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166-530: Hurricane Charley was the first of four separate hurricanes to impact or strike Florida during 2004, along with Frances , Ivan and Jeanne , as well as one of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the United States. It was the third named storm, the second hurricane , and the second major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season . Charley lasted from August 9 to 15, and at its peak intensity it attained 150 mph (240 km/h) winds, making it

332-480: A Category 3 hurricane , causing heavy damage and four deaths. That same day, it crossed over the Dry Tortugas , just 22 hours after Tropical Storm Bonnie had struck northwestern Florida. It was the first time in history that two tropical cyclones struck the same state in a 24-hour period. At its peak intensity of 150 mph (240 km/h), Hurricane Charley struck the northern tip of Captiva Island and

498-436: A difference in the geostrophic wind between two pressure levels p 1 and p 0 , with p 1 < p 0 ; in essence, wind shear. It is only present in an atmosphere with horizontal changes in temperature (or in an ocean with horizontal gradients of density ), i.e., baroclinicity . In a barotropic atmosphere, where temperature is uniform, the geostrophic wind is independent of height. The name stems from

664-467: A shear line , though the wind direction across the front normally remains constant. In the tropics , tropical waves move from east to west across the Atlantic and eastern Pacific basins . Directional and speed shear can occur across the axis of stronger tropical waves, as northerly winds precede the wave axis and southeast winds are seen behind the wave axis. Horizontal wind shear can also occur along

830-536: A 145 mph (235 km/h) Category 4 hurricane, with a predicted landfall location in the Port Charlotte area. As a result of this change in forecast, numerous people in the Charlotte County area were unprepared for the hurricane, although the new track prediction was well within the previous forecast's margin of error. National Hurricane Center marine forecaster Robbie Berg publicly blamed

996-599: A 24-hour period (most of the rain fell in a 6 to 8 hour-period). Ottawa's O-Train Trillium Line was halted because of a landslide that obstructed the railroad corridor. Several major roads in Gatineau and Ottawa were under several inches of water, locally chest-high. More than $ 45 million (2004 CAD ; US$ 41 million) in insured damage was reported in Ontario . Frances is the first hurricane to impact

1162-495: A 60 ft (18 m) yacht carrying three people was disabled roughly 58 mi (93 km) southeast of the Morant Cays . The Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard rescued the crew members the following day and brought them to Kingston Public Hospital as they were severely dehydrated and exhausted. During the preparations, storms ahead of the hurricane knocked out power in isolated areas. After nearly completing restoration of

1328-424: A different wind speed and direction at different heights along the mast . The effect of low-level wind shear can be factored into the selection of sail twist in the sail design, but this can be difficult to predict since wind shear may vary widely in different weather conditions. Sailors may also adjust the trim of the sail to account for low-level wind shear, for example using a boom vang . Wind shear can have

1494-403: A disaster area. Torrential rains during a two-hour span overnight triggered most of the flooding in the area, isolating many homes and inundating several. In Westmoreland Parish , severe flooding inundated several homes and damaged roadways. One home sustained significant damage after a large tree fell on it. In Kingston , high winds damaged power lines and some homes. Water supply to most regions

1660-610: A loss of control accident. Wind shear or wind gradients are a threat to parachutists, particularly to BASE jumping and wingsuit flying . Skydivers have been pushed off of their course by sudden shifts in wind direction and speed, and have collided with bridges, cliffsides, trees, other skydivers, the ground, and other obstacles. Skydivers routinely make adjustments to the position of their open canopies to compensate for changes in direction while making landings to prevent accidents such as canopy collisions and canopy inversion. Soaring related to wind shear, also called dynamic soaring ,

1826-550: A major break in Asheville's water distribution system, leaving the city without water for several days. The Pigeon River flooded in Haywood County , leaving many homeless and many businesses closed, including the town hall of Canton . Significant crop damage was seen into North Carolina, which reported $ 55 million in crop damage. Frances also spawned 101 tornadoes from Florida to as far north as Virginia , shy of

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1992-664: A mandatory evacuation for residents on barrier islands and in coastal locations in counties Georgetown and Horry . In Georgetown County, this order was focused on residents and tourists east of U.S. Route 17, likewise for Horry County. 180,000 people evacuated the Grand Strand . Drawbridges in Beaufort and Charleston Counties were shut down, and bridges in Georgetown and Horry Counties were locked down. Hampton County requested 2,000 sandbags, that were provided by

2158-860: A marked difference in wind direction. If the wind encounters distortions in the inversion layer caused by thermals coming up from below, it will produce significant shear waves that can be used for soaring. Windshear can be extremely dangerous for aircraft, especially during takeoff and landing. Sudden changes in wind velocity can cause rapid decreases in airspeed , leading to the aircraft being unable to maintain altitude. Windshear has been responsible for several deadly accidents, including Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 , Pan Am Flight 759 , Delta Air Lines Flight 191 , and USAir Flight 1016 . Windshear can be detected using Doppler radar . Airports can be fitted with low-level windshear alert systems or Terminal Doppler Weather Radar , and aircraft can be fitted with airborne wind shear detection and alert systems . Following

2324-465: A minimal hurricane, with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). Charley then began interacting with an approaching frontal boundary , becoming a tropical storm over southeastern North Carolina . After moving back into the Atlantic Ocean near Virginia Beach on August 15, the storm became extratropical and became embedded in the frontal zone. The extratropical storm continued to move rapidly to

2490-513: A month. Early during the morning of September 2, hurricane watches were extended southward to Craig Key. Later that morning, hurricane watches were upgraded to hurricane warnings for the lower east coast of Florida while a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning was raised for most of the Florida Keys and Florida Bay. Hurricane warnings were dropped for the Turks and Caicos Islands late on

2656-556: A much lower surge at its Punta Gorda landfall. The hurricane dropped generally light rainfall across Florida, with the maximum amount of 9.88 inches (251 mm) occurring in Bud Slough in Manatee County , east of Myakka River State Park . In Punta Gorda 's airport, where the hurricane made landfall, wind speeds of up to 90 mph (140 km/h) were measured, alongside gusts of up to 111 mph (179 km/h), before

2822-550: A power plant in Mariel. As a result, more than half of the electricity customers in Havana Province were left without power for 12 days after the storm, and all of Pinar del Río Province was without power for over 11 days. Blackouts continued in areas where power returned. The power outages resulted in lack of drinking water for numerous people, including no potable water in the city of Havana for four days. As

2988-626: A power transmission line, causing widespread power outages from Marathon to Key West. On Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas , the hurricane produced an estimated storm surge of up to 6 ft (1.8 m). The surge, combined with incoming waves, caused extensive flooding in the park and damaged numerous docks. In spite of this, property damage was minimal in the area, totaling $ 160,000. Hurricane Charley passed directly over Captiva Island near Cayo Costa with peak winds of 150 mph (240 km/h). The Category 4 hurricane produced an estimated storm surge of up to 6.5 ft (2.0 m) on

3154-411: A pronounced effect upon sound propagation in the lower atmosphere, where waves can be "bent" by refraction phenomenon. The audibility of sounds from distant sources, such as thunder or gunshots , is very dependent on the amount of shear. The result of these differing sound levels is key in noise pollution considerations, for example from roadway noise and aircraft noise , and must be considered in

3320-680: A report of a 118 mph (190 km/h) sustained wind measurement in Playa Baracoa , and meant that Charley was a major hurricane at landfall. The hurricane produced a storm surge of up to 13.1 ft (4.0 m) in Playa Cajio; on the other hand, Charley's quick passage caused precipitation amounts to be small, with the largest total, 5.87 inches (149 mm) occurring in Mariel . Strong wind gusts downed nearly 1,500 power lines and knocked over 28 large high tension wire towers at

3486-612: A result, the Cuban government sent water tanks to satisfy the short term need. Similarly, there was a lack of gas for cooking for over a week. However, one Cuban government official stated that it could take up to two months for basic utilities to be returned to many isolated villages. Near its landfall location, Charley destroyed 290 of the 300 houses in the village, while over 70,000 homes in Havana were either damaged or destroyed. Numerous hotels reported damage, potentially impacting

