Hurricane Irma
Hurricane Irma was a powerful Category 5 hurricane that struck in September 2017, becoming the strongest hurricane recorded in the open Atlantic Ocean at that time. The storm caused catastrophic damage across the Caribbean, particularly impacting the Virgin Islands and Barbuda, where many buildings were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable. In Puerto Rico, Irma's effects were compounded shortly after by Hurricane Maria, leading to a prolonged humanitarian crisis. As it approached the United States, hurricane warnings were issued, and Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency. Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys on September 10, 2017, where it caused significant flooding and wind damage, ultimately resulting in over 130 fatalities across the affected regions. The storm prompted large-scale evacuations, with millions ordered to leave Florida. Although the estimated insurance losses in Florida ranged from $25 billion to $65 billion, the damage was less than initially feared. Recovery efforts in the Caribbean and Florida faced challenges, particularly in light of the subsequent devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.
Hurricane Irma
Date: August 31–September 11, 2017
Place: Southeastern United States; northeastern Caribbean islands
Summary
Irma, a Category 5 hurricane, made landfall in September 2017. In terms of sustained wind speed, it was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the open Atlantic Ocean to that time. It caused major damage in portions of the Caribbean, including the Virgin Islands and Barbuda, as well as significant damage in Puerto Rico and parts of the southeastern United States, especially Florida.
Key Events
- August 30, 2017—Hurricane warning systems identify a low-pressure system in the eastern Atlantic.
- August 31, 2017—Irma is classified as a hurricane.
- September 4, 2017—Hurricane warnings were issued in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The storm reaches Category 5 the next day.
- September 6, 2017—Hurricane Irma’s eye passes over Barbuda, St. Martin, Anguilla, and the US Virgin Islands, narrowly missing Puerto Rico.
- September 7, 2017—The Turks and Caicos Islands are battered by Hurricane Irma.
- September 8, 2017—Hurricane Irma passes over parts of the Bahamas and Cuba.
- September 10, 2017—Irma makes landfall in the Florida Keys and quickly loses strength.
Status
Irma was declassified from hurricane status on September 11, 2017. Much less damage occurred in the mainland United States than many feared, though the impact was still significant. According to the Insurance Journal, the cost of insurance losses from Hurricane Irma in Florida alone was estimated between $25 billion and $65 billion, less than the anticipated figure of up to $300 billion. There were more than 689,000 residential property claims reported by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR). Florida agriculture commissioner Adam Putnam reported that the local agriculture industry would lose $2.5 billion from the storm, with effects felt for months.
Meanwhile, the devastation was much greater and longer lasting in the Caribbean. Barbuda was hit particularly hard, with most of its buildings destroyed or damaged beyond habitability. Recovery efforts continued through the end of 2017 and beyond. To make matters worse, Hurricane Maria, another Category 5 storm, ravaged the northeastern Caribbean just days after Irma. Puerto Rico especially suffered from Maria on top of the lingering effects of Irma, triggering an ongoing humanitarian crisis.
In-Depth Overview
On August 30, 2017, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported a low-pressure system forming in the eastern Atlantic. The storm intensified as it moved toward the Leeward Islands, and the NHC officially labeled the storm a hurricane on August 31, with winds of up to 98 mph recorded. By the time Irma approached the Virgin Islands on September 4, winds had increased to around 145 mph (Category 4), and the NHC issued hurricane warnings across the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. That same day, Governor Rick Scott of Florida declared a state of emergency and called on the National Guard to begin making preparations. Because of the impact of Hurricane Harvey in Texas the month before, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it would run out of funds for emergency assistance. President Donald Trump announced that he was proposing an emergency $8 billion in funding in preparation for the storm’s impact on Florida.
