The 1900 Atlantic hurricane season featured the Galveston hurricane, the deadliest natural disaster in the history of the United States. A total of 10 tropical cyclones formed, seven of which intensified into a tropical storm. Three of those made landfall in the United States. The first system was initially observed over the central Atlantic Ocean on January 17, while the final storm transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on October 28. These dates fall within the period with the most tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic. Every storm of the season except the seventh system existed simultaneously with another tropical cyclone. Of the season's seven tropical storms, three reached hurricane status. Furthermore, two of those three strengthened into major hurricanes, which are Category 3 or higher on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. The strongest cyclone of the season, the first hurricane, peaked at Category 4 strength with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h). Upon striking Texas shortly after peak intensity, it produced a devastating storm surge in the Galveston area, with devastated city and caused at least 8,000 fatalities. Nicknamed the "1900 Galveston hurricane", it remains the deadliest natural disaster in the history of the United States. The hurricane also caused about $35.5 million (1900 USD) in damage. Impact from other tropical cyclones was generally minor, though the remnants of Tropical Storm Five resulted in one death and at least $100,000 in damage in Atlantic Canada. Season summary Tropical cyclogenesis with the development of a tropical depression over the central Atlantic on January 17. After the depression transitioned into an extratropical cyclone of the following day, the next system did not develop until June 9, while just north of the Lesser Antilles. This coincided with the formation of a third tropical depression over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico on the same day. The former moved generally north-northwestward for several days until becoming extratropical northeast of the Bahamas on June 17, while the latter made landfall in southeastern Louisiana on June 12, two days before dissipating over Mississippi. However, the season's first such of at least tropical storm intensity did not develop until August 27 while well west Cape Verde. This was abnormally late, as the average date of development of the first tropical storm between 1944 and 1996 was July 11. In comparison, the latest date of the first tropical storm during the satellite era was Hurricane Anita