 Helene at peak intensity just prior to landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida on September 26 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 24, 2024 |
| Extratropical | September 27, 2024 |
| Dissipated | September 29, 2024 |
| Category 4 major hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 140 mph (220 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 938 mbar (hPa); 27.70 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 234 |
| Missing | 26 |
| Damage | >$89.3 billion (2024 USD)(Unofficial estimates) |
| Areas affected | Yucatán Peninsula, Honduras, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Southeastern United States (especially Florida, the Carolinas, and Georgia, but also including Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia), Midwestern United States (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio) |
Part of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season | |
| Effects
Other wikis | |
Hurricane Helene (/hɛˈliːn/ heh-LEEN)[1] was a devastating tropical cyclone that caused widespread catastrophic damage and many fatalities across the Southeastern United States in late September 2024. It was the strongest hurricane on record to strike the Big Bend region of Florida, the deadliest Atlantic hurricane since Maria in 2017, and the deadliest to strike the mainland U.S. since Katrina in 2005.[2][3]
The eighth named storm, fifth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, Helene began forming on September 22 as a broad low-pressure system in the western Caribbean Sea.[4] By September 24, the disturbance had consolidated enough to become a tropical storm as it approached the Yucatán Peninsula, receiving the name Helene from the National Hurricane Center. Weather conditions led to the cyclone's intensification, and it became a hurricane early on September 25. More pronounced and rapid intensification ensued as Helene traversed the Gulf of Mexico the following day, reaching Category 4 intensity on the evening of September 26. Late on September 26, Helene made landfall at peak intensity in the Big Bend region of Florida, near the city of Perry, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 km/h). Helene weakened as it moved quickly inland before degenerating to a post-tropical cyclone over Tennessee on September 27. The storm then stalled over the state before dissipating on September 29.
In advance of Helene's landfall, states of emergency were declared in Florida and Georgia due to the significant impacts expected, including very high storm surge along the coast and hurricane-force gusts as far inland as Atlanta. Hurricane warnings also extended further inland due to Helene's fast motion. The storm caused catastrophic rainfall-triggered flooding, particularly in western North Carolina, East Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia, and spawned numerous tornadoes. Helene also inundated Tampa Bay, breaking storm surge records throughout the area. As of November 19, at least 234 deaths and $89 billion in damage has been attributed to the storm.
- ^ "Atlantic Basin Storm Name Pronunciations" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ Sutton, Joe (October 2, 2024). "Helene death toll rises to at least 191". CNN. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
- ^ Masters, Jeff; Henson, Bob (October 2, 2024). "Helene is now the deadliest mainland U.S. hurricane since Katrina". New Haven, Connecticut: Yale Climate Connections. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
beginningwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).