![]() ![]() According to the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), over half of the continental are considered “in drought,” impacting roughly 90 million individuals. ![]() North American wildfires, unlike hurricanes, have no “season” as they occur year-round due to drought and increased temperatures across the country. Matthew Rosencrans, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, said climate change was responsible for part of the historic season’s intensity, noting that “Climate factors, which include La Niña, above-normal sea surface temperatures earlier in the season, and above-average West African Monsoon rainfall were the primary contributors for this above-average hurricane season.” The impact of climate change on disasters is also evident in the 2021 wildfire season. While Ida was downgraded to a tropical depression as it traveled, it still produced up to 11 inches of rain in the northeast part of the country early in September, leading the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue a Flash Flood Emergency in parts of New York and New Jersey for the first time in US history. The Weather Channel stated that Ida also impacted the Eastern Seaboard, causing historic flooding and tornadoes in New England. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) noted that, as of September 9, 2021, Hurricane Ida had caused 91 deaths across nine states. Hurricane Ida devastated the power grids of Mississippi and Louisiana and caused flash and urban flooding across the coast of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Hurricane Ida is tied as the fifth strongest hurricane to strike the US-it first made landfall as a major hurricane in Louisiana on August 29, the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Ida, the most expensive disaster of the year, is responsible for over $60 billion in damages and ranks among the top five most expensive hurricanes in the US since 1980. NOAA noted the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season was also one of the most expensive in US history. On July 1, Hurricane Elsa became the first hurricane of 2021, where it created flooding, rain, powerful winds, and isolated tornadoes, with impacts that stretched along the East Coast, including Tropical Storm Warnings issued for over 1,000 miles of the US coastline on July 8, 2021. The Weather Channel reported that the effects of Hurricane Elsa were felt from the Caribbean to Florida to New England. It was also the first time two consecutive hurricane seasons used the entire list of 21 storm names.Įight storms hit the United States (US) coastline, including Category 1 Hurricane Elsa. 2021 is officially the third most active year since NOAA began tracking hurricanes in 1851, and the sixth consecutive above-normal Atlantic hurricane season. ![]() The storms included seven hurricanes – four of which were major hurricanes – and five rapidly intensifying storms that increased maximum sustained winds of at least 30 knots (kt) within a 24-hour window. The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season officially ended on November 30, 2021, after producing 21 named storms, according to NOAA. Hagerty reported on the numerous climate-driven disasters over the course of the past year, including 29 Situation Status blog posts (Sit Stat), relaying real-time, critical information as soon as it was released to the general public. ![]() The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported 21 named storms for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, while the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reports 54,350 wildfires this year, to date, that have burned over 6.8 million acres. This past year, the United States (US) saw particularly destructive hurricanes and wildfires across the country. Decemat 3:35 pm WEDNESDAY, DECEMAS OF 3:30 PM CSTĪs our climate continues to change globally, natural disasters continue to increase in both frequency and magnitude. ![]()
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