When is hurricane season over? The answer can get a bit tricky. Hurricanes are known by different names depending on the global region. Hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones. They are all the same weather event. They are all tropical cyclones. Tropical cyclones are storms that develop in the tropics or subtropics. They are known for their violent rainstorms and destructive winds. The US territories experience different seasons when tropical cyclones are likely to develop.
Tropical Cyclone Seasons for US Territories
| American Samoa | November – April |
| Guam | August – November |
| Northern Mariana Islands | July – January |
| Puerto Rico | June – November |
| United States Virgin Islands | June – November |
Seasons occur at different times for different territories. The Atlantic hurricane season receives the most attention from the continental United States. This is when hurricanes are most likely to hit the southern and eastern part of North America. The hurricanes are also more likely to hit Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
What started out as a quiet Atlantic hurricane season ended with 14 storms. This made it a relatively average season despite the late start. Yet, it was still destructive. Hurricane Fiona was noteworthy for its landfall in Puerto Rico. Fiona caused catastrophic flooding. This led to power outages and inaccessibility to drinking water. Luckily, the US Virgin Islands was mostly spared from its destruction.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially finished at the end of November. However, meteorologists were initially concerned that a rare December storm was in the works. There hasn’t been one in nearly 10 years. A storm was developing early in the second week of December. Now it seems unlikely to occur.
Even with the increase in more destructive storms due to climate change, some US territories have different results. A typhoon can occur at any time of the year in Guam. The risks are even higher from August through November. Yet, Guam hasn’t seen a typhoon in over 10 years. The Northern Mariana Islands is also having a quiet year with no typhoon hitting the islands. It’s still early in American Samoa’s season, but forecasters say that it will have normal to below-normal cyclone activity.
Hurricane season is wrapping up for the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. However, American Samoa’s season is just starting. So when is hurricane season over? The answer depends on where you are.
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