WASHINGTON—The 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends Tuesday, was one of the busiest on record but had little impact on the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Monday.

Nineteen named storms formed in the Atlantic basin during this year’s hurricane season, which tied with 1887 and 1995 for third-highest on record. Of those, 12 became hurricanes—tied with 1969 for second-highest on record. Five of those reached major hurricane status of Category 3 or higher.

An average Atlantic season produces 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes, according to NOAA.

“Large-scale climate features strongly influenced this year’s hurricane activity, as they often do,” said NOAA in a statement announcing this year’s hurricane activity. “This year, record warm Atlantic waters, combined with the favorable winds coming off Africa and weak wind shear aided by La Niña energized developing storms. The 2010 season continues the string of active hurricane seasons that began in 1995.”

“As NOAA forecasters predicted, the Atlantic hurricane season was one of the most active on record, though fortunately most storms avoided the U.S,” said Jack Hayes, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service, in the statement. “For that reason, you could say the season was a gentle giant.”

But hurricanes ravaged other parts of the Atlantic basin, including Haiti, Mexico and Central America.

NOAA noted that in contrast to the active Atlantic hurricane season, the eastern North Pacific season had the fewest storms on record since the satellite era began.

“Though La Niña helped to enhance the Atlantic hurricane season, it also suppressed storms from forming and strengthening in the eastern North Pacific,” said NOAA. Seven named storms formed in the area this year, three of which grew into hurricanes, and two of those became major hurricanes. NOAA said this was the fewest named storms and fewest hurricanes in the area since the mid-1960s.

An average eastern North Pacific season produces 15 named storms, nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes, according to NOAA.