NASA meteorologists struggled for words to describe the trio of hurricanes brewing in the Atlantic Ocean in early September. This composite image from satellites captured Category 2 Katia as it was headed for Mexico even as Category 4 Irma was on its way to Florida, where it would ultimately cause more than $62 billion in damage and contribute to some 70 fatalities. The final storm, Category 4 Jose, glanced off the Lesser Antilles before dumping rain across the Eastern Seaboard. 

This article appeared in the January/February 2018 edition with the headline "Rolling Thunder."