The tumultuous weather year of 2024 concluded with a significant outbreak of tornadoes, culminating in devastating impacts across the United States. This year has been marked as one of the worst on record for weather-related disasters, characterized by five landfalling hurricanes, multiple atmospheric rivers, severe heat waves, and widespread droughts. Preliminary data from the National Weather Service indicates a staggering total of 1,855 tornado reports for 2024, with around 1,700 expected to be verified, making it the second highest annual total after 2004.
The state of Oklahoma recorded its worst year for tornadoes, confirming 152 twisters, while several other states like Ohio, West Virginia, and Iowa also set new records. The death toll from tornadoes reached at least 50, slightly below the annual average since 2000. Tornado activity was noted to be consistently high throughout the year without significant lulls in occurrence, with a substantial concentration of tornadoes reported in the cooler months, particularly on December 28.
Among the weather events, hurricanes also contributed to the chaos, with Hurricane Beryl generating at least 65 tornadoes and Hurricane Milton producing over 41 in Florida, leading to at least eight deaths. Overall, the hurricane season resulted in 335 fatalities, marking the deadliest season in the continental U.S. since 2005.
In addition, 2024 was the seventh worst year for wildfires in four decades, with over 8.8 million acres burned. Contributing factors include climate change and land management practices. The combination of severe weather, increasing vulnerability due to population growth in affected areas, and changing storm patterns raises significant concerns for future weather-related risks across the nation.
