Hurricane Ivan was the fifth hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. It
was a Cape Verde-type hurricane that reached Category 5 strength at its peak,
and early in its path reached unprecedented intensity at low latitudes—Category
4 at only 10.6° N. After briefly being downgraded to Category 3 intensity, Ivan
struck Grenada directly on mid-day September 7 with Category 3 winds. It
travelled across the Caribbean Sea, reaching Category 5 intensity before passing
close to the Jamaican coast and Grand Cayman and crossing the western tip of
Cuba. After moving into the eastern Gulf of Mexico its strength lessened to a
Category 4, and it continued on a track towards the north-northwest, making
landfall in the U.S. near Gulf Shores, Alabama. As Ivan approached landfall,
Florida Lt. Governor Toni Jennings described it as "the size of Frances but
[with] the impact of Charley". (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/09/16/hurricane.ivan/index.html)
After landfall, Ivan moved north and then turned east, bringing heavy rainfall
to large areas of the south-eastern United States. It then later looped south
and through Florida, and regenerated into a tropical storm for a short time in
the gulf and moved into Louisiana and Texas. On September 2, 2004, Tropical
Depression Nine formed about 555 miles (890 km) southwest of the Cape Verde
Islands. The depression strengthened gradually to tropical storm status about
610 miles (980 km) southwest of the Cape Verde Islands, moving
west-northwesterly at around 16 mph (25 km/h), and was given the name Ivan on
September 3. Early September 5, Tropical Storm Ivan's winds strengthened to
hurricane status 1210 miles (1950 km) east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles. By
5pm EDT, Ivan had rapidly strengthened to a strong category three hurricane
(nearly a category four) on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale with winds of 125
mph (200 km/h). The National Weather Service noted such rapid strengthening was
unprecedented at such low latitudes in the Atlantic basin. As Ivan travelled
west, it weakened to a Category 2 hurricane. But on September 7, shortly after
passing over Grenada on its way into the Caribbean Sea, it reattained Category 4
intensity with winds of 135 mph (215 km/h). St. Vincent, Grenada and Barbados
were thereafter battered by the hurricane for several hours. As Ivan was passing
just north of the Windward Netherlands Antilles and Aruba on September 9,
sustained wind speed increased to 160 mph (260 km/h) thus classifying Ivan as a
Category 5 hurricane. Following this milestone, Ivan fluctuated between category
4 and 5 status, which is typical of intense hurricanes. Ivan continued
west-northwest, heading straight for 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. After clearing Jamaica, it resumed its more
northerly track, and reattained Category 5 intensity with sustained windspeeds
of 165 mph (270 km/h). With minimum recorded central pressure at 910 millibars,
Ivan is ranked as the sixth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record. Ivan
spent most of September 11 travelling west at Category 4 strength, staying just
off the southern coast of Jamaica. Ivan's intensity continued fluctuating, with
the storm temporarily reattaining Category 5 strength before passing within 30
miles (45 km) of Grand Cayman at Category 4, bringing hurricane force winds onto
the island. After passing the Cayman Islands, Ivan reattained Category 5
strength and brushed the western tip of Cuba late on September 13, with its
eyewall coming on shore. With most of its central circulation staying offshore,
Ivan was able to pass through the Yucatan Channel with no loss of strength. Once
over the Gulf of Mexico, Ivan lost some strength, dropping back to a 140 mph
(225 km/h) Category 4 hurricane, but maintained that intensity as it travelled
north to the coast of the United States. Around 2am CDT September 16 (0700 UTC),
Ivan struck the U.S. mainland near Gulf Shores, Alabama. At the time, Ivan's
maximum sustained winds had dropped to 130 mph (210 km/h), just under Category 4
strength. This slight drop in strength was accompanied by a disruption of Ivan's
eyewall. Both NEXRAD operators and Hurricane Hunters reported that the
southwestern portion of the eyewall had all but disappeared in the hours before
landfall. Ivan continued inland, maintaining hurricane strength until it was
over central Alabama. Late on the 16th, Ivan weakened to a tropical depression
over northeastern Alabama. On September 18 the remnants of Ivan drifted off the
mid-Atlantic coast of the United States into the Atlantic ocean and the low
pressure disturbance continued to dump rain on the east coast of the United
States. Ivan lost tropical characteristics on September 18 while crossing
Virginia. The remnant low crossed the coast of New Jersey later that day and
advisories were discontinued. Nevertheless, on the morning of September 21, some
of its remnants combined with a low-pressure system to pelt Cape Breton Island
of Nova Scotia, Canada with hurricane-force winds, flooding some roads, felling
trees, and leaving thousands without power. An interesting development occurred
on September 20 as a small surface low, caused by the southern remnants of Ivan,
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," (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2004/dis/al092004.discus.067.shtml?)
