Candace Campos
ORLANDO, Fla. – The 2024 hurricane season brought Florida face-to-face with some of the strongest storms in recent memory, with three Florida landfalling hurricanes: Debby, Helene and Milton.
Hurricane Debby kickstarted the active season in early August when it made landfall over the Big Bend as a Category 1 hurricane. While Debby caused minimal damage, it was the first of several challenges for the Gulf Coast.
Nearly seven weeks later, the same area braced for another hit. Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, emerged as the strongest hurricane on record for this region and the deadliest storm since Hurricane Katrina. Helene’s impact extended beyond its projected path, inundating communities along Florida’s west coast with record storm surges ranging from 6 to 12 feet, affecting areas as far south as Sarasota.
Just 13 days later, as residents were still cleaning up from Helene, another formidable storm was forming. Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified in the Gulf, doubling its speed from 90 to 180 mph in less than a day before slightly weakening at landfall near Siesta Key.
In addition to the high winds and flooding on the west coast, Milton will be remembered for its record-setting tornado outbreak that affected the entire state. A total of 126 tornado warnings were issued — the highest number in Florida in a single day — with 46 confirmed tornadoes, including three that reached EF-3 strength, a rarity for tropical systems.Tornado warnings for Central Florida during Hurricane Milton. (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.)
The events of last year serve as a reminder that each hurricane season demands full attention, bringing new threats, decisions and risks.
With another active season on the horizon, now is the time to prepare homes and families for potential storms.