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Hurricane Dennis

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Storms

   CAPTION: Hurricane Dennis

   Category 4 hurricane ( SSHS)
   Hurricane Dennis on July 10, 2005 at 1615 UTC.
   Hurricane Dennis on July 10, 2005 at 1615 UTC.
     __________________________________________________________________

   Formed July 4, 2005
   Dissipated July 13, 2005
   Highest
   winds
   150  mph (240  km/h)
   (1-minute sustained)
   Lowest pressure 930  mbar ( hPa)
   (27.46 inHg)
   Damage $2.23 billion in the U.S.;
   $4-6 billion total
   (2005 USD)
   Fatalities 42 direct, 47 indirect
   Areas
   affected Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi,
   Georgia, Tennessee and Ohio Valley regions
   Part of the
   2005 Atlantic hurricane season

   Hurricane Dennis was an early-forming major hurricane in the Caribbean
   and Gulf of Mexico during the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. Dennis
   was the fourth named storm, second hurricane, and first major hurricane
   of the season. In July, the hurricane set several records for early
   season hurricane activity, becoming both the earliest formation of a
   fourth tropical cyclone and the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever to
   form before August, according to available records.

   Dennis hit Cuba twice as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson
   Hurricane Scale, and made landfall on the Florida Panhandle in the
   United States as a Category 3 storm less than a year after Hurricane
   Ivan did so. Dennis caused at least 89 deaths (42 direct) in the U.S.
   and Caribbean and caused $2.23 billion (2005 US dollars) in damages to
   the United States, as well as an approximately equal amount of damage
   in the Caribbean, primarily on Cuba.

Storm history

   Storm path
   Enlarge
   Storm path

   Hurricane Dennis began as Tropical Depression Four in the southeastern
   Caribbean Sea on the evening of July 4, the first storm of the season
   to form away from Mexico and Central America. Almost immediately, it
   made landfall on Grenada as a tropical depression with 30 mph winds. On
   the morning of July 5, it strengthened into Tropical Storm Dennis in
   the eastern Caribbean; this was the earliest formation of an Atlantic
   season's fourth storm (by comparison, during the 2004 season, Hurricane
   Alex formed in early August and Hurricane Charley made landfall in Cuba
   on August 12). The newly named Dennis began moving rapidly to the
   west-northwest.

   It was very clear from early weather forecasting models that Dennis had
   the potential to be a major storm, and it was predicted to reach
   hurricane status while still a tropical depression. It reached
   hurricane strength on the afternoon of July 6 while approaching the
   southern coast of Hispaniola, and it quickly became a strong and
   well-organized Category 1 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.
   The next day it strengthened rapidly to become a Category 4 major
   hurricane, the earliest in an Atlantic hurricane season that a storm
   had reached that strength since Hurricane Audrey in the 1957 season.
   After rapid strengthening, Dennis's track became slightly more
   northerly, bringing it between Jamaica and Haiti by July 7; both
   countries experienced high winds and heavy rain.

   As it approached Cuba and strengthened to just under Category 5
   intensity, Dennis's track began to wobble. Meteorologists from the
   National Hurricane Centre (NHC) stated, "this type of erratic motion is
   not unusual for intensifying major hurricanes."
   Hurricane Dennis on July 7, 2005 at 1550 UTC, beginning to pass to the
   north of Jamaica. Jamaica, eastern Cuba, and Hispaniola are all
   obscured by the storm.
   Enlarge
   Hurricane Dennis on July 7, 2005 at 1550 UTC, beginning to pass to the
   north of Jamaica. Jamaica, eastern Cuba, and Hispaniola are all
   obscured by the storm.

   On July 7, Hurricane warnings were issued for Cuba at 11 a.m. EDT (1500
   UTC). Dennis made landfall near Punta del Inglés with 140 mph
   (220 km/h) winds late that day, and dropped down to a Category 3 storm
   while crossing the peninsula. As it moved back into the Gulf of
   Guacanayabo, its wind speed increased to a peak of 150 mph (240 km/h).
   Dennis then slammed into south-central Cuba just west of Punta Mangles
   Altos on July 8, again with 140 mph (220 km/h) winds.

