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2023 Year in Review: Billion-Dollar Disasters: July to September
December 21, 2023 at 08:36 AM EST
By WeatherBug Meteorologists, James Aman, Molly Robinson and Dan Rupp
After a costly first half of the month, Mother Nature did not let up through September. Damages from severe weather, deadly wildfires, drought and hurricanes exceed $25 billion from July to September. In total, there were 25 Billion Dollar disasters in 2023, setting a new record.
July
Northeastern Flooding & North Central Severe Weather (July 9-15, 2023)
A low pressure system pulled an abundance of moisture northward from the warm Atlantic waters on July 9th to the 11th. This created catastrophic flooding in the Northeast, more specifically Vermont where the city of Montpelier received a record-breaking amount of more than 5 inches of rain. The highest rainfall amount was reported in Calais, Vt., where over 9 inches of rain was reported. Multiple rivers reached major flood stage as a result. Thousands of homes flooded across the Northeast and caused more than $100 million dollars of damage in West Point, N.Y., alone. Sadly, 10 people were killed due to the heavy rainfall.
In the North-Central U.S., a couple cold fronts brought a large amount of high winds and hail reports, including several tornadoes in and around the Chicago area. Severe weather took place over several days from July 9th through the 15th with winds over 80 mph reported in spots along with hail larger than baseballs. In total the flooding and severe weather cost $2.2 billion.
North Central & Southeastern Severe Weather (July 19-21, 2023)
A cold front moving across the central and eastern U.S. brought a few days of severe weather from Minnesota and Colorado to the Mid-Atlantic and South Carolina coast on July 19-21. Storm reports included baseball size hail in Minnesota, Wyoming, and Michigan, straight-line winds estimated near 115 mph in Wallace, Kan., and a tornado in the mountains northwest of Colorado Springs, Colo. One person was killed in Utah with storm damage amounting to $1.7 billion.
North Central & Eastern Severe Weather (July 28-29, 2023)
A low pressure system that tracked across the lower Great Lakes produced a swath of all types of severe weather from central Nebraska and central Wisconsin to the Mid-Atlantic and southward along the Appalachian spine on July 28-29. Sixteen tornadoes were reported in the Midwest along with grapefruit-sized hail seen in Fremont, Neb. Wind gusts greater than 80 mph were also felt in the Washington, DC area. Two people were killed with $1.5 billion in storm damage.
August
Northeastern and Eastern Tornado Outbreak (August 5-8, 2023)
In early August of 2023, a very active severe weather pattern took place, leading to several tornados from the Midwest and Central U.S. to the Eastern U.S.. The majority of the tornadoes, however, took place in the Eastern U.S. on August 7th. This event for the Eastern U.S. all began with a surface low pressure system from the Central U.S. over the weekend, moving through the Midwest and later through the Northeast to begin the new week. This system also dragged a cold front across the Eastern Seaboard. Plenty of instability and energy combined with strong winds aloft and a very moist air lead to the ingredients needed for this severe event to occur. The Storm Prediction Center issued a Moderate Risk on August 7th for the Mid-Atlantic, which is a level 4 out of 5 on their severe weather scale. The main threat on this day was wind gusts in excess of 75 mph, but there was still upside potential to large hail as well as tornadoes. This threat was particularly concerning as major metropolitan cities were expected to be impacted, including Washington D.C., and Philadelphia.
As a result, 14 tornadoes occurred across New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Jersey alone. Additionally, another 7 tornadoes occurred across Indiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky and West Virginia on August 7th as well. Several tornadoes also occurred across the Central Plains and Midwest leading up to the major Northeast event. Most of these tornadoes were rated as an EF-0 or EF-1, but a couple registered as an EF-2 or EF-3. One of the EF-3 tornadoes ripped through Lewis County, N.Y., causing significant damage to trees and buildings as well as a ski resort. On top of the tornado reports, there were also 15 areas reporting straight-line wind damage with peak wind speeds of 110 mph. There was even softball-sized hail reported in Washington County, Md., and tennis ball-sized in Preston County, W.V., both of these hail reports would be the largest hailstone reported on record since 1950. Rain was also a major concern where 3.5 inches of rain fell in Dorchester County, Md., and 7 inches reported in Onondaga County, N.Y. In total, 2 people died and 2 people were injured and a whopping $1.6 billion in damages was reported as well as over 1.1 million power outages.
