This year’s official US hurricane season has emerged as the calmest in 12 years, with only three hurricanes forming from the nine named storms that developed in the Atlantic between June 1 and November 30.

The Insurance Information Institute describes the season as a welcome respite from last year, when hurricanes Gustav and Ike caused $US14.65 billion ($16 billion) in insured losses.

Eight of the 10 most costly hurricanes in US history have occurred since 2004 and the current year is the first since 2006 that no hurricanes made landfall in America.