Top 10 extreme weather events in 2024
From severe weather and hurricanes to other natural disasters and even a total solar eclipse, 2024 has been a year filled with emotion as people mourn those who were lost and celebrate once-in-a-lifetime celestial events.
Resilience and rebuilding: FOX Weather walks through Chimney Rock one month after Hurricane Helene
FOX Weather Correspondents Robert Ray and Brandy Campbell walk down Main Street in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, one month after Hurricane Helene devastated the region and reflect on the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, the disaster that was Hurricane Helene, and the resilience of the community.
Extreme weather has impacted the lives of millions of people across the U.S., and FOX Weather is looking back at some of the biggest events that took place in 2024.
From severe weather and hurricanes to other natural disasters and even a total solar eclipse, 2024 has been a year filled with emotion as people mourn those who were lost and celebrate once-in-a-lifetime celestial events.
Hurricane Helene
The catastrophic and deadly impacts from Hurricane Helene dominated the headlines in September and is an event that FOX Weather continues to highlight as communities struggle to rebuild and regain a sense of normalcy months after the disaster.
GULFPORT, FL - SEPTEMBER 26: A man crosses a storm surge flooded area on the coast of Gulfport, Fla. as Hurricane Helene passed through the Gulf of Mexico to the West on September 26, 2024. (Photo by Thomas Simonetti for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Helene made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region on Sept. 26 as a powerful Category 4 hurricane and raced off to the north through the Appalachian Mountains, leaving trails of destruction in its wake.
More than 230 people were killed, with most of the dead coming from North Carolina, where catastrophic flooding swept away beloved family members, homes and businesses, making it the deadliest hurricane to strike the U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Hurricane Helene makes landfall between Tampa and Tallahassee
Hurricane Helene made landfall southeast of Tallahassee, Florida as a Category 4 hurricane on Thursday evening. (Video from Sept. 26, 2024)
Hurricane Milton
Florida was struck again nearly two weeks after Helene, when what had become one of the most intense hurricanes on record in the Atlantic Basin made landfall near Siesta Key and sliced across the middle of the state.
Hurricane Milton made landfall on Oct. 9 as a major Category 3 hurricane – down from its monster Category 5 intensity over the Gulf of Mexico the previous two days – plunging millions of people into darkness and spawning a deadly tornado outbreak that destroyed homes and businesses across South Florida.
A transformer exploded outside an apartment building in St Petersburg, Florida, as Hurricane Milton made landfall in Sarasota.
(Sophia Idriss via Storyful / FOX Weather)
In fact, the National Weather Service office in Miami broke its own record for the most Tornado Warnings issued in one day, with 55 issued. The previous record for that office was set during Hurricane Ian in 2022.
Hurricane Milton shreds Tropicana Field roof in St. Petersburg, Florida
Ferocious winds from Hurricane Milton caused significant damage to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, where video showed massive tears in the stadium's roof. The facility is home to the Tampa Bay Rays. (Courtesy: @Zachab29 / X) (Video from Oct. 10, 2024)
America's total solar eclipse
Back in April, more than 30 million people across 15 states, from Texas to Maine, were treated to a dazzling and emotional display during the last total solar eclipse in the continental U.S. for decades.
ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES - APRIL 08: A view of total solar eclipse from the southeast part of the country, not to be repeated until 20 years later, in West Frankfort, Illinois, United States on April 8, 2024. (Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
The eclipse began in North America in Mazatlan, Mexico, and quickly moved to the northeast, eventually reaching American soil in Eagle Pass, Texas. Over the next hour, it zoomed across America's heartland, through the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes, and into the Northeast and New England.
One of the next best chances to catch a total solar eclipse in the Lower 48 states is set to occur on Aug. 12, 2045.
'This is the most amazing experience': An emotional reaction to solar eclipses' totality
FOX Weather's Stephen Morgan takes us through totality and all the emotions of the phenomenon as darkness descended on Dallas Monday afternoon. Carrie Black of the National Science Foundation joins him. "This was an amazing experience," he said. (Video from April 8, 2024)
Deadly Memorial Day weekend severe weather outbreak
A severe weather outbreak over the Memorial Day weekend left dozens of people dead, including children, when tornadoes, hail and damaging winds were reported across several states.
A tornado spins near Mountain View, Missouri, on May 26, 2024.
(Vince Waelti / FOX Weather)
The worst of the outbreak occurred during the overnight hours on May 25 when at least 20 tornadoes were seen on radar or in person, with damage being reported in Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Alabama.
Another wave of powerful and deadly storms produced more tornadoes and caused widespread damage the following day.
Texas community in recovery mode after deadliest Texas tornado in 9 years
FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth Reporter Dan Godwin joins FOX Weather from Valley View, Texas where the community is still reeling after a tornado destroyed parts of the town and killed 8 of their neighbors. (Video from May 27, 2024)
Houston derecho
A line of severe thunderstorms swept through parts of Texas and Louisiana in May, blasting the Houston area with winds up to 100 mph that left at least seven people dead and plunged more than 1 million utility customers into darkness.
Wind damage at Houston's Krab Junkie restaurant after a derecho blasted the city with 90-100 mph wind on May 16, 2024.
