Hurricane Ivan: Remembering A 'Terrible' Storm Five Years Later
Release Date: September 21, 2009
Release Number: R4-09-139
» 2009 Region IV News Releases
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Five years ago this month, Hurricane Ivan, at times a category five storm and the strongest hurricane of the 2004 season, brought winds of more than 120 mph to the Gulf Coast and devastated much of the southeast.
Reaching its peak strength on Sept. 11 over warm tropical waters near the Cayman Islands, the storm roared towards the Emerald Coast, making landfall near Gulf Shores, Ala., in the early morning hours of Sept. 16. Although slightly weaker than peak strength, "Ivan the terrible," had reached some days earlier, much of the Alabama coast experienced 10-15 ft. storm surge and winds of more than 120 mph.
The Gulf Coast and other southeast states experienced widespread damage to public infrastructure, a landscape littered with wind-blown debris, and thousands of residents forced from their homes and businesses. Over a three-day period, the storm produced an astounding 117 tornadoes.
Ivan would cost the nation more than $14.2 billion dollars, making it one of the costliest disasters in history. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would spend more than $2.0 billion on relief operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. Of that funding, $985 million would be granted to public entities to repair and replace infrastructure-roads, bridges and utilities, among others.
As a result of Ivan's destructive wrath, the President declared a total of five states major disaster areas in FEMA's southeast region -Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and North Carolina.*
In just the five southeastern states, FEMA spent $380 million on housing assistance and grants to repair and replace homes. Further, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) provided $597 million in loans for damaged homes and businesses to help Ivan survivors recover economic losses. Through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, funding to mitigate the effects of future disasters in these states has reached $132 million.
FEMA Regional Administrator Phil May, recalling Ivan's wrath, referred to the storm as "fierce and downright scary" because of its strength and the fact that it resulted in five separate presidential disaster declarations in Region IV. "Hurricane Ivan was the kind of storm we planned and prepared for, and some of our best partnerships-local, state and federal, were forged in those difficult times," he explained.
"The most important takeaway from Ivan is that every American needs to understand the importance of preparedness; that means: have a plan, have a kit, learn a skill and check on a neighbor once your family is safe after a disaster strikes," he said.
September is National Preparedness Month, a nationwide coordinated effort encouraging families to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and communities. This nationwide effort is sponsored by the Ready Campaign and Citizen Corps. During the month, a wide variety of national, state and local organizations will highlight the importance of emergency preparedness and promote community involvement through a wide variety of events and activities.
Visit www.ready.gov or www.listo.gov for more information about how you and your family can be better prepared for the next disaster.
FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Last Modified: Monday, 21-Sep-2009 12:44:08