2024 HURRICANE SEASON COMES TO AN END
What was ultimately an historic Atlantic hurricane season is now done. While the season was predicted to be busy, it certainly was, but it exceeded expectations by other measures. The season brought 18 named storms, 11 of those were hurricanes, and five intensified to major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger). The average season usually sees 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
Here's how the season panned out, storm by storm.
NOTABLE MOMENTS OF THE SEASON (JUNE - NOVEMBER)
If you've been keeping up with our hurricane blog Hot Topics in the Tropics, then you've been reading along as we break down the historic moment of the season. In all, five named storms made landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast: Beryl, Debby, Francine, Helene, Milton. Of the five, Helene and Milton made landfall as major hurricanes. This tied the 2020, and 2005 seasons for second-most Gulf Coast landfalls, falling short to the six landfalls during the hurricane season of 1886.
Here are the superlatives for these notable storms:
- Beryl: Earliest Category 5 hurricane and the strongest June hurricane (by wind speed), it was the only storm to make landfall in Texas this season (Alberto made landfall in Mexico)
- Helene: Deadliest hurricane since Katrina (2005) to strike the Lower 48, causing 150 deaths. It caused 1-in-1,000 year flooding in the Appalachians, washing away many towns in the Carolinas. This was the first storm the NHC had forecast to become a major hurricane before it formed.
- Milton: Strongest late-season storm in the Gulf of Mexico, dropping more than 46 tornadoes on South Florida. It is one of the most rapidly intensifying storms on record.
HURRICANE SEASON: IMPACT ON THE COASTAL BEND
Two storms that impacted the Coastal Bend were the first two of the season: Alberto and Beryl. Without question, Alberto was the most impactful for the Coastal Bend. Just 19 days into the season, Alberto brought rainfall, storm surge, and tornadoes to our neighborhoods.
While Beryl made a very close pass, the storm was a miss, making landfall in Matagorda, Texas. The storm's "last minute" turn to the north spared our area of the worst impacts— but put us on the "dry side" of the storm, robbing us of beneficial rain.
WE NEED A LITTLE "TROPICAL TROUBLE"
'Tropical trouble' is a part of the climate of the Coastal Bend— and we depend on it! 'Tropical trouble' is necessary, helping to bring rainfall to the coastal plains. Over the 6 -month hurricane season, Corpus Christi averages 19.43 inches of rain This "wet season" accounts for roughly 61-percent of our yearly rainfall. In Fact the heart of hurricane season, September is our wettest month of the year. Corpus Christi gets an average of 5.42 inches of rain by the end of September. During hurricane season 2024, Corpus Christi recorded 19.41 inches. So what went wrong?
In June, Alberto made landfall in Mexico, but brought heavy rain to Texas. The resulting rainfall was helpful in ridding the Coastal Bend of drought.
Unfortunately, rainfall was not plentiful over our water supply. The historic season concluded on November 30— or Day 900 of water restrictions in Corpus Christi.
Here's how the "over/under" for rainfall in Corpus Christi.
As of December 4, Corpus Christi is "behind" on our yearly rainfall by roughly 3.4 inches. The first week of the month has already produced more rainfall than October and November combined!
