NEW ORLEANS — I want to talk about the 2020 and 2021 Atlantic hurricane seasons. The last two seasons have felt overwhelming, and when you mark all 30 named storms we've tracked since 2020, you can see why.
To put this in perspective: This is not normal, by the way.
The U.S. has averaged about three named storms landfall per year. In 2020, we had 11 named storms make landfall. In 2021, we've already seen eight storms make landfall.
And the Gulf of Mexico has been especially busy. Nearly every single part of the U.S. Gulf Coast has seen a landfalling system, and pretty much everyone along the coast has experienced at least some impacts.
Just in Louisiana in the past two years: Hurricane Ida (Cat 4.), Hurricane Laura (Cat. 4), Hurricane Zeta (Cat. 3), Hurricane Delta (Cat. 2), Tropical Storm Cristobal, Tropical Storm Claudette.
And just outside our doorstep: Hurricane Sally (Cat. 2), Tropical Storm Marco, and now Hurricane Nicholas (Cat. 1).
It's just been a relentless 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons. And, of course, we are not done yet. We're still at the peak of the hurricane season.
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