Hurricane Ida (2009)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

November 4, 2009 to November 11, 2009

Peak strength

Category 2, 90 kt (104 mph)

Lowest pressure

975 mb (28.79 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

8.1

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

175 nmi (324 km, 201 mi) from the center at its widest

Hurricane-force wind reached

30 nmi (56 km, 35 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

15 nmi (28 km, 17 mi)

Overall size

170 nmi (315 km, 196 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Peak gust in the best track

110 kt (127 mph)

Fastest the center moved

20 kt (23 mph)

Identifier

AL112009

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

8 (7 direct, 1 indirect)

Injuries

3

Property damage

$259 million

Crop damage

none recorded

Events recorded

280 in 26 reports from 15 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

115 tropical storm, 49 strong wind, 34 tropical depression, 21 coastal flood, 21 flood, 10 high surf, 9 heavy rain, 7 marine high wind, 6 flash flood, 6 high wind, 1 storm surge/tide, 1 thunderstorm wind.

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 3,781 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 18.00 inches (457 mm).

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

The strongest winds National Weather Service offices recorded with this storm. An estimated figure is a forecaster’s judgment from the damage, not an instrument reading.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

Sustained easterly winds of 25-30 mph persisted for over 2 days, with frequent gusts of 35-40 mph. Pompano Beach recorded a peak wind gust of 47 mph at 8 AM on November 9th. Other peak gusts include Virginia Key at 45 mph, Opa-Locka Airport at 40 mph and Palm Beach International Airport and Miami International Airport at 39 mph. These winds produced power outages to approximately 3,000 customers across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Some trees were reported to have toppled and/or uprooted, with the only confirmed report being a snapped pine tree which fell onto a car in Dania Beach, producing damage. Moderate beach erosion was also reported along some southeast Florida beaches.

Coastal Broward County, Florida · Strong Wind · Nov 8, 02:00 UTC

Sustained easterly winds of 25-30 mph persisted for over 2 days, with frequent gusts of 35-40 mph. Pompano Beach recorded a peak wind gust of 47 mph at 8 AM on November 9th. Other peak gusts include Virginia Key at 45 mph, Opa-Locka Airport at 40 mph and Palm Beach International Airport and Miami International Airport at 39 mph. These winds produced power outages to approximately 3,000 customers across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Some trees were reported to have toppled and/or uprooted, with the only confirmed report being a snapped pine tree which fell onto a car in Dania Beach, producing damage. Moderate beach erosion was also reported along some southeast Florida beaches.

Coastal Miami-Dade County, Florida · Strong Wind · Nov 8, 02:00 UTC

Water on Blue Water Highway on November 8th and 9th, enough to close the road evening of November 9th. Several roads closed San Luis Pass and Treasure Island subdivisions. Considerable debris pushed up on roadway in Surfside due to high surf and elevated water levels during evening of November 9th.

Brazoria, Texas · Coastal Flood · Nov 8, 22:00 UTC

High surf and extensive wave run-up along the Baldwin County beaches resulted in an estimated 9 million dollar loss of beach sand along the resort areas from Fort Morgan east to Orange Beach. 20 foot waves also damaged portions of the Gulf State Park Pier near Gulf Shores, which had recently re-opened after being destroyed by Hurricane Ivan. Most of the damage to the pier was from damage to railings, plumbing and outdoor lighting from the movable deck panels being moved by the waves. No dollar damage estimates were available from the Gulf State Park Pier officials.

Lower Baldwin, Alabama · High Surf · Nov 9, 18:00 UTC

A 70 year old man drowned in the Mississippi River near Fort Jackson when he attempted to assist two boaters in distress. Unfortunately, elderly man's boat flipped over and he was thrown into the river and drowned. The initial two boaters were rescued.

Lower Plaquemines, Louisiana · Tropical Storm · Nov 9, 18:00 UTC

Heavy rainfall associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida caused several roads around the cities of Anniston and Saks to become flooded and were temporarily closed. A 3 block area in downtown Anniston was, at one point, under 2.5 feet of water.

Calhoun, Alabama · Flood · Nov 11, 01:00 UTC

The Monroe County Emergency Management Director reported flooding in many areas of the county. Several dirt roads were washed out in low-lying areas by swollen creeks and streams. Some of the roads damaged and closed included Smith Road, Ebenezer Road, Marshall Road, Tredwell Road, and English Road. A Forsyth resident had to be rescued from flood waters at the intersection of Marshall Road and Old Brent Road. Swift flowing water was over one foot deep at the time of this event. Some of the roads remained closed for several days. Damage to culvert pipes and roads was estimated to be $15,000.