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3652-639: A strengthening high pressure system to its north and crossed the Florida Peninsula , emerging over the Gulf of Mexico near Tampa as a tropical storm. After a short trip over the Gulf of Mexico, Frances made a second landfall near St. Marks, Florida . Frances headed inland, weakening to a tropical depression and causing heavy rainfall over the southern and eastern United States. As Tropical Depression Frances turned northeast, United States meteorologists at

3818-491: A strong Category Four hurricane. Preparations for the storm were stepped up in Florida on September 1. Governor Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency , Kennedy Space Center closed down, and evacuations of 500,000 people were initially ordered. Eventually 41 counties received evacuation orders, covering 2.8 million residents, the largest evacuation in Florida's history. The state education system also responded to

3984-612: A strong Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale . It made landfall in Southwest Florida at maximum strength, making it the strongest hurricane to hit the United States since Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992 and tied with Hurricane Ian as the strongest hurricane to hit southwest Florida in recorded history. After moving slowly through the Caribbean, Charley crossed Cuba on Friday, August 13 as

4150-574: A swath of destruction across Florida, also passing near Kissimmee . The hurricane reemerged into the Atlantic Ocean after crossing directly over New Smyrna Beach as a Category 1 hurricane, but restrengthened slightly over open waters. Continuing to move rapidly to the north-northeast, Charley struck near Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge , South Carolina as an 80 mph (130 km/h) hurricane, moved offshore briefly, and made its final landfall near North Myrtle Beach as

4316-743: A threat to Jamaica. Following the issuance of hurricane watches, Robert Pickersgill, Minister of Transport and Works in Jamaica closed both airports, Norman Manley International Airport and Sangster International Airport , on the island and shut down all ports. A total of 33 flights were canceled or delayed by the storm. Roughly 3,000 passengers from the Carnival Conquest cruise ship were diverted from their scheduled arrival in Montego Bay , resulting in millions of dollars in losses. Another cruise ship, The Triumph , carrying 2,700 passengers

4482-499: A total of 20 streets. The heavy precipitation also caused the Neuse River to swell to flood stage. A few businesses throughout the region were damaged; two in downtown Greenville and five others were flooded. The storm produced estimated storm surge of 2 to 3 feet (0.61 to 0.91 m), along with waves of up to 8 feet (2.4 m) in height. However, there were isolated reports of 8 feet (2.4 m) surge, particularly along

4648-618: A tropical storm watch was issued for Cape Fear , southward to South Carolina . The watch was extended northward to Oregon Inlet later that day; the watch further extended to Chincoteague, Virginia . The tropical storm watch from Cape Lookout to Oregon Inlet was changed to a hurricane warning. A hurricane watch was subsequently put into effect for coastal areas from Oregon Inlet to the North Carolina/Virginia border, although by August 15 all advisories were discontinued. Flood watches were also placed into effect for portions of

4814-500: A tropical storm watch was issued for St. Croix while all remaining hurricane watches were dropped. That night, tropical storm watches were issued for eastern portions of the northern coast of the Dominican Republic while a tropical storm warning was issued for Guadeloupe. Early on the morning of August 31, tropical storm warnings were dropped for Antigua, Barbuda, Nevis, and St. Kitts while hurricane watches were issued for

4980-577: A tropical storm, hurricane-force winds in Florida extended up to a width of 145 mi (235 km) from the cyclone's center. The highest recorded sustained wind speed in Florida was 85 mph (137 km/h) at the United States Army Corps of Engineers 's Port Mayaca station. Officially, wind gust observations in the state reached as high as 108 mph (174 km/h) in Fort Pierce , while an identical, unofficial wind gust

5146-428: A weakness in the subtropical ridge to its north. Parts of South Florida began to be affected by squalls and the outer rainbands of the hurricane at this time. Gusts from 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) to as high as 87 miles per hour (140 km/h) were reported from Jupiter Inlet to Miami. Frances moved slowly, between 5 and 10 miles per hour (8.0 and 16.1 km/h), as it crossed the warm Gulf Stream between

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5312-514: Is a technique used by soaring birds like albatrosses , who can maintain flight without wing flapping. If the wind shear is of sufficient magnitude, a bird can climb into the wind gradient, trading ground speed for height, while maintaining airspeed. By then turning downwind, and diving through the wind gradient, they can also gain energy. It has also been used by glider pilots on rare occasions. Wind shear can also produce wave . This occurs when an atmospheric inversion separates two layers with

5478-623: Is also a key factor in the formation of severe thunderstorms. The additional hazard of turbulence is often associated with wind shear. Weather situations where shear is observed include: Weather fronts are boundaries between two masses of air of different densities , or different temperature and moisture properties, which normally are convergence zones in the wind field and are the principal cause of significant weather. Within surface weather analyses, they are depicted using various colored lines and symbols. The air masses usually differ in temperature and may also differ in humidity . Wind shear in

5644-547: Is an area not particularly suited to tropical cyclogenesis . At this time, the National Hurricane Center in Miami designated the name Charley . A strong ridge of high pressure to the system's north forced Charley to change track quickly to the west-northwest. It continued to strengthen and became a Category 1 hurricane on August 11, while 90 mi (140 km) south of Kingston, Jamaica . The storm

5810-456: Is commonly observed near microbursts and downbursts caused by thunderstorms , fronts, areas of locally higher low-level winds referred to as low-level jets, near mountains , radiation inversions that occur due to clear skies and calm winds, buildings, wind turbines, and sailboats. Wind shear has significant effects on the control of an aircraft, and it has been the only or a contributing cause of many aircraft accidents. Sound movement through

5976-787: Is only 25 mi (40 km) from where Charley made landfall, experienced sustained winds of only 61 mph (98 km/h) with gusts of 78 mph (126 km/h). In South Florida, Charley spawned several tornadoes, including a long-lived F2 that struck Clewiston , and five weak tornadoes near the point where the hurricane made landfall. The most severe damage from Hurricane Charley occurred in Charlotte County. In Boca Grande , numerous houses sustained extensive roof damage, while thousands of trees and power lines were uprooted or snapped. In Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, many buildings, RVs , and mobile homes were completely destroyed, while other buildings suffered roofing damage due to

6142-728: The Abaco Islands sustained damage, with some losing a large amount of their roofs. Additionally, about 20 homes were flooded in Marsh Harbour . Several people suffered injuries when the roof of a hospital collapsed in South Abaco ; patients were evacuated to Nassau by helicopter. On Grand Bahama , several feet of water flooded the international airport at Freeport , while about 1 ft (0.30 m) of water covered streets and surrounded homes nearby. Bahamian member of parliament Obie Wilchcombe reported that during

6308-652: The Bahamas , passing directly over San Salvador Island and very close to Cat Island . The storm weakened to a Category 3 hurricane by 2 pm, which was initially attributed to inner core processes, but increasing westerly winds aloft, and the resultant vertical wind shear, was later determined to be the cause. On September 3, Frances passed into the vicinity of Abaco Island and directly over Grand Bahama while continuing to slowly weaken. The storm regained Category 2 hurricane intensity prior to passing over Grand Bahama Island and also slowed in forward speed due to

6474-736: The British Virgin Islands while passing north of the Caribbean Sea . The storm's maximum sustained winds peaked at 145 mph (233 km/h), achieving Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale . As the system's forward motion slowed, the eye passed over San Salvador Island and very close to Cat Island in the Bahamas . Frances was the first hurricane to impact the entire Bahamian archipelago since 1928 and almost completely destroyed their agricultural economy. Frances then passed over

6640-509: The Ekman layer , and it is thickest during the day and thinnest at night. Daytime heating thickens the boundary layer as winds at the surface become increasingly mixed with winds aloft due to insolation , or solar heating. Radiative cooling overnight further enhances wind decoupling between the winds at the surface and the winds above the boundary layer by calming the surface wind which increases wind shear. These wind changes force wind shear between

6806-580: The Florida Keys and from Cape Sable to the mouth of the Suwannee River a day prior to Charley's passage through the state, while tropical storm warnings were issued elsewhere throughout Florida. Because of the threat, 1.9 million people along the Florida west coast were urged to evacuate, including 380,000 residents in the Tampa Bay area, and 11,000 in the Florida Keys . It was

