Books Close on Record 2008 Hurricane Season

The National Hurricane Center Tropical Outlook on this final day of the official hurricane season notes that:

TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

Jeff Masters has listed in his Weather Underground tropical blog a number of records set this season:

• Fourth costliest hurricane season on record ($21 billion dollars in U.S. damage, according to ISO's Property Claim Services)
  
• First time major hurricanes have been observed in five separate months (Bertha, Gustav, Ike, Omar, Paloma occurred in July, August, September, October, and November, respectively)
  
• First time six consecutive storms made U.S. landfall (Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike).
  
• First time three major hurricanes have hit Cuba (Gustav, Ike, Paloma)
  
• Costliest hurricane in Texas history (Ike, $16.2 billion)
  
• Second deadliest U.S. hurricane since 1972, and 26th deadliest in history (Ike, with 82 dead)
  
• Highest wind gust ever measured in a hurricane over land (Gustav, 212 mph in Pinar del Rio, Cuba)
  
• First storm ever to make four landfalls in one state (Fay, in Florida)
  
• Second strongest November hurricane (Paloma, 145 mph winds)
  
• Smallest tropical cyclone on record (Marco)
  
• Longest-lived July hurricane on record, longest-lived hurricane so early in the season, longest-lived tropical storm in July and so early in the season (Bertha, which was a hurricane 7.75 days, eclipsing the previous record of 7 days held by Hurricane Emily of 2005. Bertha was at tropical storm strength for 17.25 days).
  
• Farthest east forming tropical storm and hurricane for so early in the season (Bertha)