Hurricane Rafael (2024)
Hurricane Rafael reached Category 3 in the North Atlantic between November 3, 2024 and November 10, 2024, with a lowest pressure of 954 mb, and made landfall. It killed 2 people directly, by the National Hurricane Center’s count.
Radar
Reflectivity now over Hurricane Rafael. Open it to see storms, cones and warnings on the map.
Radar mosaic and map layers from NOAA MRMS. Boundaries from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
The storm
- Basin
- North Atlantic
- Dates
- November 3, 2024 to November 10, 2024
- Peak strength
- Category 3, 105 kt (121 mph)
- Lowest pressure
- 954 mb (28.17 inHg)
- Landfall
- Yes
- Accumulated cyclone energy
- 12.3
- Tropical-storm-force wind reached
- 120 nmi (222 km, 138 mi) from the center at its widest
- Hurricane-force wind reached
- 25 nmi (46 km, 29 mi) from the center at its widest
- Eyewall radius at its peak
- 15 nmi (28 km, 17 mi)
- Overall size
- 250 nmi (463 km, 288 mi) to the outermost closed isobar
- Peak gust in the best track
- 130 kt (150 mph)
- Fastest the center moved
- 15 kt (17 mph)
- Identifier
- AL182024
Deaths and damage
The sources count different things and are not added together.
National Hurricane Center
2 direct deathsnone recorded in the United States
The season table in NHC’s report archive, final report. Direct deaths are those caused by the storm’s own wind, water or surge, anywhere in the world.
NOAA Storm Events
2 deaths (2 direct, 0 indirect)$225,000
What National Weather Service offices recorded county by county in 6 states and marine areas, in the United States only. Property and crop damage as each office estimated it, which is not a national loss total.
Landfall
| Time (UTC) | Where | Position | Wind | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 6, 21:15 | Artemisa, Artemisa, Cuba, 14 km away | 22.7N 82.7W | 100 kt (115 mph) | 955 mb |
Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.
In the United States
NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled July 2026.
- Deaths
- 2 (2 direct, 0 indirect)
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $225,000
- Crop damage
- none recorded
- Events recorded
- 60 in 9 reports from 6 states and marine areas
State by state
| State or marine area | Deaths | Injuries | Damage | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 2 | 0 | 28 | |
| Louisiana | 0 | 0 | $150,000 | 16 |
| Texas | 0 | 0 | $75,000 | 4 |
| Gulf of Mexico | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| Georgia | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Florida | 0 | 0 | 3 |
What was recorded
44 flash flood, 5 marine thunderstorm wind, 4 coastal flood, 2 heavy rain, 2 tropical storm, 1 marine tropical storm, 1 storm surge/tide, 1 flood.
Wind reports
The strongest winds National Weather Service offices recorded with this storm. An estimated figure is a forecaster’s judgment from the damage, not an instrument reading.
| Wind | How | Where | State | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 kt (55 mph) | Measured | KPZZ - SHIP SHOAL 241 PLATFORM | Gulf of Mexico | Nov 10, 20:35 |
| 37 kt (43 mph) | Measured | 2.78 WNW of LAYTON | Gulf of Mexico | Nov 6, 09:32 |
What forecast offices wrote
From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.
Hurricane Rafael produced a period of tropical storm force winds primarily across the Lower Florida Keys of Monroe County. Sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph with peak wind gusts of 40 to 55 mph occurred, downing a few small tree limbs. No significant power outages were reported. Peak wind gusts were measured at 39 mph with a gust to 53 mph at the Naval Air Station Key West Boca Chica Field, and 36 mph with a gust to 47 mph at Key West International Airport.
Monroe/Lower Keys, Florida · Tropical Storm · Nov 6, 19:25 UTC
Tropical storm force winds impacted Hawk Channel waters along the Atlantic side of the Lower Florida Keys, with the highest winds measured at Sand Key Light sustained at 34 knots with a gust to 56 knots.
