Last week, as the month of November came to a close, so did the Atlantic Hurricane Season.  The six month season was extremely active this year with nineteen named storms. Only two, however, left their mark on the US.

Irene was a category-one hurricane that struck in late August.  The massive storm affected most of the eastern seaboard from North Carolina to Maine. In New York City, she dumped 6.87 inches of rain and caused extensive power outages.  Most of Irene’s sting, however, was felt in the interior sections of the Northeast and New England. Heavy rain in the mountains of upstate NY and Vermont led to catastrophic in-land flooding.

Tropical Storm Lee made landfall in Lousiana in early September.  This large, slow-moving storm brought significant amounts of rain and flooding to the states along the Gulf Coast.  Lee also sparked numerous tornadoes as it moved through the region.

These two storms are reported to have claimed 77 lives and caused an estimated $11 billion in damage.