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Hurricane Frances
Category 4 Atlantic hurricane in 2004 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Hurricane Frances was the second most intense tropical cyclone in the Atlantic during 2004 and proved to be very destructive in Florida. It was the sixth named storm, the fourth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. The system crossed the open Atlantic in late August, moving to the north of the Lesser Antilles while strengthening. Its outer bands struck Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands while passing north of the Caribbean Sea. The storm's maximum sustained winds peaked at 145 mph (233 km/h), achieving Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. As the system's forward motion slowed, the eye passed over San Salvador Island and very close to Cat Island in the Bahamas. Frances was the first hurricane to impact the entire Bahamian archipelago since 1928 and almost destroyed their agricultural economy.
Frances then passed over the central sections of Florida, three weeks after Hurricane Charley, causing significant damage to the state's citrus crop, closing major airports and schools, and forcing the cancellation of a collegiate football game. The storm then moved briefly offshore from Florida, into the northeast Gulf of Mexico, and made a second U.S. landfall, on the Florida Panhandle, before accelerating northeast through the eastern United States near the Appalachians and into Atlantic Canada while weakening. A significant tornado outbreak accompanied the storm across the eastern United States, with a total of 103 confirmed tornadoes, making it the third highest number of tornadoes spawned from a tropical cyclone, behind Hurricane Beulah of 1967, which produced 115 tornadoes. Very heavy rains fell in association with this slow-moving and relatively large hurricane, which caused floods in Florida and North Carolina. 50 people died and damages totaled US$10.1 billion (2004 dollars).
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Meteorological history
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Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
Unknown
Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
Unknown
Storm type
Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depressionA strong tropical wave moved off the west coast of Africa on August 21. It proceeded westward across the Atlantic Ocean, steered by the Azores High, or a ridge of high pressure. Over the next few days, the wave's convection, or thunderstorms, became better organized.[1] On August 23, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) first noted the potential for tropical cyclogenesis, or formation, within a day or two.[2] At 00:00 UTC on August 25, Tropical Depression Six formed about 755 mi (1,210 km) west-southwest of the Cape Verde islands.[1] With favorable conditions including low wind shear and warm water temperatures, the depression continued to organize, as it developed pronounced outflow.[3][4] Around 18:00 UTC on August 25, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Frances, while located approximately 1,420 miles (2,290 km) east of the Lesser Antilles.[1][5] On the next day, the track shifted more to the west-northwest. By 09:00 UTC on August 26, Frances was producing an eye feature in the center of the storm, a sign of its intensification. At 18:00 UTC that day, Frances attained hurricane status, or maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h).[1][6]
On August 27, Frances' track slowed and shifted more to the northwest, as an approaching upper-level trough weakened the subtropical ridge to the storm's north. During that time, Frances rapidly intensified, becoming a major hurricane, or Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, late on August 27.[7][8][1] It underwent an eyewall replacement cycle, in which a larger eye replaced its original eyewall.[9][10] Late on August 28, Frances reached its first peak as a Category 4 hurricane, reaching winds of 135 mph (215 km/h), as the track shifted back to the west-northwest. Another eyewall replacement cycle began on August 29, causing a brief period of weakening in conjunction with an increase in wind shear. By August 30, the hurricane's maximum sustained winds fell to 115 mph (185 km/h), but it subsequently began restrengthening. On August 31, Frances reached peak winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) while passing about 135 mi (215 km) north of Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additional eyewall cycles again caused weakening, but Frances remained a Category 4 hurricane between August 31 through September 2, during which time it attained a minimum barometric pressure of 935 mbar (27.6 inHg). Also during this time, the NHC was forecasting that Frances would move ashore Florida as a Category 4 hurricane.[11][12][13][1]
