Hurricane Michelle (2001)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

October 29, 2001 to November 6, 2001

Peak strength

Category 4, 120 kt (138 mph)

Lowest pressure

933 mb (27.55 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

15.7

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

200 nmi (370 km, 230 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

15 nmi (28 km, 17 mi)

Overall size

225 nmi (417 km, 259 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Fastest the center moved

33 kt (38 mph)

Identifier

AL152001

Radar at KBYX as it neared land, Nov 4, 23:00 UTC

The sources count different things and are not added together.

Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.

NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.

Deaths

0 (0 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

0

Property damage

$84,000

Crop damage

$2,000

Events recorded

9 in 5 reports from 1 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

6 hurricane (typhoon), 2 tornado, 1 flood.

2 tornadoes recorded in the United States, strongest first.

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 343 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 4.99 inches (127 mm).

WPC’s storm rainfall file, 1900 to 2020, compiled by David Roth.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

Nearly a week of moderate to strong onshore winds, culminating with the approach of hurricane Michelle, produced coastal flooding from Hollywood Beach to Hallandale Beach. The flooding was worst near the time of high tide and involved damage to sea walls and other coastal structures. Water flowed across the "broadwalk" and into some businesses. Beach erosion in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties during the entire event was moderate to locally severe. Beach renourishment costs are estimated at over $10 million.

Broward, Florida · Flood · Nov 2, 13:00 UTC

A tornado, associated with an outer rain band of hurricane Michelle, touched down about one mile north of Belle Glade and moved south at 30 mph through a portion of downtown Belle Glade. Windows were blown out of vehicles and buildings near the Palm Beach Government complex. Trees and signs were blown over and a swath of sugar cane was flattened.

Palm Beach, Florida · Tornado · Nov 5, 19:03 UTC

• Tropical Storm AllisonNorth Atlantic · 2001 · 52 deaths · $9.0 billionTropical Storm50 kt · 1000 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2001Tropical Depression25 kt · 1010 mb
• Tropical Storm BarryNorth Atlantic · 2001 · 9 deaths · $30 millionTropical Storm60 kt · 990 mb
• Tropical Storm ChantalNorth Atlantic · 2001Tropical Storm60 kt · 997 mb
• Tropical Storm DeanNorth Atlantic · 2001Tropical Storm60 kt · 994 mb
• Hurricane ErinNorth Atlantic · 2001Cat 3105 kt · 968 mb
• Hurricane FelixNorth Atlantic · 2001Cat 3100 kt · 962 mb
• Hurricane GabrielleNorth Atlantic · 2001 · 3 deathsCat 170 kt · 975 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2001Tropical Depression30 kt · 1005 mb
• Hurricane HumbertoNorth Atlantic · 2001Cat 290 kt · 970 mb
• Hurricane IrisNorth Atlantic · 2001Cat 4125 kt · 948 mb
• Tropical Storm JerryNorth Atlantic · 2001Tropical Storm45 kt · 1004 mb
• Hurricane KarenNorth Atlantic · 2001Cat 170 kt · 982 mb
• Tropical Storm LorenzoNorth Atlantic · 2001Tropical Storm35 kt · 1007 mb
• Hurricane NoelNorth Atlantic · 2001Cat 165 kt · 986 mb
• Hurricane OlgaNorth Atlantic · 2001Cat 180 kt · 973 mb

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

• Tropical cyclone report, National Hurricane Center
• Every advisory and discussion NHC issued while it was live
• Wikipedia article: Hurricane Michelle