Hurricane Irma
One of the tropical cyclone disasters on NOAA’s billion-dollar list: $64 billion in losses at 2024 prices ($50 billion at the time) and 97 deaths.
What the offices filed during it
The 42 most significant tropical cyclone episodes filed in these dates, colored by kind.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Losses, 2024 dollars
- $64 billion
- Losses at the time
- $50 billion
- Deaths
- 97
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.
By state, as filed
| State | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 166 | 75 | 40 | $4.5 billion |
| Puerto Rico | 25 | 0 | 0 | $759 million |
| Georgia | 153 | 3 | 8 | $111 million |
| California | 48 | 0 | 0 | $2.3 million |
| Alabama | 20 | 0 | 0 | $650,000 |
| South Carolina | 58 | 1 | 1 | $576,000 |
| Oregon | 1 | 0 | 0 | $250,000 |
| Massachusetts | 9 | 0 | 0 | $19,000 |
| Arizona | 10 | 0 | 0 | $17,000 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 0 | 0 | $17,000 |
| Nevada | 7 | 0 | 0 | $8,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 8 | 0 | 0 | $4,000 |
| Hawaii | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Delaware | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Alaska | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Colorado | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Episode by episode
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Pennsylvania, September 5, 2017A frontal boundary moving through the region produced thunderstorms, some severe, during the late afternoon and early evening hours on the 5th.
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, September 5, 2017A early season cold front moved through the region, ushering in cooler and drier air into the ArkLaMiss region. Some storms were strong to severe with damaging winds and locally heavy rain resulting in flash flooding.
- Flooding and Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, September 6, 2017A cold front stalled over Southern New England on Wednesday the 6th with several waves of low pressure moving up along the front. The cold front then moved offshore Wednesday night.
- Flash Flooding in Puerto Rico, September 6 to 7, 2017Hurricane Irma was a category 5 storm with max winds of 185 mph, mainly confined in the northeast quadrant. The direction of the storm was towards the west northwest.
- Flood in Delaware, September 6, 2017A slow moving cold front produced heavy showers with embedded thunderstorms. This was the second and heaviest day or rainfall across Sussex County, Delaware. Rainfall amounts ranged from 1.08 inches 4 miles southwest of Lewes, DE to 4.01 inches 7 miles east of Selbyville, DE.
- Flood in Alaska, September 6 to 7, 2017A very strong and moist weather front moved over Southeast Alaska and produced 2 shots of moderate to heavy rainfall. Soils were already saturated from an event a day prior and the base flow of the Taiya River near Skagway remained at bankful stage.
- Flash Flooding in California, September 7 to 9, 2017A strong push of monsoon moisture plus low pressure moving in from the west triggered an outbreak of thunderstorms over the Mojave Desert. Several storms produced flash flooding and severe weather.
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in California, September 7 to 9, 2017The month picked up where August left off, with an active monsoon pattern bringing periods of showers and thunderstorms to the mountains and deserts.
- Flash Flooding in Nevada, September 7 to 9, 2017A strong push of monsoon moisture plus low pressure moving in from the west triggered an outbreak of thunderstorms over the Mojave Desert with a few thunderstorms over the southern Great Basin. Several storms produced flash flooding and severe weather.
- Flash Flood and Heavy Rain in Arizona, September 7 to 8, 2017Scattered thunderstorms developed across the eastern portion of the greater Phoenix area during the evening hours on September 8th, and some of the stronger storms produced locally heavy rains with peak rain rates in excess of one inch per hour.
- Flood and Heavy Rain in Florida, September 8, 2017A frontal boundary was stalled across central Florida with strong high pressure wedge axis north of the region across central Georgia.
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in California, September 8, 2017A long north to south oriented line of thunderstorms developed during the early afternoon hours on September 8th; it ran from the Baja spine northward through central Imperial County and into eastern Riverside County.
- Flash Flooding in California, September 8, 2017Scattered to numerous thunderstorms developed over portions of eastern Riverside County during the afternoon hours on September 8th and some of the stronger storms produced very heavy rainfall with peak rain rates in excess of 2 inches per hour as shown by local radar.
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Arizona, September 8 to 9, 2017A strong push of monsoon moisture plus low pressure moving in from the west triggered an outbreak of thunderstorms over the Mojave Desert. Several storms produced flash flooding and severe weather.
- Flash Flood in Oregon, September 8, 2017Heavy rain fell across the Rail Burn Scar resulting in flash flooding including debris flow.
- Flash Flood in Arizona, September 8, 2017Thunderstorms developed across the central portion of La Paz County during the evening hours on September 8th, and some of the stronger storms produced very heavy rainfall with peak rain rates approaching 2 inches per hour.
- Hurricane and Tornadoes in Florida, September 8 to 30, 2017Monetary losses do not include insured losses. Fatalities are preliminary until the Florida Medical Examiner releases the official information. This document will be updated once released.
- Hurricane and Tornadoes in Florida, September 9 to 14, 2017Major Hurricane Irma made landfall in Southwest Florida on Marco Island as a Category 3 hurricane around 330 PM EDT on September 10th. The storm traveled north through southwest Florida through the evening.
- Hurricane and Storm Surge in Florida, September 9 to 11, 2017Hurricane Irma made landfall over the Lower Florida Keys as a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, with the eye crossing directly over Cudjoe Key.
