NHC Releases Report Detailing Deaths & Damages Caused By Hurricane Irma

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Florida - The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has recently released a Tropical Cyclone Report that outlines the history, meteorological statistics, casualty and damage statistics, and forecast and warning critiques for Hurricane Irma.

The report outlines that Hurricane Irma’s strong winds, heavy rains, and high surf directly caused 44 fatalities in the Caribbean and the southeastern United States. 37 direct deaths occurred in several Caribbean Islands and 7 occurred in the U.S. Four of these direct fatalities occurred in Florida. The report states that 85 indirect deaths occurred in the U.S. (80 of which took place in Florida) and hundreds were injured. The storm also led to 6 million coastal Floridians being evacuated.

Two of the fatalities that occurred in Florida happened in Duval County. A 59-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman drowned after flood waters submerged their tent in the woods. In Manatee County, an 89-year-old man drowned while attempting to secure his boat to the dock during the storm. An 86-year-old man in Broward County also died after he opened his front door during the hurricane and a gust of wind knocked him back, causing him to hit his head.

The State’s indirect deaths were largely due to falls, vehicle accidents, carbon monoxide

poisoning from generators, chainsaw accidents, and electrocutions. 14 were killed in Broward County when a nursing home overheated after losing power and AC.

Damage sustained during Irma was also cataloged in the report. The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) believes that Hurricane Irma caused approximately 50 billion in damages, making the storm the fifth-costliest hurricane to affect the U.S. The most severe damage in Florida took place in the Keys, Collier County, and Miami-Dade County. Brevard County and Osceola County also sustained substantial damage.

Flooding was the biggest concern and cause of damage in the Jacksonville area, as flood water reached up to five feet in some places. The flooding was record-breaking and the report considered it to be the worst flood in the city’s 225+ year history. Major or record flood stages were also recorded at rivers in Flagler County. The NHC cataloged all the watches and warning issued during the course of Hurricane Irma, including the dates and times of watches and warning issued to Volusia and Flagler Counties.

The report in its entirety can be viewed here.

Photo courtesy Trong Nguyen and Shutterstock.com.

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