Recap of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season

WWAY NEWS — Saturday marks the end of the Atlantic hurricane season. The season runs from June 1st through November 30th. 

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season was a somewhat busy one. The Atlantic basin saw 18 named storms, 11 of which were hurricanes, meaning the winds reached 74 mph or greater.  

Five of them strengthened into major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or greater.   

Five hurricanes made landfall in the U.S. this season, two of which were major hurricanes.   

Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Matagorda, Texas on July 8th. It strengthened to a category 5 hurricane, making it the earliest category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic basin on record.  

The next hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. was Hurricane Debby. Debby made landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida on August 5th as a category 1 hurricane, producing storm surge and wind damage across the Florida peninsula.   

Debby moved off the coast of Georgia, then moved inland, across central South Carolina. Southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina saw 3 tornadoes, tropical storm force wind gusts, and heavy rainfall.   

On September 11th, Hurricane Francine made landfall as a category 2 hurricane near Morgan City, Louisiana.  

A few days later, on September 15th, Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight formed. It never became organized enough to be classified as a tropical storm or hurricane, meandering off of the coast, then moving inland on the border of the Carolinas on the 16th, bringing historic rainfall and flash flooding.  

On September 26th, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a category 4 hurricane in the big bend area of Florida.  

After weakening to a tropical storm, Helene moved northward, causing catastrophic flooding in western North Carolina.  

There were hundreds of fatalities. 

It is believed that Helene is the deadliest hurricane to affect the continental U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.   

Hurricane Milton was the last hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. In the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.  

Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida on October 9th.  

Milton was a rapidly intensifying hurricane, recording a 90-mph wind increase within 24 hours and producing 46 tornadoes.

Always remember that a hurricane can form outside of hurricane season, but the conditions are less favorable from December through May.