The 2024 hurricane season for the Atlantic was a very busy one. Initial predictions in MAY, 2024 were that we would see around 23 Named Storms with 11 Hurricanes and 5 Major Hurricanes. Predictions were adjusted when the Atlantic Ocean experienced a Saharan Air Layer (SAL) which calmed the activity for most of the month of July. A SAL is a layer of dust that comes off of the Saharan desert, Morocco in this case, and creates a dampening effect on storm formation in the Atlantic (see image below).
The season had one of the slowest starts since 2014 with the first named storm, Alberto, not forming until 19 JUL. Alberto was followed, though, by Beryl which reached CAT 5 strength. Beryl was the earliest to reach CAT 4 and then CAT 5 in recorded history. The season had a pause in July but picked back up in early August with Debbie. August stayed fairly mild with only two named storms.
September activity picked back up with 6 named storms during the month which included Helene. Helene’s path took it along the gulf coast of Florida pushing water into the coastal areas and bringing damaging winds along the gulf coast. The widespread debris and flooding caused an issue when Milton, which had strengthened to the second CAT 5 in the season, was heading towards the same areas effected by Helene. Emergency debris clearance operations were started to minimize the amount of loose materials in the areas in order to mitigate damage from flying debris.
Sara was the final named storm of 2024 but it only made it to Tropical Storm strength. Overall, there were 18 Named Storms, 11 Hurricanes, and 5 Major Hurricanes in 2024, not much different from the predictions for the number of Hurricanes and Major Hurricanes. The 2024 season was the second most costly Atlantic hurricane season in history with over $227.3 billion in damages. The final tally will be well over that once the last of the assessments are processed and could put 2024 close to or more than the 2017 season which holds the top honors currently.
| Rank | Cost | Season |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ≥ $294.803 billion | 2017 |
| 2 | > $227.3 billion | 2024 |
| 3 | $172.297 billion | 2005 |
| 4 | $117.708 billion | 2022 |
| 5 | ≥ $80.827 billion | 2021 |
| 6 | $72.341 billion | 2012 |
| 7 | $61.148 billion | 2004 |
| 8 | $54.336 billion | 2020 |
| 9 | ≥ $50.526 billion | 2018 |
| 10 | ≥ $48.855 billion | 2008 |
In the end, the 2024 season saw 9 named storms, half of the total named storms, during the last 2 months of the season with 3 active storms at one point in time. A strong finish to a very busy season, even with a very quiet July and August.