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6972-557: The Florida Keys . However, only minor damage was reported there. In Southwest Florida , Glades and Hendry recorded sustained tropical storm-force winds and hurricane-force wind gusts. The former suffered about $ 25 million in damage – $ 20 million to crops and $ 5 million to property. Each county of the Miami metropolitan area – Broward , Miami-Dade , and Palm Beach – reported hundreds of thousands of power outages. Significant impacts occurred in parts of South Florida, especially Palm Beach County, where

7138-717: The Hydrometeorological Prediction Center continued issuing advisories on the system until it crossed the Canada–United States border into Quebec , where heavy rainfall also fell. A tropical storm watch was issued for Frances for the Leeward Islands during the afternoon of August 29, which was upgraded to a warning that night and expanded to include the islands of Anguilla , Antigua , Barbuda , Nevis , Saba , Saint Kitts , Sint Eustatius , and Sint Maarten . A hurricane watch

7304-473: The Lesser Antilles , and became Tropical Depression Three on August 9 while 115  mi (185 km) south-southeast of Barbados , near the island of Grenada , however, the threat to Barbados was short-lived. Low upper-level wind shear and well-defined outflow contributed to further intensification, and the depression strengthened on August 10, despite being located in the eastern Caribbean, which

7470-627: The South Santee River on August 12. The next day, the watch was upgraded to a hurricane watch from the Altamaha sound to the South Carolina –Georgia border. As Charley approached the region, a hurricane warning was issued for the entire area. A tornado watch was issued eastward from a line extending from Aiken to Lancaster County . Governor Mark Sanford declared a state of emergency as Charley approached landfall and issued

7636-614: The St. Johns River and Halifax River , and Intracoastal Waterway as Charley passed over before re-emerging into the Atlantic Ocean. Further inland, Seminole County experienced some of the highest winds ever recorded from a hurricane in the area, with a gust of 97 mph (156 km/h) in Longwood at 0407 UTC on August 14 and 101 mph (163 km/h) in Altamonte Springs . Power was out in these areas for up to 12 days after

7802-532: The Suwannee River while all remaining warnings were dropped south of Anna Maria Island, as well as the Florida east coast and the Georgia coast. That afternoon, all hurricane warnings were downgraded to tropical storm warnings, with all warnings dropped between west of St. Marks and south of the Suwannee river. On the night of September 6, all remaining tropical cyclone warnings were dropped. The economic effect

7968-500: The temperature gradient between the warm tropical ocean surface and the colder upper atmosphere. Tropical cyclone development requires relatively low values of vertical wind shear so that their warm core can remain above their surface circulation center, thereby promoting intensification. Strongly sheared tropical cyclones weaken as the upper circulation is blown away from the low-level center. Severe thunderstorms, which can spawn tornadoes and hailstorms, require wind shear to organize

8134-487: The 1985 crash of Delta Air Lines Flight 191, in 1988 the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration mandated that all commercial aircraft have airborne wind shear detection and alert systems by 1993. The installation of high-resolution Terminal Doppler Weather Radar stations at many U.S. airports that are commonly affected by windshear has further aided the ability of pilots and ground controllers to avoid wind shear conditions. Wind shear affects sailboats in motion by presenting

8300-477: The 300 homes on North Captiva Island were substantially damaged, including ten that were destroyed. On Captiva Island, the strong winds severely damaged most houses, as well as several recreational buildings. The city of Arcadia in DeSoto County saw extreme damage, in spite of being relatively further inland. About 95% of the buildings in the downtown area saw some sort of damage. The only shelter in

8466-686: The Atlantic coast of Florida from Martin County to Volusia County , resulting in substantial damage to 546 structures within the Coastal Building Zone. On the Gulf Coast, however, erosion and coastal flood specifically relating to the storm often became difficult to determine due to Charley less than a month earlier and then Ivan and Jeanne shortly after Frances. Frances produced tropical storm-force wind gusts as far south as

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8632-472: The Bahamas and Florida, leading to the concern that it could restrengthen. However, Frances remained stable at Category 2 intensity with 105 miles per hour (169 km/h) maximum sustained winds while it battered the east coast of Florida between Fort Pierce and West Palm Beach for much of September 4. At 11 pm, the western edge of the eyewall began moving onshore. Because of its large eye, which

8798-605: The Department of Corrections. The Wateree Correctional Institution also filled 30,000 sandbags for potential floods. State troopers directed traffic inland from Myrtle Beach . U.S. Route 501 used a lane reversal to allow for evacuations. Following the Florida landfall, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency as a precaution against a 4–7 ft (1.2–2.1 m) storm surge and price gouging . One death in Jamaica, four deaths in Cuba, and ten deaths in

8964-404: The Florida citrus crop caused orange futures to rise four cents a pound. On September 24, the southern two-thirds of Georgia was declared a disaster by President Bush. The state lost 50 percent of its pecan crop due to Frances, which led to a price rise in pecans by late October. Lost peach trees were expected to lower output during 2005, and increase peach prices. A disaster declaration

9130-497: The Florida peninsula in approximately seven hours) and small size, rainfall along the eyewall was mostly limited to 4–6 inches (10–15 centimetres). While moving northward to the west of the Florida Keys , Charley produced moderate winds of 48 mph (77 km/h) with gusts to 60 mph (95 km/h) in Key West . The winds toppled a few trees, power lines, and unreinforced signs. A boat, knocked loose by strong waves, struck

9296-732: The Florida peninsula with watches issued for the northwest Florida peninsula. On the morning of September 4, tropical storm warnings were extended northward to Anna Maria Island and along the Georgia coast. Tropical storm watches were extended northward to St. Marks, Florida . That afternoon, hurricane watches were dropped for most of the northwest Bahamas while warnings were extended up the coast to St. Marks, and watches were extended westward to Panama City, Florida . Early on morning of September 5, hurricane warnings were downgraded to tropical storm warnings south of Deerfield Beach, Florida , while tropical storm warnings were extended westward through

9462-544: The Havana area. Approximately 95% of the sugar cane, bean, and banana crops were affected in Cuban territory. In all, Charley was directly responsible for four deaths in Cuba, and was responsible for $ 923 million in property damage, primarily from agricultural losses. In spite of the close approach that Charley made on the Cayman Islands , the islands were mostly spared, and were subjected to little damage. Rainfall

9628-564: The Lesser Antilles south of the British Virgin Islands. That afternoon, tropical storm warnings were dropped from Puerto Rico eastward. On the morning of September 1, a hurricane watch was issued for the northwest Bahamas while the watch for the central Bahamas was upgraded to a warning. That afternoon, warnings were dropped for the Dominican Republic. On the evening of September 1, hurricane warnings were issued for

9794-462: The Pisgah, Table Rock, Marion, and Armstrong state fish hatcheries. Red Cross volunteers distributed over 200,000 gallons of water by its 600 volunteers in four days. After Frances and Hurricane Ivan , Asheville determined that it needed $ 14 million in order to buy out willing businesses and homes within the floodplain. Because of the hurricane's effects in the United States, the name Frances

9960-454: The United States were directly attributed to Charley. Numerous injuries were reported, as well as 25 indirect deaths in the U.S. Property damage from Charley in the United States was estimated by the NHC to be $ 16  billion . At the time, this figure made Charley the second costliest hurricane in United States history, behind 1992 's Hurricane Andrew 's $ 27.3 billion. On August 11,

10126-422: The area of most intense damage was located within a 10-mi (16-km) band centered on Charley's track, with additional heavy damage forming an outer band extending 7.5 mi (12.1 km) to each side of the inner swath of damage. In Charlotte County, 80% of buildings were damaged. On mainland Florida, Charley produced a peak storm surge of 10–13 feet (3.0–4.0 metres) at Vanderbilt Beach near Naples , along with

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10292-491: The atmosphere is affected by wind shear, which can bend the wave front, causing sounds to be heard where they normally would not. Strong vertical wind shear within the troposphere also inhibits tropical cyclone development but helps to organize individual thunderstorms into longer life cycles which can then produce severe weather . The thermal wind concept explains how differences in wind speed at different heights are dependent on horizontal temperature differences and explains

10458-539: The banks of the three rivers and more damage was associated with river tributaries. Although the hurricane moved close to the Turks and Caicos Islands , only minor impact occurred there. More than a dozen homes sustained damage. One person was rescued after the roof blew off her residence. In the Bahamas, between 13 and 17 percent of the non-native Australian pine on San Salvador Island experienced damage, primarily from snapping, though some browning from salt spray

