All seasons · Atlantic
1996 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1996 Atlantic season has 13 storms in the best-track record; 13 reached tropical-storm strength and 9 became hurricanes, 6 of them major. Its accumulated cyclone energy of 166.2 is tied for the 17th-highest of the 175 seasons in the Atlantic record since 1851. For major hurricanes it is tied for the third-busiest season. Edouard was the strongest, peaking at 145 mph as a Category 4 hurricane. Landfall records exist for 9 of its storms, in Cuba, Florida, Honduras, Nicaragua, North Carolina, Nova Scotia, Puerto Rico, Quintana Roo and Veracruz. The first record is dated June 17, the last November 26.
Storm by storm
More storms formed in August than in any other month of 1996: 4 of 13. Fran lasted longest, 16.2 days as a tropical or subtropical system. Edouard contributed the most energy, 30% of the season's ACE. Strongest landfall of each storm: Arthur reached North Carolina as a tropical storm on June 20; Bertha reached North Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane on July 12; Cesar reached Nicaragua as a Category 1 hurricane on July 28; Dolly reached Veracruz as a Category 1 hurricane on August 23; Fran reached North Carolina as a Category 3 hurricane on September 6; Hortense reached Nova Scotia as a Category 1 hurricane on September 15; Josephine reached Florida as a tropical storm on October 8; Kyle reached Honduras as a depression on October 12; and others in the table below.
| Storm | Dates | Peak | Strength | Lowest | Landfalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur | Jun 17–21 | 45 mph | Tropical storm | 1002 mb | North Carolina |
| Bertha | Jul 5–14 | 115 mph | Category 3 | 960 mb | North Carolina |
| Cesar | Jul 24–28 | 85 mph | Category 1 | 985 mb | Nicaragua |
| Dolly | Aug 19–25 | 80 mph | Category 1 | 989 mb | Quintana Roo, Veracruz |
| Edouard | Aug 19 – Sep 3 | 145 mph | Category 4 | 933 mb | – |
| Fran | Aug 23 – Sep 8 | 120 mph | Category 3 | 946 mb | North Carolina |
| Gustav | Aug 26 – Sep 2 | 45 mph | Tropical storm | 1005 mb | – |
| Hortense | Sep 3–15 | 140 mph | Category 4 | 935 mb | Puerto Rico, Nova Scotia |
| Isidore | Sep 24 – Oct 1 | 115 mph | Category 3 | 960 mb | – |
| Josephine | Oct 4–8 | 70 mph | Tropical storm | 981 mb | Florida |
| Kyle | Oct 11–12 | 50 mph | Tropical storm | 1001 mb | Honduras |
| Lili | Oct 14–27 | 115 mph | Category 3 | 960 mb | Cuba |
| Marco | Nov 16–26 | 75 mph | Category 1 | 983 mb | – |
Against other Atlantic seasons
Accumulated cyclone energy of every season; the red bar is 1996.