The June through November dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin.

The system encountered unfavorable conditions as it moved northward toward Cuba, and a reconnaissance airplane sent to investigate it could not find a well-defined center.

[13] Flooding prompted officials to use rescue crews, helicopters, and amphibious vehicles to evacuate 65,000 residents in low-lying areas to higher grounds.

[16] The season's first named storm originated on August 4 within a weak trough of low pressure that formed off the coast of South Carolina.

[21] Excessive rain fell along the central Gulf Coast, including local amounts of 16 in (410 mm) at Dauphin Island, Alabama.

[27] Because of unfavorable upper-level conditions and interaction with Bahama islands, the system lost its well defined center as it moved towards Florida's east coast.

The remnants redeveloped on August 30 about 180 miles (290 km) southeast of North Carolina,[5] and the Washington office of the National Weather Service continued to track the system as a gale center until it merged with a front off the East Coast on September 1.

[31] Though poorly organized on August 21, the depression was expected to strengthen into a tropical storm over the western Caribbean's warmer waters.

[32] The disturbance moved over Central America with minimal convection but redeveloped into Hurricane Kristy once it reached the eastern Pacific.

[citation needed] On September 2 a cluster of thunderstorms associated with a northwestward-moving tropical wave developed a surface low near Bermuda.

By September 3 convection was organized enough to declare the system a tropical depression about 160 mi (260 km) west-southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana.

Oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico reported winds gusts to 40 mph (64 km/h), and moderate to heavy rains drenched large portions of southeast Texas and Louisiana.

[5] The wave dampened over the next 24 hours and brought heavy rain to the rest of the southeast, including a maximum of 8.4 in (210 mm) in Biloxi, Mississippi.

[citation needed] A well-organized disturbance moved off the African coast on September 6 and rapidly developed into Tropical Depression Eleven.

[citation needed] For three days a large trough of low pressure northwest of the system steered it north-northwest towards cooler waters.

[45] The depression drifted eastward under the influence of the dissipating frontal trough and intensified into Tropical Storm Florence, as confirmed by hurricane hunters.

[46] Upon striking Louisiana, storm surge water levels rose moderately above normal just east of where the center moved ashore.

As the eye moved over land, the storm rapidly lost strength, reemerging on September 15 in the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane.

On September 16, Gilbert made its final landfall in northeast Mexico near the town of La Pesca with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (201 km/h).

Late on the following day, Helene attained its peak intensity; maximum sustained winds were at 145 mph (233 km/h) and the minimum pressure of 938 mbar (27.7 inHg).

[52] While Hurricane Helene was spinning in the central Atlantic, a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa in late September rapidly organized.

It traveled westward at a low latitude along the Intertropical Convergence Zone (or ITCZ), and its convection gradually grew more organized.

[56] However, the remnants dropped heavy rainfall across Trinidad and Tobago, causing flooding and mudslides that injured 20 people[57] and left at least 30 homeless.

[60] After passing through the southern Lesser Antilles, Joan traveled westward along the South American coast as a minimal tropical storm.

The hurricane executed a tight cyclonic loop in which it weakened greatly but rapidly strengthened upon resuming its westward track.

[62] Joan remained well organized as it crossed Nicaragua and emerged in the eastern Pacific Ocean basin as Tropical Storm Miriam.

[65] A westward-moving tropical wave, that left the coast of Africa in early October, tracked closely behind Hurricane Joan through the southern Caribbean.

Keith rapidly organized and peaked with winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) before making landfall on the northeastern portion of the Yucatán Peninsula on November 21.

[73] Keith, the last of four named tropical cyclones to hit the United States during the season, produced moderate rainfall, a rough storm surge, and gusty winds across central Florida.

It includes their name, duration (within the basin), peak classification and intensities, areas affected, damage, and death totals.