2021 Year in Review: Numerous billion-dollar disasters

2021 Year in Review
Numerous billion-dollar disasters

Hurricane Ida at its strongest point just before hitting Lousiana coastline on August 29.

With a new year upon us, let us take some time to look at the big weather events that occurred in 2021. Hurricanes, derechos, droughts and billion-dollar disasters were a few of the big stories this year.

The past year has been filled with weather events that will not soon be forgotten.

Billion Dollar Disasters

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has calculated 18 natural disasters that have produced more than a billion dollars in damage. This does not include the major tornado outbreak that occurred on December 10th and 11th across Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, northwestern Tennessee, and western Kentucky. Total damage estimates are not available, but it likely was in the billions of dollars.

Of the billion-dollar disasters, nine severe storm events were the most frequent disasters with four tropical cyclones being next in line. Flooding, drought, wildfires, and winter storms followed. 2021’s costliest disaster was Hurricane Ida. It hit Louisiana before its remnants caused major flooding across the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast. Total damage is estimated to be nearly $65 billion.

Hurricane Season

The 2021 Atlantic Hurricane season was the third most active season on record and the sixth consecutive above-average season on record. There were 21 named storms, seven hurricanes and four major hurricanes during 2021. This was the second straight year that the full storm name list was exhausted and the third time in history.

Noteworthy tropical systems included Hurricane Ida, a multi-billion-dollar disaster that hit Louisiana and tropical storms Elsa and Fred. These two systems produced major flooding in the Southeast and along the East Coast.

Hurricane Ida storm surge

Another noteworthy tidbit from the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, this was the seventh straight year that a named tropical system formed before June 1, the official start of hurricane season.

Other noteworthy events

Here is a list of other events that occurred in 2021:

Late January/ Early February Nor’easter — major snowstorm brought more than two feet of snow to parts of the interior Mid-Atlantic and New England. Mount Pocono, Pa., received more than 3 feet of snow.

February cold snap — A monster cold outbreak settled across the central U.S., reaching deep into Texas. The Lone Star State suffered massive power outages due to an overburdened power system caused by high electricity demands to heat homes and businesses.

2021 Western heat wave — A late June heat wave hit western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Numerous all-time maximum temperatures were recorded, including the hottest reading ever in Canada — 121.3 degrees F. Several hundred heat-related deaths were reported.

Western Drought and Wildfires — A widespread drought covered most of the Western U.S., including the normally lush coastal Pacific Northwest. The drought contributed to widespread wildfires across the West. More than 5.6 million acres (about the area of New Jersey) of land burned in the U.S. this year.

December Derecho — The first recorded derecho to occur in December rolled from Kansas and Nebraska into southern Wisconsin. The derecho, a storm complex that can produce winds more than 65 mph for more than 250 miles, produced a reported 96 tornadoes while knocking out power to more than half-million customers.

James West