Hurricane Nicholas

Losses, 2024 dollars

$1.2 billion

Losses at the time

$1.0 billion

Deaths

0

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.

• Tornado and Flash Flood in New York, September 12 to 13, 2021$26,000 · EF1 · 8 eventsAn approaching cold front triggered showers and thunderstorms across the area. An upstream elevated mixed layer and associated mesoscale convective vortex allowed for convection to cross from lower Michigan, across southern Ontario, and into western New York by late in the…
• Tropical Storm and Storm Surge in Texas, September 13 to 14, 2021$125,000 · 23 eventsAn area of low pressure over the western Caribbean Sea on September 9th moved west into the Bay of Campeche by the 11th. The low pressure area strengthened to become Tropical Storm Nicholas over the southern Gulf of Mexico on the morning of the 12th.
• Flood and Strong Wind in Florida, September 13, 20212 eventsHigh pressure over the western Atlantic waters allowed for light easterly wind flow to set up across South FL. With the light flow in place, waterspouts were able to develop across the Atlantic waters. In fact, one even moved onshore.
• Hurricane and Tropical Storm in Texas, September 13 to 14, 202122 eventsNicholas formed on September 12 in the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico, slowly advancing northeastward along the Middle Texas Coast. It eventually made landfall 10 miles west of Sargent just after midnight on September 14, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 75 mph.
• Tropical Storm and Flash Flooding in Texas, September 14, 20213 eventsHurricane Nicholas moved into central Texas coast during the early morning of the 14th. The system weakened to a tropical storm while moving northeast just inland. Tropical storm conditions briefly occurred along the upper Texas coast before the system weakened to a depression.
• Tropical Storm and Flash Flood in Louisiana, September 14 to 15, 20212 eventsHurricane Nicholas moved into the central Texas coast early on the 14th. The remnants of the system moved into Louisiana the late on the 14th then drifted around the state causing flooding.
• Flash Flooding in Louisiana, September 14 to 15, 2021$520,000 · 11 eventsTropical Storm Nicholas made landfall on the Texas coast south of Houston early Tuesday morning on September 14th. Over the next 24 hours, the weakening storm slowly tracked east-northeast along the coastline, reaching the LA/TX border Wednesday morning.
• Heavy Rain in Hawaii, September 14 to 16, 20214 eventsAs a surface trough passed north of the islands, it triggered heavy showers over portions of the state. The downpours produced ponding on roadways, and small stream and drainage ditch flooding. There were no reports of significant property damage or injuries.
• Flood in Florida, September 15 to 22, 2021$10 million · 1 eventRainfall accumulation over the period combined with previously saturated soils and elevated river levels produce flooding with damage to homes and neighborhoods.
• Flood in Indiana, September 15, 20211 eventShowers and thunderstorms produced locally heavy rainfall ahead of an approaching cold front.
• Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Kentucky, September 15, 2021$28,000 · 5 eventsA strong occluded low pressure system was located in southeast Canada, resulting in scattered severe weather along the associated cold front across much of the northeast throughout the day.
• Flash Flooding in Kentucky, September 15, 20214 eventsAhead of a southeast moving cold front, a west to east oriented band of heavy precipitation formed across central Kentucky along a boundary remaining from precipitation from the previous night.
• Flash Flood in Mississippi, September 15, 20211 eventTropical Storm Nicholas made landfall on the Texas coast south of Houston early Tuesday morning on September 14th. Over the next 24 hours, the weakening storm slowly tracked east-northeast along the coastline, reaching the LA/TX border Wednesday morning.
• Flash Flood in Tennessee, September 15, 20211 eventScattered showers and thunderstorms developed during the morning hours on September 15th. There was one isolated flooding report in Perry County.
• Flood in Mississippi, September 15, 2021$2,000 · 1 eventRain from the remnants of Hurricane Nicholas affected portions of southern Mississippi. Amounts up to 5 inches fell, which resulted in some flooding across the area.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in New York, September 15, 2021$1,000 · 1 in hail · 16 eventsA line of showers and thunderstorms resulted in widespread severe weather and flash flooding over eastern New York on Wednesday September 15, 2021.
• Flash Flooding in Alabama, September 15, 2021$250,000 · 5 eventsDeep tropical moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Nicholas overspread the area and led to the development of bands of very heavy rainfall. The slow motion of these bands produced copious amounts of rain which led to flash flooding across portions of southwest Alabama.
• Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, September 15, 2021$35,000 · 52 kt wind · 10 eventsScattered showers and storms developed in a warm, humid airmass with moderate CAPE and shear ahead of an approaching cold front on September 15, 2021. One particularly strong storm produced widespread wind damage in Centre County, with isolated reports of wind damage elsewhere.
• Flash Flooding in Florida, September 15 to 16, 20213 eventsDeep tropical moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Nicholas overspread the area and led to the development of bands of very heavy rainfall. The slow motion of these bands produced copious amounts of rain which led to flash flooding across portions of northwest Florida.
• Flash Flood in South Carolina, September 15, 2021$5,000 · 1 eventThe sea breeze along with a weak shortwave helped produce scattered thunderstorms in a high moisture environment leading to minor urban flash flooding.
• Flood in Kentucky, September 15, 20211 eventScattered thunderstorms occurred in association with a surface trough extending northward from Tropical Depression Nicholas, which was located near the Louisiana coast. Locally very heavy rain caused minor flooding.
• Flash Flood and Flooding in Maryland, September 15, 20213 eventsHeavy rainfall from showers and thunderstorm led to isolated instances of flash flooding in Washington County.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Virginia, September 16, 202116 eventsA light flow aloft along with an unstable atmosphere led to slow moving showers and thunderstorms. Heavy amounts of rain led to instances of flooding and flash flooding.
