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Hurricane Ivan

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Natural Disasters

   CAPTION: Hurricane Ivan

   Category 5 hurricane ( SSHS)
   Hurricane Ivan as a Category 5.
   Hurricane Ivan as a Category 5.
     __________________________________________________________________

   Formed September 2, 2004
   Dissipated September 24, 2004
   Highest
   winds
   165  mph (270  km/h) (1-minute sustained)
   Lowest pressure 910  mbar ( hPa)
   Damage $19.7 billion (2005  USD)
   Fatalities 92 direct, 32 indirect
   Areas
   affected The Windward Islands (especially Grenada), Venezuela, Jamaica,
   Grand Cayman, Cuba, Alabama, Florida, and most of the eastern United
   States, (after rebirth) Texas, Louisiana
   Part of the
   2004 Atlantic hurricane season

   Hurricane Ivan was the strongest hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic
   hurricane season. The storm formed as a Cape Verde-type hurricane in
   early September, and became the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane,
   and the fourth major hurricane of the year. Ivan reached Category 5
   strength on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, the highest possible
   category, and it became the sixth (now ninth) most intense Atlantic
   hurricane on record, as well as the only Category 5 storm of the
   season.

   Ivan caused catastrophic damage to Grenada, which it struck directly at
   Category 3 intensity, and heavy damage to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and
   the western tip of Cuba. After peaking in strength, it moved
   north-northwest across the Gulf of Mexico to make landfall as a strong
   Category 3 storm in the United States, near Gulf Shores, Alabama,
   causing very heavy damage. Ivan dropped heavy rains on the Southeastern
   United States as it looped across Florida and back into the Gulf of
   Mexico. The remnant low from the storm regenerated into a new tropical
   system, which moved into Louisiana and Texas, causing minimal damage.
   Ivan caused an estimated $13 billion worth of damage in the United
   States, making it the fourth costliest hurricane to ever strike the
   United States.

Storm history

   Storm path
   Enlarge
   Storm path
   The eye of Hurricane Ivan as seen from the International Space Station
   on September 11, 2004.
   Enlarge
   The eye of Hurricane Ivan as seen from the International Space Station
   on September 11, 2004.

   On September 2, 2004, Tropical Depression Nine formed from a large
   tropical wave southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. As the storm moved
   to the west it gradually strengthened, becoming Tropical Storm Ivan on
   September 3 and it reached hurricane strength on September 5,
   1150 miles (1850 km) to the east of Tobago. Later that day the storm
   began to rapidly intensify, and by 5 p.m. EDT (2100 UTC), Ivan had
   become a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 125 mph (200 km/h). The
   National Hurricane Centre noted the rapid strengthening of Hurricane
   Ivan on September 5 was unprecedented at such a low latitude in the
   Atlantic basin.

   Hurricane Ivan weakened slightly as it continued to move west due to
   wind shear present in the area. The storm passed over Grenada on
   September 7, battering several of the Windward Islands as it entered
   the Caribbean Sea. Ivan began to rapidly intensify again and became a
   Category 5 hurricane just north of the Windward Netherlands Antilles
   and Aruba on September 9 with winds reaching 160 mph (260 km/h).
   Hurricane Ivan weakened slightly as it moved west-northwest, towards
   Jamaica. As Ivan approached the island late on September 10, it began a
   westward jog which kept the eye and the strongest winds to the south
   and west. However, because it still came very close to the Jamaican
   coast the island was battered with hurricane-force winds for hours.

                                          Most intense Atlantic hurricanes
                          Intensity is measured solely by central pressure
                       Rank   Hurricane Season               Min. pressure
                          1       Wilma   2005       882 mbar ( hPa)
                          2     Gilbert   1988       888 mbar (hPa)
                          3 "Labor Day"   1935       892 mbar (hPa)
                          4        Rita   2005       895 mbar (hPa)
                          5       Allen   1980       899 mbar (hPa)
                          6     Katrina   2005       902 mbar (hPa)
                          7     Camille   1969       905 mbar (hPa)
                                  Mitch   1998       905 mbar (hPa)
                          9        Ivan   2004       910 mbar (hPa)
                         10       Janet   1955       914 mbar (hPa)
                                       Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