- Flash Flood in California, September 9, 2017Thunderstorms developed across the eastern portion of Imperial County during the morning hours on September 9th and some of the stronger storms produced locally heavy rains with peak rain rates well in excess of one inch per hour.
- Flash Flood in California, September 9, 2017Scattered thunderstorms developed across far eastern Riverside County during the morning hours on September 9th; some of the strongest storms focused along the lower Colorado River valley and they produced locally heavy rains with peak rain rates in excess of one inch per hour.
- Tornado in Colorado, September 9, 2017A boundary served as the catalyst for two closely spaced landspouts to develop northwest of Falcon.
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in California, September 9, 2017A cut off upper low drifting slowly southward off the central California coast pulled up a surge of sub-tropical moisture which produced thunderstorms and flash flooding in the Kern County Deserts on the afternoon of September 9.
- Flash Flood in Arizona, September 9, 2017Moisture associated with an increase in southerly winds brought showers and thunderstorms to northern Arizona. One of the thunderstorms brought heavy rain and flash flooding close to Snowflake.
- Heavy Rain in Hawaii, September 9, 2017Evening showers fell over parts of leeward Big Island. The downpours produced ponding on roadways, and small stream and drainage ditch flooding. There were no reports of significant property damage or injuries.
- Tornadoes and Tropical Storm in Florida, September 10 to 11, 2017Hurricane Irma moved northward over the far western Florida peninsula between the afternoon of September 10 and the morning of September 11 at Category 1-2 strength.
- Tornadoes and Tropical Storm in Florida, September 10 to 11, 2017Hurricane Irma's eye passed west of the local forecast area, with the region on the storm's turbulent east side.
- Tropical Storm and Flash Flooding in Georgia, September 10 to 11, 2017Hurricane Irma's eye passed west of the local forecast area, with the region on the storm's turbulent east side.
- Coastal Flood in South Carolina, September 10, 2017A combination of recent full moon, approaching perigee, and elevated northeast winds ahead of approaching Tropical Cyclone Irma produced elevated high tides and coastal flooding along the southeast South Carolina coast.
- Tropical Storm in Florida, September 10 to 11, 2017Hurricane Irma brought numerous impacts to the Florida Big Bend, southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama including widespread downed trees and power lines, roads blocked by trees, power outages, and trees on homes.
- Tropical Storm in Georgia, September 10 to 11, 2017Hurricane Irma brought numerous impacts to the Florida Big Bend, southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama including widespread downed trees and power lines, roads blocked by trees, power outages, and trees on homes.
- Tornado and High Wind in South Carolina, September 11 to 12, 2017Irma made landfall in south Florida as a category 4 hurricane on Sunday, September 10th, then moved north up the Florida peninsula during the day and night while gradually weakening.
- Tropical Storm and Storm Surge in Georgia, September 11, 2017Irma first developed into a tropical storm on August 30th about 420 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands, and within 24 hours strengthened into a hurricane. Irma continued to intensify and became a major hurricane over the eastern Atlantic on September 1st.
- Tropical Storm and Flash Flood in Georgia, September 11 to 13, 2017On the morning of August 30th Tropical Storm Irma developed rapidly over the eastern Atlantic Ocean, just west of the Cape Verde Islands. Tropical Irma quickly strengthened as it moved west, reaching hurricane strength by the morning of August 31st.
- Tropical Storm in Alabama, September 11, 2017Hurricane Irma brought numerous impacts to the Florida Big Bend, southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama including widespread downed trees and power lines, roads blocked by trees, power outages, and trees on homes.
- Flood and Wildfire in California, September 11 to 15, 2017A disturbance rotating around an upper level low west of San Diego brought thunderstorm activity to the Bay Area on September 11. Widespread reports of lightning were received along with a few small hail reports and strong wind gusts.
- Tornadoes and Tropical Storm in South Carolina, September 11 to 12, 2017Irma first developed into a tropical storm on August 30th about 420 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands, and within 24 hours strengthened into a hurricane. Irma continued to intensify and became a major hurricane over the eastern Atlantic on September 1st.
- Tropical Storm in Alabama, September 11, 2017Hurricane Irma made landfall on the west coast of the Florida peninsula on September 10th.
- Coastal Flood in South Carolina, September 11 to 12, 2017As tropical storm Irma traveled through central Florida, it interacted with strong high pressure to the north, creating a very strong onshore gradient and ocean fetch in Georgetown County, with lesser conditions in Horry County and points north.
- Heavy Rain in Hawaii, September 11 to 14, 2017With a light wind regime, sea breeze conditions helped generate heavy showers over sections of Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island. The rainfall produced small stream and drainage ditch flooding, and ponding on roadways. No serious injuries or property damage were reported.
- Flash Flood in Nevada, September 12, 2017The Lander county sheriff's office reported flash flooding along state route 722 near Elkhorn Canyon Road.
- Tornado in Nevada, September 13, 2017Strong Thunderstorms developed over the Eastern Sierra and Northwestern Nevada on the afternoon of September 13th as an upper-level area of low pressure moved over south-central California.
More
Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2017The 2017 hurricane seasonTornadoes in 2017
Sources
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.