Significant September Hurricanes

Rita at peak intensity (9-21-2005)   Source: NOAA

September is typically the most active month of the Atlantic hurricane season.  It’s worth highlighting four hurricanes that occurred during the last 20 years which impacted the United States.

Rita (2005):  Rita was the third of four Category 5 hurricanes that occurred during the record-setting 2005 Atlantic hurricane season.  It reached its peak intensity on September 21 with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph and a minimum central pressure of 895 millibars (standard sea level air pressure is approximately 1,013 millibars).  Rita remains the fourth strongest Atlantic hurricane on record behind only Wilma, Gilbert and the unnamed 1935 Florida Keys hurricane.  According to the National Hurricane Center, Rita weakened to Category 3 intensity with sustained winds of 120 mph before making landfall September 24 near the Louisiana and Texas state border.  Rita caused an estimated $12 billion in damage (roughly $15.4 billion in 2016 dollars). 

Isabel (2003):  Isabel was the first Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean since 1998.  Hurricane Isabel reached its peak intensity on September 11, with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph combined with a minimum central air pressure of 915 millibars.  Fortunately, Isabel weakened to Category 2 intensity with sustained winds of 105 mph before making landfall in North Carolina on September 18.  Despite weakening, Isabel caused major flooding and damage across much of the Mid-Atlantic Region and Northeastern United States.  In the DC Metro Region, Isabel caused approximately one million power outages.  In all, Isabel left about $5.7 billion in U.S. damages in 2003 (roughly $7.3 billion in 2016).

Floyd (1999):  As a borderline Category 4/5 hurricane with peak sustained winds of 155 mph and a minimum air pressure of 921 millibars, Floyd was the most intense hurricane of the 1999 season.  Fortunately, Floyd weakened to a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 105 mph before making landfall near Cape Fear, North Carolina.  Floyd was exceptionally large in diameter so its effects were far reaching.  As Floyd continued its trek northward, it brought flooding rainfall, damaging winds and coastal flooding in its path.  Widespread flooding occurred in the DC Metro Region with higher rainfall totals on the east side of town.  In all, Floyd left approximately $6.9 billion worth of damages in the U.S. (nearly $9.8 billion adjusted for inflation to 2016 dollars).

Fran (1996):  At peak intensity, Fran had sustained winds of 120 mph and a minimum central air pressure of 946 millibars on September 6.  It made landfall in North Carolina as a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 115 mph and caused significant damage as far west as Ohio and as far north as New England.  The DC Metro Region saw tropical storm force wind gusts and a few inches of rain.  In all, Fran caused a total of $3.2 billion in damages in 1996 dollars.  It remains the last “major” hurricane to make landfall in North Carolina.  A “major” hurricane is defined as a Category 3 or higher storm on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale.

These four hurricanes each had their names retired.  Although the United States has been lucky because no major hurricane has made landfall since 2005, a hurricane doesn’t have to be major to have significant impacts.