Hurricane Florence

Losses, 2024 dollars

$30 billion

Losses at the time

$24 billion

Deaths

53

The losses and deaths are NCEI’s, counting everything the disaster did. The episodes below are only what the Weather Service filed in its Storm Events record, which counts damage differently and often not at all, so the two never add up and are shown apart.

• Flash Flooding in Virginia, September 11, 20182 eventsScattered showers and thunderstorms along a frontal boundary produced heavy rain which caused flash flooding across portions of central Virginia.
• Flash Flooding and Debris Flow in Hawaii, September 11 to 13, 2018$18,000 · 24 eventsAs Tropical Storm Olivia approached the islands from the east-northeast and then made a double landfall in Maui County on September 12th, it brought gusty winds and heavy precipitation. Most of its effects were concentrated over Maui, Molokai, and Oahu.
• Flash Flooding in Virginia, September 11 to 12, 2018$50,000 · 2 eventsNighttime storms with heavy downpours formed across portions of the Blue Ridge and foothills including the Roanoke metro area. Several reports of flash flooding in and around Roanoke were received.
• Flash Flood and Flooding in Texas, September 12 to 14, 2018$250,000 · 4 eventsThunderstorms produced locally heavy rain across southern portions of the Coastal Bend during the early morning hours of September 12th. The heaviest rainfall occurred over southern Jim Wells County where 6 to 8 inches of rain fell.
• Flash Flooding in New York, September 12, 20182 eventsShowers and thunderstorms developed along a stationary boundary during the morning of the 12th. The rainfall was locally heavy with isolated spots in Ulster and Dutchess Counties receiving two to three inches of rain. The rain resulted in isolated flash flooding.
• Flash Flood in Texas, September 12, 20181 eventA slow moving line of clustering thunderstorms produced high rainfall that caused road and highway flooding in the League City area.
• Flash Flood in Connecticut, September 12, 20181 eventShowers and thunderstorms developed along a stationary boundary during the morning of the 12th. The rainfall was locally heavy with isolated spots receiving two to four inches of rain. The rain resulted in isolated flash flooding.
• Flood in Connecticut, September 12, 20181 eventAn upper level disturbance moved over Connecticut, tapping warm and very humid air to generate a few thunderstorms, some with heavy downpours. Rainfall of up to five inches fell on northern Connecticut.
• Flood in Massachusetts, September 12, 2018$5,000 · 1 eventAn upper level disturbance moved over Massachusetts, tapping warm and very humid air to generate a few thunderstorms, some with heavy downpours. Rainfall of up to four inches fell on Massachusetts.
• Flash Flooding in Connecticut, September 12, 20186 eventsShowers and thunderstorms developed along a stationary front draped across southern Connecticut during the afternoon of September 12th.
• Flash Flooding in New York, September 12, 20182 eventsShowers and thunderstorms developed along a stationary front located just north of Long Island during the afternoon of September 12th.
• Heavy Rain in Oregon, September 12, 20181 eventAn upper-level trough progressing over the area brought showers and thunderstorms to SW Washington and NW Oregon. Heavy rain was reported in downtown Portland, with multiple reports and pictures showing streets flooded.
• Flash Flood in Texas, September 12, 2018$100,000 · 1 eventA persistent flow of deep tropical moisture from the eastern Pacific ocean created several days of locally heavy rainfall across northern Hidalgo County, most of Brooks County, and portions of eastern Starr and Jim Hogg County, resulting in areas of rural/farm/ranch flooding…
• Flooding in Illinois, September 12 to 23, 2018$30,000 · 3 eventsMinor river flooding occurred as a result of a stretch of wet weather during the early part of the month. Average rainfall amounts between the 5th and 10th were between 3 and 4 inches.
• Flash Flood in New Jersey, September 13, 20181 eventLocally heavy rain fell in parts of eastern Somerset County and northwestern Middlesex County on the night of September 12-13. Rainfall totals ranged from 3.5 to 5.5 inches.
• Flash Flood in American Samoa, September 13, 2018$5,000 · 1 eventSynoptic: A weak trough lingering across the forecast area.
• Hurricane and Tornadoes in North Carolina, September 13 to 18, 20188 deaths · $389 million · EF1 · 56 eventsHurricane Florence was a long-lived Cape Verde hurricane and the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the Carolinas.
• Coastal Flood and High Surf in Florida, September 13, 20182 eventsStrong onshore flow combined with distant ENE swells from Hurricane Florence offshore of the Carolina coast brought a high risk of rip currents and increased water levels along the coast.
• Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in Alabama, September 13, 201852 kt wind · 2 eventsA slow moving cluster of thunderstorms during the mid afternoon dumped 1-2 inches of rain in less than an hour and knocked down several trees and power lines down in Sheffield and Tuscumbia. One motorist was stranded in Sheffield due to the flash flood.
• Tornadoes and Tropical Storm in North Carolina, September 13 to 25, 20189 deaths · $658 million · EF0 · 69 eventsA ridge of high pressure over eastern North America stalled Florence's forward motion a few miles off the southeast North Carolina coast on September 13th.
• Flash Flood and Hail in Minnesota, September 14 to 15, 20181.75 in hail · 18 eventsStorms developed along a stationary boundary. One supercell storm produced large hail before a line of storms formed and brought damaging winds and heavy rain.
• Hurricane and Tornadoes in North Carolina, September 14 to 16, 20183 deaths · 1 injured · $1.3 billion · EF1 · 54 eventsHurricane Florence began its long Atlantic trek from the Cape Verde Islands in early September. It made landfall near Wrightsville Beach during the morning of September 14th.