On September 2, Frances again reached peak winds of 145 mph (230 km/h). That day, an increase in wind shear caused the hurricane to weaken slightly. At 19:30 UTC on September 2, Frances started moving through the Bahamas as it hit San Salvador Island. Over the next two days, the hurricane also struck Cat Island, Eleuthera, and Grand Bahama. A building ridge to Frances' west caused the hurricane to move slowly across the Bahamas, with a large eye about 50 mi (85 km) in diameter. At 04:30 UTC on September 5, Frances made landfall in southeastern Florida at the southern end of Hutchinson Island, with winds of about 105 mph (165 km/h). It weakened rapidly while moving across the state, emerging into the Gulf of Mexico on September 6 as a tropical storm. By that time, the storm had a large circulation with little inner core. At 18:00 UTCon September 6, Frances made another landfall on the Florida panhandle near St. Marks, with winds of about 60 mph (95 km/h). The storm moved northward and later northeastward, weakening into a tropical depression near the border of Alabama and Georgia. Frances continued through the southeastern United States, producing a prolific tornado outbreak. On September 9, it transitioned into an extratropical cyclone while over West Virginia, and briefly re-attained gale force winds as it moved through New York. The remnants of Frances crossed over southeastern Canada and northern New England, dissipating over the Gulf of St. Lawrence on September 10.[1][14]
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Preparations
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The threat from Hurricane Frances prompted widespread tropical cyclone warnings and watches, beginning on August 29. In the Caribbean, tropical storm warnings were issued as far south as Guadeloupe, and westward to the northern coast of the Dominican Republic.[1] Schools and government offices in the United States Virgin Islands closed during the hurricane's passage. Cruise lines were diverted, and ferry service was halted between St. Thomas and St. John.[15] In Puerto Rico, schools, courts, and casinos closed, while more than 14 flights were canceled.[16][17]
The Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas issued hurricane warnings on August 31, ultimately covering the latter country by September 2.[1] In the Turks and Caicos, the local Red Cross provided sandbags and opened emergency shelters.[18] Across the Bahamas, more than 1,500 people stayed in shelters during the hurricane.[19]
On September 2, the NHC issued hurricane warnings for Florida's east coast from Florida City to Flagler Beach, including Lake Okeechobee. Hurricane warnings were later issued for Florida's west coast from Anna Maria Island to Destin. Tropical storm warnings also covered the state as far north as Fernandina Beach and the southern portion of the state, including the Florida Keys.[1] Ahead of the hurricane, Governor Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency for the state.[20] Ultimately, about 2.8 million people were under evacuation orders across 41 counties, which was the state's largest evacuation ever. A traffic death occurred during evacuations near Micanopy, Florida, when a man on I-75 hit a tree. About 108,000 people stayed in one of the hundreds of shelters set up in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. Several airlines canceled flights in and out of the state, and nine cruise lines had their itineraries altered.[21][22][23][24] Both Kennedy Space Center and Walt Disney World closed during the hurricane.[21][25] The entire Major League Baseball series between the Florida Marlins and Chicago Cubs was postponed.[26] Three college football games were also postponed.[27] Many universities across Florida canceled classes. Both the University of Central Florida and the University of North Florida told all students to leave their dorms. Evacuation at the University of South Florida was performed on a dorm-by-dorm basis. Florida Atlantic University was closed for a week and a half. Most schools were shut down from southern Miami-Dade County to just south of Melbourne two days before the hurricane. The annual Florida State University-University of Miami college football game was rescheduled for the following week.[28]
Various National Weather Service offices issued flood or flash flood warnings from Florida to Kentucky, and northeastward to New York. After Frances moved inland and weakened, the Storm Prediction Center issued a tornado watch from Georgia to Pennsylvania.[29]
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Impact
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Caribbean
While Frances passed north of the Lesser Antilles, it produced winds to 37 mph (60 km/h) at Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas. The hurricane also produced scattered rainfall on the islands.[30] In Puerto Rico, rainfall reached 2.52 in (64 mm) at Carite Lake.[31] The hurricane left about 17,000 people without power and 15,000 people without water.[32] Strong waves caused beach erosion and damage to coastal houses in northern Dominican Republic.[33] The storm destroyed six houses, and forced around 50 people to evacuate their houses.[34]
Hurricane Frances also passed about 40 mi (65 km) northeast of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Grand Turk Island recorded wind gusts of 79 mph (127 km/h).[35] The island lost power during the hurricane.[36] More than a dozen homes sustained damage in the Turks and Caicos. One person was rescued after the roof blew off her residence.[37]
