Every Billion Dollar Weather Disaster in the US After 2020

Drought conditions persisted throughout much of 2021 across several Western states, especially in Oregon and Washington. A summertime heat dome hovered for days over the Pacific Northwest and western Canada, breaking numerous temperature records. The extreme heat and dry conditions withered crops and forced the closure of the hydroelectric power plant in Lake Oroville, California, for the first time since it opened in 1967.

While much of the western United States suffered from record high temperatures and drought for much of 2021, heavy downpours inundated southern and central California for five days in January. Floods and mudslides damaged residential and commercial properties, vehicles, and infrastructure, while high winds caused power outages. Snow shut down roads at higher altitudes in the Sierra Nevada range.

Historic low temperatures and a winter storm struck states across the northwest, central, and eastern parts of the country. Temperatures fell to as much as 40 degrees Fahrenheit below normal in the parts of the Great Plains plains from Nebraska to Texas. The arctic front caused power outages, notably in Texas, where most of the deaths occurred. The event became the costliest U.S. winter storm on record.

At least 41 tornadoes impacted Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. These included 15 that were ranked “Strong” to “Violent” in the Enhanced Fujita-scale of tornado intensity — with wind speeds measuring from 111 to more than 200 miles per hour. The strongest of these twisters struck communities in central Alabama and western Georgia, damaging properties and infrastructure.

Hail, damaging high winds, and tornadoes accompanied heavy storms in Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Virginia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. Homes and businesses in and around Nashville were flooded. High winds from the weather system damaged properties and infrastructure in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland.

Several hail storms erupted across central Texas, damaging homes, business, and vehicles. The heaviest hail was reported northeast of Austin, southwest of The Woodlands, and west of Georgetown.

Tornadoes, damaging high wind, flooding and hail struck across Texas and Oklahoma, causing significant damage to properties and vehicles. The most impacted areas were in Texas, southwest of San Marcos, north of Fort Worth, and west of San Antonio.

Less than two months after dozens of tornadoes touched down in several southern and southeastern states, more twisters, along with hail and damaging high winds, struck much of the same region. At least 111 tornadoes were reported, grouped mostly in central Mississippi and surrounding states.

Communities in Louisiana and coastal Texas were struck with widespread floods, resulting in hundreds of water rescues. Baton Rouge and Lake Charles were struck particularly hard by the weather event, which dumped more than 12 inches of water in a short period of time in parts of the affected area.

The drought and high temperatures in the western United States throughout much of 2021 caused a damaging wildfire season across California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Arizona. The Dixie Fire burnt nearly a million acres, making it the second biggest single wildfire on record in California. Other Western fires in 2021 were large enough to earn names, including the Telegraph Fire of Arizona, the Ford Corkscrew Fire in Washington, and the Bootleg Fire in Oregon. More than 7.1 million acres went up in flame in the region last year.

Hail and damaging high winds blew across Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri. The most severe weather from this storm system hit southeastern Minnesota, southern Iowa, southeastern Indiana, and southwestern Ohio.

A mix of thunderstorms, damaging high winds, hail, and tornadoes hit areas of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, and Texas. The weather system wrecked properties, infrastructure, and crops.

Tropical Storm Elsa, which made landfall in Taylor County, Florida, swept through parts of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, producing heavy rain, wind, flooding, and tornadoes. The storm system also caused flooding in the Northeast and Southern New England, most notably flash flooding on Long Island, New York.

A severe weather system struck parts of Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, New Mexico, Texas, and the Dakotas, causing extensive damage from hail and high winds. Damage to property and vehicles were reported in some parts of surrounding states as well.

Three days of damaging high winds blew through parts of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri, toppling trees, knocking out power lines, and homes and businesses. It was the third weather system to strike the central part of the country in less than a month.

After making landfall near Panama City, Florida, Tropical Storm Fred blew northward, causing severe flooding in the southern Appalachian Mountains and parts of western North Carolina. Fred also spit out several tornadoes as it moved up the Eastern Seaboard.

Hurricane Ida, a powerful Category 4 storm, made landfall in southern Louisiana. It is only the third hurricane to hit the state with sustained winds of 150 mph winds, dating back to 1856. The storm left behind widespread damage to Louisiana homes and infrastructure as it moved northward. Ida’s remnants merged with a storm front causing fatal flooding in the Northeast. New York and New Jersey issued their first ever flash flood emergencies, which covered the tri-state metro area of New York City.

Hurricane Nicolas, a Category 1 storm, made landfall near Sargent Beach, Texas, and moved slowly into Louisiana. Some Gulf Coast communities were still cleaning up from Hurricane Ida when Nicolas caused further flood and wind damage.

An unusual outbreak of tornadoes occurred in late fall in several central and southeastern states. The tornadoes included two EF-4 twisters that plowed across Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Tornadoes are considered EF-4 on the five-level Enhanced Fujita Scale if their sustained wind speeds range from 207 to 260 mph. This was the deadliest December tornado event on record, beating a similar outbreak in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1953.

Just days after a tornado outbreak in central and southern states, parts of Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin were struck with hurricane force wind gusts from a storm system that also produced more than 50 tornadoes, inflicting widespread damage to properties and infrastructure. Minnesota recorded its first December tornadoes since 1950.

Public and private properties were significantly damaged across the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida by an outbreak of 83 tornadoes, including three considered “Strong” on the Enhanced Fujita Scale of tornado intensity. A school, a municipal airport and many homes and businesses in Washington County Arkansas were damaged by one of these stronger tornadoes.

A springtime outbreak of 100 tornadoes touched down in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, including 13 that registered as “Strong” to “Violent” on the Enhanced Fujita Scale of tornado intensity. The strongest of these tornadoes struck Pembroke, Georgia, with sustained winds of 185 mph, wrecking several neighborhoods.

Severe weather erupted across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Hail contributed to damage in Central Arkansas while damaging high winds blew across central Mississippi, northeast Arkansas, and west-central Kentucky. Hail damage from this system was also reported in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Communities from south-central Minnesota to western Wisconsin experienced hail storms, with hail as large as a baseball in some places. The storm damaged properties and public infrastructure.

Parts of South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Nebraska were struck with severe weather that brought damaging high winds and hail. More than two dozen tornadoes touched down in eastern South Dakota and central Minnesota, damaging properties and crops.

Just 10 days after sustaining extensive damage from a hail storm, parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin bore the brunt of another series of hail storms. Some of the hail was reported to be as large as a golf ball, enough to damage rooftops, vehicles, and infrastructure.

Parts of Ohio, Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado were struck with severe weather that brought damaging hail and high winds and more than two dozen tornadoes. Nebraska was particularly hard hit, with the weather system causing extensive damage to property, infrastructure, and crops.