WMO Retires 2024 Hurricane Names After Destruction

The World Meteorological Organization has officially retired the names Beryl, Helene, Milton, and John due to the catastrophic damage and loss of life they caused during the 2024 hurricane season. Beryl, the earliest recorded Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, and Helene, the deadliest U.S. hurricane since Katrina, were particularly devastating, with Helene alone claiming 248 lives and causing $78.7 billion in damage. Milton and John also contributed significantly to the destruction with Milton impacting Florida severely and John causing widespread devastation in Mexico's Guerrero state. These storm names will be replaced by Brianna, Holly, Miguel, and Jake, to be used in future hurricane seasons. The retirement of these names follows the WMO's tradition of removing storm names that have been notably deadly or costly, as a mark of respect and to avoid future insensitivity. The 2024 hurricane season was notably active, with 18 named storms, including five major hurricanes.