Why Did the U. S. Escape Hurricanes This Year?

This year, something unusual happened. The U. S. didn't get hit by any major hurricanes. It's been ten years since this last occurred. Many storms formed in the Atlantic. But they all turned away before reaching the coast. Experts call this "recurvature. " It's when storms curve back out to sea instead of hitting land. Several factors played a role. Winds and air pressure were key. A big area of low pressure sat over the eastern U. S. It acted like a shield. It pushed storms northward. This weakened the Bermuda High. Normally, this high-pressure system steers hurricanes toward the U. S. But this year, it was too weak to do its job. Four major hurricanes formed this season. One even hit Jamaica. But none touched the U. S. directly. Only one tropical storm, Chantal, made landfall. It caused floods and damage in South Carolina. Four people died. The season officially ends on November 30. But experts say another hurricane is unlikely. This isn't the first time this has happened. It's rare, but it has occurred before. In the last 25 years, it's happened seven times. The last time was in 2015. Before that, it was 2013. So, while it's unusual, it's not unheard of. Why did this happen? Experts aren't sure. But they think it's due to a dip in the jet stream. This dip created a low-pressure area near the coast. It weakened the Bermuda High. This combination pushed storms away from the U. S. Without this pattern, the season might have been very different.