Harvey and Irma Damage Inland Areas

Crews work to restore power in Georgia post-Irma  (Source: Georgia Power)

A common misconception is that hurricanes and tropical storms only effect coastal areas.  The fact is hurricanes are large systems whose impacts are often felt well inland.  For example, Hurricane Harvey brought record flooding in Texas and Louisiana hundreds of miles from the coast.  Hurricane Irma made two landfalls in the state of Florida and caused a significant number of power outages as far away as North Carolina.

The Mid-Atlantic Region doesn’t often see a landfalling tropical system, but can feel significant impacts from weakening tropical storms and hurricanes.  There have been several noteworthy examples over the last twenty years.  After Hurricane Irene made landfall in North Carolina in August 2011, it brought significant rainfall and high wind gusts to the DC Metro Area.  Ironically, the name “Irene” was retired and replaced with “Irma.”  In a virtual certainty, there will not be another “Irma” either.

Hurricanes often produce tornadoes after making landfall because their circulations interact with the topography of the land mass.  Hurricane Ivan in 2004 owns the record having created 117 tornadoes after its landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast.  Ivan’s remnants produced a tornado outbreak in the DC Metro Area on September 17, 2004.

Another example is Hurricane Isabel which made landfall in North Carolina in September 2003.  Isabel produced widespread power outages in the Mid-Atlantic Region due to the high winds and downed trees that ensued.  Also, Hurricane Floyd caused extensive flooding in the DC Metro Area in September 1999.  Contributing to the flooding Floyd caused around the DC Metro Area was the rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Dennis a few weeks earlier that led to saturated grounds.

The remnants of tropical storms and hurricanes have also been felt in the Midwest, such as Hurricane Isaac (2012) whose remnants led to record flooding in Illinois.  After coming ashore in New Jersey, Sandy moved west and brought tropical storm-force wind gusts to Lake Michigan (also in 2012).  The next time a tropical system threatens the United States, residents who live inland should prepare as well.