▁in ▁the ▁past ▁recent ▁years . ▁Mo ist ure ▁levels , ▁however , ▁were ▁anom al ously ▁dry , ▁which ▁likely ▁prevent ed ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁storm s ▁from ▁becoming ▁significant ▁h urr ican es . ▁Ste ering ▁curr ents ▁had ▁also ▁been ▁different ▁from ▁past ▁years , ▁which ▁had ▁previously ▁had ▁a ▁tr ough ▁of ▁low ▁pressure ▁domin ating ▁the ▁East ▁Coast ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁The ▁tropical ▁cycl ones ▁of ▁this ▁season ▁caused ▁about ▁$ 1 6 . 1   b ill ion ▁in ▁damage ▁and ▁at ▁least ▁ 7 4 8   de ath s , ▁being ▁the ▁cost liest ▁season ▁since ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁the ▁dead liest ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁The ▁Atlantic ▁h urr icane ▁season ▁officially ▁ended ▁on ▁November   3 0 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁year ▁opened ▁up ▁with ▁an ▁anom alous ▁storm ▁in ▁January : ▁H urr icane ▁Alex , ▁the ▁first ▁such ▁system ▁to ▁develop ▁in ▁January ▁since ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁Activity ▁picked ▁up ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁May ▁into ▁June , ▁with ▁three ▁consecutive ▁tropical ▁storm s : ▁Bon nie , ▁Col in , ▁and ▁Daniel le . ▁The ▁latter ▁two ▁were ▁the ▁earliest ▁third - ▁and ▁fourth - named ▁storm s ▁on ▁record . ▁July ▁saw ▁no ▁storm ▁development ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁four ▁years , ▁however . ▁August ▁saw ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁six ▁tropical ▁cycl ones , ▁including ▁Earl , ▁F iona , ▁Gast