Timeline of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season | |||||
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![]() Season summary map | |||||
Season boundaries | |||||
First system formed | May 22, 2021 | ||||
Last system dissipated | November 7, 2021 | ||||
Strongest system | |||||
Name | Sam | ||||
Maximum winds | 155 mph (250 km/h) (1-minute sustained) | ||||
Lowest pressure | 927 mbar (hPa; 27.37 inHg) | ||||
Longest lasting system | |||||
Name | Sam | ||||
Duration | 12.5 days | ||||
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The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season was the third most active Atlantic hurricane season on record with 21 named storms, and the sixth consecutive year in which there was above-average tropical cyclone activity[nb 1][2] The season officially began on June 1, 2021, and ended on November 30, 2021. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when most Northern Atlantic tropical cyclones form.[3] However, tropical cyclone formation is possible at any time of the year, as was the case this season, when Tropical Storm Ana formed on May 22. The season's final system, Tropical Storm Wanda, dissipated on November 7. Of the season's 21 named storms, seven became hurricanes, and four further intensified into major hurricanes.[nb 2][5] The season's most devastating storm was Hurricane Ida. It made landfall in Louisiana with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h), destroying coastal communities in its path; parts of the New Orleans metropolitan area were left without power for several weeks.[6] The storm caused an estimated $75 billion (2021 USD) in damages in the U.S. and it was responsible for 87 deaths.[7] Over half of those deaths occurred in New York and New Jersey, as the hurricane's remnants brought rains that triggered widespread flooding throughout that region.[6] Additionally, heavy rains caused widespread flooding and landslides across Venezuela as Ida's precursor tropical wave passed though the southeastern Caribbean Sea, resulting in at least 20 deaths.[8] In April 2022, the name Ida was retired from reuse in the North Atlantic by the World Meteorological Organization due to the extraordinary amount of damage and number of fatalities it caused.[9]
This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. It includes information that was not released throughout the season, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center, such as a storm that was not initially warned upon, has been included.
By convention, meteorologists use one time zone when issuing forecasts and making observations: Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and also use the 24-hour clock (where 00:00 = midnight UTC).[10] The National Hurricane Center uses both UTC and the time zone where the center of the tropical cyclone is currently located. The time zones utilized (east to west) are: Greenwich, Cape Verde, Atlantic, Eastern, and Central.[11] In this timeline, all information is listed by UTC first, with the respective regional time zone included in parentheses. Additionally, figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (knots, miles, or kilometers), following National Hurricane Center practice. Direct wind observations are rounded to the nearest whole number. Atmospheric pressures are listed to the nearest millibar and nearest hundredth of an inch of mercury.
May 22
May 23
June 1
June 14
June 15
June 16
June 19
June 21
June 22
June 27
June 28
June 29
June 30
July 1
July 2
July 3
July 5
July 7
July 9
August 11
August 12
August 13
August 14
August 15
August 16
August 17
August 18
August 19
August 20
August 21
August 22
August 23
August 26
August 27
August 28
August 29
August 30
August 31
September 1
September 2
September 3
September 4
September 5
September 7
September 8
September 9
September 10
September 11
September 12
September 14
September 15
September 17
September 18
September 19
September 21
September 22
September 23
September 24
September 25
September 26
September 27
September 28
September 29
October 1
October 2
October 3
October 4
October 5
October 30
October 31
November 1
November 7
November 30