Weather

Florida Coast Faces Billions Of Dollars In Hurricane Damage

By Douglas McIntyre • September 25, 2024

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Hurricane Helene will come ashore along the Florida Panhandle, perhaps as a violent Category 3 storm. The wind, rain, and storm surge will hit the Florida coast from Tampa and the state’s west coast. It will also batter parts of Georgia and Alabama. If the cost is similar to storms earlier the hurricane season, they will move into the billions of dollars.

Earlier Hurricanes

AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said, “This hurricane is expected to be quite large. Impacts will be widespread.” A major cause is that the water in the Gulf of Mexico near the storm is 4 degrees F and 6 degrees F above normal levels. The storm’s winds could top 150 MPH, and rainfall could reach 8 to 12 inches.

Accuweather estimated Hurricane Beryl’s dollar damage at between $28 and $32 billion, while Hurricane Francine’s estimate was $9 billion. Beryl hit Houston, the fifth-largest city in the US, which is probably why the dollar number is higher.

NOAA Forecast

According to early estimates from NOAA, this hurricane season was supposed to be among the worst on record. One reason was a record-warm Atlantic. The ocean temperature rose less than expected, causing hurricane expectations to be downgraded. It turns out that the new forecast was premature.