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The 2003 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2003, and lasted until November 30, 2003. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin.

The 2003 season was a very active one, featuring 16 storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. Notable storms of the season include Tropical Storm Ana, which formed during the month of April. Ana is the only tropical cyclone to ever form during the month of April in the Atlantic basin. There was a subtropical cyclone that formed in April during the 1992 season, but hence the name, it was not a fully tropical system. Hurricane Fabian was notable for striking Bermuda as a major hurricane, the first direct hit since 1926. Hurricane Isabel reached Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale on three separate occasions, the first time that happened in the Atlantic since Hurricane Allen of 1980. The only other storm in the Atlantic after Isabel that reached Category 5 status on three different occasions was Hurricane Ivan of 2004. Isabel ultimately made landfall in North Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane, causing a severe disaster for the northeastern United States. Hurricane Juan is notable for strking Nova Scotia as a Category 2 hurricane. It caused significant damage there, becoming one of Atlantic Canada's worst natural disasters. Tropical Storm Odette is notable for being the only Carribean storm to develop during the month of December. In addition, Tropical Storm Peter nearly became a hurricane during the month of December, quite far east in the Atlantic Ocean.

The only other time that two December storms developed in the Atlantic was during the 1887 season.

List of Storms[]

List of Storm Names[]

  • Ana
  • Bill
  • Claudette
  • Danny
  • Erika
  • Fabian
  • Grace
  • Henri
  • Isabel
  • Juan
  • Kate
  • Larry
  • Mindy
  • Nicholas
  • Odette
  • Peter
  • Rose
  • Sam
  • Teresa
  • Victor
  • Wanda

Retired Names[]

The World Meteorological Organization retired three names during the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season: Fabian, Isabel, and Juan. They were replaced with Fred, Ida, and Joaquin for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season.

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