Hawk Channel From West End of Seven Mile Bridge To Halfmoon Shoal Out To The Reef, Gulf of Mexico · Marine Tropical Storm · Nov 6, 19:30 UTC
Minor coastal flooding along the Atlantic-side facing coast of Key West, Stock Island, and Boca Chica Key occurred as a combination of water levels reaching near 1.2 feet above mean higher high water (MHHW) and wave overwash. Minor street flooding occurred along with a temporary closure of State Road A1A (South Roosevelt Boulevard) in Key West within an ongoing construction zone.
Monroe/Lower Keys, Florida · Storm Surge/Tide · Nov 6, 23:00 UTC
Record crest flooding occurred along the North Fork Edisto River as a result of heavy rain and upstream small pond and dam failures, causing several fatalities and damage to numerous structures in Orangeburg. The North Fork Edisto in Orangeburg rose from 7.00 feet at 12am EST on November 7th to a record crest of 15.34 feet at 1030pm on November 7th. The river remained in flood until November 10th. Two fatalities occurred in Orangeburg as a result of the river flooding. Damage occurred to the Walmart, CVS, and several other structures in downtown Orangeburg.
Orangeburg, South Carolina · Flood · Nov 7, 08:00 UTC
Orangeburg County and SC state officials confirmed a complete breach of Etheredge Millpond dam, with an estimated time of 800am EST. A large section of Highway 178 was destroyed and washed out as a result of the breach. No other immediate direct damage from the breach was identified.
Orangeburg, South Carolina · Flash Flood · Nov 7, 13:00 UTC
At 5:45 pm, the public shared a video shared via social media of minor flooding near Alice Street, including standing water and a vehicle partially submerged. Around the same time, the public shared images and video via social media of flooding in southeast Waycross, including parking lots with standing water and partially submerged vehicles.
Ware, Georgia · Flash Flood · Nov 7, 22:00 UTC
Water was reported over numerous roads in Lumberton. Rising water also caused multiple rescues, impassable roads, and several flooded homes.
Hardin, Texas · Flash Flood · Nov 9, 11:30 UTC
Numerous streets and highways were flooded across Alexandria, Pineville, Ball, Union Hill, and Deville with some impassable. Some vehicles stalled in the floodwaters. Multiple structures had water approach, but no homes took in water. Rainfall totals exceeded 8 inches.
Rapides, Louisiana · Flash Flood · Nov 9, 19:50 UTC
Strong south winds ahead of a cold front and the remnants of Rafael in the gulf produced high tides along the coast of Cameron Parish. The tide level reached 2.1 feet above MHHW which produced minor flooding of Highway 82 near Holly Beach and some secondary roads in Holly Beach.
West Cameron, Louisiana · Coastal Flood · Nov 10, 04:00 UTC
Strong south winds ahead of a cold front and the remnants of Rafael in the gulf produced high tides along the coast of Jefferson County. The tide level reached 2.1 feet above MHHW which produced minor flooding of Highway 87 between Sabine Pass and Port Arthur. Minor flooding also occurred at Sea Rim State Park from high surf.
