On 30th November 2024, the Atlantic hurricane season came to a close, though there were not as many storms or hurricanes as originally predicted. However, this doesn’t mean that Florida will not be feeling the impact of the numerous storms or hurricanes for decades now. The National Hurricane Center revealed recently that this year’s hurricane season saw above-average activity along with a record-breaking ramp-up after a peak-season lull. This year, there were a total of 18 storms, out of which 11 became hurricanes. Out of these 11, 5 became major hurricanes and fell into higher hurricane categories. But now, even if the hurricane season has ended, people are curious to know if there are any upcoming hurricanes or storms in Florida. So, in this article, we will discuss what actually happened this year and what is left for the future.
When Did The Hurricane Season Came To An End?
As mentioned above, the Atlantic hurricane season ended on Saturday, 30th November 2024. Although the National Hurricane Center issued the daily tropical outlooks from May 15 but the season officially began on 1st June. For all the storms or hurricanes that occur before 15th May and after 30th November, special advisories are issued by the National Hurricane Center. The NHC provides updates and necessary warnings, using the same processes which they use during the regular hurricane season.
How Many Hurricanes Or Storms Hit Florida In The Year 2024?
In 2024, three hurricanes or tropical storms hit the region of Florida and caused widespread destruction. Hurricane Debby, Helene, and Milton took away the lives of millions of people and devastated entire communities. Here is a breakdown of these three hurricanes:
Hurricane Milton
This natural calamity was a tropical cyclone that began to form on 5th October in the western Caribbean Sea and the Bay of Campeche. Milton made its landfall in the American state of Florida, just a few days after Hurricane Helene badly damaged the state. On 9th October at 8:30 pm near Siesta Key, Milton made its landfall as a category 3 storm. It sustained winds of 120 mph and majorly damaged, Florida, Georgia, the Gulf Coast of Mexico, and the Bahamas. Further, a powerful tornado outbreak connected with Hurricane Milton caused a series of 46 tornadoes. These tornadoes brought heavy rains of about 10-15 inches and caused severe flooding. Milton also caused a storm surge which brought a rise in the ocean water and pushed it on the land. Majorly, it was between Siesta Key and Fort Myers Beach.
Hurricane Helene
In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene hit the southeastern United States and caused massive damage. On record, this was the strongest hurricane that struck the Big Bend region of Florida. On 22nd September, this hurricane began forming and on 26th September, at 11:25 pm near Perry, it made its landfall. Helene was regarded as a category 4 storm which sustained winds of 140 mph. The experts have stated that Hurricane Helene badly damaged Florida with storm surge flooding. Also, the natural calamity changed the landscape of some towns in North Carolina and the southern Appalachians.
Hurricane Debby
This was a slow-moving and destructive tropical storm or hurricane that caused severe flooding across portions of Quebec, Atlantic Canada, and the Southeastern US such as Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. On 5th August at 7 am, the hurricane made its landfall near Steinhatchee, though it started forming on 3rd August. At landfall, it was regarded as a category 1 storm which sustained winds of 80 mph. Further, the natural calamity brought widespread power outages to southeast Florida Big Bend, and southern Georgia.
Why Is Florida Mostly Targeted In 2024 By Hurricanes Or Storms?
AccuWeather’s head hurricane expert, Alex DaSilva has stated that the reason why Florida was the main target of hurricanes or tropical storms this year is because the way weather patterns develop can sometimes make certain areas more likely to be hit by storms. According to him, experts predicted a busier hurricane season than usual so more storms meant a higher chance of storms affecting people. Apart from this, in case of storms or hurricanes, timing is very important along with wind patterns, water temperatures, and position of the jet stream. All of these are important because they affect where the storms go and how strong they get. Before Florida, Louisiana was hit by multiple storms and became the hotspot. Alex DaSilva has also explained that a weather system over the Atlantic called Bermuda High has pushed most of the storms closer to the US. Due to this, many storms ended up on the Gulf Coast of Mexico, increasing the possibility of impacts.
What Were The Unusual Things In The 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season?
