Hurricane season ends with record storms, devastation across region

This year’s Atlantic hurricane season, which officially ends on Saturday, has been described by meteorologists as one of the busiest on record, with 11 hurricanes compared to the average seven.

Due in part to unusually warm ocean temperatures, eight hurricanes made landfall in the Atlantic this year in the United States, Bermuda, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Grenada, causing catastrophic damage.

Hurricane Beryl made history as the first Category 4 hurricane ever to form in the month of June, slamming into the island of Carriacou in Grenada. The storm continued its destructive path, causing widespread damage in Jamaica, where it destroyed crops, homes, and claimed two lives.

The last Category 4 hurricane to hit the island was Hurricane Dean in 2007, making Beryl’s impact particularly rare. On July 1, Beryl reached Category 5 status, marking the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. Typically, major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) don’t form until September, underscoring the unpredictability of this season.

Meanwhile in September, Hurricane Helene became the deadliest storm to hit the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, claiming more than 200 lives.

What Damage Did This Year’s Hurricanes Cause?

Helene wreaked havoc across North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, causing an estimated $48.8 billion in damages. In addition, homes, drinking water systems, and entire farms were destroyed, while large areas of forest were wiped out.

Helene’s effects were felt as far as the Great Lakes where unusually heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding.

The intensity of this year’s hurricane season continued into October with Hurricane Milton, which rapidly intensified to reach winds of 180 miles per hour. The storm became one of the strongest hurricanes by wind speed ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico, second only to Hurricane Rita in 2005.

Milton’s catastrophic winds caused extensive damage across the region, and the storm’s heavy rains flooded already saturated areas, further exacerbating the destruction.

In November, Hurricane Rafael strengthened to 120 mph, nearly becoming the strongest November hurricane on record in the Gulf of Mexico. It tied with Hurricane Kate from 1985.

Rafael made landfall in Cuba, further complicating recovery efforts from the earlier devastation caused by Hurricane Oscar in October, which had left widespread blackouts on the island.

What Role Does Climate Change Play?

Experts say that the unusually warm ocean temperatures observed this year are linked to the ongoing impact of climate change.

Higher sea surface temperatures fuel the intensification of storms, enabling them to reach unprecedented strengths at unusual times.

Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami, stressed that while no single storm can be directly attributed to climate change, the changing climate makes extreme storms more likely.

“We’ve never had a storm as strong as Beryl so early in the season, nor one as strong as Milton so late in the season,” McNoldy explained. “Climate change is certainly tilting the scale toward more extreme storms.”

With the 2024 season now officially over, the damage left by this year’s hurricanes will likely prompt further calls for stronger climate action and better disaster preparedness in the years ahead.

This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press.