### Deadliest Hurricane Season Since 2005 Claims Over 335 Lives

Christine B. Davis, who was born just before the 1914 hurricane season and spent her life within 50 miles of the Gulf of Mexico, passed away at 111 years old after Hurricane Beryl struck Matagorda County in June 2024. Davis, who resided with her granddaughter in Cleveland, Texas, succumbed to environmental heat exposure after a week without electricity. Davis's death marks one of at least 335 fatalities during this year's hurricane season.

This year's hurricane season, ending on November 30, is the deadliest since 2005, according to the National Hurricane Center. Among the deadliest storms, Hurricane Helene resulted in at least 241 deaths, the highest toll for a single storm since Hurricane Katrina. Helene, with its maximum sustained winds reaching up to 100 mph, caused catastrophic flooding and wind damages in the Southeast and Appalachian regions.

Notably, many of those lost were older individuals, reflecting the vulnerability of the elderly in such disasters. In Texas, the average age of those who perished due to Hurricane Beryl was 88. Helene's victims in North Carolina averaged 58 years old. Tragically, among those who perished were one-month-old twins in Georgia who died with their mother when a tree fell on their mobile home during Helene.

Helene's impact stretched far beyond its point of landfall in Florida, with nearly 40% of the deaths occurring in North Carolina. This highlights the risks hurricanes pose far inland, not just in coastal areas. In fact, the majority of Helene's fatalities resulted from freshwater flooding and wind-related incidents much farther from the coast.

The devastating impact of Hurricane Helene underscores the increasing risks posed by climate change. Researchers attribute a significant portion of Helene's extreme rainfall to warming seas and atmosphere, which enable storms to carry and unleash more water. The Appalachian Mountains, particularly vulnerable to landslides and flooding, saw countless lives lost as torrents of rain created perilous conditions with little time for last-minute protective actions.

In the aftermath, federal officials are working on improved flood inundation maps, aimed at better preparing areas at risk from rainfall flooding. Despite extensive efforts over the years to map and understand storm surge risks, fatalities during Helene reveal the ongoing challenges in mitigating extensive damage and loss of life caused by hurricanes.