Recap of the 2023 hurricane season

Another hurricane season is in the books and 2023 was another above-normal year.

This year there were 20 named storms. Of those storms, seven became hurricanes and three became major hurricanes.

In an average season, there are 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

This year ranks fourth for the most-named storms in a year since 1950.

The last named storm was Tammy.

Canada was impacted by three storms this season. The first was an unnamed subtropical storm that impacted Atlantic Canada on January 16 and 17.

The most impactful storm was Lee, which did reach category five status. Lee had a profound impact on the Maritime provinces. The storm brought strong winds with hurricane‑force gusts in Nova Scotia and in New Brunswick. There were downed trees and power lines. Power outages associated with the cyclone rose to around 140,000 in Nova Scotia, and 37,000 in New Brunswick, on the afternoon of September 16.

Tropical Storm Philippe also had an impact on the Maritimes and Quebec. Philippe, on the night of October 7 to 8, brought strong winds and rough seas. The region also received significant amounts of rainfall. According to the Meteorological Service of Canada, more than 135 millimetres fell in certain areas of Charlevoix. The rain caused several rivers to overflow, washing away a chalet along the Petit Bras River, flooding campsites and cutting Quebec Route 170 linking L'Anse-Saint-Jean to Sagard.