   After passing Jamaica, it resumed its more northerly track, and
   regained Category 5 strength. Ivan's strength continued to fluctuate as
   it moved west on September 11 and attained its highest winds of 170 mph
   (275 km/h) as it passed within 30 miles (45 km) of Grand Cayman. Ivan
   reached its peak strength with a minimum central pressure of 910  mbar
   ( hPa) on September 12, making Ivan the ninth most intense Atlantic
   hurricane on record, as of October 2006. Hurricane Ivan passed through
   the Yucatán Channel late on September 13 while its eyewall affected the
   westernmost tip of Cuba. Once over the Gulf of Mexico, it weakened
   slightly to Category 4 strength, but maintained that intensity as it
   approached the Gulf Coast of the United States.
   Hurricane Ivan at landfall on the extreme eastern Alabama Gulf Coast.
   Enlarge
   Hurricane Ivan at landfall on the extreme eastern Alabama Gulf Coast.

   Just before it made landfall in the United States, Hurricane Ivan's
   eyewall weakened considerably, and its southwestern portion almost
   disappeared in the hours before landfall. Around 2 a.m. CDT September
   16 (0700 UTC), Ivan made landfall on the U.S. mainland near Gulf
   Shores, Alabama as a Category 3 hurricane with 130 mph (210 km/h)
   winds. Ivan then continued inland, maintaining hurricane strength until
   it was over central Alabama. Ivan rapidly weakened that evening and
   became a tropical depression the same day, still over Alabama. Ivan
   lost tropical characteristics on September 18 while crossing Virginia
   and later that day the remnant low drifted off the U.S. mid-Atlantic
   coast into the Atlantic Ocean, and the low pressure disturbance
   continued to dump rain on the United States.

   On September 20 a small surface low, originating from the southern
   remnants of Ivan, completed an anticyclonic loop and moved across the
   Florida peninsula. As it continued west across the northern Gulf of
   Mexico, the system organized and took on tropical characteristics. On
   September 22 the National Weather Service, "after considerable and
   sometimes animated in-house discussion [regarding] the demise of Ivan,"
   determined that the low was in fact a result of the remnants of Ivan
   and thus named it accordingly. On the evening of September 23, the
   revived Ivan made landfall near Cameron, Louisiana as a weak tropical
   storm. Ivan finally dissipated on September 24 as it moved overland
   into Texas.

Records

   Ivan as a Category 3 hurricane east of the Windwards on September 5,
   2004.
   Enlarge
   Ivan as a Category 3 hurricane east of the Windwards on September 5,
   2004.

   Ivan set several new records for intensity at low latitudes.

   When Ivan first became a Category 3 hurricane on September 5 (1800
   UTC), it was centered near 10.2 degrees north; this is the most
   southerly location on record for a major hurricane in the Atlantic
   basin. Just six hours later, Ivan also became the most southerly
   Category 4 hurricane on record in the Atlantic basin when it reached
   that intensity while located at 10.6 degrees north. Finally, Ivan
   managed to become the most southerly Category 5 hurricane on record in
   the Atlantic basin; it achieved this at midnight (UTC) on September 9
   while centered at 13.7 degrees north.

   Ivan had a total ACE of 70.6, second only to the San Ciriaco Hurricane
   of 1899.

   Ivan had 33 (32 consecutive) 6 hourly reports at category 4 strength.
   This record was later broken by Hurricane Ioke, which had 36 (33
   consecutive) 6 hourly reports at category 4 strength.

   On September 16th 2004 Hurricane Ivan created the largest "wave" of
   water ever recorded. Scientists from the Naval Research Laboratory at
   Stennis Space Centre, Mississippi, have had to employ a computer model
   to predict that, while they were not looking, the height of the storm
   the wave reached 131 ft, equivalent to the height of a 15 story
   building. By comparison, the tsunami wave that swept across the Indian
   Ocean in December 2004 stood about 30 ft high as it hit shorelines,
   although in some parts of Indonesia it was reported to have reached 65
   ft.

Preparations

   In the Caribbean, 500,000 Jamaicans were told to evacuate from coastal
   areas, but only 5,000 were reported to have moved to shelters. 12,000
   residents and tourists were evacuated from Isla Mujeres off Yucatan.

