The 2024 Hurricane Season: A Look Back
The 2024 hurricane season has hurled one storm after another, with some of those storms turning deadly. And the season, which ends Nov. 30, didn’t let up in recent days, with Tropical Storm Sara forming in the western Caribbean Sea.
By the Numbers
18 Named Storms
There have been 18 named storms as of Nov. 15. That’s nearly five more storms than the Nov. 10 average of 13.8, from 1991 to 2020.
11 Hurricanes
There were 11 hurricanes this year in the Atlantic Basin, exceeding the 30-year average from 1991 to 2020 of 6.9. This year’s 11 hurricanes and counting even topped 2023.
5 Major Hurricanes
We’ve had five major hurricanes this year. The 30-year average was 3.1. Last year, we saw 3.
74.25 Storm Days
There have been 74.25 storm days this year compared to the 66.2 average. Storm days are the total amount of days in which there is an active tropical storm or hurricane.
November Norms
“Usually by November we’re talking about next season already,” said meteorologist Jeremy Nelson of WJCL in Savannah, Georgia, on his Tracking the Tropics segment on X.
Storms and Landfalls
Hurricane Beryl
The first was Hurricane Beryl, a rare June major hurricane and the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record.
Beryl hit the island of Carriacou in Grenada as a high-end Category 4 on July 1, then made its way to the Yucatán Peninsula as a high-end Category 2 hurricane early on July 5. It then headed to Matagorda, Texas, where it made landfall as a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.
Hurricane Debby
Hurricane Debby made landfall on Aug. 5 in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained wind speeds of 80 mph.
Hurricane Helene
Then came one of the most shocking storms of the year. Hurricane Helene made landfall near Perry, Florida, on Sept. 26 as a Category 4 storm with 140 mph sustained winds.
Hurricane Milton
October brought Hurricane Milton, the most intense Atlantic Basin storm since 2019’s Dorian. Milton intensified explosively into a Category 5 storm in the Gulf of Mexico and went toward Siesta Key south of Tampa, where it made landfall on Oct. 9 as a Category 3 storm with 120 mph sustained winds.
Conclusion
As of Nov. 14, this hurricane season has caused more than 300 fatalities and nearly $190 billion in damage. Most of the deaths are due to Beryl, Helene, and Milton, while most of the damage is due to Helene and Milton.
FAQs
Q: How many named storms have there been this year?
A: There have been 18 named storms as of Nov. 15.
Q: How many hurricanes have there been this year?
A: There have been 11 hurricanes this year in the Atlantic Basin.
Q: How many major hurricanes have there been this year?
A: We’ve had five major hurricanes this year.
Q: What is the total amount of damage caused by this hurricane season?
A: As of Nov. 14, this hurricane season has caused nearly $190 billion in damage.
Q: How many fatalities have there been this year?
A: As of Nov. 14, this hurricane season has caused more than 300 fatalities.
