Despite the last decade being chock full of active hurricane seasons, it is still true that lackluster seasons can happen in the Atlantic. The biggest reason for quieter hurricane seasons is El Niño, which are driven by warm patches of water in the Pacific. This anomaly can change wind and precipitation patterns around the world. Wind shear tends to increase over the Caribbean during El Niño, meaning that storms are battered and ripped apart more frequently. This also generally means that less hurricanes can form and threaten this U.S. The last less active year in the tropics came in 2015 when a strong El Niño flourished in the heart of hurricane season and intensified toward the end of that year.