This year had no shortage of incidents and events that gripped the nation’s attention — aside from celebrity and sports happenings and a historic presidential election.
Some dazzled millions of Americas who stepped outside their front doors or, in some cases, journeyed across the country to witness them in person: a rare total solar eclipse, a uniquely visible display of the northern lights.
Others wrought devastation and heartbreak: back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton, and the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Here’s a rundown of the most captivating USA TODAY stories of the year:
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge
In the early morning hours of March 26, a large shipping vessel crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, killing six construction workers, destroying critical infrastructure and temporarily shutting down one of the East Coast’s main shipping arteries.
The Singapore-flagged cargo ship, Dali, lost power twice before it rammed into one of the bridge’s support columns, causing it to crumble into the Patapsco River. At the time of impact, a seven-person roadwork crew was fixing potholes on the bridge and were plunged into the water; only one survived with serious injuries.
The Port of Baltimore, which intakes more cars and light trucks than any other port in the U.S., did not fully reopen until early June following a massive salvage effort that involved the removal of the ship and thousands of tons of steel and concrete from the river.
In the months since the crash, the FBI launched an investigation into the incident and multiple lawsuits have been filed against two Singaporean companies with ties to the Dali ship, Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited. Among the parties that filed lawsuits were relatives of the workers who were killed, employees impacted by the port’s shutdown, the county and city of Baltimore, and the Department of Justice.
State officials have estimated it will cost $1.7 billion to $1.9 billion to rebuild the bridge, a project that’s estimated to be completed by fall 2028.
More: A giant ship. A power blackout. A scramble to stop traffic: How Baltimore bridge collapsed
GRAPHIC TIMELINE Election overload? Recall 2024’s other top stories: Eclipse, bridge collapse, more
Millions witness rare, awe-inspiring solar eclipse
On April 8, millions of Americans gazed skyward and witnessed a total solar eclipse, a rare celestial event in which the moon crept over the face of the sun, producing in some areas a brief period of uncanny daytime darkness.
Estimated to be one of the most watched astrological events in U.S. history, many traveled to the 13 states where they could see the moon entirely block out the sun. Millions in states outside the path of totality, which ran from Texas to Maine, took to public parks and city streets to glimpse a partial eclipse.
Total solar eclipses occur about every 18 months, though many of them occur over the ocean or very remote parts of the world. April’s eclipse passed over three countries: Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. Famed eclipse chaser David Makepeace told USA TODAY the eclipse was a “once-in-a-lifetime event” for most people.
And it won’t happen again soon: North America’s next total solar eclipse is not expected until 2044.
Reporters for USA TODAY and newspapers throughout the USA TODAY Network spoke with sky-watchers across the nation, from Eagle Pass, Texas, where a group of enthusiasts were among the first people in the country to witness the phenomenon, to Columbus, Ohio, where the women’s national soccer team took a break from practice to watch the eclipse.
In Eagle Pass, a crowd counted down “3..2..1…” as the moon completely covered the sun, darkening the small airport grounds where they stood. “Oh my god,” said Alejandra Martinez, a seventh-grade science teacher, a hand covering her heart. “This is so cool!”
More: Americans shared a powerful moment during 2024 solar eclipse. This is what they saw.
Brilliant display of northern lights seen across the US
During two nights in May, people across the U.S. and Europe caught sight of astonishing auroras that painted the night sky in deep hues of green, pink and red.
Much to their amazement, those as far south as the Florida Keys and the Bahamas were able to bask in the colorful glowing light that radiated into the skies.
The spectacle was caused by the most powerful geomagnetic storm in two decades, which erupted from a sunspot cluster on the sun. The storm was unusually strong, classified as “extreme” (or a G5) storm, the highest level, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center.
Among the millions of Americans amazed by the aurora was Antonella Fruscione, an astrophysicist at Harvard University, who rushed to send photos of the celestial event to her friends in Italy.
“It’s a very rare occurrence,” she told USA TODAY, “especially because last night it was really visible.”
Those who missed a chance to gaze at the famed aurora borealis will likely have more opportunities, as the sun is now in its solar maximum – the peak of its 11-year solar cycle. In an announcement in October, NASA officials said this peak of activity is expected to last another year.
More: The northern lights danced across the US last night. It could happen again.
Hurricane Helene
On Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall along the Big Bend coast of Florida before carving a deadly path of destruction across the Southeast, unleashing unprecedented flooding in western North Carolina that leveled nearly entire communities.
The Category 4 storm came ashore with 140 mph winds, making it one of the most powerful hurricanes to strike the U.S. in modern history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Across six states, the storm killed at least 230 people – the most deaths tied to a hurricane since Katrina in 2004. In North Carolina alone, Helene caused at least 103 deaths.
The storm flooded homes and inflicted major damage across the western coast of Florida, pushing up a massive surge of water throughout the Tampa Bay area before marching into Georgia and the Carolinas.
The worst impacts occurred in western North Carolina, which had already been inundated with rain before remnants of Helene brought another 1 to 2 feet, turning rivers into raging torrents of water that collapsed bridges, damaged water plants and washed out roads, cutting off many already isolated mountain communities.
Weather officials have said the state experienced a 1-in-1,000 year rain event. About 73,000 homes in North Carolina were damaged; many were completely destroyed. State estimates put the total coast of damages and needs at $59.6 billion. Months after the storm, many remain displaced as communities clear thousands of tons of wreckage and begin the long process of rebuilding.
More: ‘Unless you’ve been through it, you can’t understand’: Helene recovery continues in NC
Hurricane Milton
Scenes from tornado damage associated with Hurricane Milton in several communities in North Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024.
On Oct. 9, less than two weeks after Helene wrought catastrophic damage across Florida and the entire Southeast, Hurricane Milton slammed the Sunshine State as a Category 3 storm, flooding whole neighborhoods and spinning up dozens of tornadoes.
While Milton did not slam Florida as the “storm of the century” – a scenario experts especially feared before it avoided a direct hit on the densely populated Tampa Bay area – it damaged thousands of homes, forced the evacuation of more than 2 million residents and killed at least 44 people.
The storm surge inundated communities along the Gulf Coast, and its 10 to 15 inches of rain flooded roads and triggered scores of water rescues across the state. In St. Petersburg, Milton’s winds collapsed a large crane and sent it tumbling into an office building.
The storm also shredded the roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, forcing the baseball team to play the 2025 season at the smaller, outdoor stadium where the New York Yankees host spring training.
Throughout the state, Milton spun up at least 41 tornadoes, making it one of the more prolific tornado-producing storms in the modern era, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data. The many twisters flattened homes, tore off roofs and sent boats and cars flying. In St. Lucie County, one tornado killed six people.
Experts say the devastation could have been far worse if wind shear did not weaken the storm as it approached the Florida Peninsula. At one point while Milton was churning in the Gulf of Mexico, its winds reached 180 mph, making it the Atlantic’s fifth-most intense hurricane ever recorded. By the time it made landfall, its wind speed had fallen to about 120 mph.
More: Hurricane Milton from start to finish: What made this storm stand out
Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, Doyle Rice, Trevor Hughes, Emily Le Coz, Thao Nguyen, John Bacon
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eclipse, Helene, Milton bridge collapse: Most read stories of 2024
