On June 19, Alberto became the first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, with the tropical storm making landfall in northeastern Mexico on June 20. Alberto dissipated quickly, but heavy rain and winds caused damage along the western Gulf of Mexico coastline from Texas to Veracruz. Authorities have also reported four deaths related to the rainfall from Alberto. Over 33 million single- and multi-family residences are at moderate or greater risk of damage from hurricane-force winds, and 7.8 million of these homes have coastal exposure that leaves them vulnerable to storm surge, according to a report from CoreLogic. It is imperative those who could potentially be impacted if a storm were to hit the U.S. make emergency plans ahead of time. The CDC recommends those at risk of tropical storm or hurricane damage:
  • Write down emergency numbers and place them in prominent places in your home, like on the refrigerator and near all phones. You should also program these numbers into your cell phone.
  • Prepare an emergency supply kit with enough essential supplies, like food, water and medical necessities, to last you and your family at least 72 hours.
  • Find out where your nearest shelter is and all of the possible routes to get there from your home.
  • If you have pets, locate pet-friendly shelters and hotels, or an out-of-town friend or relative with whom you can stay in case of an evacuation. Local animal shelters may be good sources of advice for what to do if you need to evacuate with a pet, as well.
In addition to these preparations, it is also a good time to review your insurance policies with your agent to ensure you have the proper coverage in place if you suffer a hurricane-related loss. In the slideshow above, we'll look at the ten most damaging hurricanes to hit the U.S. based on the 2023 Consumer Price Index adjusted cost, according to the NOAA.

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Brittney Meredith-Miller

Brittney Meredith-Miller is assistant editor of PropertyCasualty360.com. She can be reached at [email protected].

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