The year 2024 has officially gone down as one of the most catastrophic in U.S. weather history, with damages and economic losses from hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, flooding, and extreme heat surpassing $500 billion—nearly 2% of the nation’s gross domestic product.
“We witnessed a historic year of extreme weather in America. Hurricanes, floods, damaging windstorms, large hail and tornadoes devastated communities across the country,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter. “This was one of the most destructive and expensive hurricane seasons in modern history. The impacts of extreme weather have taken a major financial and emotional toll on millions of Americans this year. Unfortunately, this is a trend that we expect to further escalate in the coming decades. More and more people, businesses and communities are feeling the direct impacts and harm from extreme weather and climate change.”
READ: AccuWeather Predicts Mixed Bag Of Weather For New Year’s Eve Celebrations Across The US
AccuWeather experts attribute the surge in extreme weather to rising global air and ocean temperatures, which are providing storms with increased energy and moisture. This year marked Earth’s hottest year on record, surpassing the previous record set in 2023.
Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson noted that 2024 is the first year global temperatures are expected to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. “Warmer air holds more moisture, leading to destructive rainfall rates and flash flooding. This trend is only set to intensify as greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise,” Anderson said.
AccuWeather estimated that six hurricanes alone—Beryl, Debby, Francine, Helene, Milton, and an unnamed subtropical storm—accounted for over half a trillion dollars in damages. Hurricane Helene, the most devastating storm of the season, caused $225-250 billion in damages and claimed over 220 lives, making it one of the deadliest U.S. hurricanes in five decades.
READ: Florida Gulf Coast Fishing Report – December 26, 2024
The impacts extend far beyond physical destruction, with ripple effects on mental health, long-term healthcare, and economic stability. “Recovery from these storms could take a decade or more, with the lingering costs felt for generations,” Porter emphasized.
AccuWeather also highlighted several other extraordinary weather events:
- Wildfires: The Smokehouse Creek fire in Texas burned over 1 million acres, while California’s Park Fire scorched nearly 430,000 acres.
- Flooding: Hurricanes and tropical storms caused record-breaking rainfall, including Hurricane Debby, which brought over 20 inches of rain to Florida’s Big Bend region.
- Heatwaves: All-time high temperatures swept across the Western U.S., breaking records at over 50 locations.
READ: Florida Rep. Byron Donalds Demands Answers From FEMA On Hurricane Helene, Milton Responses
“The financial ripple effects of hurricane impacts this year will be felt for a long time. AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from Beryl, Debby, Francine, Helene, Milton and the unnamed subtropical storm in the Carolinas will surpass half a trillion dollars. The cleanup and recovery process could take 10 years or longer in some of the hardest-hit communities. The long-term costs of health care and mental health impacts will last for decades. Researchers say hurricanes can contribute to thousands of excess deaths in the years after a major landfall,” Porter said. “The damage and economic loss from tornadoes, floods, hail, wildfires and drought this year is mounting. The extreme weather of 2024 should be a further wake-up call for businesses, government leaders, emergency officials and the insurance industry to prepare for a future with more weather disasters, extreme temperatures, and unprecedented impacts. We need to become more resilient to extreme and severe weather and ensure each family, business and government organization has the best plan in place to be better prepared and stay safer, given increasing severe weather impacts.”
AccuWeather’s early warnings and actionable forecasts provided millions with critical time to prepare for the year’s most destructive events. As Porter concluded, “Our mission of saving lives and protecting property has never been more important.”
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.