AccuWeather expert meteorologists say 2024 will go down in the record books as a hot and stormy year with frequent rounds of extreme weather across the United States.

“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.”

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The frequency of extreme weather events has been driven, in part, by rising air and ocean temperatures around the globe. This year is on track to be Earth’s hottest year on record, shattering a record that was just set in 2023.

AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Climate Expert Brett Anderson says 2024 is also the first year that average global temperatures are expected to surpass the benchmark of 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average.

“Our world is getting warmer as we continue to burn fossil fuels around the globe. Temperatures will continue to rise if we continue emitting tons of greenhouse gases that are trapped in our atmosphere,” said Anderson. “Higher air temperatures and warmer oceans are providing additional energy and moisture for storms. Warmer air can also hold more moisture, leading to more extreme rainfall rates and destructive flash flooding, which we have seen this year.”

The financial toll of extreme weather

Experts at the AccuWeather Global Weather Center issued total damage and economic loss estimates for nine weather events in the United States this year. These exclusive estimates incorporate not just insured losses, but uninsured losses, as well as business and tourism disruptions and long-term healthcare costs from major weather events.

• Feb. 9 –AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from intense storms slamming into California to be between $9 billion and $11 billion dollars
• April 17 – AccuWeather estimates that an exceptionally warm winter in the Upper Midwest and northern Plains cost businesses $8 billion in economic damage and losses
• May 17 – AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from a windstorm in Houston, Texas, are between $5 billion and $7 billion
• July 9 - AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Beryl in the United States is $28-32 billion
• Aug. 9 – AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Debby in the United States is $28 billion
• Sept. 12 - AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Francine in the United States is $9 billion
• Sept. 18 - AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from an unnamed storm with tropical storm impacts in North Carolina are $7 billion
• Oct. 3 - AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Helene to be between $225 billion and $250 billion
• Oct. 10 – AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Milton to be between $160 and $180 billion

“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.”

Weather Headlines of 2024

January

The year started off with rounds of severe weather across the South and feet of lake-effect snow near the Great Lakes that led to the postponement of a playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers. One of the coldest NFL football games on record led to dozens of fans being checked out for hypothermia symptoms in Kansas City. An Arctic blastbrought snow, ice and the coldest air in two years to parts of the South.

February

Intense storms and an atmospheric river in early February caused more than 500 mudslides across California. AccuWeather estimates the storms caused between $9 billion and $11 billion in total damage and economic loss.

The biggest snowstorm in two years hit New York City in mid-February. The storm brought 3 inches of snow to the city and more than a foot of snow to other parts of the Northeast, causing widespread travel delays.

The largest wildfire in the nation this year was in Texas. The Smokehouse Creek fire sparked on Feb. 26 in the northeastern Texas Panhandle and exploded in size during dry and windy conditions. The fire eventually burned more than 1 million acres across Texas and Oklahoma, killing thousands of livestock and several people. Officials determined that a downed power line sparked the fire.

March

The biggest winter storm of the season dumped more than 100 inches of snow in the mountains of Northern California, leaving drivers stranded. Another storm brought blizzard conditions to parts of Colorado with up to 3 feet of snow.

Severe storms in mid-March spun up more than 20 tornadoes from Texas through the Midwest and into the Ohio Valley. Several people were killed by tornadoes that swept through Ohio.

April

The lack of winter snow and cold in the Upper Midwest and northern Plains took a major financial toll on businesses and tourism in the region. Dozens of outdoor events and traditions, including ice fishing competitions, ice castle festivals, ice skating and ice hockey, were scaled back or canceled due to unseasonably warm air and a lack of ice on the lakes. Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa all reported their highest winter temperatures on record. Ice coverage across the Great Lakes reached near-record low or all-time record low levels. AccuWeather estimates the lack of snow, cold and ice caused $8 billion in economic damage and losses in the region.

A major severe weather outbreak spun up more than 100 tornadoes in the middle of the country in late April. Several people were killed in Oklahoma when destructive tornadoes ripped through communities, including an EF4 tornado in Marietta with 170-mph winds. Several large and long-track tornadoes were reported across Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Texas. Multiple small planes and hangers were damaged when one tornado hit Eppley Airfield in Omaha.

May

A volatile weather pattern triggered a week of tornadoes from the Plains and Tornado Alley to parts of the Southeast and Ohio Valley. At least one tornado was reported for 14 consecutive days from late April into early May.

A powerful windstorm plowed through Houston, Texas, in mid-May, shattering downtown high-rise windows and toppling transmission towers that knocked out power to nearly 1 million homes and businesses. The storm was blamed for seven deaths in the Houston region. AccuWeather estimated the total damage and economic loss is between $5 billion to $7 billion.

A second severe weather outbreak rattled the Central U.S. over the Memorial Day weekend. Nearly 100 preliminary tornado reports were filed across 13 states. At least 22 deaths were linked to tornadoes over the holiday weekend. Preliminary tornado reports spiked well above the historical average during the month of May, a trend that held throughout the remainder of the year.

June

A tropical rainstorm in June unleashed nearly 2 feet of rainfall in parts of South Florida in 24 hours. A rare flash flood emergency was issued in towns north of Miami, where many drivers were left stranded in flooded streets. More than 1,200 flights were canceled or delayed at South Florida airports during the storm.

