1990 Atlantic hurricane season

1990 Atlantic hurricane season
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formedMay 24, 1990
Last system dissipatedOctober 21, 1990
Strongest storm
NameGustav
 • Maximum winds120 mph (195 km/h)
(1-minute sustained)
 • Lowest pressure956 mbar (hPa; 28.23 inHg)
Seasonal statistics
Total depressions16
Total storms14
Hurricanes8
Major hurricanes
(Cat. 3+)
1
Total fatalities171 total
Total damage$152.61 million (1990 USD)
Related articles
Atlantic hurricane seasons
1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992

The 1990 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season since 1969, with a total of 14 named storms. The season also featured eight hurricanes, one of which intensified into a major hurricane. It officially began on June 1, 1990, and lasted until November 30, 1990.[1] These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. However, tropical cyclogenesis can occur prior to the start of the season, as demonstrated with Tropical Depression One, which formed in the Caribbean Sea on May 24.

Though active, the season featured relatively weak systems, most of which stayed at sea. The 1990 season was unusual in that no tropical cyclone of at least tropical storm strength made landfall in the United States for the first time since the 1962 season, although Tropical Storm Marco weakened to a depression just before landfall.

Only a few tropical cyclones caused significant impacts. Hurricane Diana killed an estimated 139 people in the Mexican states of Veracruz and Hidalgo, while also causing approximately $90.7 million in damage. Hurricane Klaus brought flooding to Martinique and caused torrential rainfall across the southeastern United States after combining with Tropical Storm Marco and a frontal boundary. As a result of effects from Diana and Klaus, both names were retired following the season. Overall, the storms of the season collectively caused 171 fatalities and approximately $157 million in damage.

  1. ^ "Hurricane season begins among dire predictions". The Hour. Associated Press. June 1, 1990. p. 3. Retrieved March 11, 2011.