(Pat & Marilyn Williams, Krab Junkie / FOX Weather)
The derecho was so powerful that it blew windows out of Houston's high-rise buildings and buildings under construction in nearby communities and caused transmission lines to tumble.
Most of the damage was from straight-line winds, although a tornado was confirmed to have touched down near the community of Cypress.
Watch: Houston derecho takes out dream home
Someone's dream home in the making was no match for the hurricane-force derecho winds that pummeled the Houston Metro area last week. This was in Willis, Texas.
Texas wildfires
The largest wildfire in Texas state history scorched more than 1 million acres in only a few days in February, leaving at least one person dead and impacting dozens of structures.
Firefighters battle parts of the reignited Smokehouse Creek fire outside of Miami, Texas on Saturday, Mar 02, 2024.
(Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications / FOX Weather)
The Smokehouse Creek Fire broke out in the Texas Panhandle and grew from 300,000 acres to more than 1 million acres in two days as it raced off to the east. While some of the fire did move into parts of Oklahoma, the majority of the blaze was in Texas, where it became the largest fire in state history.
To put the size of the fire into context, it burned an area nearly the size of Delaware from north to south, and if it had been burning in the Northeast, the flames would have stretched from Philadelphia to New York City.
Deadly Smokehouse Creek Fire burns more than 1 million acres in Texas
The deadly Smokehouse Creek Fire has now become the largest wildfire in Texas history and has so far scorched more than 1 million acres in the Panhandle. FOX Weather Correspondent Nicole Valdes has more on conditions firefighters are facing as they work to contain several fires in the region. (Video from Feb. 29, 2024)
Intense Northern Lights displays
An extreme solar storm led to dazzling Northern Lights displays being seen as far south as Florida. The Northern Lights are typically only seen in states closest to the border with Canada, but the spectacular display was so vivid it was seen much farther south.
The Northern Lights were seen in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Friday night, May 10, 2024.
(Luke Culver / FOX Weather)
People in Florida, Texas and Alabama reported seeing the sky filled with colors of pink, green and purple.
Northern Lights could return to southern US during another 'severe and extreme' geomagnetic solar storm Sunday
The Space Weather Prediction Center says the Northern Lights could put on a show for millions of people as far south as Alabama and Northern California on Sunday night after several coronal mass ejections reach Earth earlier in the day. (Video from May 2024)
California atmospheric rivers
A series of atmospheric river storms slammed California and the West Coast in February, triggering numerous reports of landslides, mudslides, flash flooding and high-water rescues.
FILE - A view of a landslide caused by torrential rain in Hacienda Heights, on February 7, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
(I RYU/VCG / Getty Images)
The relentless precipitation led to issues up and down the state, including heavy rain in Los Angeles, which had its fourth-wettest February on record.
The ferocious winds knocked down trees across the region, including in Santa Cruz, and the heavy rain sent boulders the size of cars tumbling down mountainsides in the Montecito and Summerland areas.
Daring rescue in Los Angeles wash during height of atmospheric river storm
Historic rainfall turned empty washes into rushing rivers. The LA Police Department was called to rescue a man who jumped into dangerous water to save his dog. Captain Adam Vangerpen, Public Information Office, joins FOX Weather to talk about this and many other rescues on Monday. (Video from February 2024)
Catastrophic flooding strikes New Mexico
Catastrophic and deadly flooding slammed parts of New Mexico in October, prompting the state's governor to declare a state of emergency as rapidly flowing floodwaters washed away vehicles, leading to the deaths of at least two people.
This photo shows a destroyed car after deadly flooding in Roswell, New Mexico, over the weekend.
(Chad Casey via Storyful)
Rain and thunderstorms moved over the Roswell area producing rainfall rates of 1-3 inches per hour, prompting a rare Flash Flood Emergency due to the dire situation.
Hundreds of people needed to be rescued from the tops of cars and other vehicles as the water rushed around them.
Watch: Numerous vehicles destroyed by deadly flooding in New Mexico
A video recorded in Roswell, New Mexico, shows the aftermath of deadly flooding reported across parts of New Mexico over the weekend. (Video from October 2024)
New Jersey earthquake
New Jersey's strongest earthquake in 240 years struck the state in April, with nearly 180,000 people in New York City and other parts of the Northeast reporting feeling the shaking.
New Jersey earthquakes and aftershocks from the main 4.8 quake on April 5, 2024.
(FOX Weather)
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck about 8 miles northeast of Bridgewater, New Jersey, on April 5, and dozens of aftershocks were reported in the days and weeks that followed.
The earthquake was the strongest in New Jersey since 1783 and the strongest felt in the New York City area since 1884.
Magnitude 4.8 earthquake caught on camera in New Jersey, New York City
A moderate earthquake struck New Jersey Friday morning, with reports of shaking felt across New York City and much of the Northeast. (Video from April 2024)
More stories
FOX Weather covered many other stories extensively in 2024, including Hurricane Beryl, which became the Atlantic Basin's earliest Category 4 hurricane on record.
Hurricane Debby, too, made headlines when it left several people dead in Florida and Georgia.