Hurricane Irene was a major hurricane that struck the Caribbean region and the eastern United States in August 2011. Irene caused 49 deaths and nearly $16 billion in damages. It was one of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history. Significant damage, particularly due to inland flooding, occurred in the Bahamas and Puerto Rico and along the U.S. coast from North Carolina to Vermont.
Development and path.
Irene began as a system of showers and thunderstorms linked to a tropical wave that left Africa’s west coast on August 15. A tropical wave, also called an easterly wave, is a bend in the flow of surface air around an area of low pressure. The system traveled west toward the Caribbean Islands. On August 20, it became a tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds of at least 39 miles (63 kilometers) per hour. For information on various kinds of storm conditions, see Storm .
Over the next three days, Irene moved northwest. It traveled across the eastern coast of Puerto Rico and near the northern shore of Hispaniola. The storm gradually intensified. On August 24, it became a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 121 miles (195 kilometers) per hour over the Bahamas. Category 3 indicates a strong hurricane, according to the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity. See Hurricane (table: The Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale) .
After hitting the Bahamas, Irene began traveling north. As it approached the United States, its winds weakened, but its size increased. Tropical storm-force winds extended as far as 290 miles (467 kilometers) from the storm’s center. On August 27, the storm center made landfall near Cape Lookout, North Carolina. At that point, Irene was a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of up to 86 miles (138 kilometers) per hour.
Irene proceeded north along the Atlantic coast. It weakened slightly to the level of a tropical storm. On August 28, Irene’s center made landfall again at Brigantine Island, New Jersey, and in Brooklyn, New York. By that time, the storm’s strongest sustained winds were less than 70 miles (113 kilometers) per hour.
Irene next traveled into New Hampshire and Vermont, before merging with another weather system over northeastern Canada.
Impact.
Hurricane Irene resulted in 41 deaths in the United States, 5 in the Dominican Republic, and 3 in Haiti. It caused estimated damages of $15.8 billion in the United States, more than $400 million in the Caribbean, and $130 million in Canada. In addition, millions of people lost power for several days.
Irene caused serious flooding along its path. The storm dumped 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) of rain over a large area of the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast. Bayboro, North Carolina, received nearly 16 inches (41 centimeters) of rain. At Gurabo in eastern Puerto Rico, officials recorded 22 inches (56 centimeters) of rain.
Catastrophic floods occurred in the mountain valleys of New England and New York. Vermont experienced some of the worst flash flooding in its history. Thousands of roads there were damaged or destroyed. Hundreds of bridges, buildings, and other structures were also damaged. Three towns in New York’s Catskill Mountains were left uninhabitable. Irene broke 26 river flooding records in New Jersey, New York, and Vermont.
Irene also generated a significant storm surge. A storm surge occurs when strong winds push ashore water that has built up along the coast. In the United States, officials recorded a maximum storm surge height of 7 feet (2.1 meters) at Oregon Inlet Marina, North Carolina. Storm surge heights of 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 meters) were recorded along the coasts of New England, New Jersey, and New York. Hurricane Irene also caused several tornadoes, including one in Columbia, North Carolina.
