The 2008 Atlantic basin hurricane season was very active when compared to the average season. The season produced 16 named storms, eight hurricanes, and five major hurricanes that ranked as a Category 3 or greater on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind intensity scale. An average season is defined by 10 named storms, six hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.

There are many notables concerning the tropical cyclones that formed in 2008. For example, it is the only year on record in which a major hurricane existed in every month from July through November in the Atlantic. Hurricane Bertha became the longest-lived July tropical cyclone on record for the Atlantic basin. Hurricane Gustav produced a record 211-mph wind gusts in Cuba on Aug. 30, 2008, exceeding the previous non-mountain wind speed record of 186 mph that occurred in Massachusetts during a 1938 hurricane. Due to extreme flooding from four consecutive tropical cyclones — Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike — more than 700 people were killed in Haiti.

For the U.S., the season was extremely busy and costly. The U.S. saw six consecutive tropical cyclones make landfall during 2008 from late July through mid September: Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike. Dolly made landfall across extreme south Texas as a Category 1 hurricane. Damaging winds and torrential rainfall accompanied Dolly, with a maximum of 15 inches falling near Harlingen, Texas.