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. Ivan weakened quickly as it travelled overland
into southeast Texas. A full evacuation of the Florida Keys began at 7:00am EDT
September 10, but was lifted at 5:00 am EDT September 13 as Ivan tracked further
west than originally predicted. 500,000 Jamaicans were told to evacuate from
coastal areas, but only 5,000 were reported to have moved to shelters (http://www.canada.com/news/world/story.html?id=cede32a6-4619-4439-9404-0f81e8ac8043&page=2).
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, with voluntary evacuations in 6 other parishes. in Mississippi,
evacuation of mobile homes and vulnerable areas in Hancock, Jackson and Harrison
counties in Alabama, evacuation in the areas of Mobile and Baldwin counties
south of Interstate 10. Voluntary evacuation declared in ten counties along the
Florida Panhandle, with strong emphasis in the immediate western counties of
Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa. Ivan passed directly over Grenada on
September 7, 2004, killing at least 34 people. The capital of St. George's was
severely damaged and several notable buildings were destroyed, including the
residence of the prime minister. A prison on the island suffered extensive
damage, allowing much of the inmate population to escape. The island has, in the
words of a Caribbean disaster official, suffered "total devastation" (http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=6182981§ion=news).
As a result, extensive looting has been reported. A member of the Grenadan
parliament estimated "85 percent devastation" to the small island (http://msnbc.msn.com/ID/5927015/).
Among the dead were 20 Jamaicans, a pregnant woman killed in Tobago, and a 75
year old woman who drowned in Barbados. There were also four deaths in the
Dominican Republic, and four in Venezuela. Ivan also damaged hundreds of homes
in Barbados and at least 60 homes in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. On
September 11–12, Ivan passed over Jamaica, causing significant wind and flood
damage. Early reports suggested at least 14 people had been killed. Looters were
reported roaming the streets of Jamaica's capital city, Kingston (which appeared
deserted), robbing emergency workers at gunpoint. Governor Bruce Dinwiddy
described damage in the Cayman Islands 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. Ivan has killed at least 70
people in the Carribean and 52 in the United States. Sixteen of those people
died in Florida. Tornadoes spawned by Ivan hit in communities along concentric
arcs on the leading edge of the storm. (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/09/16/hurricane.ivan/index.html)
Blountstown, Florida and Panama City Beach suffered two of the most devastating
tornados. A Panama City Beach news station was nearly hit by an F2 tornado
during the storm.(http://media.graytvinc.com/video/tornado.wmv) The heaviest
damage as Ivan touches the U.S. coastline was observed in Baldwin County in
Alabama on the western side of the storm, and Pensacola, and Fort Walton Beach,
Florida on the eastern, windy leading edge of the storm. Shattered windows from
gusts and flying projectiles experienced throughout the night of the storm were
quite commonly seen. Early estimates put damage in the U.S. at $5–15 billion. In
Pensacola, the Interstate 10 causeway across Escambia Bay was heavily damaged,
with as much as a quarter-mile (400 m) of the road washed away. The bridge 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 well as
Orange Beach, just over the border from the Key in Alabama. 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 are expected to crest 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. Ivan caused deadly
tornadoes as far north as Maryland (http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20040919-011210-8032r.htm).
After Ivan regenerated in the gulf, it caused further heavy rainfall, up to 8
inches (20 cm) in areas of Louisiana and Texas. Ivan was also found to have
destroyed seven oil platforms
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