10624-552: The beaches of Brunswick County. This produced minor beach erosion along the coastline. Winds gusted from 60–70 miles per hour (97–113 kilometres per hour), causing minor wind damage. The hurricane spawned five weak tornadoes across the state, including an F1 in Nags Head that damaged twenty structures. Charley destroyed 40 houses and damaged 2,231, 231 severely, including 221 damaged beach homes in Sunset Beach . Damage

10790-408: The boundary layer and the wind aloft and are most emphasized at night. In gliding, wind gradients just above the surface affect the takeoff and landing phases of the flight of a glider . Wind gradient can have a noticeable effect on ground launches , also known as winch launches or wire launches. If the wind gradient is significant or sudden, or both, and the pilot maintains the same pitch attitude,

10956-477: The central sections of Florida, three weeks after Hurricane Charley , causing significant damage to the state's citrus crop, closing major airports and schools, and forcing the cancellation of a collegiate football game. The storm then moved briefly offshore from Florida, into the northeast Gulf of Mexico , and made a second U.S. landfall, on the Florida Panhandle , before accelerating northeast through

11122-456: The coast of western Florida were extended southward to Anna Maria Island. Late that night, tropical storm warnings were dropped south of Bonita Beach including all the Florida Keys. Early on the morning of September 6, all warnings were dropped in Florida south of Englewood and Cocoa Beach . Later that morning, hurricane warnings were downgraded to tropical storm warnings between Indian Pass and Destin as well as between Anna Maria Island and

11288-414: The country, Charley caused $ 4.1 million in damage and one fatality. Operationally, forecasters estimated that Charley struck southern Cuba as a 105 mph (170 km/h) Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale . In post-hurricane-season analysis, Charley was determined to have struck southern Cuba as a 120 mph (195 km/h) hurricane; the original estimate was revised based on

11454-658: The country, a total of $ 7.6 million ( JMD ; US$ 86,000) was provided to repair the roads, $ 4.23 million (JMD; US$ 48,000) of which was used in Saint Elizabeth alone. Widespread damage to crops also resulted in an increased price in store costs. The loss to farmers was untimely as it followed a three-month drought that was preceded by damaging hailstorms that ruined crops. Following the storm, search and rescue teams were deployed, mainly in Saint Elizabeth Parish following reports of flooding. Throughout

11620-458: The county, one of them determined to be direct. Throughout the rest of the islands in Sarasota , Charlotte , Lee , and Collier counties , strong winds from Hurricane Charley caused severe damage to hundreds of buildings and trees. Lee County also endured an 8-foot (2.4 m) storm surge . These counties were exposed to Charley's eyewall , so they saw the most damage. Due to its small size,

11786-603: The county, the cyclone damaged some 3,000 homes and 1,600 businesses. Ground-level wind gusts in Brevard County reached 90 mph (140 km/h) at Merritt Island Airport . Across the county, Frances damaged 12,130 homes to some degree. Additionally, the storm ripped off 820 4-by-10 foot aluminum panels covering the large Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center . While Charley caused $ 700,000 damage, Frances's damage

11952-647: The crops were lost during Frances. Flooding was reported even in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast states, particularly along the Appalachian Mountains . A strip of upslope-induced rainfall along the Blue Ridge escarpment produced as much as 23 inches (580 mm) of rain in some areas of western North Carolina as the warm tropical air surged up and over the mountains. Flooding along the Swannanoa River near Asheville, North Carolina caused

12118-703: The depression continued on its path, and it strengthened to tropical storm status on August 25, approximately 1,420 miles (2,290 km) east of the Lesser Antilles . The tropical storm, now named Frances, further intensified on August 26 in an environment of low vertical wind shear as its track bent to the west-northwest. Frances rapidly intensified, developing an eye and reaching hurricane strength late that afternoon. An approaching upper-level trough caused Frances to move more northwesterly on August 27. The cyclone reached its primary peak intensity of 135 miles per hour (217 km/h) on August 28. The hurricane turned back to its original westward motion on August 29, as

12284-441: The design of noise barriers . This phenomenon was first applied to the field of noise pollution study in the 1960s, contributing to the design of urban highways as well as noise barriers . The speed of sound varies with temperature. Since temperature and sound velocity normally decrease with increasing altitude, sound is refracted upward, away from listeners on the ground, producing an acoustic shadow at some distance from

12450-436: The duration of the storm. Winds were estimated to be at 80 mph (130 km/h) sustained near, and to the north of Okeechobee , while winds at Orlando International Airport topped out around 110 mph (175 km/h) in a gust. At Orlando International Airport , debris littered two runways and lashing winds tore the roofs off three terminals and shattered two giant glass panels in the main terminal. The winds also ripped

12616-469: The eastern Gulf of Mexico caught many by surprise. Around five hours before its Florida landfall, Charley was a strong Category 2 hurricane predicted to strengthen its strongest winds to 115 mph (185 km/h) upon its landfall in the Tampa – Saint Petersburg area. About two hours before landfall, the National Hurricane Center issued a special advisory, notifying the public that Charley had become

12782-543: The eastern United States near the Appalachians and into Atlantic Canada while weakening. A significant tornado outbreak accompanied the storm across the eastern United States, nearly equaling the outbreak from Hurricane Beulah . Very heavy rains fell in association with this slow-moving and relatively large hurricane, which caused floods in Florida and North Carolina. 50 people died and damages totaled US$ 10.1 billion (2004 dollars). A strong tropical wave moved off

12948-703: The entire archipelago since 1866. On September 4, teams from the Ministry of Works, the Department of Environmental Health Services, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the Royal Bahamas Police Force were used to clear roadways of tree debris while utilities attempted to restore power and water in New Providence. The Family Islands were surveyed on September 5 and 6, when it was noted that major damage occurred within

13114-538: The entire banana crop, were lost during Frances. The pineapple crop was significantly impacted by wind damage in Eleuthera , while the entire fruit crop was lost for similar reasons. The corn crop in Long Island and Cat Island was completely lost. Significant poultry losses were experienced. Two people in the Bahamas were killed by the storm, one directly and the other indirectly. Prior to Frances weakening to

13280-744: The existence of the jet stream . Wind shear refers to the variation of wind velocity over either horizontal or vertical distances. Airplane pilots generally regard significant wind shear to be a horizontal change in airspeed of 30 knots (15 m/s) for light aircraft, and near 45 knots (23 m/s) for airliners at flight altitude. Vertical speed changes greater than 4.9 knots (2.5 m/s) also qualify as significant wind shear for aircraft. Low-level wind shear can affect aircraft airspeed during takeoff and landing in disastrous ways, and airliner pilots are trained to avoid all microburst wind shear (headwind loss in excess of 30 knots [15 m/s]). The rationale for this additional caution includes: Wind shear

13446-433: The eye had shrunk before landfall, limiting the most powerful winds to an area within 7 mi (11 km) of the center. Charley weakened considerably due to its passage over land, but still retained sustained winds of about 85 mph (135 km/h) as it passed directly over Orlando between 0020 and 0140 UTC August 14; gusts of up to 106 mph (171 km/h) were recorded at Orlando International Airport . It cut

13612-412: The eye of the storm, he and others rescued approximately 70 people, who became trapped after storm surge entered their residences on the west end of the island. About 75% of the island chain lost power for a few hours during the storm. Insurers and reinsurers estimated industry insured losses at about $ 300 million (2004 dollars) throughout the Bahamas. All cool-season vegetable plantings, and

13778-497: The fact that this wind flows around areas of low (and high) temperature in the same manner as the geostrophic wind flows around areas of low (and high ) pressure . The thermal wind equation is where the φ are geopotential height fields with φ 1 > φ 0 , f is the Coriolis parameter , and k is the upward-pointing unit vector in the vertical direction . The thermal wind equation does not determine

13944-457: The first time two tropical cyclones hit the same state within a 24-hour period. Then Charley rapidly intensified , strengthening from a 110 mph (175 km/h) hurricane with a minimum central barometric pressure of 965  mbar (965  hPa ; 28.5  inHg ) to a 145 mph (235 km/h) hurricane with a pressure of 947 mbar (947 hPa; 28.0 inHg) in just three hours. It continued to strengthen as it turned more to