   Crossing Cuba's mountainous terrain disrupted the storm's circulation,
   weakening Dennis to Category 1 intensity. However, NHC forecasts
   continued to indicate the possibility of a return to Category 4 status
   after convection was re-established. This prediction was borne out when
   Dennis rapidly reintensified on the afternoon of July 9 over the Gulf
   Loop Current, a reintensification described by NHC as having occurred
   "at a rate that bordered on insane." The storm reached Category 4
   intensity again on the morning of July 10. At 1200 UTC, the storm
   reached its peak intensity of 930  mbar (27.47 inHg), surpassing
   Hurricane Audrey and setting a new record for the strongest storm to
   form prior to August; the new record stood for less than two weeks
   before Hurricane Emily surpassed it by reaching a pressure of 929  mbar
   (27.43 inHg).
   Total rainfall from Dennis.
   Enlarge
   Total rainfall from Dennis.

   The storm continued moving north-northwest towards the central Gulf
   Coast, which had seen the landfalls of Tropical Storm Arlene in June
   and Hurricane Cindy the previous week. By the morning of July 10,
   hurricane warnings were in effect in the U.S. for the Florida
   Panhandle, Alabama, and Mississippi, with tropical storm warnings
   extending further east and west along the coast. The NHC predicted a
   landing at near full strength in the late afternoon. However, much like
   Hurricane Ivan which struck in the same area the previous year, the
   storm weakened just before landfall; its maximum sustained winds
   dropped from 145 mph (235 km/h, Category 4 strength) to 120 mph
   (195 km/h, Category 3 strength).

   Continental landfall occurred at Santa Rosa Island, between Pensacola,
   Florida, and Navarre Beach, Florida, at 2:25 p.m. CDT (1925 UTC) on
   July 10. Dennis was a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 115 to 120 mph
   (185 to 195 km/h). The highest official wind speed reported was a
   121 mph (195 km/h) wind gust at Navarre Beach. The storm lost strength
   over the day and was a tropical depression by early on July 11. The
   depression persisted, however, and gained a little strength while
   stalled over Illinois the next day. It finally dissipated in Ontario on
   July 13, with advisories ceasing a full three days after landfall.

Preparations

   Combined with Hurricane Cindy's landfall on the Gulf Coast of the
   United States, uncertainty over Dennis's final landfall helped push oil
   prices to a record high of $61.28 a barrel on July 6, and again to
   $61.50 on July 7, although they dropped below $60 on July 8. Dennis was
   originally forecast to strike Louisiana, one of the oil-producing
   regions of the Gulf coast. Speculative spikes in oil prices due to
   Hurricane Dennis foreshadowed the far greater price spikes caused by
   Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in late August and September.

   In Haiti officials evacuated residents along the coastline, but noted
   that many were not obliging. In Cuba more than 600,000 residents were
   moved from their homes to government shelters or other locations in
   anticipation of Dennis.

   In the United States, the lower Florida Keys were placed under a
   mandatory evacuation order, and a nonresident and mobile home resident
   evacuation was ordered for the remainder of the Keys. This evacuation
   was cancelled the night of July 8, as there was no longer sufficient
   time for stragglers in the Florida Keys to safely leave. Furthermore,
   the governors of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana all
   declared states of emergency in their states.

   At 6 a.m. CDT (2300 UTC) on July 9, 2005, all southbound lanes on
   Interstate 65 from Mobile to Montgomery, Alabama, were closed. Traffic
   was redirected, making all four lanes northbound to allow evacuations.
   In Alabama residents in all parts of Mobile County, and those south of
   I-10 in Baldwin County, were ordered to evacuate. Similar orders were
   issued in Mississippi for parts of Jackson, Hancock, and Harrison
   counties; and for coastal areas in the Florida Panhandle stretching
   from Escambia County to Bay County. Likewise, military installations
   such as NAS Pensacola, Whiting Field, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field and
   Tyndall AFB were all evacuated days before the storm.

Impact

              Deaths from Hurricane Dennis
   Country Total  State  State
                         total County   County
                                        total Direct
                                              deaths
   Cuba    16                                 16
   Haiti   56                                 22
   Jamaica 1                                  0
   USA     15    Florida 14   Broward   3     1
                              Charlotte 3     0
                              Escambia  1     0
                              Monroe    1     1
                              Nassau    1     1
                              Walton    1     0
                              Unknown   4     0
                 Georgia 1    DeKalb    1     1
   Totals  89                                 42
   Because of differing sources, totals may not match.

   Hurricane Dennis caused $4-6 billion (2005 US dollars) and at least 89
   deaths in its path past Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, and the United States.

