2001 Atlantic hurricane season facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
2001 Atlantic hurricane season

First storm started:	June 4, 2001
Last storm ended:	December 6, 2001
Strongest storm:	Hurricane Michelle - 933 mbar (record), 140 mph winds
Number of storms:	16 named storms + 2 depressions
Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+)	4
Cost of damage:	$7.1 billion (2001 USD) $8.7 billion (2009 USD)
People killed:	105

The 2001 Atlantic hurricane season was a busy time for storms in the Atlantic Ocean. It officially started on June 1, 2001, and ended on November 30, 2001. This is when tropical storms usually form. During this season, there were 17 tropical cyclones. Out of these, 15 were strong enough to get names, 9 became hurricanes, and 4 grew into "major hurricanes." A major hurricane is a very strong storm, reaching Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.

Storms of 2001

This timeline shows when each storm happened during the 2001 hurricane season. It also shows how strong they became.

Tropical Storm Allison

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	June 5 – June 17
Intensity	60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min),  1000 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Storm Allison was a very costly storm for the United States. It caused a lot of damage because it moved very slowly over Texas. Allison took about four days to travel from Lufkin, Texas to the Gulf of Mexico. This storm caused $5.5 billion in damage and led to 55 deaths.

Tropical Depression Two

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration	July 11 – July 12
Intensity	30 mph (45 km/h) (1-min),  1010 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression Two formed on July 11. Weather experts thought it might become a tropical storm, but it didn't. Tropical Depression Two ended on July 12.

Tropical Storm Barry

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	August 2 – August 7
Intensity	70 mph (110 km/h) (1-min),  990 mbar (hPa)

Barry started as Tropical Depression Two on August 2. It then became Tropical Storm Barry. Barry moved west, weakened, and even made a loop. It became a tropical storm again and hit Santa Rosa Beach, Florida on August 6. Barry was last seen in Missouri. Barry caused 9 deaths and $30 million in damage.

Tropical Storm Chantal

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	August 14 – August 22
Intensity	70 mph (110 km/h) (1-min),  997 mbar (hPa)

Chantal began as Tropical Depression Three on August 14. It weakened for a bit, then reformed as Tropical Storm Chantal. Chantal moved across the Caribbean Sea and made landfall in Belize. It ended over Mexico on August 22. Chantal caused 2 deaths and $4 million in damage.

Tropical Storm Dean

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	August 22 – August 28
Intensity	70 mph (110 km/h) (1-min),  994 mbar (hPa)

Dean formed on August 22, skipping the tropical depression stage. It weakened to a tropical wave, then reformed. Dean ended on August 28. It caused $7.7 million in damage in Puerto Rico but no deaths.

Hurricane Erin

Category 3 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration	September 1 – September 15
Intensity	120 mph (195 km/h) (1-min),  968 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression Six formed on September 1. It became a tropical storm, then weakened, and later became a hurricane. Erin moved around in the Atlantic before ending near Newfoundland on September 15. Erin caused no damage and no deaths.

Hurricane Felix

Category 3 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration	September 7 – September 19
Intensity	115 mph (185 km/h) (1-min),  962 mbar (hPa)

Hurricane Felix started as Tropical Depression Seven near the Cape Verde islands on September 7. It quickly moved west, then weakened. By September 10, it got stronger again and became Hurricane Felix by September 13. Felix became a Category 3 hurricane. It then weakened and ended on September 19. No damage was reported from Felix.

Hurricane Gabrielle

Category 1 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration	September 11 – September 19
Intensity	80 mph (130 km/h) (1-min),  975 mbar (hPa)

Gabrielle began as Tropical Depression Seven in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. It moved west, then looped back. It became a tropical storm and hit Venice, Florida on September 14. Gabrielle later became a hurricane before ending south of Newfoundland. Gabrielle caused 2 deaths and $230 million in damage.

Tropical Depression Nine

Tropical depression (SSHS)
Duration	September 19 – September 20
Intensity	35 mph (55 km/h) (1-min),  1005 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression Nine was a very short-lived storm. It formed on September 19 and hit Nicaragua on September 20. Nine ended on September 20, causing no deaths or damage. Its remains later reformed in the Pacific Ocean as Hurricane Juliette.