Lower Jefferson County, Texas · Coastal Flood · Nov 10, 05:00 UTC
Track
| Time (UTC) | Position | Wind | Pressure | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 3, 18:00 | 12.7N 77.0W | 30 kt | 1004 mb | Disturbance |
| Nov 4, 00:00 | 13.5N 76.8W | 30 kt | 1004 mb | Disturbance |
| Nov 4, 06:00 | 14.2N 76.7W | 30 kt | 1004 mb | Disturbance |
| Nov 4, 12:00 | 14.8N 76.6W | 30 kt | 1003 mb | Tropical depression |
| Nov 4, 18:00 | 15.1N 76.4W | 35 kt | 1001 mb | Tropical storm |
| Nov 5, 00:00 | 15.8N 76.9W | 40 kt | 999 mb | Tropical storm |
| Nov 5, 06:00 | 16.6N 77.6W | 45 kt | 994 mb | Tropical storm |
| Nov 5, 12:00 | 17.5N 78.3W | 50 kt | 993 mb | Tropical storm |
| Nov 5, 18:00 | 18.5N 79.1W | 60 kt | 990 mb | Tropical storm |
| Nov 6, 00:00 | 19.4N 80.0W | 70 kt | 985 mb | Hurricane |
| Nov 6, 06:00 | 20.1N 80.9W | 80 kt | 975 mb | Hurricane |
| Nov 6, 12:00 | 21.0N 81.6W | 90 kt | 964 mb | Hurricane |
| Nov 6, 18:00 | 22.0N 82.3W | 100 kt | 955 mb | Hurricane |
| Nov 6, 21:15 landfall | 22.7N 82.7W | 100 kt | 955 mb | Hurricane |
| Nov 7, 00:00 | 23.1N 83.2W | 95 kt | 968 mb | Hurricane |
| Nov 7, 06:00 | 23.8N 84.1W | 90 kt | 970 mb | Hurricane |
| Nov 7, 12:00 | 24.3N 84.9W | 90 kt | 969 mb | Hurricane |
| Nov 7, 18:00 | 24.6N 85.7W | 90 kt | 968 mb | Hurricane |
| Nov 8, 00:00 | 24.6N 86.6W | 90 kt | 966 mb | Hurricane |
| Nov 8, 06:00 | 24.4N 87.6W | 105 kt | 954 mb | Hurricane |
| Nov 8, 12:00 | 24.4N 88.4W | 95 kt | 962 mb | Hurricane |
| Nov 8, 18:00 | 24.6N 89.1W | 80 kt | 973 mb | Hurricane |
| Nov 9, 00:00 | 24.7N 89.7W | 65 kt | 986 mb | Hurricane |
| Nov 9, 06:00 | 24.8N 90.5W | 55 kt | 992 mb | Tropical storm |
| Nov 9, 12:00 | 25.0N 91.2W | 50 kt | 998 mb | Tropical storm |
| Nov 9, 18:00 | 25.3N 91.5W | 45 kt | 1000 mb | Tropical storm |
| Nov 10, 00:00 | 25.6N 91.7W | 40 kt | 1001 mb | Tropical storm |
| Nov 10, 06:00 | 25.9N 91.9W | 35 kt | 1003 mb | Tropical storm |
| Nov 10, 12:00 | 26.1N 91.9W | 35 kt | 1003 mb | Low |
Other North Atlantic storms of 2024
- Tropical Storm AlbertoNorth Atlantic · 2024 · 2 deaths · $125 million
- Hurricane BerylNorth Atlantic · 2024 · 35 deaths · $7.2 billion
- Tropical Storm ChrisNorth Atlantic · 2024 · 5 deaths
- Hurricane DebbyNorth Atlantic · 2024 · 12 deaths · $2.5 billion
- Hurricane ErnestoNorth Atlantic · 2024 · 3 deaths
- Hurricane FrancineNorth Atlantic · 2024 · $1.3 billion
- Tropical Storm GordonNorth Atlantic · 2024
- Unnamed tropical stormNorth Atlantic · 2024
- Hurricane HeleneNorth Atlantic · 2024 · 175 deaths · $79 billion
- Hurricane IsaacNorth Atlantic · 2024
- Tropical Storm JoyceNorth Atlantic · 2024
- Hurricane KirkNorth Atlantic · 2024
- Hurricane LeslieNorth Atlantic · 2024
- Hurricane MiltonNorth Atlantic · 2024 · 15 deaths · $34 billion
- Tropical Storm NadineNorth Atlantic · 2024 · 7 deaths
- Hurricane OscarNorth Atlantic · 2024 · 8 deaths
- Tropical Storm PattyNorth Atlantic · 2024
- Tropical Storm SaraNorth Atlantic · 2024 · 9 deaths
What this means
A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.
Sources
Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.