2023 Hawaii Wildfires (August 2023)
Another major event in early August of 2023 were the wildfires in Hawaii, most notably on the island of Maui. The meteorological setup was a contributing factor to the development of these fires. A large area of high pressure was to the north of the islands, leading to warm and sunny weather. To the south of the islands was Hurricane Dora, which was intensifying to a Category 4. As a result, there was a large pressure gradient, or difference in pressure, that led to strong winds across the islands. On top of this, there was also an influx of very dry air, which limited any potential rain and led to well below normal humidity values for the state. With the very dry air, the low humidity values, the warm temperatures and strong winds, all the ingredients needed to fuel wildfires were in place. Majority of the brush fires on Maui started early on August 8th thanks in large part to the strong winds knocking down power lines, which may have ignited the brush fires. With the downed lines, many residents were left without power on the island.
The first of the fires began early on August 8th in Kula, Maui, but the most significant fire was later in the morning that same day in Lahaina, Maui. The fire was at first fully contained by the late morning, but with wind gusts peaking at 80 mph, the fire reignited later in the afternoon, causing evacuations and shelter in place orders. Again with wildfire fuel ingredients well in place, this particular fire quickly grew in size and intensity, causing hundreds of homes burning in minutes and many residents attempting to flee with walls of fire surrounding them. This wildfire eventually made its way into the center of Lahaina within an hour with little evacuation notice for residents. As a last ditch effort, many people jumped into the ocean to survive. Failed infrastructure also played a role in the size of this wildfire as water pressure in the fire hydrants were weak, leading to weak streams of water spewing from the hoses, and that the civil defense sirens were not activated, despite Hawaii having one of the world’s largest outdoor siren warning system. Combined that with power outages, many residents were left with little to no warning on the intensity and danger of the wildfires. In total, there were 4 reported fires, burning over 17,000 acres between August 8th and August 11th. One hundred people died with over 65 people injured. By the end of August, there were reports over 1,000 people missing. As of mid-November, this number has dropped to just 4 people unaccounted for. This was the fifth deadliest wildfire in U.S. history with a total of $5.5 billion reported in damages.
Minnesota Hail Storms (August, 11, 2023)
The Eastern U.S. weren’t the only ones experiencing a costly severe weather event in early August as Minnesota had their share on August 11th. A low pressure system was moving through the Midwest on this day and with ample winds aloft along with moderate instability, the Storm Prediction Center decided to issue a Slight Risk, or a level 2 out of 5 on the severe scale, for eastern Minnesota during the afternoon and evening hours. The main threats would be large hail and wind gusts exceeding 55 mph, but the Storm Prediction Center had a higher threat for hail further to the south in northwestern Missouri. Thunderstorms in eastern Minnesota began ramping up during the late afternoon hours and moved in an east-southeast direction. Early reports identified golf ball-sized hail and 76 mph wind gusts west of Mille Lacs Lake, Minn. Thunderstorms would later surround Minneapolis by the early evening and lasted only a couple hours. These storms produced various sized hail from ping pong balls to as large as baseballs. Gusty winds nearing 70 mph were also reported.
As a result to the Twin Cities’ thunderstorms, there was a plethora of damage to cars as well as businesses and homes, including rooftops, windows and siding. In total, there was an estimated $1.5 billion in damages in that short two hours alone.
Hurricane Idalia Slams the Southeast (August 29-31, 2023)
A weak trough of low pressure moved up from the Pacific Ocean and across Central America into the very warm waters of the Caribbean Sea and became a Tropical Depression on August 26th. The next day it strengthened into Tropical Storm Idalia. It moved northwards past the west end of Cuba into the Gulf of Mexico and became a Category 1 hurricane early on the 29th. Idalia underwent rapid intensification during the next 24 hours, briefly reaching Category 4 intensity very early on August 30th. Later that morning, Idalia made landfall in the Big Bend area of the Florida Panhandle as a Category 3 hurricane. Idalia weakened as it tracked across southeastern Georgia that afternoon and was downgraded to a tropical storm that evening in South Carolina.
