All seasons · Atlantic
1981 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1981 Atlantic season has 22 storms in the best-track record; 12 reached tropical-storm strength and 7 became hurricanes, 3 of them major. Its accumulated cyclone energy of 93.2 is the 69th-highest of the 175 seasons in the Atlantic record since 1851. Harvey was the strongest, peaking at 130 mph as a Category 4 hurricane. The best-track file carries no landfall records for the Atlantic seasons 1976 to 1982, this one included. The first record is dated April 6, the last November 17.
Storm by storm
More storms formed in September than in any other month of 1981: 6 of 22. Dennis lasted longest, 14.5 days as a tropical or subtropical system. Irene contributed the most energy, 24% of the season's ACE.
| Storm | Dates | Peak | Strength | Lowest | Landfalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storm 1 of 1981 | Apr 6–7 | 35 mph | Depression | – | – |
| Storm 2 of 1981 | Apr 19–21 | 30 mph | Depression | – | – |
| Arlene | May 6–9 | 60 mph | Tropical storm | 999 mb | – |
| Storm 4 of 1981 | Jun 3–5 | 35 mph | Depression | – | – |
| Storm 5 of 1981 | Jun 17–19 | 35 mph | Depression | – | – |
| Bret | Jun 29 – Jul 1 | 70 mph | Tropical storm | 996 mb | – |
| Storm 7 of 1981 | Jul 2–4 | 35 mph | Depression | – | – |
| Storm 8 of 1981 | Jul 25–26 | 35 mph | Depression | – | – |
| Cindy | Aug 2–5 | 60 mph | Tropical storm | 1002 mb | – |
| Dennis | Aug 7–21 | 80 mph | Category 1 | 995 mb | – |
| Storm 11 of 1981 | Aug 17–21 | 35 mph | Depression | – | – |
| Storm 12 of 1981 | Aug 26–29 | 35 mph | Depression | – | – |
| Emily | Aug 31 – Sep 11 | 90 mph | Category 1 | 966 mb | – |
| Floyd | Sep 3–12 | 115 mph | Category 3 | 975 mb | – |
| Gert | Sep 7–15 | 105 mph | Category 2 | 988 mb | – |
| Harvey | Sep 11–19 | 130 mph | Category 4 | 946 mb | – |
| Storm 17 of 1981 | Sep 12–14 | 35 mph | Depression | – | – |
| Irene | Sep 21 – Oct 2 | 120 mph | Category 3 | 959 mb | – |
| Storm 19 of 1981 | Sep 26 – Oct 4 | 35 mph | Depression | – | – |
| Jose | Oct 29 – Nov 2 | 50 mph | Tropical storm | 998 mb | – |
| Katrina | Nov 3–7 | 85 mph | Category 1 | 980 mb | – |
| Storm 22 of 1981 | Nov 12–17 | 70 mph | Tropical storm | 978 mb | – |
Against other Atlantic seasons
Accumulated cyclone energy of every season; the red bar is 1981.