Hurricane Season 2021, A Recap

4/18/2022 (Permalink)

Hurricane Ida plows into the Louisiana coast on August 29th, on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

When looking back at last year for 2021 we dodged some bullets here in the Lowcountry when it comes to major storms.  But 2021 wasn’t so kind to the rest of America when we look at last year’s hurricane season and most of that damage was caused by one storm, Hurricane Ida.

In 2021 we had 21 named storms during the hurricane season which officially starts on June 1^st and ends on November 30^th.  The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is September 10^th.  The 21 named storms for the season was just the third time on record that the seasonal naming list was exhausted.  Total storm damage in dollars was approximately $70 billion in damage.  And the eye-opening detail of that damage in dollars is that Hurricane Ida caused ninety percent of it. 

When Hurricane Ida struck the Louisiana coast on August 29^th it walloped the state with 150 mph winds, the most powerful storm to ever hit the state.  The damage along the Gulf Coast was terrible, temporarily displacing hundreds of thousands of people, with many areas remaining uninhabitable without electricity for weeks.

But the storm didn’t stop in Louisiana, it continued to barrel up the east coast, along the Appalachians, dumping historic amounts of rain all the way up to New York City.  Hurricane Ida caused 95 U.S. deaths, 48 of which were in New York and New Jersey which saw flooded subway systems and basements across the region. 

With the effects of Tropical Storm Free just happening weeks before, Hurricane Ida also flooded Tennessee and North Carolina causing more destruction, and sadly more deaths.  Another example of the widespread destruction this one storm caused. 

With 11 landfalls in the United States in 2020, and 8 landfalls in 2021, we can only assume 2022 will be another year of potentially disastrous storms.  With that knowledge there are many ways to be prepared.  Keeping your eye on this blog is one way to receive great information and tips on how you can protect your property and loved ones. 

SERVPRO of Greater Northern Charleston and Dorchester Country provides the services necessary to mitigate, restore and rebuild your properties after disaster strikes but we can also help you prepare for the worst case scenarios.  Ask us today about our Emergency Ready Plans and what you can do to prepare as homeowner or property owner.