In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted an above-average hurricane season for 2024, and they were right. So far, thirteen named hurricanes have smashed the Gulf of Mexico and affected states from Florida up to the Ohio Valley region. However, the most recent back-to-back occurrences of Hurricanes Helene and Milton may amount to unparalleled levels of destruction. Hurricane Helene was a category 4 hurricane that raged through the southwestern US from September 23rd through the 28th. In total, around 230 people died as a result of the storm, and thousands more were injured or displaced because of it. Additionally, the storm caused untold billions of dollars in property damage. Although Hurricane Helene was bad, Hurricane Milton is aiming to be historic. Hurricane Milton has been upgraded to a category 5 and is predicted to have double the storm surge of Hurricane Helene. Tampa Bay is likely to be damaged particularly badly by the storm, as it is a major metropolitan area, and a hurricane has not hit it in nearly a century. According to St. Petersburg mayor Ken Welch, “This could be the most devastating storm we’ve faced”.