In the Bahamas, Frances led to two fatalities – an electrocution involving a generator in the capital city Nassau, and a drowning on Grand Bahama amid the hurricane's storm surge, or rise in ocean waters. Floodwaters reached 8 ft (2.4 m) deep on the island.[1][38] On the island of Mayaguana, the storm surge reached an estimated 15 ft (4.6 m).[39] Frances produced strong winds throughout the Bahamas. Shortly after hitting the island of San Salvador, Frances produced wind gusts of 120 mph (193 km/h) on the island. Rainfall on San Salvador reached 5.47 in (139 mm). The hurricane also produced sustained winds of 100 mph (161 km/h) in North Eleuthera.[1] Insurers and reinsurers estimated industry insured losses at about $300 million (2004 dollars) throughout the Bahamas.[40] Around 300 peopler required rescue from rooftops by boat or trucks.[38] About 75% of the island chain lost power for a few hours during the storm.[41] All cool-season vegetable plantings, and the entire banana crop, were lost during Frances. The pineapple crop was significantly impacted by wind damage in Eleuthera, while the entire fruit crop was lost for similar reasons. The corn crop in Long Island and Cat Island was completely lost. Significant poultry losses were experienced.[42]
On Mayaguana, the hurricane damaged roads, power lines, and the roofs of houses. Along the coast, two boats and a dock were damaged.[39][43][44] The island of Inagua lost power service.[39] Crooked Island lost telephone access during the hurricane.[39] Two houses were wrecked on Acklins, and the island's medical clinic had damage to its roof. On Long Island, floodwaters inundated several houses. Across Acklins, Long, and Crooked Islands, the floods damaged schools and government buildings. About 70% of the houses on Rum Cay had damage to shingles. On San Salvador Island, the hurricane destroyed five homes and damage the roofs of another 60 houses. Power lines were also knocked down.[45][43] Also on the island, the hurricane damaged at least 13% of the non-native Australian pine, primarily from snapping or salt spray.[46] On Cat Island, two houses were destroyed, and most of the island's houses had either shingle damage or power outages.[43]
On Eleuthera, strong winds knocked down power lines and caused structural damage. Governor's Harbour was flooded.[45] On New Providence, the Bahamas's most populous island where the capital, the winds knocked down trees and power lines. Princess Margaret Hospital, the country's largest hospital, had to evacuate patients due to damage. The roof of a shelter was damaged during the storm, forcing the evacuees to move.[45][19] The streets of Nassau were littered with falling trees and satellite dishes.[37] At nearby Cable Beach, a grocery store completely lost its roof.[41] In the Andros islands, the hurricane damaged power lines, roofs, and a dock. Similar damage occurred in the Berry Islands.[45] Approximately 50% of residences in Coopers Town and North Abaco on the Abaco Islands sustained damage. Several buildings lost parts of their roofs, including a government building. About 20 homes were flooded in Marsh Harbour.[45][47] Several people suffered injuries when the roof of a hospital collapsed in South Abaco; patients were evacuated to Nassau by helicopter.[48] Flooding inundated the Grand Bahama International Airport with waters 6 ft (1.8 m) deep. Strong winds knocked down trees and damaged roofs on the island. The Rand Memorial Hospital on Grand Bahama had to be evacuated when the roof was damaged.[19][45] Bahamian member of parliament Obie Wilchcombe joined others in rescuing approximately 70 people who became trapped after storm surge entered their residences on the west end Grand Bahama.[41] In the Bimini islands, the hurricane caused damage to tree limbs.[44]
United States
Throughout the United States, Hurricane Frances led to 48 fatalities, of whom six died due to the hurricane's direct impacts. Nationwide damage totaled $9.507 billion, making it the nation's eighth costliest hurricane at the time.[1] The economic effect was felt early, as the storm struck during Labor Day weekend, traditionally the final summer vacation weekend in the United States.[49] Frances also spawned 101 tornadoes from Florida to as far north as Virginia.[1] Many hotel reservations from South Carolina to Florida were canceled as people, seeing the destruction caused weeks earlier by Hurricane Charley, decided to avoid the coastal areas for safety.[citation needed]
Florida
Prior to Frances weakening to a tropical storm, hurricane-force winds in Florida extended up to a width of 145 mi (235 km) from the cyclone's center.[50] The highest recorded sustained wind speed in Florida was 85 mph (137 km/h) at the United States Army Corps of Engineers's Port Mayaca station. Officially, wind gust observations in the state reached as high as 108 mph (174 km/h) in Fort Pierce, while an identical, unofficial wind gust was reported in Martin County.[1] Consequently, a peak total of 4,270,583 customers across Florida lost electricity.[50] Additionally, wind damage to citrus groves led to a near total loss near the coast of east-central and southeast Florida between Boca Raton and Melbourne, with lesser damage farther to the west across the Kissimmee River basin.[51] Between Hurricane Charley and Frances, citrus losses totaled $2 billion.[52]
Frances also produced heavy rains in the state, peaking at 16.61 in (422 mm) in Kent Grove, near Spring Hill.[53] Large portions of west-central and northeast Florida also reported precipitation amounts of at least 10 in (250 mm).[54] Significant storm surge impacted both coasts, with a surge up to 5.89 ft (1.80 m) above mean sea level recorded at the St. Lucie Lock. However, the National Weather Service estimated that storm surge may have reached as high as 8 ft (2.4 m) above ground near Vero Beach.[1] Extensive to moderate erosion impacted the Atlantic coast of Florida from Martin County to Volusia County,[55]: 12 resulting in substantial damage to 546 structures within the Coastal Building Zone.[55]: 16 On the Gulf Coast, however, erosion and coastal flood specifically relating to the storm often became difficult to determine due to Charley less than a month earlier and then Ivan and Jeanne shortly after Frances.[55]: 82