   In Louisiana, mandatory evacuations of vulnerable areas in Jefferson,
   Lafourche, Plaquemines, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist
   and Tangipahoa parishes took place, with voluntary evacuations in 6
   other parishes ordered. More than one-third of the population of
   Greater New Orleans voluntarily evacuated, including more than half of
   the residents of New Orleans. At the height of the evacuation, intense
   traffic congestion on local highways caused delays of up to 12 hours.
   About a thousand special-needs patients were housed at the Louisiana
   Superdome during the storm. Ivan was considered a particular threat to
   the New Orleans area because dangers of catastrophic flooding.
   Thankfully, the city and the rest of the Metro Area dodged a bullet and
   flood walls held. However, Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes
   suffered a moderate amount of wind damage. Hurricane preparedness for
   New Orleans was judged poor. As had been repeated most hurricane
   seasons since the 1960s, at one point the media sparked fears of an
   "Atlantean" catastrophe if the hurricane were to make a direct strike
   on the city. These fears were not realized, as the storm's path turned
   further east. The publicity generated may have contributed to the
   somewhat more effective evacuation of the city in preparation for
   Hurricane Katrina a year later, however.

   In Mississippi, evacuation of mobile homes and vulnerable areas took
   place in Hancock, Jackson and Harrison counties. In Alabama, evacuation
   in the areas of Mobile and Baldwin counties south of Interstate 10 was
   ordered, including a third of the incorporated territory of the City of
   Mobile, as well as several of its suburbs.

   In Florida, a full evacuation of the Florida Keys began at 7:00 a.m.
   EDT September 10, but was lifted at 5:00 a.m. EDT September 13 as Ivan
   tracked further west than originally predicted. Voluntary evacuations
   were declared in ten counties along the Florida Panhandle, with strong
   emphasis in the immediate western counties of Escambia, Santa Rosa, and
   Okaloosa.

   It caused "The Little Zoo That Could," located in Alabama, to evacuate
   270 animals at the time which lead to much distress. The evacuation had
   to be done within a couple of hours...and there were only 28 volunteers
   that help in moving the 270 animals.

Impact

                 Deaths from Hurricane Ivan
         Country       Total State or region Regional
                                             total   Direct
                                                     deaths
   Barbados            1                             1
   Cayman Islands      2                             1
   Dominican Republic  4                             4
   Grenada             39                            39
   Jamaica             17                            17
   Trinidad and Tobago 1     Tobago          1       1
   USA                 54    Alabama         5       0
                             Connecticut     1       0
                             Florida         19      14
                             Georgia         4       2
                             Louisiana       4       0
                             Maryland        1       0
                             Mississippi     3       1
                             North Carolina  10      8
                             Pennsylvania    6       0
                             Tennessee       1       0
   Venezuela           3                             3
   Totals              121                           91
   Because of differing sources, totals may not match.
   Sources:

   Ivan killed 64 people in the Caribbean—mainly in Grenada and
   Jamaica—three in Venezuela, and 25 in the United States, including
   fourteen in Florida. Thirty-two more deaths in the United States were
   indirectly attributed to Ivan. Tornadoes spawned by Ivan struck
   communities along concentric arcs on the leading edge of the storm.
   Blountstown, Florida, Marianna, Florida and Panama City Beach suffered
   three of the most devastating tornadoes. A Panama City Beach news
   station was nearly hit by an F2 tornado during the storm. Ivan also
   caused over $13 billion in damages in the United States and $3 billion
   in the Caribbean.

Grenada

   Aftermath of Ivan in Grenada
   Enlarge
   Aftermath of Ivan in Grenada

   Ivan passed directly over Grenada on September 7, 2004, killing 39
   people. The capital, St. George's, was severely damaged and several
   notable buildings were destroyed, including the residence of the prime
   minister. Ivan also caused extensive damage to a local prison, allowing
   most of the inmates to escape. The island, in the words of a Caribbean
   disaster official, suffered "total devastation". According to a member
   of the Grenadian parliament, at least 85% of the small island was
   devastated. Extensive looting was reported. In all, damage on the
   island totaled to $815 million (2004 USD).

Jamaica

   On September 11–12, Ivan passed over Jamaica, causing significant wind
   and flood damage. Looters were reported roaming the streets of
   Jamaica's capital city, Kingston (which appeared deserted), robbing
   emergency workers at gunpoint. Overall, 17 people were killed in
   Jamaica and 18,000 people were left homeless as a result of the flood
   waters and high winds. Most of the major resorts and hotels fared well,
   though, and were reopened soon only a few days after Ivan had passed.
   Damage on Jamaica totaled to $360 million (2004 USD).