On September 6, Hurricane Irma (now classified as Category 5, with sustained winds of 175–80 mph and even stronger gusts) passed directly over Barbuda, devastating the island. It also hit the islands of Anguilla, St. Martin, and Buck Island. Moving at approximately 16 mph, the storm passed over the northern Virgin Islands by midday on September 6 and that evening, shifted north of Puerto Rico. On September 7, Irma passed just north of the Dominican Republic and between Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The NHC issued hurricane warnings in Florida as analyses indicated that the storm would move inland. The storm hit the Bahamas on September 8, temporarily decreasing to Category 4 before making landfall on Cuba’s Camaguey archipelago at Category 5 with sustained 160 mph winds and gusts over 180 mph. That same day, the US Senate voted to approve $15 billion in hurricane relief.
Hurricane Irma lost significant energy over Cuba, downgrading to Category 4 again. It hit Florida’s Cudjoe Key on September 10 with 130 mph sustained winds, heading north by northwest at around 8 mph. While the storm weakened after hitting the Florida coast, and was downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane with sustained 120 mph winds, the NHC warned of a potentially dangerous storm surge that could mean 10 to 15 feet of water hitting the coast. The hurricane moved away from Florida, then returned for a second landfall at Marco Island. By the evening of September 10, it was a Category 2 storm, and the next day, it dropped to Category 1 and then tropical storm status before fully dissipating over the next few days.
At the time, Hurricane Irma was the strongest ever Atlantic hurricane recorded in the open ocean and marked the first time on record that two Category 4 or higher storms hit the US mainland in a single year. Most of the damage in the United States was in Florida, although flooding and wind damage also occurred in parts of Georgia and South Carolina. Over 6.5 million people were ordered to evacuate portions of Florida, with 77,000 forced to stay in one of the 450 shelters across the state. The area with the highest rainfall, Fort Pierce, experienced 15.9 inches of rain, while the strongest winds in Florida fell on Naples, with 142 mph winds recorded. More than seventy people were killed in the state.
At least forty people were also killed by the storm throughout the Caribbean. The overall deaths caused by Hurricane Irma are believed to be over 130. Many islands suffered extensive damage. In Barbuda, the storm interrupted power to the entire island and left more than 60 percent of the population homeless. The hurricane left about one million Puerto Ricans without power and many without water. The situation in Puerto Rico, made worse by Hurricane Maria later in the month, drew controversy for the Trump administration as FEMA was slow to authorize reconstruction aid.
Key Figures
Rick Scott: Governor of Florida.
Donald Trump: President of the United States.
Bibliography
Amadeo, K. (2017, September 25). Hurricane Irma: Facts, damage, and costs. The Balance. Retrieved from e.com/hurricane-irma-facts-timeline-damage-costs-4150395" https://www.thebalance.com/hurricane-irma-facts-timeline-damage-costs-4150395
Farrington, B. (2017, October 16). Irma dealt devastating blow to Florida citrus, other crops. Insurance Journal. Retrieved from https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2017/10/16/467555.htm
Irma: A hurricane for the history books. (2017). CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/specials/hurricane-irma.
Jansen, B. (2017, September 10). Timeline: Hurricane Irma’s progress to monster storm. USA Today. Retrieved from HYPERLINK "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/09/10/timeline-hurricane-irma-fluctuating-strgrowing-stronger-weaker-crashed-into-caribbean-islands-florid/651421001/" https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/09/10/timeline-hurricane-irma-fluctuating-strgrowing-stronger-weaker-crashed-into-caribbean-islands-florid/651421001/
National Weather Service. (n.d.). Detailed meteorological summary on Hurricane Irma. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved Sept. 23, 2003, from https://www.weather.gov/tae/Irma‗technical‗summary
O’Connor, A. (2017, November 30). Florida’s Hurricane Irma recovery: The cost, the challenges, the lessons. Insurance Journal. Retrieved from https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2017/11/30/472582.htm
Storm’s winds begin battering Tampa Bay area. (2017, September 10). The New York Times. Retrieved from HYPERLINK "https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/10/us/hurricane-irma-florida.html" https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/10/us/hurricane-irma-florida.html