Frances produced tropical storm-force wind gusts as far south as the Florida Keys. However, only minor damage was reported there.[56] In Southwest Florida, Glades and Hendry recorded sustained tropical storm-force winds and hurricane-force wind gusts.[57] The former suffered about $25 million in damage – $20 million to crops and $5 million to property.[58] Each county of the Miami metropolitan area – Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach – reported hundreds of thousands of power outages. Significant impacts occurred in parts of South Florida, especially Palm Beach County, where the southern eyewall of Frances crossed as it made landfall farther north.[57] Heavy rains, including 13.56 in (344 mm) at Palm Beach International Airport, caused a large sinkhole to develop on Interstate 95, which closed the highway to traffic.[59] Roughly 15,000 houses and 2,400 businesses in the county were inflicted some degree of damage. Frances left about $570 million in damage in Palm Beach County, with about $70 million incurred to crops. Broward and Miami-Dade counties suffered about $80 million and $34 million in damages, respectively.[57]
Near the point of its first landfall, few structures were destroyed and ocean overwash across the barrier island was limited, though the extent of the damage far exceeded that of Hurricane Charley.[60] Significant tree damage was reported within golf courses along the Treasure Coast, with an average of 300-500 trees experiencing damage per course.[61] Throughout the tri-county region – Martin, Indian River, and St. Lucie – hundreds of businesses, homes, and mobile homes suffered destruction, while thousands of other structures experienced various degrees of damage.[62] The storm inflicted impacts on 1,319 homes in Martin County, 52 of which were destroyed.[63] In St. Lucie County, Frances destroyed the municipal marina in Fort Pierce and several hangars at the Treasure Coast International Airport.[64] A total of 1,129 dwellings in the county became uninhabitable.[65] A bridge carrying State Highway A1A was washed away and destroyed on Hutchinson Island.[64] At least 3,000 homes and about 50% of businesses were damaged in Indian River County.[66] Property damage in the Treasure Coast totaled approximately $4.5 billion, while roughly $88.8 million in crop damage also occurred in the region.[67]
Just inland from the Treasure Coast, Okeechobee County likely experienced sustained hurricane-force winds in most areas. The storm damaged 22,688 homes, nearly 700 of which were demolished.[68] In Osceola County, Frances damaged 69 dwellings and 3 businesses.[66] Heavy rainfall caused major street flooding in Kissimmee and St. Cloud, while water entered some workplaces and residences.[69] The Orlando International Airport in Orange County reported sustained winds of 54 mph (87 km/h) and gusts up to 69 mph (111 km/h).[1] Across the county, the cyclone damaged some 3,000 homes and 1,600 businesses.[66]
Ground-level wind gusts in Brevard County reached 90 mph (140 km/h) at Merritt Island Airport.[64] Across the county, Frances damaged 12,130 homes to some degree. Additionally, the storm ripped off 820 4-by-10 foot aluminum panels covering the large Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center.[70] While Charley caused $700,000 damage, Frances's damage was significantly greater. Two external fuel tanks for the Space Shuttle were in the building but seemed undamaged. The Space Shuttle Discovery's hangar was without power.[71] Overall, Brevard County experienced about $277.6 million in damage,[66] with more than one-third of that figure, $100 million, incurred to space and military facilities around Cape Canaveral.[1] Volusia County was also among those experiencing the most extensive effects. Throughout the county, Frances damaged 478 businesses, 19,958 single-family homes, 4,800 mobile homes, and 1,414 agriculture-related structures. The hurricane left about $238.5 million in damage in the county.[64]
On September 5, 2004, acidic process water was released from the Mosaic Fertilizer, LLC storage containment system during Hurricane Frances. By the following day, an estimated 65 million gallons had emptied into Archie Creek Canal, Hillsborough Bay, and surrounding wetlands.[72]
East Coast
Frances dropped significant rain on Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Frances dumped up to 5 inches (130 mm) of rain into Georgia and caused the closings of schools in 56 counties. Across Georgia, winds of 30 to 40 miles per hour (48 to 64 km/h), with gusts to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h), downed tree branches and power lines.[73] On September 7, a total of 380,000 residences were without power.[74] Significant crop damage was seen, particularly to the cotton and the peanut crops. On average, 30 percent of the crops were lost during Frances.[75]