Several weather officials predicted that in 2024, the La Nina will severely impact the weather pattern. But it did not develop as forecasters thought it might be because this summer, ocean water temperatures stayed extremely warm. Normally, the La Nina effect helps reduce the wind shear, so when the wind shear is relatively low, it is easier for storms and hurricanes to form, which means La Nina often leads to more natural calamities. But since La Nina did not happen, it changed the whole prediction.
Weather experts stated that though there were more than average storms in 2024, but the season could have been worse if La Nina developed. Instead of La Nina, a weather pattern called Atlantic Nina happened which made the water cooler near the coast of Africa along the equator. Due to this, the formation of storms was slowed down during the time of late August and early September. Therefore, Atlantic Nina was an unusual thing and experts are still working on understanding how it affects the hurricane season.
How Well Did The Cone Of Concern Used In 2024 Work?
The National Hurricane Center began using a cone of concern method in August 2024 for its hurricane updates. This measure not only tells about where the eye of the storm was expected but also includes warnings for areas away from the coast known as interior counties. Previously, the cone of concern only showed the expected path of the storm, timings, and the watches for the coastal counties. But this time, it showed information about the potential impacts for areas away from the coast.
According to the NHC, keeping a close check on the warnings and watches is very important rather than just focusing on the cone of concern. Jamie Rhome, the National Hurricane Center’s Deputy Director has stated that this was a major development that helped people understand the actual impacts of the storms in their areas instead of relying on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. This scale only tells about the strongest wind speed produced by a storm and does not show what the storm’s actual effects will be in a specified area. Therefore, this old method did not give a clearer picture of what to expect in a particular area, though it tells about the peak winds.
What Predictions Were Made About 1-3 Tropical Storms In Florida During November?
Weather experts such as AccuWeather predicted previously that high ocean temperatures could result in 1-3 tropical storms in the month of November. It was stated that these will sadly impact Florida and the East Coast of the United States and the threat could even extend into December. The names of these storms were predicted to be Rafael, Patty, and Sara. Alex DaSilva expressed that there is potential for the tropical trouble to extend to the month of December. Further, weather officials have stated the extremely warm temperatures, which helped the storms or hurricanes to develop throughout the season are continuing, and this will further contribute to the storm’s growth.
According to AccuWeather, ocean temperatures continue to run above the average across the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean. Also, lack of wind shear will also lead to the development of a tropical storm. Further, Bernie Rayno, Chief On-Air Meteorologist of AccuWeather was confident that tropical storms would occur in Florida in November. However, all these predictions went to waste as nothing has happened until now.
Are There Any Upcoming Storms Or Hurricanes In Florida?
Currently, there are no active storms or hurricanes in Florida or the Atlantic Basin as the Atlantic hurricane season came to an end on 30th November. The National Hurricane Center will begin issuing regular warnings and advisories because the next hurricane season will begin on 1st June. However, though there are no storms or hurricanes at the moment, but the future of tropical weather is very unpredictable which requires people to prepare in advance. Here is what the upcoming weather might hold:-
According to weather experts, people should expect water temperatures to remain above the normal level, both at the surface and deep down. This helps in the formation of tropical cyclones and also makes them strong.
It is expected that the storms or hurricanes might become stronger, with their winds increasing by at least 35 mph in 24 hours. Weather officials have named this process as rapid intensification.
Further, many researches conducted by the National Hurricane Center suggest a major increase in the number of rapidly intensifying storms and powerful hurricanes. However, as the planet is getting warmer, changes in wind patterns such as wind shear might also increase. Though the wind shear might stop some storms from forming, but the storms that will form could be very strong and intensify rapidly. Alex DaSilva stated that if a storm develops in the right conditions and hits the Goldilocks spot, it might have the potential to grow into a dangerous storm.
Tropical tornadoes, which arise from tropical storms or hurricanes are very unpredictable and might arise in the future. They have the potential to impact millions of people away from the center of the storm.
Tropical storms or hurricanes also lead to severe flooding and can affect areas that are located away from the coast or the predicted area of the storm. The weather experts have advised people to prepare in advance because next year, these situations might get worse.
