The season officially began on June 1, 1996 and ended on November 30, 1996, dates which conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin.

Bertha made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on the coast of North Carolina, causing a total of 12 deaths and $335 million (1996 USD) in damage.

Hurricane Cesar developed in the east Caribbean during late-July, struck Nicaragua, then crossed into the Pacific as a tropical storm, at which time it was given the name Douglas.

Finally, Hurricane Hortense formed in the east Atlantic during the month of September and crossed Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, causing 39 direct deaths and $158 million in damage.

[5] Although there was neither an El Niño or a La Niña,[9] the above average activity in the season was likely due to abnormally warm sea surface temperatures.

Despite moderately strong wind shear, the depression strengthened and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Arthur while re-curving northeastward at 0000 UTC on June 19.

[19] Rainfall peaked at around 5 inches (127 mm) in Georgetown, South Carolina,[20] though because it fell gradually, no significant flooding was reported,[21] other than minor ponding of water on roads.

[22] In addition, Arthur also brought precipitation to Georgia and Virginia, though the amounts of rainfall recorded rarely exceeded 3 inches (76 mm).

A period of rapid intensification began late on July 8, with Bertha peaking as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) on the following day.

Moving around the western periphery of a subtropical ridge, Bertha passed north of the Bahamas as a weakening hurricane before turning towards the north-northeast and re-strengthened.

[29] Cesar caused minor damage in the ABC islands to roofs and trees; one person drowned in heavy surf on Curaçao.

[41] The outer bands of Dolly brought rainfall to southern Texas, which caused minor flooding, but was mostly beneficial due to drought conditions in the state.

At 0600 UTC on August 25, Edouard attained its maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (233 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 933 mbar (27.6 inHg); it was the most intense tropical cyclone of the season.

The depression moved westward for several days and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Fran on August 27 while 1,035 miles (1,666 km) east of the Lesser Antilles.

At 0000 UTC on September 5, Fran peaked as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (190 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 946 mbar (27.9 inHg).

[47] In South Carolina, the outer bands of Fran produced high winds and light to moderate rainfall, downing numerous trees and power lines.

After convection wrapped around the circulation and banding features increased, the National Hurricane Center upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Isidore on September 25.

At 0000 UTC on September 28, Isidore attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 960 mbar (hPa; 28.35 inHg).

[60] After reaching peak intensity on September 28, steering current from a quasi-stationary mid- to upper-level low pressure area turned Isidore northward.

Because much of the deep convection diminished, Isidore was declared extratropical at 0000 UTC on October 1, while located about 490 miles (790 km) west-southwest of Flores Island in the Azores.

[62] The extratropical remnants of Josephine moved along the eastern coast of the United States, producing wind gusts as strong as 77 mph (124 km/h) in St. Mary's County and in Ocean City, Maryland.

[62][65] Heavy rainfall flooded low-lying areas and rivers along the storm's path, including in North Carolina which had previously been affected by hurricanes Bertha and Fran earlier in the year.

[62] In the Southeastern United States, the storm contributed to dozens of traffic accidents, which killed a person each in Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia.

[68] Impact from Kyle was minimal and limited to light rainfall in the countries of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico.

The next day, Lili made landfall in Matanzas Province, Cuba with winds of 100 mph (160 km/h) and moved across the central portion of the island;[71] it was first hurricane to hit the country since Kate in 1985.

About two weeks passed before Lili transitioned into an extratropical storm north of the Azores on October 27, which subsequently moved across Ireland and Great Britain.

[77] Moisture from Lili also fueled a storm that struck the northeastern United States, which contributed indirectly to a death when a man in Maine tried to drive across a flooded roadway.

[12] Although it did not make landfall, Marco produced heavy rainfall in the Greater Antilles and Central America, which caused significant flooding in some areas.

It reached its peak intensity of 73 mph (117 km/h) and a central pressure of 993 millibars (29.3 inHg), before making landfall in southwestern Ontario and dissipating soon afterward.

The Lake Huron cyclone caused heavy rainfall and flooding across Michigan and Eastern Canada, as well as parts of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and the Northeast Coast.