Top 3 hurricane videos of 2024
The Atlantic hurricane season was one for the history books, and these viral videos captured some of the most incredible scenes during three landfalling storms.
AccuWeather’s Bernie Rayno and Ariella Scalese count down the most captivating videos from Beryl, Debby and Helene this year
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is one that will not soon be forgotten due to several deadly storms that had extreme impacts. These storms not only demonstrated the raw power of nature but also left lasting impressions on the communities and the landscape of the Gulf Coast and parts of the Appalachian Mountains. Here are the top three hurricane videos of the year:
3. Hurricane Beryl's powerful landfall in Mexico before striking Texas
Hurricane Beryl was a force to be reckoned with as it charged across the Caribbean in late June and early July, becoming the earliest Category 5 storm in the history of the Atlantic Basin. It lost some wind intensity before slamming into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, but still caused catastrophic damage on Grenada’s northern islands of Carriacou.
Storm chaser Aaron Rigsby reports live from the eyewall of Hurricane Beryl as it makes landfall in Tulum, Mexico, on July 5.
Beryl went on to make landfall in Texas where its extreme winds caused widespread power outages. Over 2 million were left in the dark in the wake of the storm, with some outages in the Houston area lasting more than a week.
2. Florida left underwater as Hurricane Debby floods Gulf Coast
Florida was bombarded by storms throughout the hurricane season, starting with Debby, which made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane near the Big Bend of Florida on Aug. 5. The storm dropped an astounding 15-20 inches of rainfall. The torrential downpours turned streets into rivers, and cars were left stranded as the water levels rapidly rose.
A driver was rescued from swift-moving floodwaters after several officials surveying damage spotted the car in Manatee County, Florida.
Debby was a stark reminder of the power of water and the importance of being prepared for any tropical storm or hurricane, regardless of its category.
1. Building slams into pole amid catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene
North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene as feet of rain changed the landscape with some areas of the state becoming nearly unrecognizable. One of the most striking scenes was in Asheville when a building was swept away in the catastrophic flooding before being sawed in half by a large telephone pole. "I remember being on air when these videos came in," AccuWeather Broadcaster Ariella Scalese said. "This video was taken from someone's third-floor apartment building."
Several friends trapped in a third-floor apartment witnessed the flood waters in Ashville, North Carolina, carry away trees, shipping containers and even whole buildings on Sept. 27.
