Busy, costly 2024 Atlantic Basin hurricane season

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It was predicted to be a busy Atlantic Basin hurricane season. The final numbers certainly reflect that. The season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, had 18 named storms. Eleven of the storms were hurricanes. Five of those intensified to major hurricanes with winds reaching 111 miles per hour or greater.

The continental United States had five of those hurricanes make landfall, two of which made landfall as major hurricanes. Their names? Beryl, Debbie, Francine, Helene, and Milton.

For comparison, these numbers fell within the August 8 update by NOAA which predicted 17 to 24 named storms, eight to 13 hurricanes and four to seven major hurricanes. Scientists predicted the high number of hurricanes, in part, due to record-high temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico where readings were as much as two to three degrees warmer than normal.

Unfortunately, there were hundreds of deaths in the United States, the Caribbean and Central America. More than 230 people died from the season's deadliest storm, Hurricane Helene. This hurricane caused mass destruction moving through Florida and Georgia. It brought severe flooding and massive destruction to North Carolina and eastern Tennessee—more on Helene in a bit.

The season's first storm was Alberto. Its lifecycle began on June 12 because of a tropical storm on June 19th, the latest start to an Atlantic hurricane season since 2014. Its winds got as high as 50 mph. It made landfall near Tampico. Four people died from Alberto's rainfall.

Next was Beryl. Its lifecycle was marked by rapid intensification and three landfalls. It went from a tropical depression on June 28 to a tropical storm late on the night of the 28th. The storm became a Category 3 hurricane on the morning of June 3rd, a Category 4 hurricane late that same morning, then a Category 5 late on the night of July 1st. It went from a depression to a major hurricane in 42 hours. It set a record for the earliest Cat 4 and Cat 5 hurricane ever.

It made its first landfall July 1 at Carriacou, Grenada as a Cat 4, its second landfall at Tulum, Quintana Roo as a Cat 4 on July 5, and its third landfall near Matagorda, TX as a Cat 1 hurricane on July 8. The storm claimed 64 lives, with the most in Harris County.

There was very little activity for much of July and August due, in part, to the Saharan dust layer. But once September rolled around, the number of storms escalated. Named storms after Beryl were Tropical Storm Chris and Cat 1 Debby in a slow August, then in September, Cat 2 Francine and Tropical Storm Gordon. Helene soon followed.

Here's a little more on Hurricane Helene. Helene, which originated in the warm waters in the Caribbean and moved through the Gulf, took a path to the the Florida Big Bend region. It made landfall at 11:10 p.m. near Perry, Florida. Sustained winds of 140 miles per hour were recorded, making it the strongest hurricane to hit the Big Bend of the Sunshine State since 1851.

It would go on to drop as much as 30" of rain in some parts of western North Carolina with extensive damage in Asheville and many smaller communities.

The other numbers include more than 230 fatalities, an economic impact of $200 billion, and severe damage in an 800-mile path. It has been reported that Helene's impact and death count was the greatest in our country since Hurricane Katrina in late August 2005.

Helene was followed by Cat 2 Isaac, Tropical Storm Joyce, Cat 4 Kirk, and Cat 2 Leslie. Then came Milton.

This hurricane made landfall on October 9 at 8:30 in the evening 70 miles south of Tampa, FL at Siesta Key. Maximum sustained winds were 120 mph.

This hurricane would cause a record 150 tornadoes across the state along with deadly storm surge. Thirty-five people would die from Milton.

This hurricane's winds reached 180 mph during the afternoon of October 7 making it the third strongest hurricane on record by wind speed. This Cat 5 storm became one of the strongest hurricanes on record in the Atlantic Basin.

These astronomical wind speeds led some people to suggest that a new Category 6 designation might be needed for hurricanes. But, to date, that hasn't happened, and probably won't.

Milton's winds intensified rapidly, increasing from 60 miles per hour to 180 miles per hour in just 36 hours. This was one of the fastest intensifications ever recorded.

October wound down with Tropical Storm Nadine and Cat 1 Oscar. November had three storms with Tropical Storm Patty, Cat 3 Rafael, and to end a busy second half, Tropical Storm Sally.

The Atlantic Hurricane Season will begin on June 1, 2025.