2004: THE HURRICANE SEASON THAT TERRORIZED

FLORIDABY JACOB WALDEN

During October 2004 I had the ability to be a part of a disaster cleanup team that traveled to Kissimmee, Florida. We spent the weekend clearing roads, cutting up fallen trees, and helping people to regain their mobility in the area. Since I had a first hand account of the destruction that a hurricane can cause I am doing my ePortfolio about the Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2004. There was significant damage done throughout the Caribbean but I want to mainly focus on the effects of these storms on the United States.

MAJOR EVENTS

• TROPICAL STORM BONNIE

• HURRICANE CHARLEY CATEGORY 4

• HURRICANE FRANCES CATEGORY 4

• HURRICANE IVAN CATEGORY 5

• HURRICANE JEANNE CATEGORY 3

KEY FACTS OF THIS HURRICANE SEASON

• BEGAN ON JUNE 1, AND ENDED ON NOVEMBER 30

• WAS AN EL NIÑO YEAR

• NINE TOTAL HURRICANES

• SIX HURRICANES REACHING AT LEAST CATEGORY 3 INTENSITY

• CAUSED AT LEAST 3,258 DEATHS OVERALL

• $50 BILLION IN DAMAGE

PATH OF TROPICAL STORM BONNIE

TROPICAL STORM BONNIE

• BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION AUGUST 3, 2004

• UPGRADED TO TROPICAL STORM AUGUST 9, 2004

• LANDED NEAR APALACHICOLA, FL ON AUGUST 12, 2004

• 3 DEATHS, $1.27 MILLION IN DAMAGE

PATH OF HURRICANE CHARLEY

HURRICANE CHARLEY

• BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON AUGUST 9, 2004

• STRENGTHENED TO A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE AUGUST 13, 2013

• MADE US LANDFALL IN CAYO COSTA, FL WITH 150MPH WIND AUGUST 13, 2013

• CAUSED 29 DEATHS, IN 792 INJURIES, AND $15.1 BILLION IN DAMAGE IN FLORIDA ALONE

PATH OF HURRICANE FRANCES

HURRICANE FRANCIS

• BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON AUGUST 24, 2004

• STRENGTHENED TO CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE ON AUGUST 27, 2004

• LANDED IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2004

• CAUSED 6 DEATHS AND $10.9 BILLION IN DAMAGE

• PRODUCED 103 TORNADOS IN THE UNITED STATES

PATH OF HURRICANE IVAN

HURRICANE IVAN

• BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2004

• STRENGTHENED TO A CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE SEPTEMBER 9, 2004

• LANDED NEAR GULF SHORES, ALABAMA SEPTEMBER 16, 2004

• ENTERED THE ATLANTIC SEPTEMBER 18, BUT CROSSED FLORIDA SEPTEMBER 21, 2004

• IVAN PRODUCED A RECORD 119 TORNADOS IN 9 COLLECTIVE STATES

PATH OF HURRICANE JEANNE

HURRICANE JEANNE

• BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2004

• PERFORMS A COMPLETE LOOP IN OPEN WATER, REACHES CATEGORY 3 SEPTEMBER 25, 2004

• LANDS NEAR STUART, FLORIDA ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2004

• CAUSED AT LEAST 4 US DEATHS, $6.8 BILLION IN DAMAGE

OUTSIDE OF THE US

THIS PROJECT REALLY DROVE HOME THE LESSONS WE LEARNED ABOUT HAZARDS AND DISASTERS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. HURRICANE JEANNE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER 3000 DEATHS IN HAITI ALONE. THE CITY OF GONAÏVES WAS NEARLY WASHED AWAY COMPLETELY BY FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES. MANY FLORIDIANS WERE ALSO ABLE TO EVACUATE NORTHWARD WHEN HURRICANE FRANCES TOOK TWO DAYS TO CROSS THE BAHAMAS. WE TEND TO FOCUS ONLY ON OUR LOSSES BUT OUR LOSSES WERE MOSTLY FINANCIAL WHEREAS IN THE CARIBBEAN THERE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FATALITIES.

REFLECTION I FEEL THAT I LEARNED SO MUCH THIS SEMESTER. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A DAY YET THAT I HAVEN’T THOUGHT ABOUT SOME OF THE PRINCIPLES I LEARNED WHEN DRIVING AROUND IN THE VALLEY. THIS PROJECT HELPED ME TO SEE THAT HURRICANES ARE HAZARDOUS NOT ONLY FOR THEIR WIND BUT ALSO FOR THE TORNADOS, RAINS, AND MASSIVE FLOODS THAT THEY BRING. THIS HURRICANE SEASON WAS SO DANGEROUS BECAUSE THEY LAYERED OVER THE SAME AREAS IN THE SAME WAY AFTERSHOCKS DO FOLLOWING EARTHQUAKES. IN THE PHOTOS YOU CAN SEE HOW THE HURRICANES START PACKING AWAY HEAT ENERGY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ATLANTIC, THEN HOW THEY DUMP THAT STORED ENERGY ALL THROUGHOUT THE EASTERN SEABOARD. THOUGH WE DON’T GET HURRICANES IN UTAH, WE CAN GET TORRENTIAL RAINSTORMS THAT COULD WASH US OFF THE SLOPES. BY BUILDING BETTER HOMES IN LESS DANGEROUS AREAS WE CAN KEEP FROM WASHING OFF LIKE THE HAITIANS DID.