| Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
 Hurricane Sam near peak intensity, shortly before completing it's extratropical transition on October 27th | |
| Formed | October 24th, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Dissipated | November 2, 2021 |
| (Extratropical after October 28) | |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 85 mph (140 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 968 mbar (hPa); 28.59 inHg |
| Fatalities | 23 Total |
| Damage | $16.3 billion (2021 USD) |
| Areas affected | United States, specifically New England, New Jersey, New York, the Carolinas, the mid-Atlantic, and Florida |
| Part of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Sam was the costliest hurricane to strike the Northeast U.S since Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Forming from a merger between a mesoscale convective vortex and a tropical wave just on the west coast of Florida, it was designated a tropical storm on October 24th, and curved back through Florida and off the East Coast on October 25th. It intensified into a hurricane on October 26th before becoming extratropical on October 28th. It moved into western Long Island on October 29th as a relatively small hurricane-force extratropical cyclone, with winds of 90 mph. It merged with an oncoming cold front, moved back out into the Atlantic, and was absorbed into a stronger extratropical cyclone on November 2nd.
Although it was extratropical upon it's Long Island landfall, it still brought hurricane-force winds and widespread, heavy flooding to northeastern New Jersey, many portions of New York City, and southwestern New England. Storm surge was widespread, large and damaging. Because the system hit the Northeast twice (once upon Sam's initial landfall, and twice when Sam came back around shortly after merging with a cold front), rain totals were much higher than previously anticipated. The peak rain totals upon its first landfall were 9.4 inches in Hempstead, Long Island, and the peak rain totals upon its second landfall were 9.7 inches in New Brunswick, New Jersey. A peak wind gust of 117 mph was observed in Hempstead. Overall, 23 people died and $16.3 billion in damage was recorded.
Meteorological History[]
Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
- Main article: Meteorological history of Hurricane Sam
A stationary mesoscale convective vortex formed in Florida on October 23rd. It later merged with a strong tropical wave and began to move again. Soon, it began to show signs of organization, and the storm was designated Tropical Storm Sam the next day, as it had tropical storm force winds and a well-defined center. Sam curved back into Florida, making landfall on the 25th in Venice, Florida. It then moved off the East Coast, and onto the Gulf Stream later that day, and began a period of intensification. It's center got caught in the Gulf Stream, and the storm moved north. As waters began cooling, Sam began an extratropical transition, and intensified into a hurricane before it was completed, on October 26th. Sam peaked as a 85 mph hurricane on October 27th, with a pressure of 968 millibars. Sam's pressure continued dropping, despite cold waters. A developing frontal system was noted on satellite imagery, and less convective clouds were observed near Sam's center. The National Hurricane Center declared Hurricane Sam an extratropical cyclone early the next day.
Tropical Storm Sam shortly after formation, in the Gulf of Mexico on October 25th
Sam continued intensifying, reaching a peak intensity as a 100 mph hurricane-force extratropical cyclone. Thunderstorms increased, mainly along it's cold front. Sam made landfall in western Long Island on October 28th, at it's extratropical peak intensity, with a minimum pressure at 963 millibars. Since a front that Sam merged with had been moving quickly across America, the storm's new, stronger low began moving east again. A brief tornado outbreak occurred in the Central United States in association with Sam. Sam was carried out into the Atlantic on October 31st. The system began interacting with a stronger extratropical cyclone on November 2nd, and after a day and a half of interactions, the remnants of Sam were fully absorbed in the stronger cyclone.
Preparations[]
Florida[]
A Tropical Storm Warning was issued for Sarasota County, the county that Venice, Florida is located in. Due to Sam's initially small nature, no watches or warnings were issued outside Sarasota County, although government officials asked Florida residents outside Sarasota County to stay indoors until the storm was over because of the threat of heavy rain.
