Hurricane Ida

This article is about the 2021 Atlantic hurricane. For other storms of the same name, see List of storms named Ida.
Not to be confused with Cyclone Idai or Cyclone Ita.

Hurricane Ida
Hurricane Ida at peak intensity nearing landfall in Louisiana on August 29
Meteorological history
FormedAugust 26, 2021
ExtratropicalSeptember 1, 2021
DissipatedSeptember 5, 2021
Category 4 major hurricane
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds150 mph (240 km/h)
Lowest pressure929 mbar (hPa); 27.43 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities112 total
Damage$75.3 billion (2021 USD)
(Eighth-costliest tropical cyclone on record; Seventh-costliest in U.S. history)
Areas affectedVenezuela, Colombia, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Gulf Coast of the United States (mainly Louisiana), East Coast of the United States (mainly the Northeastern U.S.), Atlantic Canada
IBTrACSEdit this at Wikidata
Part of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season
Effects

Other wikis

Hurricane Ida was a deadly and extremely destructive tropical cyclone in 2021 that became the second-most damaging and intense hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. state of Louisiana on record, behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In terms of maximum sustained winds at landfall (150 mph or 240 km/h), Ida tied 2020's Hurricane Laura and the 1856 Last Island hurricane as the strongest on record to hit the state.[1] The remnants of the storm also caused a tornado outbreak and catastrophic flooding across the Northeastern United States. The ninth named storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, Ida originated from a tropical wave in the Caribbean Sea on August 23. On August 26, the wave developed into a tropical depression, which organized further and became Tropical Storm Ida later that day, near Grand Cayman. Amid favorable conditions, Ida intensified into a hurricane on August 27, just before moving over western Cuba. A day later, the hurricane underwent rapid intensification over the Gulf of Mexico, and reached its peak intensity as a strong Category 4 hurricane while approaching the northern Gulf Coast, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 929 millibars (27.4 inHg). On August 29, the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall, Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, devastating the town of Grand Isle. Ida weakened steadily over land, becoming a tropical depression on August 30, as it turned northeastward. On September 1, Ida transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone as it accelerated through the Northeastern United States, breaking multiple rainfall records in various locations before moving out into the Atlantic on the next day. Afterward, Ida's remnant moved into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and stalled there for a couple of days, before being absorbed into another developing low-pressure area early on September 5.

The precursor to Ida caused catastrophic and deadly flash flooding in Venezuela. Ida knocked down palm trees and destroyed many homes in Cuba during its brief passage over the country.[2] Throughout its path of destruction in Louisiana, more than a million people in total had no electrical power. Widespread heavy infrastructural damage occurred throughout the southeastern portion of the state, as well as extremely heavy flooding in coastal areas. New Orleans' levees survived (unlike during Katrina),[3] though power line damage was extensive throughout the whole city. There was also substantial plant destruction in the state. Numerous tornadoes were spawned by Ida as it moved over the Eastern United States. The remnants of the storm produced unexpectedly severe damage in the Northeastern United States on September 1–2. Several intense tornadoes and catastrophic flash flooding swept through the entire region, which had already been impacted by several tropical cyclones, Elsa, Fred, and Henri during July and August. The flooding in New York City prompted the shutdown of much of the transportation system.

Ida is the sixth-costliest tropical cyclone on record, and the fourth-costliest Atlantic hurricane in the United States, having caused at least $75.25 billion (2021 USD) in damages.[4][5][6][7] Of this total, at least $18 billion was in insured losses in Louisiana, $250 million was in Cuba, and $584 million was from agriculture damage in the U.S., surpassing Hurricane Ike of 2008. CoreLogic estimated that Ida caused an estimated $16 to 24 billion in flooding damage in the Northeastern United States, making it the costliest storm to hit the region since Hurricane Sandy in 2012,[8] with an estimated $44 billion in insured loss.[9]

A total of 112 deaths were attributed to Ida, including 92 in the United States and 20 in Venezuela. In the United States, 32 deaths were in New Jersey, 30 in Louisiana, 18 in New York, 5 in Pennsylvania, 2 in Mississippi, 2 in Alabama, 2 in Maryland, 1 in Connecticut, and 1 in Virginia.[4][10] There was also a remarkable number of hospitalizations and deaths in the Greater New Orleans Area as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning while using portable gas generators with inadequate ventilation,[11][12] including three in a family of four in Marrero, Louisiana on September 1, 2021.[13][14]

  1. ^ Krueger, Adam (August 30, 2021). "How Ida compares to Louisiana's strongest hurricanes". Houston, Texas: KIAH. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference ReliefWeb Ida was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "New Orleans Levees Passed Hurricane Ida's Test, But Some Suburbs Flooded". NPR. August 31, 2021. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Beven, John L.; Hagen, Andrew; Berg, Robbie (April 4, 2022). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ida (PDF) (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  5. ^ "Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters: Events". Asheville, North Carolina: National Centers for Environmental Information. January 10, 2022. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  6. ^ Rebeca Santana; Melinda Deslatte; Janet McConaughey (September 2, 2021). "After Ida, small recovery signs amid daunting destruction". The Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  7. ^ Global Catastrophe Recap September 2021 (PDF) (Report). Aon Benfield. October 12, 2021. pp. 13–14. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  8. ^ Robin Wachner (September 8, 2021). "CoreLogic Estimates $16 Billion to $24 Billion in Insured and Uninsured Flood Losses in the Northeast from Tropical Storm Ida". CoreLogic. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  9. ^ Matthew Lener (September 16, 2021). "Hurricane Ida loss estimate up to $44B: RMS - Business Insurance". Business Insurance. Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  10. ^ Hanchey, Arianna (2021). "Notes from the Field: Deaths Related to Hurricane Ida Reported by Media — Nine States, August 29–September 9, 2021". MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 70 (39): 1385–1386. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7039a3. ISSN 0149-2195. PMC 8486388. PMID 34591832.
  11. ^ Vargas, Ramon Antonio (September 1, 2021). "Frightening surge in carbon monoxide poisonings after Hurricane Ida: Generators 'can kill'". The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  12. ^ Abigail Jones (September 2, 2021). "LDH confirms four additional Hurricane Ida-related deaths". KLFY. Archived from the original on September 3, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  13. ^ Roberts, Faimon (September 2, 2021). "3 killed by carbon monoxide poisoning from generator use in Marrero". The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  14. ^ Vargas, Ramon Antonio (September 5, 2021). "Dad who lost kids to post-Ida CO poisoning wants all generators to include life-saving detectors". The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.