• Coastal Flood in Texas, September 14, 20183 eventsMinor tidal overflow occurred on the 14th as a tropical wave moved into the middle Texas coast. Coastal flooding occurred along the beaches in Nueces and Kleberg Counties.
• Hurricane and Tornadoes in South Carolina, September 14 to 16, 20186 deaths · $3.4 million · EF0 · 26 eventsHurricane Florence began its long Atlantic trek from the Cape Verde Islands in early September. It made landfall near Wrightsville Beach during the morning of September 14th.
• Flash Flood in Texas, September 14, 20181 eventPassing thunderstorms produced high enough rainfall rates to induce flooding on Galveston Island.
• Tornado in North Carolina, September 14, 2018$2,000 · EF0 · 1 eventIsolated severe thunderstorm near a stationary boundary produced a weak tornado across portions of northeast North Carolina.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Virginia, September 14 to 20, 20181 death · 1 injured · $3.6 million · 43 eventsHurricane Florence made landfall on the far southeast North Carolina coast on September 14th and tracked very slowly across South Carolina before slowly re-curving across far western North Carolina and southwest Virginia as Tropical Depression and on into the Ohio Valley.
• Flash Flooding and Debris Flow in North Carolina, September 14 to 18, 2018$242,000 · 25 eventsHurricane Florence made landfall on the far southeast North Carolina coast on September 14th and tracked very slowly across South Carolina before slowly re-curving across far western North Carolina and southwest Virginia as a Tropical Depression and on into the Ohio Valley.
• Tropical Depression in South Carolina, September 14 to 15, 20185 eventsFlorence started as Tropical Depression Six over the far eastern Atlantic on August 31st, about 70 miles south-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Florence quickly strengthened into a Tropical Storm and continued on a west-northwestward track for the next several days.
• Tropical Storm and Flash Flooding in South Carolina, September 14 to 17, 2018$5,000 · 74 eventsHurricane Florence began as an area of disturbed weather that moved west off the African coast around August 29-30, 2018. It gradually developed into a tropical cyclone on August 31, 2018 while just south of the Cape Verde islands.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Texas, September 14 to 15, 2018$300,000 · 24 eventsA slow moving tropical wave moved into the middle Texas coast on September 14th and 15th. The tropical wave produced widespread showers and scattered thunderstorms. Periods of heavy rain caused flooding and flash flooding across the Coastal Bend both days.
• Coastal Flood in Maryland, September 14, 20181 eventStrong onshore flow as Hurricane Florence passed south of the region led to increased water level anomalies and coastal flooding.
• Flash Flood and Hail in Minnesota, September 15, 201850 kt wind · 3 eventsA few storms formed along a stalled frontal boundary. Dewpoints were in the mid-60s and marginal shear was in place to lead to a few isolated severe storms.
• Flooding in Texas, September 16 to 22, 20182 eventsHeavy rains across Nueces County caused major flooding along Oso Creek on the 16th. Heavy rains across the Brush Country led to flooding along the Nueces River by the latter part of the month. Nueces River reached major flood stage near Tilden on the 21st.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in North Carolina, September 16 to 17, 20182 deaths · $89,000 · 15 eventsTropical Cyclone Florence made landfall on the 15th and moved slowly west while weakening through the 16th.
• Flood in Puerto Rico, September 16, 20181 eventLocally and diurnally induced shower and thunderstorm activity affected interior and western PR.
• Flash Flood in American Samoa, September 17 to 18, 2018$10,000 · 1 eventSynoptic: Dissipating frontal boundary lingering near the Samoan Islands.
• Flooding in Virginia, September 17 to 19, 201828 eventsThe remnants of Florence slowly tracked through the area on the 17th and 18th. Plenty of tropical moisture caused showers and thunderstorms to contain locally heavy rainfall, which led to instances of flooding.
• Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Virginia, September 17, 20181 death · 1 injured · $1.1 million · EF2 · 17 eventsScattered severe thunderstorms associated with tropical cyclone Florence produced damaging winds and ten tornadoes across portions of central and south central Virginia.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Virginia, September 17 to 18, 201812 eventsScattered showers and thunderstorms associated with tropical cyclone Florence produced heavy rain which caused flash flooding and lingering flooding across portions of central and south central Virginia.
• Flood and Hail in Minnesota, September 17, 2018$21,000 · 50 kt wind · 7 eventsA line of thunderstorms moved across southeast Minnesota during the afternoon of September 17th. These storms mainly produced wind gusts in the 40 to 50 mph range, which was enough to cause some damage.
• Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, September 17, 201850 kt wind · 6 eventsAs remnants of Florence lifted north of the area, scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon due to strong differential heating within the pronounced mid-level dry slot, east of the center of the circulation.
• Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, September 17 to 18, 2018$508,000 · 56 kt wind · 7 eventsThunderstorms arrived with a cold front that passed across most of the area but then stalled over central Wisconsin. The storms produced wind damage and brought torrential rainfall to parts of central and east-central Wisconsin.

Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2018The 2018 hurricane seasonTornadoes in 2018

NOAA NCEI, U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2025), https://doi.org/10.25921/stkw-7w73, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.