Caribbean

   Dennis first affected Jamaica while still a weak storm. One person was
   killed there and damage was estimated at $32 million USD.

   In Haiti, the Pan American Health Organization reports that 56 deaths
   and 36 injuries occurred; the storm also destroyed 929 homes and
   damaged another 3,000, leaving 1,500 families homeless. Among the dead
   were 16 who were killed when a bridge collapsed during the hurricane.
   Furthermore, 24 persons are still listed as missing.

   From there the storm moved to Cuba, leaving 16 people dead and $1.4
   billion in damages as it roared through the island, flattening houses
   and downing trees and power lines. According to reports from the Cuban
   government, 120,000 homes were damaged, 15,000 of which were destroyed.
   The citrus and vegetable industries were also devastated as Cuba's
   primary agricultural regions were the hardest hit. Nonetheless, Fidel
   Castro publicly refused US aid after the storm in protest of the
   ongoing US trade embargo against Cuba, stating that, "If they offered
   $1 billion we would say no." Relayed reports from Cuban meteorologists
   stated that a gust up to 149 mph (239 km/h) was detected at Cienfuegos,
   85% of the power lines were down, and extensive damage to the
   communications infrastructure had occurred. Dennis was more destructive
   than the previous year's Hurricane Charley and was widely regarded as
   the worst hurricane to strike Cuba since Hurricane Flora in the 1963
   season.

United States

   A beachfront home in Navarre Beach, Florida largely destroyed by
   Hurricane Dennis.
   Enlarge
   A beachfront home in Navarre Beach, Florida largely destroyed by
   Hurricane Dennis.

   In the United States, damage was not as high as originally expected,
   mainly because Dennis was more compact and moved more quickly than
   initially forecast. Dennis made landfall approximately 30 miles to the
   east of where Hurricane Ivan had made landfall 10 months before, but
   did not cause as much damage as Ivan. Dennis moved about 7 mph
   (11 km/h) faster than Ivan at landfall, and had hurricane-force winds
   that only extended 40 miles (65 km) from its centre, compared to Ivan's
   105 miles (170 km/h).
   Power lines and homes damaged by Dennis in Navarre Beach, Florida.
   Enlarge
   Power lines and homes damaged by Dennis in Navarre Beach, Florida.

   During the height of the storm, Dennis produced storm surges as high as
   9 ft (3 m) in the Apalachee Bay region, and as high as 7 (2 m) on the
   Florida Panhandle, and left 680,000 customers without electricity in
   four southern states. No significant damage was reported to most
   structures; however, insurers initially estimated that Dennis caused
   $3–$5 billion in insured damage, or approximately $6–$10 billion total
   (insured damage estimates are generally held to be approximately
   one-half of total damages). However, the NHC's Tropical Cyclone Report
   reported total damage in the United States as only $2.23 billion with
   $1.115 billion of insured damage.

   Dennis caused at least 10 tornadoes in the U.S., although only one of
   them reached F1 status on the Fujita scale. The storm dropped over
   10 inches (250 mm) of rain in some areas of Alabama and Georgia (see
   the rainfall graphic). Parts of Georgia, which had received heavy rain
   just days earlier from Hurricane Cindy, suffered heavy flooding, and
   flash-floods were reported on the outskirts of the Atlanta metropolitan
   area.

   In the United States, 15 storm-related deaths (14 in Florida) were
   reported, including one in Walton County, three in Broward County,,
   three in Charlotte County, one each in Nassau and Escambia Counties and
   one in Decatur, Georgia. In the Gulf of Mexico, the storm heavily
   damaged the Thunder Horse, a BP oil rig about 150 miles (240 km)
   southeast of New Orleans, Louisiana, causing it to list badly.

   One beneficial effect of Hurricane Dennis was the rolling of the former
   USS Spiegel Grove. Spiegel Grove was sunk in Florida Keys National
   Marine Sanctuary in an attempt to create an artificial reef. However,
   the ship turned over and landed on the bottom upside down. Efforts to
   roll the ship were partially successful, bringing it onto its starboard
   side, but Hurricane Dennis completed the roll, bringing Spiegel Grove
   into its intended upright position.

Retirement

   The name Dennis was retired in the spring of 2006 and will never be
   used for an Atlantic hurricane again. It was replaced by Don on List
   III of the Atlantic hurricane naming lists that will be next be used in
   the 2011 season.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Dennis"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