Hurricane Idalia caused a devasting storm-surge of 7 to 12 feet above normal sea level in Levy, Dixie, and Taylor counties of Florida. Water levels tied or exceeded tide records set during the “storm of the century” in 1993. In addition to widespread flooding, power outages reached nearly 100% across these counties. Extensive damage to timber occurred in this area, and the damage extended well up into southeastern Georgia. Scattered small tornadoes caused additional damage in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. At least 10 people were killed in incidents related to Hurricane Idalia, mainly due to falling trees and traffic accidents. Insured losses from wind damage are estimated at a couple of billion dollars, and agricultural and flood damage could total nearly a billion additional dollars.
September
Southern Hail Storms (September 23-24, 2023)
A storm system began developing on September 21st and 22nd over Colorado, Wyoming and western Nebraska, causing scattered severe thunderstorms. In southwestern Nebraska, an 81-mph gust occurred near McCook, and 4-inch hailstones fell near Lexington. By September 23rd, the storm system stretched from South Dakota to northern Texas. This caused widespread severe thunderstorms across Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, with over 80 reports of large hail, including several reports of 3 to 4-inch hail in Oklahoma. On September 24th, the storm reached its greatest extent, covering an area from North Dakota down to central Texas. Hailstorms this day were concentrated over Texas, with over 100 reports of large hail.
The most damaging impacts were in central Texas, including Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock and Arlington. Towns north of Austin were impacted by baseball-sized hail causing damage to homes, vehicles and businesses. Losses were estimated at $300 million in Travis County, and another $300 million in Williamson County. According to a report on KXAN-TV, one single car dealership had over 750 cars pummeled by huge hail, resulting in $27 million in damages.
Drought, Extreme Heat Desiccates South and Midwest (April Through September 2023)
Prolonged drought had impacted numerous Southern and Midwestern states during much of the 2023 growing season. This included large portions of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa. The agriculture sector had been impacted across these affected states including damage to field crops from lack of rainfall. Ranchers were also forced to sell-off livestock early in some regions due to high feeding costs. For the second straight year, portions of the Mississippi River have experienced low water levels impacting river commerce. Shallow waters mean river barges cannot be fully loaded, and the Army Corps of Engineers has spent millions of dollars in dredging to maintain a navigable river channel. This low flow has also allowed salt water from the Gulf of Mexico to migrate northward, along the bottom of the Mississippi River, impacting water quality in southern Louisiana. Drought also impacted several states in the Northwest, including Washington, Oregon and Montana. Nationwide, total crop insurance payouts by the US Department of Agriculture have reached over $9 billion so far this year.
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Image Courtesy of U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Michael Davis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
July
Northeastern Flooding & North Central Severe Weather (July 9-15, 2023)
A low pressure system pulled an abundance of moisture northward from the warm Atlantic waters on July 9th to the 11th. This created catastrophic flooding in the Northeast, more specifically Vermont where the city of Montpelier received a record-breaking amount of more than 5 inches of rain. The highest rainfall amount was reported in Calais, Vt., where over 9 inches of rain was reported. Multiple rivers reached major flood stage as a result. Thousands of homes flooded across the Northeast and caused more than $100 million dollars of damage in West Point, N.Y., alone. Sadly, 10 people were killed due to the heavy rainfall.
In the North-Central U.S., a couple cold fronts brought a large amount of high winds and hail reports, including several tornadoes in and around the Chicago area. Severe weather took place over several days from July 9th through the 15th with winds over 80 mph reported in spots along with hail larger than baseballs. In total the flooding and severe weather cost $2.2 billion.
North Central & Southeastern Severe Weather (July 19-21, 2023)
A cold front moving across the central and eastern U.S. brought a few days of severe weather from Minnesota and Colorado to the Mid-Atlantic and South Carolina coast on July 19-21. Storm reports included baseball size hail in Minnesota, Wyoming, and Michigan, straight-line winds estimated near 115 mph in Wallace, Kan., and a tornado in the mountains northwest of Colorado Springs, Colo. One person was killed in Utah with storm damage amounting to $1.7 billion.
North Central & Eastern Severe Weather (July 28-29, 2023)
A low pressure system that tracked across the lower Great Lakes produced a swath of all types of severe weather from central Nebraska and central Wisconsin to the Mid-Atlantic and southward along the Appalachian spine on July 28-29. Sixteen tornadoes were reported in the Midwest along with grapefruit-sized hail seen in Fremont, Neb. Wind gusts greater than 80 mph were also felt in the Washington, DC area. Two people were killed with $1.5 billion in storm damage.
