Tracks of all Atlantic tropical cyclones in 2017. Their lifetime peak wind speed and minimum pressure are listed on the right. The horrible hurricane season that we desperately wanted to end in August and then September, but which callously refused, is finally over. It ranks as the most destructive and among the busiest on record. Three storms in particular, Harvey, Irma and Maria, did the lion’s share of the damage, unleashing a full-on assault on so many vulnerable shores — many of which are still recovering. In all, 17 named storms raked across the Atlantic Ocean basin. Ten of them became hurricanes, six of them major — rating Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The busiest and most painful stretch of the season spanned from late August to early October, when 10 hurricanes exploded over the abnormally warm tropical waters in 10 weeks. September marked the brunt […]