14110-451: The government for immediate assistance as families were without a source of food and income. Official assessments in four parishes placed the damage to agriculture and livestock at $ 88.4 million (JMD; US$ 1 million), with roughly $ 73.5 million (JMD; US$ 835,000) of this accounting for 750 farmers in Saint Elizabeth. Roads in Saint Elizabeth sustained substantial damage, with 32 separate roads experiencing severe impacts. Throughout

14276-401: The horizontal occurs near these boundaries. Cold fronts feature narrow bands of thunderstorms and severe weather and may be preceded by squall lines and dry lines . Cold fronts are sharper surface boundaries with more significant horizontal wind shear than warm fronts. When a front becomes stationary , it can degenerate into a line that separates regions of differing wind speed, known as

14442-522: The hurricane struck the island. This was upgraded to a hurricane warning on the 12th, 13 ½ hours before Charley made landfall. Because of the threat, the government issued a mandatory evacuation for 235,000 citizens and 159,000 animals in the area of the expected impact. An additional 3,800 residents were evacuated from offshore islands, while 47,000 in Havana were transported from old, unsafe buildings to safer areas. The people were transported to shelters provisioned with supplies. In addition,

14608-588: The hurricane, and secured all Space Shuttles by sealing them in their hangars. Many amusement parks in the Orlando area closed early, and Walt Disney World 's Animal Kingdom remained closed. This was only the second time in history that a Disney park was closed due to a hurricane, with the other occurrence being after Hurricane Floyd . The approaching hurricane also forced several cruise ships to reroute their paths, and forced rail service between Miami and New York to shut down. The rapid strengthening of Charley in

14774-467: The hurricane. The annual Florida State University - University of Miami college football game was rescheduled for the following week. The entire Major League Baseball series between the Florida Marlins and Chicago Cubs was postponed as well. Walt Disney World closed on September 4 and September 5  — only the third time it had closed for a hurricane, but the second time in

14940-467: The important tourism industry in the country. Agricultural damage was heavy, with the hurricane damaging more than 3,000 agricultural institutions. Citrus officials estimated a loss of 15,000  metric tons of grapefruit on the Isle of Youth , while strong winds ruined 66,000 metric tons of citrus trees in the Havana area. Charley also destroyed around 57,000 acres (230 km) of fruit trees in

15106-476: The indicated airspeed will increase, possibly exceeding the maximum ground launch tow speed. The pilot must adjust the airspeed to deal with the effect of the gradient. When landing, wind shear is also a hazard, particularly when the winds are strong. As the glider descends through the wind gradient on final approach to landing, airspeed decreases while sink rate increases, and there is insufficient time to accelerate prior to ground contact. The pilot must anticipate

15272-528: The initial power outage, lightning struck a power line and left more residents without electricity. The community of Big Woods was significantly affected by flooding, with 30 families being isolated in the area. The only fatality from the storm also occurred in this community after a man was washed away while trying to rescue a family. The severity of damage in Big Woods prompted Jamaica Labour Party Area Council Four chairman to state that it should be declared

15438-465: The instrument was blown apart, along with most of the planes and the airport itself. The Charlotte Regional Medical Center recorded an unofficial peak wind gust of 172 mph (277 km/h). Port Charlotte 's Saint Joseph's Hospital had its roof blown away by Charley's strong winds. Due to the compact nature of the hurricane, the storm's radius of maximum sustained winds only extended a short distance from its center. In comparison, Fort Myers , which

15604-479: The island group. Telecommunications were restored to most of the island chain within 24 hours. As of September 21, electricity had been restored to half of the Bahamians who had lost power. Western sections of Grand Bahama Island remained without power into Hurricane Jeanne, which was the most significantly impacted island. The onion crop was expected to be late in 2005 due to the loss of seedbeds and seedlings during

15770-569: The island, passing about 15 mi (24 km) west of downtown Havana before weakening to 110 mph (180 km/h). After crossing Cuba near Menelao Mora, Hurricane Charley accelerated to the north-northeast, toward the southwest coast of Florida in response to the approach of an unseasonal mid-tropospheric trough . Charley passed over the Dry Tortugas at 1200 UTC on August 13, with maximum winds of about 110 mph (175 km/h). The strike occurred only 22 hours after Tropical Storm Bonnie made landfall on St. Vincent Island , marking

15936-585: The island, triggering mudslides. On August 11, the Jamaica Red Cross opened its Emergency Operations Center in preparation for Hurricane Charley and placed the warning level at one, the lowest warning level. Residents throughout the country stocked up on emergency supplies and non-perishable food, noted by an increase in sales at shops. In Saint James Parish , emergency officials activated all necessary agencies by August 11. Late on August 11, emergency officials quickly opened 50 shelters in

16102-601: The island, which is lower than expected for a storm of its intensity. The decrease in the height of the surge was due to the hurricane's small size and its rapid intensification just prior to landfall. Furthermore, the storm surge, combined with the strong pressure gradient, produced a 450-metre-wide (0.28 mi) inlet on North Captiva Island , known as Charley's Cut. Strong waves and storm surge caused severe beach erosion and dune damage at various locations. The storm severely damaged five houses, lightly damaged many others, and downed many trees on Gasparilla Island . At least half of

16268-538: The landfalling system, five tornadoes were reported in the state. However, only two were confirmed; one moved through the Francis Marion National Forest , downing trees along its path. Storm surge ranged from 4–6 ft (1.2–1.8 m), although only minor beach erosion occurred. A buoy situated 41 nmi (47 mi) southeast of Charleston recorded 16 ft (4.9 m) seas and 74 miles per hour (119 km/h) winds. Peak winds in

16434-522: The largest evacuation order for Pinellas County history, and the largest evacuation request in Florida since Hurricane Floyd five years before. Many Floridians remained despite the evacuation order, as authorities estimated that up to a million people would not go to shelters; instead, these residents boarded up their homes and bought supplies to ride out the storm. However, about 1.42 million people evacuated their homes in Florida, and approximately 50,000 residents were placed in shelters throughout

16600-427: The level of hydroelectric lakes to make room for excessive rainfall. The state Department of Environment and Natural Resources advised hog farmers to pump out their waste lagoon. About 60 Red Cross shelters were opened during the storm and during the peak of Charley, and roughly 1,600 people sought protection. Prior to the storm, a tropical storm watch was issued for locations from the Altamaha sound, Georgia to

16766-438: The local land breeze and sea breeze boundaries. The magnitude of winds offshore is nearly double the wind speed observed onshore. This is attributed to the differences in friction between landmasses and offshore waters. Sometimes, there are even directional differences, particularly if local sea breezes change the wind on shore during daylight hours. Thermal wind is a meteorological term not referring to an actual wind , but

16932-408: The media for misleading residents into believing that a Tampa landfall was inevitable. He also stated that residents of Port Charlotte had ample warning, as a hurricane warning had been issued for the landfall area 23 hours before, and a hurricane watch had existed for 35 hours. Several local meteorologists, however, did depart from the official predictions of a Tampa Bay landfall as early as

17098-518: The morning of August 13. Jim Farrell of WINK , Robert Van Winkle WBBH , Steve Jerve of WFLA in Tampa, Jim Reif of WZVN in Fort Myers , and Tom Terry of WFTV in Orlando all broke with their national news forecasts and stated at around 1500 UTC that Charley was going to turn early, striking around Charlotte Harbor and traveling over Orlando, as would prove to be the case. On August 13, 2004,

17264-472: The morning of September 1 and for the Southeast Bahamas late that night. Late on the morning of September 3, hurricane watches were issued for the northeast coast of Florida, while early that afternoon tropical storm warnings were issued for the same area. Hurricane warnings were dropped for the central Bahamas that afternoon. That night, tropical storm warnings were issued for the southwest coast of

17430-469: The most extensive effects. Throughout the county, Frances damaged 478 businesses, 19,958 single-family homes, 4,800 mobile homes, and 1,414 agriculture-related structures. The hurricane left about $ 238.5 million in damage in the county. Frances dropped significant rain on Florida, Georgia, Alabama , and North and South Carolina . The passage of tropical depression Frances into Georgia dumped up to 5 inches (130 mm) of rain onto

17596-637: The municipal marina in Fort Pierce and several hangars at the Treasure Coast International Airport . A total of 1,129 dwellings in the county became uninhabitable. At least 3,000 homes and about 50% of businesses were damaged in Indian River County. Property damage in the Treasure Coast totaled approximately $ 4.5 billion, while roughly $ 88.8 million in crop damage also occurred in

17762-474: The north and east side of Highlands County . Additionally, there were several reports of severely damaged homes in Polk County near Babson Park and Avon Park . In Lake Wales, Florida, a sand mine lake encroached into State Road 60 due to wave action and swallowed a car. Additionally, Lake Wales saw 23,000 buildings damaged, as well as the destruction of 739 structures. Seven deaths were reported in

17928-473: The northeast, and made landfall near the island of Cayo Costa, Florida as a 150 mph (240 km/h) Category 4 hurricane with a pressure of 941 mbar (941 hPa; 27.8 inHg) at approximately 1945 UTC on August 13. An hour later, the hurricane struck Punta Gorda as a 145 mph (235 km/h) storm and then passed up through Port Charlotte and the Charlotte Harbor . However,

18094-399: The northeast, and was completely absorbed by the front shortly after sunrise on August 15, near southeastern Massachusetts . On August 10, the National Hurricane Center (NHC), based in Miami, Florida , issued a tropical storm watch for the entire island of Jamaica as Tropical Storm Charley intensified over the eastern Caribbean. Later that day, the watch was upgraded to a warning as

18260-425: The northwest Bahamas while hurricane watches were issued for the lower east coast of Florida and tropical storm watches were issued for the Florida Keys. There was the potential for catastrophic damage along Florida's heavily populated east coast, with warnings that damages from Frances could exceed the insured losses of Hurricane Andrew . These damage estimates were in anticipation that Frances would strike Florida as

18426-403: The northwest and rounded the southwest portion of the subtropical ridge , becoming a major hurricane —a storm classified as a Category 3 hurricane or higher—just before making landfall on southern Cuba . Charley came ashore near Punta Cayamas with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (190 km/h) and gusts of up to 133 mph (214 km/h), at about 0430 UTC on August 13. It crossed

18592-443: The parish. In Saint Elizabeth Parish , 100 residents sought refuge in the six shelters opened throughout the parish. A total of $ 1.5 million (JMD; US$ 17,000) was allocated by the Ministry of Local Government for repairs after the storm. The Jamaica Red Cross alerted local branches to be prepared as Charley approached. Cuban government officials issued a hurricane watch for the southern coastline on August 11, two days before

18758-505: The pending crisis. Many universities across Florida canceled classes. Both the University of Central Florida and the University of North Florida told all students to leave their dorms. Evacuation at the University of South Florida was performed on a dorm-by-dorm basis. Florida Atlantic University was closed for a week and a half. Most schools were shut down from southern Miami-Dade County to just south of Melbourne two days before

18924-844: The point of its first landfall, few structures were destroyed and ocean overwash across the barrier island was limited, though the extent of the damage far exceeded that of Hurricane Charley. Significant tree damage was reported within golf courses along the Treasure Coast , with an average of 300-500 trees experiencing damage per course. Throughout the tri-county region – Martin, Indian River , and St. Lucie – hundreds of businesses, homes, and mobile homes suffered destruction, while thousands of other structures experienced various degrees of damage. The storm inflicted impacts on 1,319 homes in Martin County, 52 of which were destroyed. In St. Lucie County, Frances destroyed

19090-447: The power grid in southern Cuba was turned off to avoid accidents. The Cayman Islands issued a hurricane warning on August 11, a day before the hurricane passed near the archipelago . On August 11, Florida governor Jeb Bush issued a state of emergency declaration due to the impending threat Charley presented to the state while the storm was still located south of Jamaica. The National Hurricane Center issued hurricane warnings for

19256-465: The powerful winds. Charley devastated Southwest Florida , causing $ 14.6 billion in property damage on the peninsula of Florida alone. Many towns such as Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte were leveled by the hurricane. Trees were downed and trailer parks were obliterated as far as Ormond Beach . Charley also caused considerable damage in the central and eastern parts of the state. Several possible tornadoes occurred, with severe thunderstorms during

19422-732: The rainfall remained offshore. With the soil still saturated from Tropical Storm Bonnie , some flooding in low-lying areas of Charleston County occurred. Up to 1 ft (0.30 m) of water accumulated on South Carolina Route 17 and on local streets. Flash floods were also observed in Mount Pleasant . High winds spread vegetative debris, clogging storm drains and caused further flooding. A bridge in Union County washed out following rainfall from Charley and Tropical Storm Bonnie. 135,000 customers were without power, and storm damage totaled $ 20 million (2004 USD). Following

19588-706: The region. Just inland from the Treasure Coast, Okeechobee County likely experienced sustained hurricane-force winds in most areas. The storm damaged 22,688 homes, nearly 700 of which were demolished. In Osceola County , Frances damaged 69 dwellings and 3 businesses. Heavy rainfall caused major street flooding in Kissimmee and St. Cloud , while water entered some workplaces and residences. The Orlando International Airport in Orange County reported sustained winds of 54 mph (87 km/h) and gusts up to 69 mph (111 km/h). Across

19754-778: The roof right off of Brookside Elementary in Winter Park , leaving damage to the school, as well as the school's cafeteria. The storm caused 2 million customers to lose electricity in Florida. In some areas, power was not restored for weeks: 136,000 residents had no electricity a week after Charley's landfall, and 22,000 customers, primarily from cooperatives , were still waiting for their service to be restored on August 26. Citizens in Daytona Beach , New Smyrna Beach , and Port Orange in Southeastern Volusia County also dealt with storm surge from

19920-422: The second costliest hurricane in United States history at the time. Charley was a compact, fast-moving storm, which limited the scope and severity of the damage. Charley began as a tropical wave that moved off the west coast of Africa on August 4. It moved quickly westward and steadily organized over the open Atlantic Ocean, with convection developing in curved bands. The wave continued to develop as it approached

20086-436: The second-largest producer of oranges in the world, damage to the citrus crop was estimated at $ 200 million, and caused a 50% increase in the price of grapefruit juice. Charley, along with the other storms that hit Florida during 2004, caused a total agricultural loss of $ 2.2 billion. Other crops, nurseries, buildings, and agricultural equipment also suffered. Hurricane Charley produced moderate to heavy rainfall over

20252-484: The single storm tornado record set during Hurricane Beulah . Power outages affected up to six million people. Over 20 airports closed during the storm. As an extratropical cyclone , Frances passed through southern Ontario . The storm dropped up to 5.39 inches (137 mm), washing out roads and causing localized flooding in Quebec , New Brunswick , and Newfoundland . This rainfall smashed all-time rainfall records in

20418-1067: The source. In 1862, during the American Civil War Battle of Iuka , an acoustic shadow, believed to have been enhanced by a northeast wind, kept two divisions of Union soldiers out of the battle, because they could not hear the sounds of battle only six miles downwind. Wind engineering is a field of engineering devoted to the analysis of wind effects on the natural and built environment . It includes strong winds which may cause discomfort as well as extreme winds such as tornadoes , hurricanes , and storms which may cause widespread destruction. Wind engineering draws upon meteorology , aerodynamics , and several specialist engineering disciplines. The tools used include climate models, atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnels, and numerical models. It involves, among other topics, how wind impacting buildings must be accounted for in engineering. Wind turbines are affected by wind shear. Vertical wind-speed profiles result in different wind speeds at

20584-486: The southeast Bahamas as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands . Hurricane watches were upgraded to hurricane warnings later that morning. Toward noon, tropical storm warnings were issued for the remainder of the northern coast of the Dominican Republic , a hurricane watch was issued for the central Bahamas, while all watches and warnings were dropped for northeast portion of the Dominican Republic and portions of

20750-669: The southern eyewall of Frances crossed as it made landfall farther north. Heavy rains, including 13.56 in (344 mm) at Palm Beach International Airport , caused a large sinkhole to develop on Interstate 95 , which closed the highway to traffic. Roughly 15,000 houses and 2,400 businesses in the county were inflicted some degree of damage. Frances left about $ 570 million in damage in Palm Beach County, with about $ 70 million incurred to crops. Broward and Miami-Dade counties suffered about $ 80 million and $ 34 million in damages, respectively. Near

