The 1972 Atlantic hurricane season was a significantly below average season, having only seven named storms, four fully tropical storms (the fewest since 1930) and three subtropical storms. It officially began on June 1, 1972, and lasted until November 30, 1972. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The first storm, Subtropical Storm Alpha, developed on May 23 off the Southeast United States and struck Florida, causing minor damage and two fatalities. Although several other tropical depressions developed, only Tropical Depression Five is known to have affected land. The most significant storm of the season was Hurricane Agnes, which at the time was the costliest United States hurricane, until Frederic in 1979. After brushing the western tip of Cuba, the hurricane made landfall on the Florida Panhandle. It caused at least $2.1 billion (1972 USD) in damage and 137 fatalities, mostly from inland flooding in Pennsylvania and New York. The strongest hurricane of the season was Betty, which reached peak winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) while west of the Azores. Tropical Storm Carrie passed just offshore of Massachusetts, causing heavy rainfall and resulting in four fatalities, but leaving only $1.78 million in damage. The remaining tropical systems – Dawn, Charlie, and Delta – caused no significant effects on land. A strong El Niño kept hurricane activity at a minimum, with only four tropical storms, three subtropical storms, and three hurricanes. It was also one of only five hurricane seasons since 1944 to have no major hurricanes – the other years being 1968, the 1986, 1994, and 2013. In addition, the season was the first to name subtropical storms, using the Phonetic Alphabet, rather than the standard naming list. Collectively, the storms of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season resulted in 137 deaths and over $2.1 billion in damage. Season summary The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1972. Although 19 tropical cyclones developed, only seven of were named, below the 1950-2000 average of 9.6 named storms per season. Of the seven tropical or subtropical storms, three of them strengthened into a hurricane, which is also below average. None of the three hurricane became major hurricanes, which is Category 3 or greater on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. Overall, the season was inactive, despite having a similar number of tropical waves as the previous season. The lack of