Hurricane Frances was a major Atlantic hurricane that formed in the hurricane season of 2004 and created havoc on the Florida Coast.It was the third major hurricane and the second most intense tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Frances was also the sixth tropical storm of the season and the fourth hurricane to be named.Florida, nicknamed the Sunshine State, was called the Plywood State by many after it was affected by four hurricanes in a matter of six weeks. The four hurricanes were named Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances, Hurricane Ivan, and Hurricane Jeanne.All of them hit Florida in quick succession. While the intensity of each of the hurricanes was different, the hurricane-force winds left a lasting impact on the lives of the people living in Florida.Hurricane Charley was a Category 4 hurricane and the first of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season to strike Florida on August 13, 2004. It made landfall at Punta Gorda, south of the Tampa Bay region. It was followed by Hurricane Frances, of the same intensity.The second storm of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season came ashore at Hutchinson Island on the Florida East Coast on September 5, 2004. The third Atlantic hurricane of the 2004 hurricane season, Hurricane Ivan, made landfall on September 16, 2004, west of Gulf Shores, Alabama. It had several storm surges accompanying it, even at Tampa Bay, which was 500 mi (804 km) from Ivan’s landfall point.The last Atlantic hurricane of the 2004 hurricane season was a Category 2 storm, Hurricane Jeanne, which hit the East Coast of Florida on September 26, 2004. It resulted in widespread flooding.A hurricane is generally a type of storm called a tropical cyclone. It is a rotating low-pressure weather system accompanied by thunderstorms. It forms over tropical and subtropical waters. When the maximum sustained surface winds of a tropical cyclone are less than 38.9 mph (62.7 kph), it is termed a tropical depression. When the maximum sustained winds are 38.9 mph (62.7 kph) or more, it is termed a tropical storm.When the maximum sustained wind of a storm crosses 73.9 mph (119 kph), it is termed a hurricane. Hurricanes usually originate in the Atlantic basin. This includes the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern and central North Pacific Ocean.There are different hurricane seasons, like the Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season, which starts on May 15 and lasts till November 30, the Atlantic Hurricane Season, and the Central Pacific Hurricane Season, which lasts from June 1 to November 30 every year.During the hurricane season, hurricanes are usually accompanied by sustained wind, wind gusts, wind damage, hurricane-force winds, heavy rain, storm surge, rip currents, tornadoes, and flooding. A storm surge is an abnormal rise of water due to storms, going way above the predicted astronomical tides. A storm surge leads to the destruction of houses and buildings near the coast, erodes roads, damages boats and marinas, and endangers people’s lives.The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale categorizes hurricanes based on their maximum sustained winds. There is a rating from one to five, indicating that the higher the rating or category, the greater the hurricane’s prospects for creating property damage.Hurricane Frances was a Category 4 hurricane. A Category 4 hurricane is a powerful hurricane that usually causes catastrophic damage to infrastructure and leads to a significant loss of life. Areas hit by such a strong Atlantic hurricane also witness long periods of power outages and lack of utilities for weeks. Getting back to a normal state takes a long time.Hurricane Frances formed on August 24, 2004, as a tropical depression 800 mi (1287 km) from the Cape Verde Islands and had its track set to the west-northwest. It gradually intensified to a tropical storm on August 25, 2004, around 1,420 mi (2,285 km) to the east of the Lesser Antilles. It continued intensifying as it further turned west-northwest and reached hurricane strength on August 26, 2004.It developed into an Atlantic hurricane and reached a peak intensity of 144 mph (233 kph) on September 2, 2004, 555 mi (893 km) east-southeast of West Palm Beach, Florida. A tropical storm and a hurricane warning were given for the southwest coast of the Florida Peninsula. On September 4, 2004, the hurricane was still a Category 2 and battered the Florida east coast between Fort Pierce and West Palm Beach.After that, the storm moved offshore from Florida. It moved to the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, where it made a second landfall on the Florida Panhandle. It then accelerated through the eastern US near the Appalachians and later weakened as it reached Atlantic Canada.Economic Loss: Hurricane FrancesThe economic loss was severe from Hurricane Frances because of its timing.Hurricane Frances struck Florida during the Labor Day weekend. It is usually the last summer vacation weekend in America. Several hotel reservations along the line from South Carolina to Florida were canceled beforehand due to the havoc caused by Hurricane Charley.Florida hosts the world-famous entertainment resort complex, Walt Disney World Resort. It is better known by the name Walt Disney World or Disney World. The Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista in Florida are for Disney World, which employs over 77,000 people and provides great business to the state.Due to Hurricane Frances, all the Walt Disney World theme parks, its water parks, and recreation areas were shut down for the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, leading to substantial economic losses for the firm and the businesses around them.North Carolina reported crop damage and the stopping of the Wildlife Commission’s North Carolina Mountain State Fair.The citrus groves near the coast of east-central Florida, between West Palm Beach and Melbourne, were utterly sabotaged. During that hurricane season, Palm Beach County saw several losses to nurseries, sugar cane, and vegetables.The total damage attributed to Hurricane Frances was around $9 billion, making it the fourth costliest Atlantic hurricane in the US at the time.There were several civilian damages, along with damages to the space facility at Kennedy Space Center and the two military facilities at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Patrick Air Force Base.Harm To Humans: Hurricane FrancesWhile