Hurricane Edouard was the strongest tropical cyclone of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season, reaching winds of 145 mph (233 km/h) on its path. Edouard remained a major hurricane for eight days, an unusually long amount of time. A Cape Verde hurricane, the storm formed near the coast of Africa in the middle of August. It moved westward then curved northward, and persisted until early September when it became extratropical to the southeast of New England. Edouard was originally forecast to strike the northeast United States, but it produced hurricane-force gusts to portions of southeastern Massachusetts while remaining offshore. The winds caused minor damage totaling $20 million. In addition, the hurricane generated strong waves and rip currents to coastlines, killing two people in Ocean City, New Jersey and causing numerous injuries. Category 4 hurricane: peak winds of 145 mph (125 knots), lowest pressure 933 mb. August 19 – September 6, 1996. Accumulated cyclone energy: 49.3. Wiki link Track: NOAA National Hurricane Center, HURDAT2 best track AL051996 (public domain).