August
Northeastern and Eastern Tornado Outbreak (August 5-8, 2023)
In early August of 2023, a very active severe weather pattern took place, leading to several tornados from the Midwest and Central U.S. to the Eastern U.S.. The majority of the tornadoes, however, took place in the Eastern U.S. on August 7th. This event for the Eastern U.S. all began with a surface low pressure system from the Central U.S. over the weekend, moving through the Midwest and later through the Northeast to begin the new week. This system also dragged a cold front across the Eastern Seaboard. Plenty of instability and energy combined with strong winds aloft and a very moist air lead to the ingredients needed for this severe event to occur. The Storm Prediction Center issued a Moderate Risk on August 7th for the Mid-Atlantic, which is a level 4 out of 5 on their severe weather scale. The main threat on this day was wind gusts in excess of 75 mph, but there was still upside potential to large hail as well as tornadoes. This threat was particularly concerning as major metropolitan cities were expected to be impacted, including Washington D.C., and Philadelphia.
As a result, 14 tornadoes occurred across New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Jersey alone. Additionally, another 7 tornadoes occurred across Indiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky and West Virginia on August 7th as well. Several tornadoes also occurred across the Central Plains and Midwest leading up to the major Northeast event. Most of these tornadoes were rated as an EF-0 or EF-1, but a couple registered as an EF-2 or EF-3. One of the EF-3 tornadoes ripped through Lewis County, N.Y., causing significant damage to trees and buildings as well as a ski resort. On top of the tornado reports, there were also 15 areas reporting straight-line wind damage with peak wind speeds of 110 mph. There was even softball-sized hail reported in Washington County, Md., and tennis ball-sized in Preston County, W.V., both of these hail reports would be the largest hailstone reported on record since 1950. Rain was also a major concern where 3.5 inches of rain fell in Dorchester County, Md., and 7 inches reported in Onondaga County, N.Y. In total, 2 people died and 2 people were injured and a whopping $1.6 billion in damages was reported as well as over 1.1 million power outages.
2023 Hawaii Wildfires (August 2023)
Another major event in early August of 2023 were the wildfires in Hawaii, most notably on the island of Maui. The meteorological setup was a contributing factor to the development of these fires. A large area of high pressure was to the north of the islands, leading to warm and sunny weather. To the south of the islands was Hurricane Dora, which was intensifying to a Category 4. As a result, there was a large pressure gradient, or difference in pressure, that led to strong winds across the islands. On top of this, there was also an influx of very dry air, which limited any potential rain and led to well below normal humidity values for the state. With the very dry air, the low humidity values, the warm temperatures and strong winds, all the ingredients needed to fuel wildfires were in place. Majority of the brush fires on Maui started early on August 8th thanks in large part to the strong winds knocking down power lines, which may have ignited the brush fires. With the downed lines, many residents were left without power on the island.
The first of the fires began early on August 8th in Kula, Maui, but the most significant fire was later in the morning that same day in Lahaina, Maui. The fire was at first fully contained by the late morning, but with wind gusts peaking at 80 mph, the fire reignited later in the afternoon, causing evacuations and shelter in place orders. Again with wildfire fuel ingredients well in place, this particular fire quickly grew in size and intensity, causing hundreds of homes burning in minutes and many residents attempting to flee with walls of fire surrounding them. This wildfire eventually made its way into the center of Lahaina within an hour with little evacuation notice for residents. As a last ditch effort, many people jumped into the ocean to survive. Failed infrastructure also played a role in the size of this wildfire as water pressure in the fire hydrants were weak, leading to weak streams of water spewing from the hoses, and that the civil defense sirens were not activated, despite Hawaii having one of the world’s largest outdoor siren warning system. Combined that with power outages, many residents were left with little to no warning on the intensity and danger of the wildfires. In total, there were 4 reported fires, burning over 17,000 acres between August 8th and August 11th. One hundred people died with over 65 people injured. By the end of August, there were reports over 1,000 people missing. As of mid-November, this number has dropped to just 4 people unaccounted for. This was the fifth deadliest wildfire in U.S. history with a total of $5.5 billion reported in damages.
