TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The 2024 Hurricane Season has officially ended.

It’s been quite a busy and above-active season as expected this year, but it is finally over! June predictions were above average with 23 named storms, 11 hurricanes, and five major hurricanes forecast.

Eighteen named storms formed— 11 were hurricanes and five were major hurricanes, which is well above the average of 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.

This has been an especially active season for the Tampa Bay area and Sunshine State residents, with three hurricanes making landfall. The first was Debby on Aug. 5, a Category 1 storm with winds of 80 mph, as it made landfall in the Big Bend area.

The second was Helene, which moved well offshore of western Florida. But Helene’s huge size and wind field brought 5-10 feet of storm surge to the west coast and caused several feet of storm surge in Tampa Bay itself. Helene made landfall in the Big Bend area as a Category 4 storm with winds of 140 mph on Sept. 26.

Finally, Hurricane Milton became a major hurricane in the southern Gulf of Mexico, making landfall on Oct. 9 near Siesta Key as a major Category 3 Hurricane with winds of 120 mph. This storm caused lots of damage, power outages, and storm surge as far south as southwest Florida.

Now we can enjoy Florida’s beautiful winter weather while cleaning up and preparing for the 2025 season.