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How Active Was the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season?

The 2024 Atlantic season produced 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes and five major hurricanes, with basin accumulated cyclone energy about 32 percent above the 1991–2020 normal.

Timeline

  1. June 19, 2024: Tropical Storm Alberto became the season's first named storm.
  2. July 2024: Beryl became the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record.
  3. September–November 2024: The season accelerated, producing major hurricanes Helene, Kirk, Milton and Rafael after an unusual lull.
  4. November 30, 2024: The official Atlantic hurricane season ended.

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season produced 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes and five major hurricanes, according to the National Hurricane Center's final table. Each total exceeded the 1991–2020 average by four named storms, four hurricanes and two major hurricanes. A major hurricane is Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. [1][2]

The season was also active by accumulated cyclone energy, or ACE. The final National Hurricane Center total was 161.5 units, about 32 percent above the 1991–2020 normal. ACE adds the squares of six-hourly maximum winds while systems are at least tropical-storm strength, so it reflects both intensity and duration rather than counting storms alone. [1]

Five hurricanes made landfall in the continental United States: Beryl, Debby, Francine, Helene and Milton. Helene and Milton arrived as major hurricanes. Landfall count does not capture every effect because storms can cause flooding, surf and tornadoes far from the center, while hurricanes that do not make a US landfall can still affect islands, shipping and other countries. [1][2]

The year had an unusual rhythm. Beryl became the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record, followed by a quieter part of the traditional peak period. Activity then surged late in September and October. At one point Leslie, Kirk and Milton were all active as hurricanes after September, something NOAA described as unprecedented in the basin's record. [2]

The five major hurricanes were Beryl, Helene, Kirk, Milton and Rafael. Beryl and Milton reached Category 5 at peak intensity. Milton rapidly intensified over the Gulf and later struck Florida as a Category 3, while Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend as a Category 4 and produced catastrophic inland flooding across parts of the southern Appalachians. [1][2]

An above-average season is a basin-wide statistical description, not a forecast of equal risk everywhere. A community can avoid a direct strike during a busy year, while one landfall can dominate losses during a less active year. Preparedness decisions therefore depend on local hazards, evacuation guidance and building exposure, not on the seasonal storm count by itself. [1][2]

By the main measures, 2024 was clearly above normal: 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes, five major hurricanes and ACE roughly one-third above the modern normal. Its defining pattern joined an early record-setting Category 5 storm, a midseason lull and a powerful late-season burst. The National Hurricane Center's individual cyclone reports provide the final record for each storm. [1][2]

Sources

  1. National Hurricane Center — 2024 Atlantic season archive and final summary
  2. NOAA NESDIS — 2024 Atlantic hurricane season wrap-up

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