Beryl, Helene and Milton retired from hurricane name lists after devastating 2024 season
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Gray News) - The World Meteorological Organization has retired four hurricane names following a deadly and destructive 2024 season that caused widespread devastation across the Caribbean, the United States, and Mexico.
Beryl, Helene, and Milton will be retired from the Atlantic hurricane list and will be replaced with Brianna, Holly and Miguel
John will be retired from the eastern Pacific list and will be replaced with Jake.
Names are retired when storms are so deadly or costly that reusing the name would be insensitive.
Hurricane Beryl was the earliest Category 5 storm ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. It caused widespread destruction across Carriacou and Petite Martinique in Grenada, with 98% of homes damaged or destroyed. Beryl went on to impact Jamaica, the Yucatan Peninsula, and parts of the United States, leaving 34 people dead.
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm on Florida’s Gulf Coast in late September and caused catastrophic flooding throughout the southern Appalachians. It was the deadliest hurricane to hit the continental U.S. since Katrina, with more than 248 deaths and $78.7 billion in damage.
Hurricane Milton, which rapidly intensified to a Category 5 storm over the Gulf of Mexico, made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane. It caused 15 deaths and $34.3 billion in damages, along with a deadly tornado outbreak.
In the eastern Pacific, Hurricane John struck Mexico’s Guerrero state as a Category 3 storm and caused extreme flooding and 29 deaths. Over 150,000 homes were damaged, and more than 1,400 mm of rain fell at Acapulco’s airport over five days. John caused $2.45 billion in damage, ranking as the third most expensive hurricane to strike Mexico’s Pacific coast.
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season saw 18 named storms, 11 of which became hurricanes and five of which reached major hurricane status.
The WMO says tropical cyclones remain the leading cause of weather-related fatalities globally.
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