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Hurricane Igor

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Hurricane Ivan was the 10th most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. The cyclone was also the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Ivan 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. It had reached Category 5 strength on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, the strongest possible category. At its peak in the Gulf of Mexico, Ivan was the size of the state of Texas. It also spawned 117 tornadoes across the eastern United States.

Ivan caused catastrophic damage to Grenada and heavy damage to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and the western tip of Cuba. After peaking in strength, the hurricane moved north-northwest across the Gulf of Mexico to strike Gulf Shores, Alabama as a strong Category 3 storm, causing significant damage. Ivan dropped heavy rains on the Southeastern United States as it progressed northeast and east through the eastern United States, becoming an extratropical cyclone. The remnant low from the storm moved into the western subtropical Atlantic and regenerated into a tropical cyclone, which then moved across Florida and the Gulf of Mexico into Louisiana and Texas, causing minimal damage. Ivan caused an estimated US$13 billion (2004 USD) in damages to the United States, making it the sixth costliest hurricane ever to strike that country.

In the Caribbean, 500,000 Jamaicans were told to evacuate from coastal areas, but only 5,000 were reported to have moved to shelters. Many schools and businesses were closed in the Netherlands Antilles, and about 300 people evacuated their homes on Curaçao. 12,000 residents and tourists were evacuated from Isla Mujeres off the Yucatán Peninsula.

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 ordered in six other parishes. More than one-third of the population of Greater New Orleans evacuated voluntarily, including more than half of the residents of New Orleans itself. 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. However, Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes suffered a moderate amount of wind damage. Hurricane preparedness for New Orleans was judged poor. 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.

Ivan prompted the evacuation of 270 animals at "The Little Zoo That Could" in Alabama. The evacuation had to be completed within a couple of hours, with only 28 volunteers available to move the animals.

Impact

  • Hurricane Ivan tornado outbreak
  • List of Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes
  • List of Florida hurricanes (2000–present)
  • List of North Carolina hurricanes (1980–present)
  • List of retired Atlantic hurricane names
  • List of wettest tropical cyclones in the United States
  • Timeline of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Stacey R. Stewart. Tropical Cyclone Report for Hurricane Ivan. Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
  2. ^ National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Ivan Discussion 14. Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
  3. ^ National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Ivan Discussion 17. Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
  4. ^ Hurricane Ivan-The Overview . New York Times. (Report) . Retrieved on May 19, 2009 .
  5. ^ Hurricane Ivan Roars through the Caribbean and United States Gulf Coast . Hurricaneville. (Report) . Retrieved on May 18, 2009 .
  6. ^ National Hurricane Center's Tropical Depression IVAN Special Discussion Number 67, September 22, 2004
  7. ^ a b c National Hurricane Center. Atlantic Hurricane Track Database. Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
  8. ^ National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Felix Tropical Cyclone Report. Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
  9. ^ National Climatic Data Center. Climate of 2004: Atlantic Hurricane Season. Retrieved on 2008-02-01
  10. ^ U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. NRL Measures Record Wave During Hurricane Ivan. Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
  11. ^ Jamaica Observer (2004). "500,000 to evacuate, Many refuse to leave" . http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20040910T110000-0500_66008_OBS_________TO_EVACUATE_.asp . Retrieved 2008-02-05 .  
  12. ^ FOXNews.com (2004). "Hurricane Ivan Pounds Jamaica" . http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,131956,00.html . Retrieved 2008-02-05 .  
  13. ^ Agence France-Presse (2004). "Hurricane Ivan kills at least 14 in Caribbean" . http://wwwnotes.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/530fcb683baa58f285256f0a0051a657?OpenDocument . Retrieved 2007-11-22 .  
  14. ^ Associated Press (2004). "Ivan leaves at least 12 dead in Grenada" . http://web.archive.org/web/20041011092510/http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/09/08/hurrican.ivan.ap/index.html . Retrieved 2007-11-23 .  
  15. ^ Environment News Service (2004). "Storm Weary Florida Braces for Hurricane Ivan" . http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/sep2004/2004-09-14-04.asp . Retrieved 2008-02-05 .

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