2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Sees Predicted High Level of Activity

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season ended November 30 with a high level of activity that fell within the range of experts' predictions, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The Atlantic basin saw 18 named storms in 2024, 11 of which were hurricanes with 5 of those intensifying to major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or greater. Five hurricanes made landfall in the continental United States, with two storms making landfall as major hurricanes, NOAA said.

According to NOAA, this year's hurricane season fell within the ranges for named storms and hurricanes NOAA's Climate Prediction Center predicted in its 2024 August Hurricane Season Outlook. An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes, NOAA said.

Among this year's named storms, 12 formed after the climatological peak of the season in early September, NOAA said. Seven hurricanes formed in the Atlantic after September 25, the most on record for the period.

"The impactful and deadly 2024 hurricane season started off intensely, then relaxed a bit before roaring back," Matthew Rosencrans, lead hurricane forecaster at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, a division of NOAA's National Weather Service, said in a statement. "Several possible factors contributed to the peak season lull in the Atlantic region. The particularly intense winds and rains over Western Africa created an environment that was less hospitable for storm development."

Among the particularly noteworthy storms in this year's hurricane season, Hurricane Beryl became the earliest Atlantic basin Category 5 hurricane on record in July, before causing significant storm-surge flooding across parts of Texas and Louisiana after making landfall as a Category 1 storm, NOAA said.

Hurricane Helene made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm on September 26. It caused catastrophic flooding across the southern Appalachians, widespread wind damage from the Gulf Coast to the North Carolina mountains, and storm surge flooding along a portion of western Florida.

Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm near Siesta Key, Florida, on October 9 and resulted in a tornado outbreak that produced 46 tornados and caused torrential rainfall and localized flooding. Milton's rate of rapid intensification was among the highest ever observed, NOAA said.