the Atlantic hurricane warning was given, several preparations were also made to minimize damage and loss of lives.The governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, declared a state of emergency. The Kennedy Space Center was closed down. A total of 41 counties, comprising 2.8 million residents, were given evacuation orders. It was the most extensive evacuation in the recorded history of Florida.Several universities across Florida canceled classes and asked students to leave their dorms. Evacuations were conducted at the University of South Florida, the University of Central Florida, and the University of North Florida.There was heavy rain in Georgia, South Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Alabama. Flooding was reported in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania as well. There was flooding even in Canada, and the rainfall broke all the rainfall records of the past 24 hours. Most of the rain fell between six and eight hours.Hurricane Frances produced approximately 101 destructive tornadoes along the Florida coast, Florida city, Florida Peninsula, South Florida, Southeast Florida, Central Florida, Florida Bay, Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach, the Bahamas, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia, as is typical of tropical cyclones.But once the Atlantic hurricane passed, the final damage and life losses were pretty huge.Storm surge has always been the leading cause of deaths during the Atlantic hurricane season in the United States of America. During that hurricane season, several deaths were directly and indirectly attributed to Hurricane Frances.A total of seven deaths in Florida, the Bahamas, and Orlando were directly attributed to the hurricane, whereas 42 deaths in Florida, Georgia, Ohio, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Bahamas were indirectly attributed to Hurricane Frances.There were also reports of injuries to people in several forms and measures.Aftermath: Hurricane FrancesApart from the human deaths and injuries, there were several impacts on human life in terms of property damage, structural damage, infrastructure damage, power outages, lack of utilities, and the like.The Swannanoa River in North Carolina saw flooding along its coast, causing a significant break in the water distribution system, leaving Asheville city without water for several days. Heavy rain induced a sinkhole on Interstate 95 in Palm Beach County, leading to a traffic closure.Property damage was mainly to marinas, boats, piers, bridges, docks, and seawalls. Palm Beach County saw some major inland structure damage with 2,400 businesses and 15,000 houses. Wind damaged countless house roofs, trees, signboards, mobile homes, and power lines over areas of southeast Florida like Lake Okeechobee and Palm Beach County.Florida Power and Light (FPL) reported that 2.8 million people lost power after Hurricane Frances. It had to allocate around 8,000 tree trimmers and electric line workers to restore power to the power outage regions. Many hospitals, nursing homes, fire stations, and police stations also faced power outages. The sustained wind that was blowing didn’t make it easier on anyone.Then US President George Bush declared 34 counties within North Carolina as disaster areas and allocated $6.5 million in public assistance. On October 7, 2004, a disaster declaration was made for northeast South Carolina.Future Precautions: Hurricane FrancesThe World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has retired the names of all the four hurricanes that hit Florida in the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season.The names that get retired are the ones that belong to particularly damaging hurricanes, so much so that using them again can trigger traumatic memories or be offensive to some people. The name ‘Frances’ was retired in 2005, and the WMO will not be using that name for another Atlantic hurricane ever again. It was replaced by ‘Fiona’ for the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season.The threats that the Atlantic hurricane season and its storms pose are still something to be dealt with. The lessons learned have led to better preparations and precautions for the future Atlantic hurricane seasons.People living in the coastal areas of the Atlantic Ocean should be well aware of the hurricane season. Learning and educating little ones to read and understand the alerts and warnings given out by tropical storm watch groups or agencies is also emphasized.Creating awareness to follow and heed the forecasts by Atlantic hurricane watch experts like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and listening to and following the instructions given by local emergency management officials when hurricanes strike is important.It is best to be prepared for the worst and have a plan to tackle the hurricane season.Keeping important documents like insurance, personal documents, and IDs handy, along with an emergency kit, is recommended. Also, keeping packed or ready-to-pack supplies in terms of food, general, personal, and allergic medication, disinfectants, pet supplies, masks, and clothes can help in such emergencies.If someone lives in an evacuation zone, regular drills of moving out with family members and pets to a safe place can help keep the masses prepared. Keeping power banks, torches, laptops, and mobile phones charged can help.Checking on neighbors and ensuring they are safe too can help in keeping communities safer. Helping senior citizens, little children, pets, stray animals, and differently-abled people, in case they might need further help or assistance, is advised and encouraged.After the Atlantic hurricane season, when returning to normal lives, local authorities issue necessary instructions, and people living in the distressed areas must abide by those instructions. A clean-up of their house and personal belongings follows the disaster.Wearing protective clothes, boots, and masks even after the hurricane is over is recommended. It is also requested to check electrical equipment before use and switch off the mains in case of flooding.No one should wade in the water as it may contain pathogens, waste, chemicals, and even wildlife.If your property is damaged, you should record the damage with photos and make sure to claim insurance to help you get back on your feet again.
Hurricane Frances was a major Atlantic hurricane that formed in the hurricane season of 2004 and created havoc on the Florida Coast.
