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Three names retired after the historic 2024 Atlantic hurricane season
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The World Meteorological Organization Hurricane Committee has retired Beryl, Helene, and Milton from the rotating lists of Atlantic tropical cyclone names because of the death and destruction they caused in 2024.
The WMO began naming storms in 1953 to help raise public awareness of a storm and communicate potentially life-threatening risks. In the Atlantic Basin, names are repeated every six years, unless a storm is so impactful that its name is retired. In total, 99 names have now been retired from the list. Ian and Fiona were the last to be retired in 2022.
Brianna, Holly, Miguel will replace Beryl, Helene, and Milton, respectively. These storm names will be put into use starting in 2030.
Hurricane Beryl was a powerful storm that became the earliest Category-5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic. It made landfall as a Category 4 storm on July 1 in Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique. Torrential rain, high wind, and huge waves resulted in widespread devastation in Grenada and its dependencies. Specifically in Carriacou and Petite Martinique, upwards of 98% of homes were damaged or destroyed. Beryl also brought impacts to Jamaica and the Yucatan Peninsula before making a final landfall as a Category-1 hurricane in Texas. The storm was responsible for 73 deaths in total.
Helene made landfall as a Category-4 major hurricane on the Florida Gulf Coast on September 26. The storm was responsible for catastrophic flooding across the southern Appalachians, significant wind damage from the Gulf Coast to the Carolinas, and a devastating storm surge in west Florida. Hurricane Helene was the deadliest storm to impact the Lower 48 since Katrina in 2005, claiming 248 lives. Most fatalities occurred in North and South Carolina. Helene was also the 7th costliest U.S. hurricane on record. Damage was estimated at $78.7 billion.
Hurricane Milton was another storm to affect Florida, making landfall near Siesta Key on October 9. The rate at which Milton intensified was among the fastest ever observed. The storm reached Category 5 intensity twice in the Gulf. Milton is responsible for 15 fatalities and around $34.3 billion in damages. The storm also produced a historic tornado outbreak across Florida.
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