• Flooding in Maryland, September 16, 20216 eventsA light flow aloft along with an unstable atmosphere led to slow moving showers and thunderstorms. Heavy amounts of rain led to instances of flooding.
• Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Virginia, September 16 to 17, 202117 eventsScattered thunderstorms along a frontal boundary produced heavy rain which caused flash flooding across portions of central Virginia.
• Flood in Florida, September 16, 20211 eventDeep SW flow and tropical moisture on the east side of Nicholas brought waves of showers and thunderstorms from west to east through the day. An upper low was west of the region with waves of PVA rotating overhead which enhanced heavy rainfall.
• Flooding in District of Columbia, September 16, 20212 eventsA light flow aloft along with an unstable atmosphere led to slow moving showers and thunderstorms. Heavy amounts of rain led to instances of flooding.
• Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, September 17, 20211 death · 1 injured · $875,000 · EF0 · 30 eventsA line of thunderstorms that originally developed across South Dakota Thursday evening, September 16th, quickly moved eastward over southern Minnesota after midnight.
• Flash Flooding in Mississippi, September 17, 2021$20,000 · 3 eventsTropical Storm Nicholas made landfall on the Texas coast south of Houston early Tuesday morning on September 14th. As the storm weakened into a remnant low, it slowly meandered across Texas, reaching central Louisiana on the 17th.
• Flood in Kansas, September 17, 20211 eventHeavy rains caused nuisance flooding on the 17th in Barton county.
• Flash Flooding in Alabama, September 17 to 18, 202113 eventsShowers and thunderstorms repeatedly moved across western portions of Lauderdale and Colbert Counties on the 17th, producing widespread rainfall amounts of 3-6 over a few hours.
• Flood in Florida, September 17, 20211 eventHigh pressure across the region promoted light S to SW flow. With ample moisture in place, scattered to numerous showers and storms were able to develop along both the Gulf and Atlantic sea breezes and push towards the east coast metro areas.
• Flash Flood in California, September 17, 20211 eventA late-season trough during the monsoon, just off the southern US coast, promoted deep southerly flow from the surface through mid levels of the troposphere.
• Flooding in Mississippi, September 17, 2021$4,000 · 2 eventsAs Post-Tropical Cyclone Nicholas drifted over northern Louisiana, showers and thunderstorms produced heavy rain across portions of Mississippi. Some of the storms produced localized flooding.
• Flood in Tennessee, September 17, 20211 eventScattered showers and thunderstorms developed in the afternoon hours on September 17th. There was one isolated flooding report in Perry County.
• Flash Flooding in Alabama, September 18 to 19, 20211 death · 4 eventsA tropical air mass covered Alabama on September 18-19 with precipitable water values over 2 inches. An nearly stationary upper low near the Texas and Louisiana state line provided lift and instability for showers and thunderstorms across the Central Gulf States.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Tennessee, September 18, 2021$20,000 · 9 eventsScattered showers and thunderstorms developed in the morning hours and continued into the early afternoon hours on September 18th. Significant flash flooding occurred across parts of Middle Tennessee including areas of Davidson, Putnam, Bedford and Coffee Counties.
• Flash Flooding in Tennessee, September 18 to 19, 20214 eventsRemnants of tropical cyclone Nicholas over Louisiana promoted a humid air mass and diurnal convection that produced heavy rains over and near the southern Plateau.
• Tornado and Flood in Florida, September 18, 2021EF0 · 4 eventsA saturated tropical airmass (PWAT over 2 inches) combined with diurnal instability and fueled locally heavy rainfall in showers and storms that formed near a meandering trough axis across north Florida and sea breezes.
• Flash Flood and Dust Storm in Arizona, September 18, 2021$25,000 · 50 kt wind · 7 eventsA shortwave trough moving through the region combined with a moist, unstable atmosphere promoted the development of showers and thunderstorms across south-central Arizona going into the afternoon on the 18th.
• Flash Flooding in Georgia, September 18 to 19, 20212 eventsA couple of rounds of slow moving thunderstorms impacted Thomasville with significant flash flooding on both Sep 18th and Sep 19th.
• Flash Flood in Arizona, September 18, 20211 eventA trough of low pressure located over California moved slowly across Arizona. Large scale lift with the trough along with daytime heating to shower and thunderstorm over portions of central Arizona.
• Flash Flooding in Mississippi, September 18, 20212 eventsThe remnants of Hurricane Nicholas moved across the region. Numerous showers and thunderstorms produced flash flooding.
• Flash Flood in Alabama, September 18, 2021$5,000 · 1 eventSlow moving thunderstorms resulted in flash flooding and a road washout in Geneva County.
• Heavy Rain in Florida, September 19, 20211 eventA weak east-west oriented trough extended across NE Florida and served as a focus for localized heavy rainfall under a saturated airmass (PWAT over 2 inches). Slow storm motion and PVA in the afternoon enhanced heavy rainfall.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Alabama, September 19 to 29, 20211 death · 14 eventsShowers and thunderstorms repeatedly moved across Northern Madison and into Western Jackson Counties during the mid-morning hours, lingering into the afternoon hours on the 19th.
• Flash Flooding in Tennessee, September 19 to 20, 202113 eventsShowers and thunderstorms repeatedly moved across Northern Alabama and Southern Middle TN on the 19th and 20th. Numerous roads were closed in Lincoln County, with widespread rainfall amounts of 3-6 across much of the area.
• Flash Flood and Heavy Rain in Florida, September 19, 20212 eventsA large cluster of thunderstorms developed over Seminole County in the late afternoon due to colliding outflow boundaries. These thunderstorms were nearly stationary for several hours over northern Seminole County, where hourly rainfall rates of 2 to 4 inches occurred.

Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2021The 2021 hurricane seasonTornadoes in 2021

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.