Ivan weakened into a tropical depression before making its second landfall over the extreme southwestern tip of Louisiana on the 23rd. Ivan then regained its strength over the warm waters of the Gulf, reaching tropical storm intensity yet again. The remnants of Ivan moved southwestward then westward, crossing Florida in a loop that led the storm back over the Gulf of Mexico on September 21. Ivan then became a remnant low pressure system and it drifted east of the Delmarva Peninsula on September 18.ĭespite losing its tropical characteristics, the storm wasn’t done yet. Round Two: Ivan Targets the Gulf Coast a Second TimeĪfter Ivan made landfall in coastal Alabama, it turned, moving slowly northeastward across the Southeast, spawning over 100 tornadoes and dumping heavy rains on the area. Ivan then spent the next three days moving northwestward over the Gulf of Mexico and weakening as it headed toward the U.S. The storm regained its Category 5 intensity once more on September 13 as it passed the western tip of Cuba. Ivan remained a Category 5 until weakening slightly on September 12. Ivan regained its Category 5 strength later that day, inflicting considerable damage as it passed the Cayman Islands. Ivan’s strength fluctuated as the hurricane’s eye tracked just offshore of southwest Jamaica on September 11 with wind speeds registering 150 mph-a Category 4. After crossing the island, the hurricane tracked over the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea and intensified to a Category 5 storm early on September 9. Ivan continued westward, moving over Grenada on September 7 and causing major property damage. At this point, Ivan was the southernmost major hurricane on record for the North Atlantic Basin. And, just one day later on September 3, Ivan obtained tropical storm status when its sustained winds exceeded 38 mph.īy late in the day on September 5, Ivan had intensified rapidly becoming a major hurricane with Category 4 strength on the Saffir–Simpson scale. Two weeks prior to its landfall along the Gulf Coast, Ivan was first born as a tropical depression off Africa’s West Coast abnormally close to the equator. Round One: From the West Coast of Africa to the Gulf of Mexico Another 67 deaths in Grenada, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Cayman Islands, and Barbados were also attributed to Hurricane Ivan. The Category 3 storm ravaged the the coastlines of Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle, producing waves over 50 feet high offshore.īy the time it completely dissipated nearly a week later, Ivan had claimed the lives of 57 people and caused more than $27 billion of damage (in 2017 dollars) in the United States. And, in the early morning hours of September 16, 2004, Hurricane Ivan made its first landfall near Gulf Shores, Alabama, with sustained winds of over 120 mph. Over a decade ago, one of the country’s most deadly and destructive tropical systems set its sights on the U.S.
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