New York and New Jersey[]
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for his state, followed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for his. Both declared it on October 28th, after Sam became a hurricane. The New Jersey National Guard and New York National Guard for both states were deployed to encourage evacuations in areas at risk to Hurricane Sam and assist in boarding up businesses and federal buildings to prevent those buildings from flooding. Although hurricane force winds were forecast for many areas along the coast, no tropical cyclone watches or warnings were put in place for New Jersey or New York, because Sam was expected to transition into an extratropical cyclone, so no tropical cyclone watches or warnings could be issued. However, flood watches and warnings were still set in place. Evacuation was strongly encouraged for areas prone to damage from Sam. Large sand dunes were created to act as barriers in an attempt to prevent storm surge from flooding coastal towns. Due to the large extratropical nature of Sam, large storm surges were anticipated to be present along all the coasts of Long Island, New York City, and a majority of New Jersey. Stock trading in the U.S was suspended from October 29th through November 1st.
Members of the New York and New Jersey National Guard distributing supplies in preparation for the storm.
Schools across New York City, northeast New Jersey, and western Long Island were closed, usually for about two or three days, in anticipation of the storm. President Joe Biden signed an emergency declaration for both New Jersey and New York. This allowed both states to request federal funding for damage repairs following Sam's passage. PATH train services and stations were shut down, and Andrew Cuomo ordered Metropolitan Transportation Authority and all of it's subways to close on October 27th. A mandatory evacuation order was put in place for Fire Island and Long Beach, as Sam's center was expected to pass very close to both of those areas. Over 80 evacuation centers were set up in western Long Island, and around 60 were set up elsewhere. John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark-Liberty International Airport cancelled all flights in preparation for the storm on October 28th, while the Metro North and Long Island railroads cancelled all services the day prior. Both the New Jersey and New York National Guard assisted in sending resources to emergency shelters prior to Sam's arrival.
Satellite imagery of the extratropical Sam over the eastern U.S. on October 29th.
New England[]
Due to the anticipation of a large cold front carrying severe thunderstorms and a potential squall line to areas near and in New England, severe thunderstorm watches and warnings were issued for a majority of New England. Flash flood watches and Flash flood warnings were also issued for portions of New England, and high wind warnings were posted due to the potential for high winds after Sam's cold front passed through New England. Hurricane force wind gusts and tropical storm force sustained winds were regarded as inevitable in New England, due to the large wind field of Sam. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed an emergency declaration on October 27th, which was approved by President Joe Biden later that day. All state offices in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island were closed on October 28th through October 30th, and then again on October 31st.
Elsewhere[]
A Tropical Storm Warning was issued in Hatteras Island, North Carolina on October 27th, in preparation for high winds and heavy rain. A Storm Surge Watch was issued for the entirety of the coast of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the eastern coast of Florida. All state offices in Maryland and Delaware were closed from October 26th to October 28th.
Impact[]
23 people died due to Hurricane Sam and it's extratropical form across the Eastern United States throughout late October and early November. $16.3 billion in damage resulted from the storm.
Florida[]
Wind and rain from Tropical Storm Sam on October 25th, in Venice, Florida
Winds of around 45 mph were observed in and around Venice, Florida, where Tropical Storm Sam made its first landfall. A peak wind gust of 58 mph was observed in Sarasota, Florida. Storm surge resulting from Sam wasn't very major.
Localized flash flooding resulted in a majority of the damage in Florida. A peak rainfall of 6 inches was observed in Venice. No deaths were reported due to Sam in Venice and the surrounding areas, and about $15 million in damage was observed, mostly due to tree and power line damage, along with some flash flooding.
The Carolinas[]
Heavy rain was present in North Carolina, along with tropical-storm force winds. Ocean swells near Wilmington, North Carolina drowned 2 people. There wasn't much damage farther inland, although there were a few thousand power outages due to high winds downing trees and power lines. In South Carolina, there were lower effects, with the highest storm surge being around 5 feet and gale-force winds being less widespread. Overall damage amounted to about $185 million, with 2 deaths recorded in association with Sam.
