New England Should Brace for the Most Wild Hurricane Season Ever

2024 Hurricane Season Prediction

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the typical hurricane season runs between June 1 and November 30. And while it's nearly impossible -- despite all the instruments and tools that local and national meteorologists utilize -- to predict the exact date(s), strength, and paths of hurricanes with 100% accuracy, NOAA does have one prediction they're pretty confident in:

This year will bring the most active hurricane season in history.

And, based on events that have already taken place, the predictions may not be that far off.

Maryland Tornado

On Wednesday, June 5, 2024, according to The Weather Channel, a tornado uncharacteristically dropped in Gaithersburg, Maryland. According to NOAA, that couldn't be more off the beaten path of the usual area where tornados drop, which is typically,

...in the central plains of North America, east of the Rocky Mountains and west of the Appalachian Mountains.

 

New England Hurricanes

According to Accuweather, the last recorded hurricane to reach New England still officially classified as a hurricane was over 30 years ago. Back in August 1991, Hurricane Bob reached New England with over 100-mph winds, killing 15 people and causing $1.5 billion in damages.

Before that, Accuweather states that the only other hurricanes to reach New England were Hurricane Gloria back in 1985, Hurricane Donna in 1960, both Hurricane Carol and Hurricane Edna in 1954, and an unnamed hurricane in 1938.

The closest we've come since Bob was in September 2023, when Hurricane Lee downgraded to a Tropical Storm just before hitting land in New England.

NOAA is predicting that during the 2024 hurricane season, a total of 17-25 named storms are expected (storms with winds that reach at least 39 mph). Of all those storms, anywhere from 8-13 are predicted to become hurricanes (winds of at least 74 mph), and of all the predicted hurricanes, 4-7 will be categorized as major hurricanes (winds reaching at least 111 mph.)