Drought, Fires, Floods, Mudslides and One Devastating Deep Freeze: The Images of 2021

This year brought numerous weather disasters and countless opportunities to snap images of the power of nature.

The ongoing drought in the West and unrelenting heat waves fueled wildfires that burned towns to the ground, such as historic Greenville, California, which was burned in August by the Dixie Fire, the second-largest wildfire in state history.

Hurricanes pounded the East Coast. Hurricane Ida, for example, left a trail of damage from Louisiana to New York. Tornadoes wiped out homes and lives, particularly the Dec. 10 outbreak that left dozens of people dead.

We’ve compiled a slideshow of both the most devastating and awe-inspiring imagery of the last year. While this year’s climate change-driven weather disasters brought immeasurable suffering and destruction, photographers still caught fleeting moments of beauty, such as the solar eclipse in June and New Orleans homes decorated in lieu of Mardi Gras floats as the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the traditional parades.

Click through the slideshow above for a visual tour of 2021 in weather and nature imagery.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.