Mid-Atlantic[]
Along the eastern Maryland coast, large swells caused moderate beach erosion. Rain totals of around 2 inches were observed in Annapolis. However, wind was light, around 35 mph at its peak, despite Sam's large wind field and close proximity to the mid-Atlantic coast. Damage was limited to minor beach erosion in Maryland and Delaware.
Storm surge in Chestertown, Maryland as Hurricane Sam passed
Although prior to Sam's first landfall, all Virginia experienced was moderate rainfall, during the time it was coming back over to the Atlantic, Virginia got hit with much heavier rain, severe thunderstorms, and scattered tornadoes. An EF3 tornado hit Luray, resulting in 2 deaths after it destroyed a home and a small building there. A peak rainfall measurement of 4.6 inches was measured in Radford. Overall damage was measured to be $100 million in Virginia, and 2 deaths were recorded.
West Virginia experienced minimal damage, but a peak wind gust of 58 mph was recorded near Washington D.C.
New Jersey[]
Sustained winds of 80 mph were observed in Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Very large swells along the Jersey coast of up to 10 feet resulted in the drowning of 4 people. 126 houses along the New Jersey shore were damaged beyond repair or destroyed. High winds took down trees and power lines all over northern New Jersey. 30% of residents within New Jersey lost power during the storm at at least one point. All along the New Jersey coast, roads were partially washed out. Large rain totals resulted in heavy flooding too. The Upper Black Eddy-Milford Bridge near Milford was destroyed due to very high floodwaters. No one was on the bridge at the time.
A peak wind gust of 105 mph was recorded in East Orange, New Jersey. A person died when a tree fell onto a car they were in, and a person drowned in their house when a storm surge flooded it. Both deaths occurred near Asbury Park. When Sam came back around near New Jersey, it again caused high winds and heavy rains. Flooding was more widespread due to Sam's increased size. 2 people were swept into a river and drowned after intense floodwaters swept them away. A squall embedded in Sam's cold front caused heavy damage to 8 houses, due to the 60 mph winds observed in the squall. Jersey City experienced moderate damage after the Hudson River exceeded it's banks near Jersey City. Overall, $6 billion in damage was observed in the entirety of New Jersey, with 4 deaths being recorded. Hurricane Sam was the second-costliest (post)tropical cyclone in New Jersey's history, surpassing Hurricane Irene of 2011 and behind Hurricane Sandy of 2012.
New York[]
- Main article: Effects of Hurricane Sam in New York
Flooding in Uniondale, Long Island during Hurricane Sam on October 29th
The extratropical Sam made landfall near Long Beach, Long Island, in New York. When it made landfall, it left many streets and roads entirely inaccessible. Over 170,000 homes had their power knocked out due to downed trees and power lines. Around 20,000 homes were damaged in at least some form from the storm. Major beach erosion occurred all along Long Island, especially in Long Beach. 53 houses along the shore were either damaged beyond repair or entirely destroyed by Sam's storm surge. 4 people were swept to sea and drowned from its storm surge. High winds and extremely heavy rains resulted in the destruction of over 150 houses in western Long Island, and over 5,000 houses were damaged. Outside of Long Island, many creeks and rivers exceeded their banks, and flooded the surrounding areas. The Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains experienced many landslides from heavy rain that came out of the storm's powerful cold front. 2 people that had gone hiking 3 days prior to Sam's arrival in the Adirondack Mountains went missing and, after 5 days of searching, were presumed dead. They were likely killed by a landslide.
The One World Trade Center after Sam's strong winds damaged its spire.
The One World Trade Center's spire cracked off and plummeted over 1,700 feet in hurricane force winds. No one was killed in the incident, but 4 people near the tower were injured when shrapnel from the spire hit them. The One World Trade Center was closed down for about a month after the incident for repairs. Hunter, New York experienced catastrophic flooding from a short period of very heavy rains, and the entire town was flooded. Over 40 houses were destroyed or swept away, and 3 people either drowned or were struck by debris in the town. Intense flooding occurred in New York City suburbs, sweeping away multiple cars and large portions of buildings. The effects of the flooding were highly exacerbated when the portion of the Hudson River near Manhattan exceeded it's banks. Small buildings experienced damage from the floods, with the weakest one's collapsing entirely. Both the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel and the Holland Tunnel were flooded. Overall, $8 billion in damage was recorded in the state of New York, and 9 deaths were reported.
