Atlantic hurricane season that spawned catastrophic Debby, Helene and Milton coming to an end
TALLAHASSEE - Predicted to be hyperactive, the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season delivered a mighty punch to storm-weary Floridians.
The hurricane season, which began June 1 and wraps at the end of the month, produced 18 named storms, including 11 turbocharged hurricanes. Despite some calm spells, both the number of storms and the number of hurricanes clocked in at four above the seasonal average.
For Floridians, three hurricanes - Debby, Helene and Milton - were particularly memorable.
Helene and Milton were both categorized as "major" storms when they made landfall, meaning they had sustained winds over 111 mph.
Following a path set in early August by Debby, Helene came ashore in Taylor County on Sept. 26 with 140 mph sustained winds, making it the third hurricane to hit the Big Bend region in 13 months. Thirteen days later, Milton made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County and caused widespread damage throughout the state.
The triple storms resulted in billions of dollars in damages and power restoration costs. The three hurricanes combined also have been tied to 63 deaths in Florida. Mark Wool, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Tallahassee office, suggested that the intensity of the recent spate of storms may have affected Floridians' reaction to the disasters.
"People that haven't experienced a hurricane in a very long time aren't going to respond to it the same way," said "Way back in 2016, when we had Hurricane Hermine come through Tallahassee, that was the first in a generation. Nobody thought it was going to be as bad as it was. And it was just a minor Category 1 hurricane. But, you know, it did have quite a few impacts here in the city."
Hurricane watch
Hurricane disaster awareness has taken hold since Hurricane Ian slammed into the Fort Myers area in 2022 and resulted in 150 deaths in Florida.
Helene, which continued north after making landfall in Taylor County on the Gulf Coast and caused catastrophic damage in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee, was blamed for 26 deaths in Florida. Milton is tied to 32 deaths in the state, including six people who died when a tornado hit a community in northwest St. Lucie County.
Record warm ocean waters have intensified storm strengths over the past few years - a pattern that's causing major concern for Wool and other meteorologists.
"There's a trend associated with climate change, not just in the Gulf Coast, but globally, that there's not necessarily going to be more hurricanes, but the ones that develop, more of them will reach that major hurricane or Category 4 and 5 strength," Wool said.
Season defies predictions
The 2024 hurricane season was forecast to be even more severe than it was. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted up to 25 named storms, with up to 13 reaching hurricane strength. Colorado State University's Department of Atmospheric Science projected 23 named storms and 11 hurricanes. However, the anticipated La Niña conditions, which create hurricane-favorable wind shear, did not ramp up as early as expected, according to Wool.
"Now it's going to be in place for the winter, which is generally good news for folks who live in the South, with it being drier than normal," Wool said.
A study by the nonprofit climate research group Climate Central determined the wind speeds of the 11 Atlantic hurricanes this year were 9 to 28 mph stronger due to warmed waters.
The report comes as Debby, Helene and Milton were among five hurricanes that made landfall on the Gulf Coast this year. Hurricane Beryl hit Texas in July, while Hurricane Francine slammed into Louisiana in September. This year is only the fourth time that five Gulf hurricanes have been recorded making landfall in a single year.
The cost
Florida's three 2024 storms have posed economic challenges for the state.
The triple hurricanes have drawn more than 314,000 insurance claims from homeowners, with another 16,600 by commercial property owners, with estimated losses at $5.3 billion.
Milton, which affected the highly populated Tampa Bay region, has accounted for more than 240,000 of residential claims filed thus far and 11,600 of commercial claims. Milton also has put the future of Major League Baseball in St. Petersburg in limbo after causing massive damage to the roof of Tropicana Field.
Nearly 100,000 additional insurance claims involving privately owned vehicles have also been filed following Helene and Milton. Helene, which ran up Florida's west coast and produced a massive storm surge before making landfall, is tied to nearly 60,000 auto claims.
State officials praised utility operators' rapid response in restoring power to millions of customers following each storm, however, the damages are likely to result in higher bills over the next year.
State Public Service Commission staff members have recommended that Florida Power & Light recover about $1.2 billion from customers to cover the costs of restoring power after hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton and to replenish a storm reserve fund. Duke Energy Florida has put its potential bill to customers between $1.1 billion and $1.3 billion. Tampa Electric Co. has indicated it may seek $45 million to $55 million to recover costs tied to Hurricane Helene and $320 million to $370 million for Hurricane Milton.
In other costs, Debby and Helene together have caused estimated agricultural losses of $134 million to $425 million, according to figures from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, or UF/IFAS.
Data is still being collected to assess Milton's damage to ranches and farms, which will include impacts on the heart of the citrus industry still recovering from Ian's winds and flooding. Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson has estimated that Milton might have caused between $1.5 billion and $2.5 billion in losses to the industry.