.5	2	0.5	0	132.6
2011	19	89.75	7	26	4	4.5	0	126.3
1969	18	92.25	12	40.25	5	6.5	1	165.7
2019	18	68.5	6	23.25	3	10	2	129.8
2017	17	93	10	51.75	6	19.25	2	224.9
1936	17	66	7	25.75	1	2	0	99.8
1950	16	103	11	53	6	15.5	0	211.3
2003	16	81.5	7	32.75	3	16.75	1	176.3
2008	16	88.25	8	30.5	5	7.5	0	145.7
1954	16	57	7	26	3	7	0	104.4
1949	16	66	7	21	2	4	0	96.4
2004	15	93	9	45.5	6	22.25	1	226.9
1932	15	85.25	6	27.75	4	13	2	169.7
1916	15	82.75	10	36.75	5	6.25	0	144
2016	15	81	7	27.75	4	10.25	1	141.3
2018	15	87.25	8	26.75	2	5	1	129
2000	15	71.5	8	32.75	3	5	0	119.1
2001	15	68.75	9	25.5	4	4.25	0	110.1
2007	15	37.75	6	12.25	2	6	2	73.9

Top Atlantic Hurricane Seasons – Most Hurricanes

Year	Named Storms	Named Storm Days	Hurricanes	Hurricane Days	Major Hurricanes	Major Hurricane Days	Category Five Hurricanes	Accumulated Cyclone Energy
2005	28	126.25	15	49.75	7	17.5	4	245.3
2020	30	122.75	14	35.25	7	8.25	0	180.4
2010	19	89.5	12	38.5	5	11	0	165.5
1969	18	92.25	12	40.25	5	6.5	1	165.7
1933	20	125.25	11	57	6	21.75	2	258.6
1995	19	121.25	11	61.5	5	11.5	0	227.1
1887	19	106.25	11	47	2	6.75	0	181.3
1950	16	103	11	53	6	15.5	0	211.3
2012	19	101.25	10	28.5	2	0.5	0	132.6
2017	17	93	10	51.75	6	19.25	2	224.9
1916	15	82.75	10	36.75	5	6.25	0	144
1998	14	88	10	48.5	3	9.5	1	181.8
1893	12	98.75	10	61.5	5	22	0	231.1
1878	12	90	10	50.25	2	10	0	180.9
1886	12	84.25	10	49.5	4	4.5	0	166.2
1870	11	38.25	10	28.25	2	2.5	0	87.8
2004	15	93	9	45.5	6	22.25	1	226.9
2001	15	68.75	9	25.5	4	4.25	0	110.1
1996	13	79	9	45	6	13	0	166.2
1955	13	85.5	9	43	4	8.5	1	164.7
1980	11	62.25	9	38.25	2	7.25	1	148.9
1880	11	68.75	9	35.5	2	4.75	0	131.1
2008	16	88.25	8	30.5	5	7.5	0	145.7
2018	15	87.25	8	26.75	2	5	1	129
2000	15	71.5	8	32.75	3	5	0	119.1
1944	14	60.25	8	24.5	3	5.75	1	104.5
1990	14	72.25	8	26.75	1	1	0	96.8
1961	12	79.25	8	46.25	5	16	1	188.9
1999	12	78.5	8	41	5	14.25	0	176.5
1951	12	67	8	34.25	3	4.5	0	126.3
1926	11	86.75	8	58.5	6	22.75	0	229.6

Top Atlantic Hurricane Seasons – Most Major Hurricanes

Year	Named Storms	Named Storm Days	Hurricanes	Hurricane Days	Major Hurricanes	Major Hurricane Days	Category Five Hurricanes	Accumulated Cyclone Energy
2005	28	126.25	15	49.75	7	17.5	4	245.3
1933	20	125.25	11	57	6	21.75	2	258.6
1950	16	103	11	53	6	15.5	0	211.3
2017	17	93	10	51.75	6	19.25	2	224.9
2004	15	93	9	45.5	6	22.25	1	226.9
1996	13	79	9	45	6	13	0	166.2
1926	11	86.75	8	58.5	6	22.75	0	229.6
2010	19	89.5	12	38.5	5	11	0	165.5
1969	18	92.25	12	40.25	5	6.5	1	165.7
1995	19	121.25	11	61.5	5	11.5	0	227.1
1916	15	82.75	10	36.75	5	6.25	0	144
1893	12	98.75	10	61.5	5	22	0	231.1
2008	16	88.25	8	30.5	5	7.5	0	145.7
1961	12	79.25	8	46.25	5	16	1	188.9
1999	12	78.5	8	41	5	14.25	0	176.5
1964	13	77.5	7	39.25	5	9	0	153
1886	12	84.25	10	49.5	4	4.5	0	166.2
2001	15	68.75	9	25.5	4	4.25	0	110.1
1955	13	85.5	9	43	4	8.5	1	164.7
2011	19	89.75	7	26	4	4.5	0	126.3
2016	15	81	7	27.75	4	10.25	1	141.3
1932	15	85.25	6	27.75	4	13	2	169.7
1909	12	56	6	24	4	6.5	0	93.3
1948	10	49.5	6	20.75	4	7.25	0	95
1894	7	60	5	39	4	9	0	135.4

Source: Colorado State University