Hurricane (Typhoon) — Bay, Florida

2004-09-15 to 2004-09-16 · Bay, Florida

Wider weather episode

Hurricane Ivan made landfall near Gulf Shores, AL, during the predawn hours of September 16. Maximum sustained winds reached 50 knots, with gusts to 62 knots at Buoy 42039, 80 miles south of Panama City, FL. The lowest sea-level pressure was 999.6 mb at Panama City. Rainfall totals ranged from 9.26 inches at Mossy Head, FL, to 0.15 inches at Cross City, FL. Storm tides along the Gulf coast varied from ten feet in Bay and Walton counties to four feet in Taylor and Dixie counties. Large swells from Ivan began to the affect the Gulf coast from the St. Joseph Peninsula to the Suwannee River on September 14. Storm surges continued for several hours after landfall. Beach erosion varied from extreme (20 to 40 feet) in Walton County to minor at St. George Island. Minor areal flooding affected much of the Florida Panhandle, including Walton, Bay, Holmes, Calhoun, Jackson and Gulf counties. Sharp rises to near or slightly above minor flood levels occurred on the Choctawhatchee River at Caryville, the Apalachicola River at Blountstown, and the Shoal River at Mossy Head. An estimated 165,000 customers were without power. There were widespread reports of downed trees and power lines. The hardest hit areas were Gulf, Bay, and Walton counties, where more than 50 percent of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. Numerous roads in the Panhandle coastal counties were flooded or washed out. Intense outer rain bands from Ivan spawned numerous tornadoes over portions of the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend. The hardest hit counties were Bay, Calhoun, and Jackson counties, which accounted for six deaths and 16 injuries. Mandatory evacuations of low lying, coastal, and mobile home residents was ordered by officials in Bay, Walton, Jackson, Holmes, Jackson, Franklin, and Taylor counties. A state of emergency and presidential request for federal assistance were declared for the affected counties.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5423055. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.