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.
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