Cayman Islands

   In the Cayman Islands, governor Bruce Dinwiddy described damage as
   "very, very severe and widespread." A quarter of buildings on the
   islands were reported to be uninhabitable, with 80% damaged to some
   extent. Much of Grand Cayman Island still remained without power, water
   or sewer services ten days later. After five months, barely half the
   pre-Ivan hotel rooms were usable. Only two people were killed on the
   islands. The damage totaled to $1.85 billion (2004 USD) in the Cayman
   Islands.

Rest of the Caribbean

   Elsewhere in the Caribbean, a pregnant woman was killed in Tobago when
   a tree fell on top of her home, while another casualty was caused to a
   75-year-old Canadian woman that drowned in Barbados. There were also
   four deaths in the Dominican Republic and three in Venezuela. Over
   one-hundred fifty homes on Barbados and around 60 homes in St. Vincent
   and the Grenadines were also reportedly damaged. The regions' Caribbean
   Development Bank estimates Ivan caused over $3 billion damage on island
   nations, mostly in the Cayman Islands, Grenada and Jamaica.

   Even though Ivan did not make landfall on Cuban soil, its storm surge
   caused localized flooding on Santiago de Cuba and Granma, on the
   southern part of the island. At Cienfuegos, the storm produced 15  ft
   (5  m) waves, and at Pinar del Río, there were 339  mm (13 in) of
   rainfall recorded. While there were no casualties in the island, the
   Cuban government estimates that about 1.2 billion USD of property
   damage were directly due to Ivan.

United States

   Hurricane Ivan sank and stacked numerous boats at Bayou Grande Marina
   at NAS Pensacola.
   Enlarge
   Hurricane Ivan sank and stacked numerous boats at Bayou Grande Marina
   at NAS Pensacola.

   Along with the 14 deaths in Florida, Ivan is blamed for eight in North
   Carolina, two in Georgia, and one in Mississippi. There were an
   additional 32 deaths reported as indirectly caused by the storm.

   Ivan caused an estimated $13 billion in damage in the United States
   alone, making it the third costliest hurricane on record at the time,
   being very near Hurricane Charley's $14 billion but well below
   Hurricane Andrew's $26 billion. Hurricane Hugo; Ivan displaced
   Hurricane Hugo which had previously held the third spot. In 2005,
   Hurricane Katrina caused $81 billion in damage, displacing Ivan to
   fourth place, and Hurricane Wilma caused $20 billion in damage,
   displacing Ivan again to fifth place.
   Costliest U.S. Atlantic hurricanes

   Cost refers to total estimated property damage.
   Rank Hurricane Season Cost (2005 USD)
   1 Katrina 2005 $81.2 billion
   2 Andrew 1992 $44.9 billion
   3 Wilma 2005 $20.6 billion
   4 Charley 2004 $15.4 billion
   5 Ivan 2004 $14.6 billion
   Main article: List of notable Atlantic hurricanes

Florida

   Heavy damage as Ivan made landfall on the U.S. coastline was observed
   in Pensacola, Pensacola Beach, dwellings situated far inland along the
   shorelines of Escambia Bay, East Bay, and Blackwater Bay in Escambia
   County and Santa Rosa County, and Fort Walton Beach, Florida on the
   eastern side of the storm. The area just west of Pensacola, including
   the community of Warrington which includes Pensacola NAS, Perdido Key,
   and Southwest Escambia County, took the brunt of the storm. Some of the
   subdivisions in this part of the county were completely destroyed, with
   a few key roads in the Perdido area only opened in late 2005, over a
   year after the storm hit. Shattered windows from gusts and flying
   projectiles experienced throughout the night of the storm were common.
   On Pensacola Beach, roads still remain closed due to damage from Ivan's
   storm surge.
   Damage to I-10 causeway over Escambia Bay near Pensacola
   Enlarge
   Damage to I-10 causeway over Escambia Bay near Pensacola

   In Pensacola, the Interstate 10 bridge across Escambia Bay was heavily
   damaged, with as much as a quarter mile (400 m) of the bridge
   collapsing into the bay. The causeway that carries U.S. Highway 90
   across the northern part of the same bay was also heavily damaged.
   Virtually all of Perdido Key, an area on the outskirts of Pensacola
   that bore the brunt of Ivan's winds and rain, was essentially leveled.
   High surf and wind brought extensive damage to Innerarity Point.

