Weather of 2001
A year of extreme heat, floods, and active cyclones.
Last updated
The year 2001 began with a La Niña and featured several natural disasters from tornadoes, floods, and tropical cyclones. It was the second hottest year on record at the time, behind 1998, with unusually active Atlantic and Pacific tropical storm seasons. The deadliest disaster was Typhoon Lingling in November, causing 379 fatalities, while the costliest was Hurricane Michelle, with $2.43 billion in damages.
Quick Facts
- Deadliest disaster
- Typhoon Lingling (379 fatalities)
- Costliest event
- Hurricane Michelle ($2.43 billion)
- Us tornado count
- 1,215
- Us tornado deaths
- 40
Facts from the source article.
Droughts, heat waves, and wildfires
A severe heat wave in May struck parts of India, causing over 1,000 deaths. Large wildfires in California killed over 2 people, destroyed over 390 buildings, and caused US$196 million in damages. The Observation Fire burned over 67,000 acres, while the Poe Fire in September was the most destructive, injuring over 23 people and destroying more than 133 buildings with no fatalities.
Floods
In April, a historic flood on the Upper Mississippi River reached its highest levels since 1965, washing away many homes. On May 21, a flood in Lensk, Russia destroyed over 400 homes and left over 2,000 people homeless. On June 4, Tropical Storm Allison triggered the 2001 Southeastern United States floods, killing over 30 people in the Houston area and leaving over 40,000 homeless.
Tornadoes
The United States recorded 1,215 tornadoes resulting in 40 deaths. A February outbreak caused $35 million in damage and killed 6 people. An April outbreak killed 4 and injured 18.
Tropical cyclones
The deadliest tropical cyclone was Lingling in the West Pacific, causing 379 fatalities in the Philippines and Vietnam. The costliest was Hurricane Michelle, with $2.43 billion in damage as it affected the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas in late October. Twenty-three Category 3 and two Category 5 tropical cyclones formed, with an ACE index of 672.4 units.
More in Weather-related Lists
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Weather of 2001 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced