As 2025 Hurricane Season Approaches, These Cities Are Still Rebuilding from Last Year's Destruction

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The 2024 hurricane season left a trail of destruction across the United States, with billions in damages, tens of thousands of damaged homes, and entire communities still in recovery. As the Atlantic Seaboard readies itself for the 2025 hurricane season, many local governments are still scrambling to rebuild critical infrastructure.

While some of the hardest-hit areas were expected – like coastal Florida and Texas – others, like smaller inland towns in North Carolina and Georgia were blindsided by hurricanes in 2024, and are far from ready for the coming season. FEMA inspectors recorded tens of millions of dollars in housing damage in small cities like Valdosta, Georgia, and Burnsville, North Carolina, while damage tallies in larger cities like Houston and Tampa are in the billions. A closer look at FEMA data reveals the cities hit the hardest by hurricanes in 2024.

To determine the places hit worst by hurricanes in 2024, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed data from FEMA Individual Assistance and Public Assistance programs. Cities were ranked based on an index of the total value of Housing Assistance applicant properties inspected by FEMA due to hurricane damage, the total number of Housing Assistance applicant properties inspected by FEMA due to hurricane damage, and and the number of Public Assistance applications received by FEMA due to hurricane damage in 2024. Data was aggregated from the zip code level to the place level using Census Bureau boundary definitions. Supplemental data on total population is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey.

25. Swannanoa, NC

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $17,270,641
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 1,480 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Tropical Storm Helene
Total population: 5,338

24. Punta Gorda, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $26,602,769
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 1,975 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Helene
Total population: 19,605

23. Sarasota, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $14,958,978
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 2,574 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Debby, Hurricane Helene
Total population: 55,508

22. Ruskin, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $22,562,773
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 2,731 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Debby
Total population: 28,878

21. Jasmine Estates, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $28,828,760
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 2,069 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton
Total population: 24,032

20. Tallahassee, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $1,270,397
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 353 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton
Total population: 198,259

19. Marion, NC

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $11,210,992
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 1,705 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Tropical Storm Helene
Total population: 7,652

18. Live Oak, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $7,825,436
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 1,880 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Debby, Hurricane Milton
Total population: 6,811

17. Largo, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $17,123,990
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 3,600 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Debby
Total population: 82,541

16. Gulfport, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $28,571,392
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 2,659 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Debby
Total population: 11,796

15. Valdosta, GA

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $10,737,549
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 1,721 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene
Total population: 55,266

14. Hudson, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $46,045,227
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 2,616 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton
Total population: 10,821

13. Englewood, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $46,105,099
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 2,603 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Debby Total population: 19,378

12. New Port Richey, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $45,874,668
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 3,155 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton
Total population: 16,742

11. Burnsville, NC

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $26,115,740
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 2,633 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Tropical Storm Helene
Total population: 2,380

10. Town 'n' Country, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $36,770,875
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 4,848 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Debby
Total population: 89,456

9. Bradenton, FL

*Photo by Thumbwind Publications on Unsplash*

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $16,364,950
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 2,897 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Debby
Total population: 55,795

8. Clearwater, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $27,114,661
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 4,261 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Debby
Total population: 116,984

7. Augusta-Richmond County, GA

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $30,847,011
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 7,891 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene
Total population: 201,615

6. St. Pete Beach, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $55,915,735
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 4,149 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Debby
Total population: 8,905

5. Madeira Beach, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $55,571,677
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 3,344 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Debby
Total population: 3,931

4. Asheville, NC

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $23,151,856
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 6,708 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Tropical Storm Helene
Total population: 93,695

3. Tampa, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $61,410,094
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 8,304 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Debby, Hurricane Milton
Total population: 388,768

2. St. Petersburg, FL

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $134,206,855
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 15,150 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Debby
Total population: 259,343

1. Houston, TX

Hurricane damage recorded by FEMA in 2024: $109,585,191
Hurricane damage inspections by FEMA in 2024: 38,403 properties
Major hurricanes in 2024: Hurricane Beryl
Total population: 2,296,253

As 2025 Hurricane Season Approaches, These Cities Are Still Rebuilding from Last Year’s Destruction