Flooding was reported in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, particularly along the Appalachian Mountains. A strip of upslope-induced rainfall along the Blue Ridge escarpment produced as much as 23 inches (580 mm) of rain in some areas of western North Carolina as the warm tropical air surged up and over the mountains.[54] Flooding along the Swannanoa River near Asheville, North Carolina caused a major break in Asheville's water distribution system, leaving the city without water for several days. The Pigeon River flooded in Haywood County, leaving many homeless and many businesses closed, including the town hall of Canton. There was significant crop damage in North Carolina, resulting in $55 million in crop damage.[76] Flooding was also reported in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Minor flooding occurred along the banks of the three rivers, with additional damage reported in river tributaries.[77] In Upstate New York, heavy rainfall occurred, peaking at 6.79 in (172 mm) in Urbana.[78] In Buffalo, several roads closed due to flooding on September 9.[79] Further east, 6.4 in (160 mm) of rain was recorded in White Plains. Several lines on the New York City Subway shut down due to flooding as well.[80] Rainfall was over 5 in (130 mm) in parts of Long Island.[81]
Canada
As an extratropical cyclone, Frances passed through southern Ontario. The storm dropped up to 5.39 inches (137 mm),[82] washing out roads and causing localized flooding in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland. This rainfall smashed all-time rainfall records in a 24-hour period (most of the rain fell in a 6 to 8 hour-period). Ottawa's O-Train Trillium Line was halted because of a landslide that obstructed the railroad corridor. Several major roads in Gatineau and Ottawa were under several inches of water, locally chest-high. More than $45 million (2004 CAD; US$41 million) in insured damage was reported in Ontario.[83]
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Aftermath
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Bahamas
Frances is the first hurricane to impact the entire archipelago since 1866. On September 4, teams from the Ministry of Works, the Department of Environmental Health Services, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the Royal Bahamas Police Force were used to clear roadways of tree debris while utilities attempted to restore power and water in New Providence. The Family Islands were surveyed on September 5 and 6, when it was noted that major damage occurred within the island group. Telecommunications were restored to most of the island chain within 24 hours. As of September 21, electricity had been restored to half of the Bahamians who had lost power. Western sections of Grand Bahama Island remained without power into Hurricane Jeanne, which was the most significantly impacted island. The onion crop was expected to be late in 2005 due to the loss of seedbeds and seedlings during the storm.[42]
Florida
In the aftermath of the storm, many colleges and school districts across Florida remained closed. President George W. Bush declared all of Florida a federal disaster area.[84] Kennedy Space Center did not restore its complete work force until September 13 due to relief operations, as well as a lack of gasoline, ice, and water in the area.[85] A total of 8000 members of the National Guard helped out with recovery efforts soon after the storm left the Florida peninsula. Residents in the areas of impact after the storm were under a boil water order, because of the lack of electricity to area water systems.[59] Churches prepared meals for people without power and food.[86] Federal employees were granted excused absences if they helped with law enforcement and the cleanup.[87] Thousands of portable generators were sent to the state by Home Depot and Lowe's home improvement stores.[88] The United States Army Corps of Engineers installed blue tarpaulins on 41,556 damaged roofs statewide.[89] Damage to the Florida citrus crop caused orange futures to rise four cents a pound.[90] After the destruction of the Fort Pierce City Marina from Frances, cleanup took more than one year.[91] The marina was rebuilt and 19 new artificial islands to protect the marina from storm surge were constructed.[92] The project, which costed $18 million (2013 USD), was completed in 2013.[91]
Georgia and the Carolinas
On September 24, the southern two-thirds of Georgia was declared a disaster by President Bush.[93] The state lost 50 percent of its pecan crop due to Frances, which led to a price rise in pecans by late October.[94] Lost peach trees were expected to lower output during 2005, and increase peach prices.[95] A disaster declaration was made for the northeast section of South Carolina on October 7.[96] On September 10, President Bush declared 34 counties within North Carolina a disaster area, making them eligible for US$6.5 million (2004 dollars) in public assistance. A Wildlife Commission removed its North Carolina Mountain State Fair exhibit due to Frances midway through the fair. Over 100,000 trout were lost due to the storm in the Pisgah, Table Rock, Marion, and Armstrong state fish hatcheries.[97] Red Cross volunteers distributed over 200,000 gallons of water by its 600 volunteers in four days. After Frances and Hurricane Ivan, Asheville determined that it needed $14 million in order to buy out willing businesses and homes within the floodplain.[98]
Retirement
Because of the hurricane's effects in the United States, the name Frances was retired from the rotating lists of tropical cyclone names in the spring of 2005 by the World Meteorological Organization, and will never again be used for an Atlantic basin tropical cyclone.[99] The name was replaced with Fiona for the 2010 season.[100]
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