The 2003 Atlantic hurricane season was an above average season. This season featured a total of 21 tropical cyclones, 16 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. The strongest storm and costliest storm was Category 5 Hurricane Isabel, a Cape Verde-type hurricane that caused $5.37 Billion (2003 USD) in damage.
Hurricane Claudette made landfall in Texas as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale and on the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico as a tropical storm. It maintained tropical storm status for more than 24 hours after landfall in Texas.[3]
Hurricane Danny made a large looping path over the north central Atlantic Ocean, but did not directly affect land and was mainly a threat to shipping.[4]
Fabian was a long-lived, powerful Cape Verde hurricane that struck Bermuda with category three intensity. It caused extensive damage on that island, where it was reported to be the worst hurricane since 1926.[6]
Tropical Storm Grace was a short-lived tropical cyclone that developed over the western Gulf of Mexico. Grace moved inland along the upper Texas coast and produced little damage[7]
Henri was a tropical storm with maximum 1-min surface winds of 50 kt in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. After weakening to a depression, it moved across central Florida, where it dumped up to ten inches of rainfall.[8]
Hurricane Isabel was a long-lived Cape Verde hurricane that reached Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. It made landfall near Drum Inlet on the Outer Banks of North Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane. Isabel is considered to be one of the most significant tropical cyclones to affect portions of northeastern North Carolina and east-central Virginia since Hurricane Hazel in 1954 and the Chesapeake-Potomac Hurricane of 1933.[9]
Juan made landfall near Halifax, Nova Scotia as a category two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, and will be recorded as one of the most damaging tropical cyclones in modern history for Halifax.[10]
Tropical Storm Larry developed from a complex low pressure system over the Bay of Campeche. Larry moved inland over southeastern Mexico causing widespread floods which resulted in five deaths.[12]
Odette was a rare December tropical storm that made landfall in the Dominican Republic and was responsible for eight deaths. It was the first December tropical storm on record to form in the Caribbean Sea.[15]
Peter became the 16th named tropical cyclone of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. This is the first time since 1887 that two tropical storms have formed in December.[16]
Storm names[]
Ana
Bill
Claudette
Danny
Erika
Fabian
Grace
Henri
Isabel
Juan
Kate
Larry
Mindy
Nicholas
Odette
Peter
Rose (unused)
Sam (unused)
Teresa (unused)
Victor (unused)
Wanda (unused)
Retirement[]
In Spring 2004, it was announced the World Meteorological Organization had retired the names, Fabian, Isabel, and Juan for the damage and deaths caused by the storms. They were replaced with Fred, Ida, and Joaquin for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season.