Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Irma
Name	Hurricane Irma
Formed	August 30, 2017
Dissipated	September 13, 2017
Highest winds	180 mph (285 km/h)
Pressure	914 mbar (hPa)
Damages	$77.16 billion (2017 USD)
Fatalities	52 direct, 82 indirect
Areas	Cape Verde, Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, Cuba, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina
Hurricane season	2017 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Irma was an exceptionally powerful Cape Verde hurricane that caused catastrophic damage across its path through the Caribbean and Southeastern United States in September 2017. As a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale, it was the strongest Atlantic hurricane observed since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. The storm's immense size and intensity led to widespread devastation, particularly on islands like Barbuda, Saint Martin, and the British Virgin Islands, before making multiple landfalls in Florida.

Meteorological history

The origins of the cyclone can be traced to a tropical wave that moved off the west coast of Africa near Cape Verde on August 26. Favorable conditions, including warm sea surface temperatures and low wind shear, allowed the system to organize rapidly, and it was designated Tropical Storm Irma by the National Hurricane Center on August 30. Moving west-northwestward, Irma underwent a period of rapid intensification, becoming a major hurricane by September 1 and reaching Category 5 intensity on September 4. The storm maintained this peak intensity for 60 hours, one of the longest durations on record, as it tracked just north of the Lesser Antilles. Its eye passed directly over Barbuda and Saint Martin before impacting the British Virgin Islands and skirting the northern coast of Puerto Rico. After interacting with the islands of Hispaniola and Cuba, which weakened it slightly, Irma turned northward into the Straits of Florida. It made landfall at Cudjoe Key in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 hurricane on September 10, followed by a second landfall near Naples on the southwestern Florida peninsula. The storm weakened as it moved inland over Florida and Georgia, transitioning into a extratropical cyclone over Alabama before dissipating on September 13.

Preparations and impact

Unprecedented preparations were undertaken across the Caribbean and Southeastern United States. In the Leeward Islands, governments issued mandatory evacuation orders for low-lying areas. The Government of France and the Government of the Netherlands deployed military assets to Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy. In Florida, Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency, ordering the largest evacuation in state history, affecting over 6.5 million people. The United States Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency pre-positioned resources. The impact was catastrophic, with Barbuda suffering near-total destruction of its infrastructure, rendering the island uninhabitable. Saint Martin and the British Virgin Islands experienced devastating wind damage and storm surge. In Cuba, the storm caused severe flooding in Havana and along the northern coast. In the United States, the Florida Keys sustained extreme damage from wind and surge, while widespread power outages affected millions across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Total damage was estimated at over $77 billion, making it one of the costliest tropical cyclones on record.

Aftermath and recovery

The immediate aftermath saw a massive international humanitarian response. The United Nations and the Red Cross coordinated relief efforts across the Caribbean. The Government of Antigua and Barbuda evacuated the entire population of Barbuda to Antigua. On Saint Martin, the French Armed Forces and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard restored order and distributed aid. In the United States, President Donald Trump declared major disasters for Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, authorizing federal aid. Long-term recovery efforts were complicated by the scale of destruction, with rebuilding on islands like Barbuda and the British Virgin Islands expected to take years. The storm also exacerbated existing crises, coming just weeks before Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico.

Records and meteorological statistics

Hurricane Irma set numerous meteorological records. It achieved a minimum central pressure of 914 mb, the lowest for an Atlantic hurricane outside the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Its sustained winds of 180 mph tied it with Hurricane Gilbert (1988) and Hurricane Wilma (2005) as the second-strongest Atlantic wind speed on record, behind only Hurricane Allen (1980). Irma maintained Category 5 intensity for 60 consecutive hours, the longest in the satellite era. It was also the first recorded Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the Leeward Islands. The storm generated the highest Accumulated Cyclone Energy index of any tropical cyclone worldwide in 2017.

See also

* 2017 Atlantic hurricane season * Hurricane Harvey * Hurricane Maria * Hurricane Wilma * Typhoon Haiyan

References

External links

Category:2017 Atlantic hurricane season Category:Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes Category:Retired Atlantic hurricanes Category:Natural disasters in Florida Category:Natural disasters in the Caribbean