(2) What year(s) have had the most/least hurricanes and landfalls?

Table 8a shows the years of maximum and minimum tropical storm, hurricane, and major hurricane activity for the Atlantic hurricane basin. Tropical cyclone activity prior to the satellite surveillance era is uncertain and likely to be an underestimate of actual activity. The 2005 season set many records far above the previous records for the most number of tropical storms and hurricanes, but 1950 still holds the record for the maximum number of major hurricanes. 2010 had the third-most number of tropical storms and the second-most number of hurricanes. The two-year period of 2004-2005 was the most active ever seen in the Atlantic basin, setting records for the largest number of tropical storms and hurricanes in a two-year period and tying the record (13) for the largest number of major hurricanes set in 1950-1951. It is also of note that 10 out of the last 16 years have experienced 14 or more tropical storms.

Table 8b lists the years of maximum U.S. hurricane and major hurricane strikes. The 2005 season set the record for the most U.S. major hurricane strikes since 1851 and tied the record for second-most hurricane strikes. 2004-2005 produced 12 U.S. hurricane strikes, eclipsing the previous record of 11 hurricane strikes in consecutive years, set in 1886-1887. The 2009 and 2010 seasons did not see a hurricane strike, and the only other times that the United States has gone as long as two years without a hurricane strike are 1862-64, 1930-31, 1981-82 and 2000-01. Note that there is considerable uncertainty before about 1900 because significant areas of the Gulf and southeast Atlantic coasts were unpopulated. Multiple U.S. major hurricane strikes in one year are somewhat rare, occurring on average about once every decade.