   As of June 2006, more than 1,000 families are still living in
   FEMA-provided trailers in the Pensacola area.

Alabama

   The city of Demopolis, over 100 miles inland in west-central Alabama,
   endured wind gusts estimated at 90 mph (150 km/h), while Montgomery saw
   wind gusts in the 60–70 mph (95–115 km/h) range at the height of the
   storm.

   The heaviest damage as Ivan made landfall on the U.S. coastline was
   observed in Baldwin County in Alabama, where the storm's eye (and
   eyewall) made landfall. High surf and wind brought extensive damage to
   Orange Beach near the border with Florida.

Rest of the United States

   Further inland, Ivan caused major flooding, bringing the Chattahoochee
   River near Atlanta and many other rivers and streams to levels at or
   near 100-year records. The Delaware River and its tributaries crested
   just below their all-time records set by Hurricane Diane in 1955.

   In Western North Carolina, many streams and rivers reached well above
   flood stage causing many roads to be closed. The Blue Ridge Parkway as
   well as Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River gorge in Haywood County,
   North Carolina, sustained major damage.

   The system also spawned deadly tornadoes as far north as Maryland, and
   destroyed seven oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico while at sea. While
   crossing over the Mid-Atlantic states, Ivan's remnants spawned over 100
   tornadoes over the southeastern U.S. and 26 tornadoes in the
   Washington, D.C. and Southern Maryland area alone. Ivan then moved into
   the Pittsburgh area, causing major flooding. Pittsburgh International
   Airport recorded the highest 24-hour rainfall for Pittsburgh, recording
   5.95 in. of rain.

   After Ivan regenerated in the Gulf of Mexico, it caused further heavy
   rainfall up to 8 inches (20 cm) in areas of Louisiana and Texas.

Canada

   On the morning of September 21, the remnant mid-level circulation of
   Ivan combined with a frontal system. This produced a plume of moisture
   over the Canadian Maritimes for four days, producing heavy rainfall
   totaling to 6.2 (158 mm) inches in Gander, Newfoundland. High winds of
   up to 89 mph (143 km/h) downed trees and caused power outages in
   Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and eastern Nova Scotia. The system
   produced intense waves of up to 50 feet (15 m) near Cape Bonavista. The
   system killed two when it grounded a fishing vessel, and was indirectly
   responsible for 4 traffic fatalities in Newfoundland.

Aftermath

Grenada

   Grenada suffered serious economic repercussions following the
   destruction caused by Ivan. Before Ivan, the economy of Grenada was
   projected to grow by 4.7%, but the island's economy instead contracted
   by nearly 3% in 2004. The economy was also projected to grow by at
   least 5% through 2007, but, as of 2005, that estimate had been lowered
   to less than 1%. The government of Grenada also admitted that the
   government debt—130% of the island's GDP—was "unsustainable" in October
   2004, and appointed a group of professional debt advisors in January
   2005 to try to alleviate the situation.

   More than $150 million was sent to Grenada in 2004 to aid
   reconstruction following Ivan, but the economic situation remains
   fragile. The IMF reports that as "difficult enough as the present
   fiscal situation is, it is unfortunately quite easy to envisage
   circumstances that would make it even more so." Furthermore,
   "shortfalls in donor financing and tax revenues, or events such as a
   further rise in global oil prices, pose a grave risk."

United States

   Hurricane Ivan is suspected of bringing spores of soybean rust from
   Venezuela into the United States, the first ever occurrences of soybean
   rust found in North America. Since the Florida soybean crop had already
   been mostly harvested, economic damage was limited. Some of the most
   severe outbreaks in South America have been known to reduce soybean
   crop yields by half or more.

Retirement

   This storm also marked the third occasion the name "Ivan" had been used
   to name a tropical cyclone in the Atlantic, as well as the fourth
   occurrence worldwide. The name Ivan was retired in the spring of 2005
   by the World Meteorological Organization and will never again be used
   in the Atlantic basin. It was replaced by Igor for the 2010 season.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Ivan"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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