New England[]
Although high winds were less of a problem in the majority of New England upon Sam's Long Island landfall, due to the distance between Sam's center and New England, it experienced heavy rain and severe thunderstorms due to Sam's cold front. Extremely heavy rains fell for a very long time over all of New England, and various large rivers, such as the Nashua River in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and the Taunton River in southern Massachusetts exceeded their banks, flooding the surrounding areas. The South Coast in Massachusetts experienced very large swells due to high winds along Sam's cold front. When Sam moved back out to sea, it briefly intensified back into a hurricane-force extratropical cyclone. This resulted in much heavier rains and higher winds.
Intense flash flooding drowned 3 people all across Massachusetts. A wind gust of 94 mph was documented in southwestern Massachusetts. A tree fell in high winds onto a house, killing a elderly man living there alone. Rhode Island also observed large flash flooding, but no deaths were reported. Over 200 houses were destroyed or damaged beyond repair in New England, and a peak rainfall amount of 7.4 inches was recorded in Waltham. A man from Maine who went fishing during the storm drowned after his boat capsized. Overall, $2.03 billion in damage was reported in New England, along with 5 deaths.
Elsewhere[]
In the Central United States, Sam's extratropical remnant brought rainfall and high winds. Although no deaths or significant damage was recorded, there was sporadic flash flooding and mild wind damage, like downed trees. A brief tornado outbreak also occurred, with the strongest being an EF3 tornado that destroyed a farm in Pennsylvania, damaged portion of a nearby rural town and injured 2 people.
In the Bahamas, moderate rainfall occurred with some moderately high winds. No significant damage was reported.
In Atlantic Canada, high swells from Sam and its remnant brought some mild coastal flooding, although there were no deaths due to the swells.
Aftermath[]
Power restoration efforts[]
About 1 week after Hurricane Sam passed through the Northeast, about 60,000 workers from all across the United States, Mexico, and Canada worked to restore power to residences all across the Northeast, mainly in New Jersey and Long Island.
Relief efforts[]
Shortly after the storm passed through, various media organizations, such as NBC, ABC, and FOX News, made contributions to relief efforts. NBC held a telethon named "Hurricane Sam: The Storm", and managed to raise over $15 million for the American Red Cross and many other hurricane relief organizations. ABC donated $4 million to relief efforts across New York and surrounding areas. FOX News also donated $3 million to some other relief organizations in an effort to assist in repairs.
Congress relief bill[]
The United States Congress created, voted on and passed a bill that would provide sufficient funding for reconstruction areas in and around the New York metropolitan area. However, the bill initially experienced opposition from numerous Republican congressmen due to the bill containing funding for things unrelated to Sam. Kevin McCarthy, the House Minority Leader, said in a statement, "The Democrats are trying to pass a bill... that's disguised as a bill for relief from Hurricane Sam, but in reality, it has, there's funding for the Smithsonian Institute, schools in California, and- and they expect us to vote for this?"
Eventually, an amendment to the bill was added that removed what was deemed unnecessary funding, and the bill passed 79-18 in the Senate.
Retirement of the name[]
Due to the major damage and loss of life associated with Hurricane Sam, the name "Sam" was retired from the Atlantic rotating naming lists by the World Meteorological Organization on March 21st, 2022, and the name will never be used for an Atlantic hurricane. It was replaced with the name "Steven" for the 2027 Atlantic hurricane season.
See also[]
- Hurricane Victor – Another hurricane that caused significant effects in the Northeast U.S
- Hurricane Sandy – A similar, but much deadlier and more damaging hurricane that devastated the Northeast United States in late October, 2012
- Hurricane Bob – A storm that caused lots of damage in New England in August of 1991