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Hurricane Ivan

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This article is dealing with the September 2004 Hurricane Ivan. For other storms of the same name, see Hurricane Ivan (disambiguation).
Hurricane Ivan

Hurricane Ivan infrared satellite image, taken on September 15, 2004 at 9:45 pm CDT.

Formed September 2, 2004 as Tropical Depression Nine
Wind Speed Currently: 130 mph (210 km/h)

Maximum: 165 mph (270 km/h) on 11 September 2004

Category Currently: Three
Maximum: Five
Territories affected

Hurricane Ivan, the fifth hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Ivan reached "unprecedented" intensity at low latitudes, peaking at 135 mph (215 km/h), making it a Category 4 Hurricane at only 10.6° N. Ivan struck Barbados, Tobago, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

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 its strength lessened to a Category 4, and it continued on a track towards the north-northwest.

Current status

As of 2:15 am CDT September 16 (0715 UTC), the middle of the hurricane had alighted on shore upon the Alabama coastline, just to the east of Mobile. The eastern edge of the eyewall stretches out in an oblong fashion to the city of Pensacola, Florida. The storm was moving north at near 12 mph (19 km/h) and this motion is expected to continue. Ivan is at the upper limit for a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (210 km/h), and has held that intensity at its landfall.

Particular warnings are being given to owners and residents of high-rise buildings; the wind speed 30 floors up is roughly equivalent to an entire category higher. In other words, while the ground may experience Category 4 winds, the tops of high rises could be hit with Category 5 winds.

The forecast track takes Ivan north to north-northwest across Alabama towards Tennessee, dissipating by September 20.

Current watches and warnings

File:Ivan 2004 Track.gif
Forecast track of Hurricane Ivan as of September 15, 2004 at 10 pm CDT. (Refresh the page to see the latest version)

Preparations

Damage potential

This pertains to areas in the path of Ivan, not those which have already been affected.

  • Wind damage, with sustained winds in excess of 150 mph (250 km/h) and higher gusts.
  • Immense Storm surge of 10-16 ft (3-5 m) above normal, including battering waves.
  • Rainfall in excess of 10-15 in (25-40 cm), along with life-threatening flooding and mudslides.
  • Hurricane force winds (over 74 mph) extending 100 miles in each direction from the eye
  • Tropical Storm force winds (39 to 74 mph) extending more than 200 miles in each direction from the eye
  • Tropical storm and hurricane force winds felt as far inland as Jackson, Mississippi and Birmingham, Alabama
  • Widespread and extreme coastal erosion and damage to near-shore roadways
  • Extended power and telecommunications outages for a large portion of the Gulf coast, including inland areas
  • Extensive damage and temporarily limited access to infrastructure, including fire and rescue capabilities, law enforcement, basic sanitation, and other public assistance

Storm history

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.

Hurricane Ivan just west of Grenada in the Caribbean Sea on September 7, 2004 at 19:45 UTC (15:45 EDT). At the time, Ivan had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h), placing it at Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Visible satellite image courtesy NOAA.

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, as with Ivan, is 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 Category 4 hurricane, but maintained that intensity as it travelled north to the coast of the United States.

Impact

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" [2]. As a result, extensive looting has been reported. A member of the Grenadan parliament estimated "85 percent devastation" to the small island [3].

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 have begun 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."

Ivan has killed at least 68 people in the Carribean. So far, 2 people have died in Florida from a tornado spawned by Ivan [4].

The heaviest damage as Ivan touches the US coastline appears to have been experienced between Pensacola, Florida and Fort Walton Beach. There are reports of heavy damage from windows blown out and impacted by flying projectiles in this coastal area. Power is out pervasively throughout both of these large communities.

Lake Pontchartrain was reported to have overlowed it's shores and onto the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana as of 2:30am CDT on the 16th of September, 2004.

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