Minnesota Hail Storms (August, 11, 2023)
The Eastern U.S. weren’t the only ones experiencing a costly severe weather event in early August as Minnesota had their share on August 11th. A low pressure system was moving through the Midwest on this day and with ample winds aloft along with moderate instability, the Storm Prediction Center decided to issue a Slight Risk, or a level 2 out of 5 on the severe scale, for eastern Minnesota during the afternoon and evening hours. The main threats would be large hail and wind gusts exceeding 55 mph, but the Storm Prediction Center had a higher threat for hail further to the south in northwestern Missouri. Thunderstorms in eastern Minnesota began ramping up during the late afternoon hours and moved in an east-southeast direction. Early reports identified golf ball-sized hail and 76 mph wind gusts west of Mille Lacs Lake, Minn. Thunderstorms would later surround Minneapolis by the early evening and lasted only a couple hours. These storms produced various sized hail from ping pong balls to as large as baseballs. Gusty winds nearing 70 mph were also reported.
As a result to the Twin Cities’ thunderstorms, there was a plethora of damage to cars as well as businesses and homes, including rooftops, windows and siding. In total, there was an estimated $1.5 billion in damages in that short two hours alone.
Hurricane Idalia Slams the Southeast (August 29-31, 2023)
A weak trough of low pressure moved up from the Pacific Ocean and across Central America into the very warm waters of the Caribbean Sea and became a Tropical Depression on August 26th. The next day it strengthened into Tropical Storm Idalia. It moved northwards past the west end of Cuba into the Gulf of Mexico and became a Category 1 hurricane early on the 29th. Idalia underwent rapid intensification during the next 24 hours, briefly reaching Category 4 intensity very early on August 30th. Later that morning, Idalia made landfall in the Big Bend area of the Florida Panhandle as a Category 3 hurricane. Idalia weakened as it tracked across southeastern Georgia that afternoon and was downgraded to a tropical storm that evening in South Carolina.
Hurricane Idalia caused a devasting storm-surge of 7 to 12 feet above normal sea level in Levy, Dixie, and Taylor counties of Florida. Water levels tied or exceeded tide records set during the “storm of the century” in 1993. In addition to widespread flooding, power outages reached nearly 100% across these counties. Extensive damage to timber occurred in this area, and the damage extended well up into southeastern Georgia. Scattered small tornadoes caused additional damage in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. At least 10 people were killed in incidents related to Hurricane Idalia, mainly due to falling trees and traffic accidents. Insured losses from wind damage are estimated at a couple of billion dollars, and agricultural and flood damage could total nearly a billion additional dollars.
September
Southern Hail Storms (September 23-24, 2023)
A storm system began developing on September 21st and 22nd over Colorado, Wyoming and western Nebraska, causing scattered severe thunderstorms. In southwestern Nebraska, an 81-mph gust occurred near McCook, and 4-inch hailstones fell near Lexington. By September 23rd, the storm system stretched from South Dakota to northern Texas. This caused widespread severe thunderstorms across Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, with over 80 reports of large hail, including several reports of 3 to 4-inch hail in Oklahoma. On September 24th, the storm reached its greatest extent, covering an area from North Dakota down to central Texas. Hailstorms this day were concentrated over Texas, with over 100 reports of large hail.
The most damaging impacts were in central Texas, including Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock and Arlington. Towns north of Austin were impacted by baseball-sized hail causing damage to homes, vehicles and businesses. Losses were estimated at $300 million in Travis County, and another $300 million in Williamson County. According to a report on KXAN-TV, one single car dealership had over 750 cars pummeled by huge hail, resulting in $27 million in damages.
Drought, Extreme Heat Desiccates South and Midwest (April Through September 2023)
Prolonged drought had impacted numerous Southern and Midwestern states during much of the 2023 growing season. This included large portions of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa. The agriculture sector had been impacted across these affected states including damage to field crops from lack of rainfall. Ranchers were also forced to sell-off livestock early in some regions due to high feeding costs. For the second straight year, portions of the Mississippi River have experienced low water levels impacting river commerce. Shallow waters mean river barges cannot be fully loaded, and the Army Corps of Engineers has spent millions of dollars in dredging to maintain a navigable river channel. This low flow has also allowed salt water from the Gulf of Mexico to migrate northward, along the bottom of the Mississippi River, impacting water quality in southern Louisiana. Drought also impacted several states in the Northwest, including Washington, Oregon and Montana. Nationwide, total crop insurance payouts by the US Department of Agriculture have reached over $9 billion so far this year.
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Image Courtesy of U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Michael Davis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons