Beryl, Helene, Milton, and John retired after deadly 2024 hurricanes

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has retired four hurricane names following a destructive 2024 season that brought record-breaking storms and catastrophic impacts across the Caribbean, the United States, and Mexico.

The names Beryl, Helene, Milton, and John will be replaced by Brianna, Holly, Miguel, and Jake in future hurricane seasons, the WMO announced on Wednesday.

Hurricane Beryl made history as the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. It caused widespread devastation in the Caribbean, making landfall on July 1 as a Category 4 storm in Grenada’s Carriacou and Petite Martinique, where officials reported that up to 98% of homes were damaged or destroyed.

Beryl went on to impact Jamaica, Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, and the United States, leaving 34 people dead across the region.

The United States experienced two major landfalling hurricanes. Hurricane Helene struck Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm on September 26, causing catastrophic flooding and wind damage from the Gulf to the southern Appalachians.

With more than 248 fatalities, primarily in North and South Carolina, Helene was the deadliest U.S. hurricane since Katrina in 2005. Damage estimates reached $78.7 billion, making Helene the seventh costliest hurricane in U.S. history (adjusted to 2024 values).

Just two weeks later, Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm near Siesta Key, Florida, after rapidly intensifying to Category 5 strength over the Gulf of Mexico. Milton caused 15 fatalities, including 12 in the United States, and resulted in $34.3 billion in damages. The storm was also responsible for a historic tornado outbreak across Florida.

In the eastern Pacific, Hurricane John made landfall in Mexico’s Guerrero state on September 24 as a Category 3 hurricane. It brought extreme rainfall, deadly flooding, and widespread destruction, particularly in Acapulco, where nearly 1.5 meters of rain fell in less than a week. John caused 29 deaths and $2.45 billion in damages, ranking as the third most expensive Pacific hurricane in Mexico’s history.

The WMO Hurricane Committee, which oversees storm naming and operational planning in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific basins, also approved updates to forecasting protocols. These include revised criteria for issuing Potential Tropical Cyclone advisories up to 72 hours in advance to improve early warning capabilities.

The 2024 Atlantic season was the ninth consecutive above-average hurricane season, with 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes, and five major hurricanes. Despite advances in forecasting and disaster preparedness that have helped reduce fatalities, the WMO warned that economic losses from tropical cyclones are increasing.