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Hurricanes Hit Texas: How Often?

Texans have weathered hurricanes, but they don't top the list for most frequent landfall. NOAA data reveals the top 5 US states with the most hurricanes are: Florida, Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, and Alabama.

Published August 16, 2024 at 6:01am by Alexis Simmerman

2024's Deadliest Hurricane Season: Early Start, Devastating Impact

Hurricane season has begun early and violently in 2024, with multiple storms causing widespread destruction, flooding, and power outages across the US.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted an 85% chance of an above-normal season. [https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd-faq/#landfalls-by-state]
Update: NOAA increased odds to 90%, with 17-24 storms expected; 8-13 may become hurricanes. [https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/highly-active-hurricane-season-likely-to-continue-in-atlantic]
Texas: Hurricane Beryl made landfall July 8, a Category 1 storm, breaking records, including earliest Cat 4/5. Claimed ≥36 lives.
Florida: Hurricane Debby, a Cat 1, made landfall Aug 5, downgrading to a tropical storm before a second landfall in South Carolina.
Tropical Storm Ernesto: Formed Mon, intensified into Cat 1 Wed near Puerto Rico, causing flooding/power outages. [Potential Tropical Cyclone 5 Tracker: https://bit.ly/3PDhCCS]

Texas & Florida: Top Targets for Hurricanes

Texas: 2nd highest hurricane landings (64); never a Cat 5.
Florida: Tops with 120 hurricanes (37 Cat 3-5). 2 were Cat 5: Michael (2018) & Andrew (1992).
Louisiana: 3rd with 63, incl. Cat 5 Katrina (2005).
North/South Carolina: 58/32 hurricanes; no Cat 5s.

Quoting Meteorologist Neal Dorst, NOAA:

"The reason [for high rankings] is a combination of long coastlines and the paths of Atlantic hurricanes...[storms] are pushed along by the circulation of the subtropical ridge dominating the western Atlantic Ocean."

Full story on hurricane-prone states: [https://bit.ly/3J2JqPv]