Written by Staff Writer
(CNN) — Last year’s Atlantic hurricane season was one for the record books, but a sobering revelation was not made: The damage was worse than the record-breaking one in 2020.
Last year, 17 named storms were named in the Atlantic.
That was the third-highest on record in the Atlantic basin, behind the all-time high of 18 in 1882 and the all-time low of seven in 1821.
Of those 17 storms, nine became hurricanes, two of which became major, meaning they had sustained winds above 111 mph. That matches the all-time record (set in 2012) for most named storms ever during the Atlantic hurricane season.
And this year, hurricanes Florence and Michael have already led to $25 billion worth of economic losses, according to S&P Global Platts Risk Management Solutions.
But it seems this year’s Atlantic hurricane season didn’t yield the same economic return as last year’s season.
The cost of hurricane damage in 2016 was $316 billion , the third-costliest season on record. The top two-season seasons were both 2016 and 2005, which saw Katrina, Rita and Wilma, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
This year’s total economic loss will be higher, although an exact figure is not yet available.