Monroe, Georgia · Flood · Nov 11, 03:00 UTC

The Butts County Emergency Management Director reported that portions of Lucy Lane and Lunsford Road were covered with water much of the day and closed. The flooding was a result of high water from the South River at Snapping Shoals. The river crested at 12.9 feet with flood stage at 12.0 feet. Damage was confined to minor debris removal from the affected roads.

Butts, Georgia · Flood · Nov 11, 13:00 UTC

Wind gusts of 40 to 45 mph along with heavy rain resulted in numerous trees falling and knocking down power lines. Several trees fell on three parked tractor trailers near Roanoke Rapids. One of the trucks was destroyed and the driver was trapped. There were no injuries.

Halifax, North Carolina · Strong Wind · Nov 11, 17:00 UTC

Moderate flooding along the Dan River occurred during from November 12th into the 14th. Also, many streams and creeks throughout the county flooded, as a result of 4 to 7 inches falling in the headwaters of the Dan River basin, heading downstream into the county. South Boston experienced the more significant flooding, with damage occurring at the waste water treatment plant. Many secondary roads were also flooded from smaller creeks throughout the county.

Halifax, Virginia · Flood · Nov 12, 00:00 UTC

Significant ocean over-wash and coastal flooding developed over the northern Outer Banks during the early morning hours of November 12th and continued through the early moring hours of November 14th. Areas from Buxton north to Duck had several episodes of coastal flooding, mainly during the high tide cycle. Overall 4 homes were destroyed, 61 had major damage and 465 had minor damage. Highway 12 was severely flooded and destoyed near Rodanthe due to the ocean over-wash. Damage from the coastal flooding was estimated to be 5.8 million dollars.

Eastern Dare, North Carolina · Coastal Flood · Nov 12, 08:00 UTC

Severe beach erosion and cuts into the dunes occurred along the Atlantic Ocean facing beaches. In the Town of Babylon...Ocean Parkway was left 150 ft. from tide line compared with 350 ft. previously. Also an estimated 200,000 cubic yards of sand was lost along a 10,000 ft. stretch of beaches. Damage estimates from locations in Southwest Suffolk County include $ 4 million at Gilgo Beach in Babylon and $ 4.2 million for Davis Park in Brookhaven. At Robert Moses Field 4, 15 ft. were cut into the dune line. There was also erosion on the east side of Field 5. Field 5 may have to be closed next summer due to the lack of beach. At Davis Park on Fire Island, 70 percent of the sand added to the beach in a community funded project was swept away.

Southwest Suffolk, New York · High Surf · Nov 13, 05:00 UTC

Severe beach erosion occurred along with cuts into the dunes across the Atlantic Ocean facing shoreline. The surf carved into the dunes in front of the pavilion at Smith Point County Park. In parts of East Hampton, Bridgehampton, and Quogue, as much as 50 ft. of dunes was eaten away by the high waves. Damages include $ 5.5 million in Quogue and $ 3.9 million at Smith's Point. In Wainscott, the pavement at the end of Beach Lane collapsed on November 14th. In Bridgehampton, homes along Surfside Drive that once had wide dunes between them and the ocean now peek out onto the beach over narrow bands of dune grass. In Quogue, the sand dunes were scoured out from beneath the municipal beach pavilion.

Southeast Suffolk, New York · High Surf · Nov 13, 05:00 UTC

Heavy rain caused a vehicle to hydroplane on a road bank on Brushy Ridge in New Canaan, CT. The vehicle over turned, and the driver was taken to Norwalk Hospital for treatment. A large tree fell down in Waveny Park in New Canaan due to a combination of heavy rain and gusty winds.

Fairfield, Connecticut · Heavy Rain · Nov 14, 04:00 UTC

• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2009Tropical Depression30 kt · 1006 mb
• Tropical Storm AnaNorth Atlantic · 2009Tropical Storm35 kt · 1003 mb
• Hurricane BillNorth Atlantic · 2009 · 2 deaths · $46 millionCat 4115 kt · 943 mb
• Tropical Storm ClaudetteNorth Atlantic · 2009Tropical Storm50 kt · 1005 mb
• Tropical Storm DannyNorth Atlantic · 2009Tropical Storm50 kt · 1006 mb
• Tropical Storm ErikaNorth Atlantic · 2009Tropical Storm45 kt · 1004 mb
• Hurricane FredNorth Atlantic · 2009Cat 3105 kt · 958 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2009Tropical Depression30 kt · 1008 mb
• Tropical Storm GraceNorth Atlantic · 2009Tropical Storm55 kt · 986 mb
• Tropical Storm HenriNorth Atlantic · 2009Tropical Storm45 kt · 1005 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 Ida