Hurricane Humberto

Category 2 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration	September 21 – September 27
Intensity	105 mph (165 km/h) (1-min),  970 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression Eight formed on September 21. It became a tropical storm and then a hurricane. Humberto ended on September 27 without hitting land. It caused no damage and no deaths.

Hurricane Iris

Category 4 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration	October 4 – October 9
Intensity	145 mph (230 km/h) (1-min),  948 mbar (hPa)

Iris started as Tropical Depression Eleven on October 4. It quickly became a tropical storm and then a hurricane. Iris traveled across the Caribbean Sea. It hit Belize on October 9 with its strongest winds. Iris weakened very fast over land and ended less than 20 hours after landfall. Its remains reformed in the Pacific Ocean as Tropical Storm Manuel. Iris caused $150 million in damage and 49 deaths.

Tropical Storm Jerry

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	October 6 – October 8
Intensity	50 mph (85 km/h) (1-min),  1004 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression Twelve formed on October 6 and later became Tropical Storm Jerry. Jerry passed just south of Barbados on October 7. Jerry weakened and ended on October 8. No deaths were reported, and the damage caused by Jerry is unknown.

Hurricane Karen

Category 1 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration	October 12 – October 15
Intensity	80 mph (130 km/h) (1-min),  982 mbar (hPa)

Karen started as a subtropical storm. It then became a tropical storm and later a hurricane. The hurricane weakened to a tropical storm before hitting Nova Scotia on October 15. Karen ended on the same day it made landfall. No one was killed by Karen, but it caused $1.4 million in damage.

Tropical Storm Lorenzo

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration	October 27 – October 31
Intensity	40 mph (65 km/h) (1-min),  1007 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression Fourteen formed on October 27. It became Tropical Storm Lorenzo on October 30. Lorenzo ended on October 31 without coming close to land.

Hurricane Michelle

Category 4 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration	October 29 – November 5
Intensity	140 mph (220 km/h) (1-min),  933 mbar (hPa)

Tropical Depression Fifteen formed on October 29. It stayed over Nicaragua for about 36 hours before moving into the Caribbean Sea and becoming Tropical Storm Michelle. On November 2, Michelle became a hurricane. It quickly grew very strong, reaching Category 4 by the next day. Michelle hit Cuba and the Bahamas twice before it started weakening on November 5. The storm completely ended south of Bermuda. Michelle caused 17 deaths and $2 billion in damage.

Hurricane Noel

Category 1 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration	November 4 – November 6
Intensity	75 mph (120 km/h) (1-min),  986 mbar (hPa)

Hurricane Noel was a short-lived hurricane that started as a subtropical storm. On November 5, it became Hurricane Noel. Noel ended the next day without directly hitting land. Its remains caused strong winds and waves in eastern Canada. No one was killed, and there was no damage.

Hurricane Olga

Category 1 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration	November 24 – December 6
Intensity	90 mph (150 km/h) (1-min),  973 mbar (hPa)

Olga started on November 24 as a subtropical storm. It quickly became a tropical storm. On November 26, it became Hurricane Olga. Olga later weakened and finally ended on December 6. Olga did not affect land.

Storm Names of 2001

These are the names used for tropical storms and hurricanes in the North Atlantic in 2001. This list was similar to the one used in the 1995 season, but Lorenzo, Michelle, and Olga were new names used for the first time in 2001. Names that were planned for 2001 but not used are marked as unused.

Retired Names

The World Meteorological Organization decided to stop using three names because of the severe damage they caused: Allison, Iris, and Michelle. These names were replaced in the 2007 season by Andrea, Ingrid, and Melissa. Allison was the first Atlantic tropical storm to have its name retired.

Images for kids

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  Hurricane Erin near New York City after the September 11 attacks. The smoke plume from the destroyed Twin Towers can be seen in the upper left corner.

See also

In Spanish: Temporada de huracanes en el Atlántico de 2001 para niños