Looking Back- The 2024 Hurricane Season Wrap Up

The United States saw an active 2024 hurricane season, leaving a path of destruction in communities.

Midland's Meteorologist, Bruce Jones recaps the 2024 hurricane season.

Slow, then devastating

A big start, a lull, a heart-breaking finish. In the end, the Atlantic hurricanes of 2024 lived up to their hyper-active hype.

Pre-season forecasts called for an above normal number of hurricanes, some of them intense. These forecasts were based primarily on ocean water temperatures in the Atlantic and Caribbean, which were at record-setting highs.

18 named storms were born in 2024, 11 became hurricanes, 5 of them “major“ hurricanes of Category 3 or higher. The season ended up 4 hurricanes above normal, and damages were the second costliest on record.

Beginning of activity

It all began with a bang when, on July 2nd, Hurricane Beryl became the earliest Category 5 hurricane in Atlantic records, boasting sustained winds of 165 mph.

Beryl began in the Caribbean, lost some of its energy crossing the Yucatan Peninsula, then came ashore near Houston, TX, where strong winds toppled trees and power lines, leaving 2.7 million people without power.

Of the 7 Beryl fatalities in the Houston area, 2 were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning when gasoline generators were used inside homes.

Generators should always be kept outside with a safe distance away from your home’s doors and windows.

Florida gets pounded

3 of the year’s hurricanes impacted Florida- Debby, Helene, and Milton.

Debby spent much of her life as a Tropical Storm, strengthening to Category 1 hurricane status only hours before a July landfall. What was lacking in wind speed was made up for in the form of heavy rain. Debby dropped up to 20 inches of rain in Florida, kicking off 2 weeks of river flooding.

Days later, the stormy remnants of Debby drifted into New York state, still strong enough to force LaGuardia and JFK airports to suspend flights.

Francine arrives

By the middle of August, activity ceased and an eerie calm prevailed.

Upper level winds crossing the Atlantic kept the atmosphere from creating tropical storms. Online weather watchers began to wonder if the forecast for a “hyperactive” season might be a complete bust.

However, September 11, Category 2 Francine broke the drought when she landed in Louisiana, disrupting the area’s oil and gas production, and causing a nationwide spike in gasoline prices.

Helene devastates communities

The season’s most destructive storm - one for the record books - was Helene, which reached Cat 5 strength in the Gulf of Mexico, but weakened to Cat 4 as it came ashore in Florida. Still, it was the 9th most intense hurricane to ever strike the Sunshine State.

Helene’s sustained winds of 140 mph did their share of damage, and her enormous size generated a storm surge that set new inundation records for Tampa Bay.

Helene’s most devastating feature was rapid forward motion. Despite their destructive spinning winds, many hurricanes lumber slowly along, and friction with solid ground degrades the storm. Helene raced from Florida through Georgia, conserving enough energy to morph into a withering rainmaker over South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

Seeing the approaching hurricane and knowing that recent rains had already saturated the ground, National Weather Service forecasters predicted catastrophic flooding in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Many heeded the warnings and moved to higher ground, but flash flood destruction of roads, major highways, and the electric grid created death traps for others.

Helene is responsible for more than 200 flooding deaths and tops $100 billion in damages, with the eventual clean-up slated to take perhaps 10 years.

Milton- 2024's finale

The final major hurricane of 2024 was Milton, an enormous storm that plowed through Florida just weeks after Helene.

In its precedent-setting trek across the Gulf of Mexico, Milton defied 173 years of hurricane history, rapidly intensifying to Category 5 status as it drifted eastward across the entirety of the Gulf.

When it plowed ashore at Siesta Key, Milton kicked off an intense tornado outbreak- 46 twisters raked Florida, including three EF-3’s. One of those killed 6 people in St. Lucie County. It was one of Florida’s largest tornado outbreaks on record.

Lessons learned

Helene’s historic winds and flooding cut off power, knocked out cell phone towers, and made travel impossible for many residents of the Carolinas and Tennessee.

As in most hurricanes, the greatest loss of life is not from storm surge along the coast, it is from inland flooding. Even when the eye of a hurricane is 200 miles away, outer rain bands, especially over hilly terrain, will drop huge amounts of rain. During hurricane season, recognize that even though you live far away from a coastline, hurricane-induced severe weather could enter your area. Stay informed with the latest official forecasts and take flood risks very seriously.

Milton’s tornadoes were more numerous and intense than normal, but almost all hurricanes produce tornadoes. Many of these twisters spin up quickly and can be gone in minutes. Even more dangerous: hurricane-induced tornadoes can be as common overnight as they are in the daytime. For this reason, anyone in or near a landfalling hurricane needs to be vigilant for rapidly changing weather and have a plan for, and a place for, immediate sheltering.

Helene, Milton, and all the 2024 hurricanes are a reminder that every home needs an emergency alert radio. National Weather Service forecasters are the best in the world, but their warnings are worthless to you if you don’t receive them. When power goes out and cell phone towers go down, NOAA Weather Radio brings life-saving alerts right into your home, instantly, and automatically. Protect your family 24/7/365 with the official “Voice of the National Weather Service”: NOAA Weather Radio.

Midland's NOAA Weather and Emergency Alert Radios

WR120 NOAA Weather and Emergency Alert Radio - WR120

The first line of alerting at home during severe weather and emergencies, the Public Alert-Certified WR120 brings the fastest, most reliable life-saving information to keep your family safe.

Features:

60 weather and emergency alerts
Location-specific alerts
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S.A.M.E. Digital Technology
25 programable locations
Emergency Power Backup 3 “AA”’ batteries (not Included)
Alert Override
Customizable Alerts
Color-Coded Alert Level Indicators
Instant Weather
Time and alarm clock
Public Alert Certified

ER50 Portable Emergency Weather Alert Crank Radio - ER50

Midland’s ER50 brings instant alerts from the National Weather Service anytime, anywhere. The ER50 is the dependable device on the go with its several sources of power and flashlight, making preparedness a priority before, during, and after the storm.