20916-555: The southern tip of North Captiva Island, before crossing over Bokeelia causing severe damage. Charley then continued to produce severe damage as it made landfall on the peninsula in Punta Gorda . It continued to the north-northeast along the Peace River corridor, devastating Punta Gorda , Port Charlotte , Cleveland , Fort Ogden , Nocatee , Arcadia , Zolfo Springs , Sebring , Lake Placid , and Wauchula . Zolfo Springs

21082-426: The state and caused the closings of schools in 56 counties. Across Georgia, winds of 30 to 40 miles per hour (48 to 64 km/h), with gusts to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) led to the downing of tree branches and power lines. At one point on September 7, a total of 380,000 residences were without power. Significant crop damage was seen, particularly to the cotton and the peanut crops. On average, 30 percent of

21248-491: The state over Ormond Beach just north of Daytona Beach. The storm was ultimately absorbed by a front in the Atlantic Ocean shortly after sunrise on August 15, near southeastern Massachusetts . Charley was initially expected to hit further north in Tampa , and caught many Floridians off-guard due to a sudden change in the storm's track as it approached the state. Along its path, Charley caused 10 deaths and $ 16.9 billion in damage to insured residential property, making it

21414-455: The state since Hurricane Hugo in 1989, Hurricane Charley struck near Cape Romain, South Carolina as an 80 mph (130 km/h) hurricane, moved offshore briefly, and made its final landfall near North Myrtle Beach as a minimal hurricane with winds of 75 mph (121 km/h) and gusts of 60 mph (97 km/h). In Myrtle Beach , Charley also produced a storm tide that was unofficially measured to up to 7.19 ft (2.19 m). With

21580-977: The state were clocked at 63 mph (101 km/h) at the Isle of Palms. The storm spawned winds of 58 mph (93 km/h) at Folly Beach and 51 mph (82 km/h) in downtown Charleston. Trees, limbs and electrical poles were knocked down in those regions. Trees were blown onto U.S. Route 17 in Mount Pleasant, and awnings were torn off of a few structures. A total of 2,231 houses were damaged; 2317 of these were severely damaged and 40 were destroyed. Two-hundred and twenty-one of those damaged were beach front structures on Sunset Beach. Businesses had broken windows, six hotels had roof and outer wall damage. This led to $ 30 million (2004 USD) in hotel profit loss in Myrtle Beach, primarily along U.S. Route 17. As dry air from northern sections of

21746-457: The state wrapped into the circulation of the storm, a band of convection developed along a frontal boundary stretching from Newberry northward. Widespread rainfall peaking at over 7 in (178 mm) fell to the west of the storm's track. In downtown Charleston , 2.09 in (53 mm) of rainfall was reported, while in Hampton 1.53 in (39 mm) of rain fell. However, the bulk of

21912-687: The state, peaking at 16.61 in (422 mm) in Kent Grove, near Spring Hill . Large portions of west-central and northeast Florida also reported precipitation amounts of at least 10 in (250 mm). Significant storm surge impacted both coasts, with a surge up to 5.89 ft (1.80 m) above mean sea level recorded at the St. Lucie Lock . However, the National Weather Service estimated that storm surge may have reached as high as 8 ft (2.4 m) above ground near Vero Beach . Extensive to moderate erosion impacted

22078-595: The state, peaking at 5.05 inches (128 mm) near Greenville; other rainfall amounts ranged from less than 1 inch (25 mm)–more than 4 inches (100 mm). The outer rainbands began affecting the region in the early hours of August 14. Due to widespread debris, storm drains became clogged which left flooding in some areas. Freshwater flooding was reported in seven counties along the coastal plain. State highways 42 and 581 , as well as numerous county and local roads, were covered with at least 1 foot (0.30 m) of water. Wilmington and surrounding towns were forced to close

22244-472: The state. Governor Mike Easley declared a state of emergency in advance of the storm, and 200  National Guard troops were dispatched to Charlotte , Raleigh , Kinston and Lumerton , while 800 more were on standby. On Ocracoke Island , authorities ordered mandatory evacuations, while on Bogue Banks voluntary evacuations were in place. Officials in Wrightsville Beach drove along

22410-590: The state. Power companies mobilized workers to prepare for the expected widespread power outages. MacDill Air Force Base , home of U.S. Central Command ( USCENTCOM ) and the U.S. military center for the Iraq War , severely limited its staff on base, shifting most of its operations to its forward headquarters in Doha, Qatar . Similarly, Kennedy Space Center , which usually counts with 13,000 on-site personnel, reduced its staff to only 200 people in preparation for

22576-558: The storm in some locations. Public schools in some counties in the path of the hurricane were scheduled to be closed for two weeks. In some areas this was necessary because the school buildings were damaged or destroyed: all 59 of Osceola County 's schools were damaged, and one-third of Charlotte County 's were destroyed by Charley's impact. DeSoto County schools saw $ 6 million in damage, while Orange County Public Schools saw $ 9 million in damage to their educational infrastructure. Agricultural losses were heavy. In Florida,

22742-538: The storm in such a way as to maintain the thunderstorm for a longer period. This occurs as the storm's inflow becomes separated from its rain-cooled outflow. An increasing nocturnal, or overnight, low-level jet can increase the severe weather potential by increasing the vertical wind shear through the troposphere. Thunderstorms in an atmosphere with virtually no vertical wind shear weaken as soon as they send out an outflow boundary in all directions, which then quickly cuts off its inflow of relatively warm, moist air and causes

22908-567: The storm left the Florida peninsula. Residents in the areas of impact after the storm were under a boil water order, because of the lack of electricity to area water systems. Churches prepared meals for people without power and food. Federal employees were granted excused absences if they helped with law enforcement and the cleanup. Thousands of portable generators were sent to the state by Home Depot and Lowe's home improvement stores. The United States Army Corps of Engineers installed blue tarpaulins on 41,556 damaged roofs statewide. Damage to

23074-423: The storm quickly approached the island. Early on August 11, a hurricane watch was declared for the island as Charley neared hurricane intensity. Late on August 11, all watches and warnings for Jamaica were changed to hurricane warnings as Charley attained Category 1 status on the Saffir–Simpson scale . The warning was later discontinued on August 12 as Hurricane Charley tracked towards Cuba, no longer

23240-433: The storm, Progress Energy Carolinas assembled 1,200 tree and power line personnel to assist in damage recovery. Federal disaster funds were approved for the counties of Georgetown and Horry. The declaration covered damage to public property on August 14–15. The funding covered state and local government costs for debris removal and emergency services related to the hurricane. Hurricane Frances Hurricane Frances

23406-509: The storm. In the aftermath of the storm, many colleges and school districts across Florida remained closed. President George W. Bush declared all of Florida a federal disaster area. Kennedy Space Center did not restore its complete work force until September 13 due to relief operations, as well as a lack of gasoline, ice, and water in the area. A total of 8000 members of the National Guard helped out with recovery efforts soon after

23572-512: The storm. 42 more deaths - 32 in Florida, eight in Georgia , one in the Bahamas and one in Ohio, are indirectly attributed to Frances. The total civilian damage from Frances was determined to be approximately US$ 8.86 billion (2004 dollars). Add in the estimated US$ 100 million damage (2004 dollars) done to space and military facilities at Kennedy Space Center , Cape Canaveral Air Force Station , and Patrick Air Force Base , Florida and

23738-570: The streets with loudspeakers mounted on trucks, warning tourists that a storm was approaching. The storm forced the University of North Carolina at Wilmington to suspend a planned opening for students moving into residence halls. Campgrounds at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore were closed by the National Park Service and three boat ramps were closed. Duke Power Co. prepared for Charley by lowering

23904-417: The thunderstorm to dissipate. The atmospheric effect of surface friction with winds aloft forces surface winds to slow and back counterclockwise near the surface of Earth blowing inward across isobars (lines of equal pressure) when compared to the winds in frictionless flow well above Earth's surface. This layer where friction slows and changes the wind is known as the planetary boundary layer , sometimes

24070-499: The total damage was estimated to be about US$ 9 billion (2004 dollars), making it the fourth costliest hurricane in United States history at that time, behind Hurricane Andrew of 1992 and Hurricanes Charley and Ivan of 2004. At the time, adjusted for inflation, it became the seventh costliest hurricane for the lower 48 United States. Flooding was also reported in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Minor flooding happened along