Later in the month, much of the Northeast and Great Lakes baked in a heat wave with sweltering humidity for several days. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures reached 100 degrees from Washington, D.C., to New York City.

Hurricane season quickly shifted into high gear in late June when Tropical Storm Alberto made landfall in northern Mexico. The storm triggered heavy rainfall and flooding across South Texas.

July

A scorching heat wave expanded across much of the Western U.S. in early July. During the first week of July, all-time record high temperatures were tied or broken at more than 50 locations across California and Nevada.

Hurricane Beryl shattered records as it barreled through the Atlantic and Caribbean before slamming into the Gulf coast of Texas. Beryl became the earliest storm to reach Category 5 strength on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale on record and the fastest-moving Category 5 hurricane in history. The storm caused catastrophic damage on Carriacou Island in the Caribbean before it eventually made landfall in southeastern Texas. Beryl is blamed for spinning up more than 60 tornadoes as it moved inland from Texas along a nearly 1,200-mile-long path to upstate New York. AccuWeather estimated the total damage and economic loss is between $28 billion and $32 billion.

One of the largest wildfires in America this year sparked in Northern California in late July. Authorities say the Park Fire was a case of arson. Triple-digit temperatures, gusty winds and dry vegetation allowed the Park Fire to explode in size. Thousands of families were ordered to leave their homes. Authorities say the Park fire destroyed more than 700 buildings and scorched nearly 430,000 acres in Butte and Tehama counties. It took fire crews two months to fully contain the fire.

August

Hurricane Debby made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend in early August, dumping more than 20 inches of rain and producing several tornadoes from the Carolinas to Virginia and Delaware. Debby was blamed for destructive flash flooding as it moved inland through north-central Pennsylvania and central New York. At least six fatalities were linked to the storm. AccuWeather estimated the total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Debby in the United States at $28 billion.

A waterspout over Lake Erie evolved into a tornado that moved into downtown Buffalo, New York on Aug. 5. A storm survey determined the tornado reached EF1 strength with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and traveled 1.4 miles. Several buildings in Buffalo were damaged.

Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Ernesto triggered flooding and knocked out power to half of the island of Puerto Rico in mid-August. More than 1 million people were left without electricity and air conditioning after the storm as heat and humidity sent AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures soaring above 100 degrees for several days. Ernesto later made landfall in Bermuda as a Category 1 hurricane. Several drownings were reported along the U.S. East Coast as swells from Ernesto created dangerous rip currents and rough surf.

Rainfall rates topping 3 inches per hour led to dangerous flash flooding and evacuations in Connecticut. Officials said several people were swept away in the fast-moving waters and died. The rainfall was described as a 1,000-year event, which is statistically so extreme that it has only a 0.1 percent chance of occurring in any given year.

September

Southern Louisiana was rocked by Hurricane Francine as it made landfall as a Category 2 storm on Sept. 11. Francine packed winds near 100 mph and dumped nearly a foot of rain near New Orleans. Records show that Francine was the 11^th hurricane to make landfall in Louisiana in the last eight years. The storm knocked out power to more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Louisiana. AccuWeather estimated the total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Francine at $9 billion.

The most destructive hurricane of the season, and the second storm to make landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida this year, made landfall on Sept. 26. Helene roared ashore as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale near Perry with a 15-foot storm surge, 140-mph winds and flooding rainfall. Helene knocked out power to nearly 5 million homes and businesses as the storm moved inland across Georgia and the Carolinas. The storm unleashed an estimated 42 trillion gallons of rainfall, leading to catastrophic flash flooding in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Helene produced at least 30 tornadoes. Officials say more than 220 people were killed along the path of the storm from Florida to the southern Appalachians, making Helene the second-deadliest hurricane in the U.S. in 50 years. AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from Helene in the United States at $225 billion to $250 billion. Helene was also a rare category 5 storm on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanesdue to the widespread damage and human suffering it brought.

October

The Gulf Coast of Florida faced a second hurricane landfall just three weeks after Helene when Milton slammed into the Sarasota area on Oct. 9. The Category 3 storm blasted the region with 120-mph winds and a destructive storm surge. Extensive wind and flooding damage was reported along the I-4 corridor from the Tampa Bay region to Orlando. Hurricane Milton spun up more than 40 tornadoes in Florida and led to at least 10 fatalities. AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Milton at $160 billion to $180 billion.

November

A worsening drought, a stretch of warm and windy days and dry leaves led to a swarm of brush fires that created smoky skies over parts of New Jersey and New York City in early November. Poor air quality alerts were issued for millions of people in the Tri-State region. More than 500 fires scorched thousands of acres in the Northeast after one of the driest stretches on record for New York City and Philadelphia.

December

Several towns were buried in nearly 5 feet of snow when the “lake-effect snow machine” kicked into high gear over the Great Lakes in early December. Highways were shut down and drivers were left stranded in their vehicles overnight. The Pennsylvania National Guard was deployed to help people snowed in across the Erie area. The lake-effect snow was enhanced by bitterly cold air blowing over the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes, which were near or at record warm temperatures heading into the winter season.