24236-458: The town had its roof torn open by the wind, leaving 3,500 evacuees inside unprotected from the onslaught of the storm. Hardee County saw property damage estimated at $ 750 million, along with six injuries, but no deaths were reported. Charley caused blackouts in the entire county, as well as damage to 3,600 homes and the destruction of 1,400. A radio tower near Sebring was toppled, along with numerous trees and power poles along

24402-662: The upper trough moved away the region and the subtropical ridge strengthened to Frances's north. Over the next day, the hurricane underwent an eyewall replacement cycle , during which the maximum sustained winds decreased to 115 miles per hour (185 km/h). This weakening trend was short lived, and the storm reintensified during the afternoon of August 30, as vertical wind shear remained low. The storm continued strengthening as it turned west-northwestward, reaching its peak intensity of 145 miles per hour (233 km/h) on September 2 while 555 miles (893 km) east-southeast of West Palm Beach, Florida . On September 2, Frances entered

24568-401: The west coast of Africa on August 21. Moving under the base of the subtropical ridge , it moved westward for several days, remaining disorganized despite favorable conditions. Thunderstorms associated with the wave finally began organizing on August 24 and the system became a tropical depression early the next day. Good upper-level outflow was observed in all but the eastern quadrants as

24734-482: The western Florida Keys. Later that morning, hurricane warnings were issued for most of the northwest Florida coast while hurricane watches were lowered for northeast Florida and hurricane warnings were dropped for the remainder of the northwest Bahamas. That afternoon, all warnings were dropped for southeast Florida south of Jupiter Inlet , while the remaining hurricane warnings along the east Florida coast were downgraded to tropical storm warnings. Hurricane warnings along

24900-419: The wind gradient and use a higher approach speed to compensate for it. Wind shear is also a hazard for aircraft making steep turns near the ground. It is a particular problem for gliders which have a relatively long wingspan , which exposes them to a greater wind speed difference for a given bank angle. The different airspeed experienced by each wing tip can result in an aerodynamic stall on one wing, causing

25066-496: The wind in the tropics . Since f is small or zero, such as near the equator, the equation reduces to stating that ∇( φ 1 − φ 0 ) is small. This equation basically describes the existence of the jet stream, a westerly current of air with maximum wind speeds close to the tropopause which is (even though other factors are also important) the result of the temperature contrast between equator and pole. Tropical cyclones are, in essence, heat engines that are fueled by

25232-544: Was also diverted. Most businesses on the island were closed on August 12. Emergency shelters were set up across the island ahead of the storm; however, press reports indicate that no one sought refuge in shelters. Residents along the coast were urged to evacuate by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management due to the risk of storm surge and large swells that could inundate low-lying communities. Up to 6 in (150 mm) of rain fell in eastern portions of

25398-447: Was being steered around the periphery of the high pressure area, and as a result, Charley changed direction toward the northwest. The following day, the core passed 40 mi (64 km) southwest of Jamaica , affecting the island on August 11 and 12. The storm then passed 15 mi (24 km) northeast of Grand Cayman , reaching Category 2 status just after passing the island. The hurricane continued to strengthen as it turned to

25564-405: Was cut due to damage to pipelines and high water turbidity . Widespread power outages occurred due to numerous downed trees and power lines. The banana industry sustained severe losses, with trees downed and fruit damaged and numerous livestock drowned in flood waters. Initial assessments of agricultural losses from the storm reached $ 300 million (JMD; US$ 3.4 million). Residents requested

25730-468: Was felt early, as the storm struck during Labor Day weekend, traditionally the final summer vacation weekend in the United States. Many hotel reservations from South Carolina to Florida were canceled as people, seeing the destruction caused weeks earlier by Hurricane Charley, decided to avoid the coastal areas for safety. One death in the Bahamas, one in Ohio , and five in Florida were directly attributed to

25896-769: Was isolated for nearly two days as masses of large trees, power poles, power lines, transformers, and debris filled the streets. Wauchula sustained gusts to 147 mph (237 km/h); buildings in the downtown areas caved onto Main Street. Ultimately, the storm passed through the central and eastern parts of the Orlando metropolitan area, still carrying winds gusting up to 106 mph (171 km/h). The city of Winter Park , north of Orlando, also sustained considerable damage since its many old, large oak trees had not experienced high winds. Falling trees tore down power utilities and smashed cars, and their huge roots lifted underground water and sewer utilities. The storm slowed as it exited

26062-492: Was issued during the night of August 29 for the northern British Virgin Islands , the northern United States Virgin Islands , Culebra , and Vieques . On the morning of August 30, the hurricane watch for Vieques was downgraded to a tropical storm watch. That afternoon, hurricane watches were changed to tropical storm warnings across Puerto Rico, Culebra, Vieques, British Virgin Islands, and the northern U. S. Virgin Islands while

26228-508: Was light, peaking at 0.9 inches (23 mm) in Grand Cayman , while Cayman Brac reported tropical storm force winds. Hurricane Charley severely affected the state of Florida. There were nine direct fatalities, 20 indirect fatalities, and numerous injuries attributed to the storm. Property damage was estimated at $ 5.4 billion, and approximately $ 285 million in agricultural damage. However, due to Charley's speed (it crossed

26394-532: Was made for the northeast section of South Carolina on October 7. On September 10, President Bush declared 34 counties within North Carolina a disaster area, making them eligible for US$ 6.5 million (2004 dollars) in public assistance. A Wildlife Commission removed its North Carolina Mountain State Fair exhibit due to Frances midway through the fair. Over 100,000 trout were lost due to the storm in

26560-523: Was noted. Frances destroyed five homes on the island, while eighty others experienced suffered roof damage. San Salvador reported a wind gust of 120 mph (190 km/h), the strongest gust observed in the Bahamas. The streets of the city capital of Nassau were littered with falling trees and satellite dishes. At nearby Cable Beach , a grocery store completely lost its roof. Approximately 50% of residences in Coopers Town and North Abaco on

26726-601: Was reported in Martin County . Consequently, a peak total of 4,270,583 customers across Florida lost electricity. Additionally, wind damage to citrus groves led to a near total loss near the coast of east-central and southeast Florida between Boca Raton and Melbourne , with lesser damage farther to the west across the Kissimmee River basin. Between Hurricane Charley and Frances, citrus losses totaled $ 2 billion. Frances also produced heavy rains in

26892-581: Was retired from the rotating lists of tropical cyclone names in the spring of 2005 by the World Meteorological Organization , and will never again be used for an Atlantic basin tropical cyclone. The name was replaced with Fiona for the 2010 season . Wind shear Wind shear is a microscale meteorological phenomenon occurring over a very small distance, but it can be associated with mesoscale or synoptic scale weather features such as squall lines and cold fronts. It

27058-423: Was roughly 80 miles (130 km) across, and its slow forward motion, the center of circulation remained offshore for several more hours. At 1 am EDT on September 5 (0500 UTC), the center of the broad eye of Frances made landfall along the Florida coast, at the southern end of Hutchinson Island , near Sewall's Point , Jensen Beach , and Port Salerno, Florida . Late on September 5, Frances picked up speed due to

27224-491: Was significantly greater. Two external fuel tanks for the Space Shuttle were in the building but seemed undamaged. The Space Shuttle Discovery 's hangar was without power. Overall, Brevard County experienced about $ 277.6 million in damage, with more than one-third of that figure, $ 100 million, incurred to space and military facilities around Cape Canaveral . Volusia County was also among those experiencing

27390-659: Was the greatest in Brunswick County , where wind gusts peaked at 85 miles per hour (137 km/h). The winds blew down chimneys and damaged a roof on one building, and ripped the siding off another. Crop damage was also heavy in Brunswick County, with 50% of the tobacco crop lost and 30% of the corn and vegetable fields destroyed. Strong winds downed trees and power lines, leaving 65,000 homes without power. Damage in North Carolina totaled to $ 25 million (2004 USD). The strongest storm to make landfall in

27556-403: Was the second most intense tropical cyclone in the Atlantic during 2004 and proved to be very destructive in Florida. It was the sixth named storm , the fourth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season . The system crossed the open Atlantic in late August, moving to the north of the Lesser Antilles while strengthening. Its outer bands struck Puerto Rico and

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