Hurricane Georges

Hurricane Georges (/ʒɔːrʒ/) was a powerful and long-lived tropical cyclone which caused severe destruction as it traversed the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in September 1998, making seven landfalls along its path. Georges was the seventh tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season. It became one of the most destructive storm of the season, the costliest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and remained the costliest until Hurricane Charley in 2004, and the deadliest since Hurricane Gordon in 1994. Georges killed 615 people, mainly on the island of Hispaniola, caused extensive damage resulting in just under $10 billion (US dollars in 1998) in damages and leaving nearly 500,000 people homeless in St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and Cuba.

The hurricane made landfall in at least six countries (Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the United States), more than any other hurricane since Hurricane Inez of the 1966 season. Throughout its path of destruction, it caused extreme flooding and mudslides, as well as heavy crop damage. Thousands were left homeless as a result of the storm in the Lesser Antilles, and damage in those islands totaled about US$880 million. In the Greater Antilles, hundreds of deaths were confirmed, along with over $2.4 billion in damages. Hundreds of thousands were left homeless, due to catastrophic flooding, torrential rainfall, and high storm surge. Flooding was exacerbated heavily by coastal defenses being broken from high waves. Crops were heavily damaged, and thousands of houses were destroyed due to mudslides.

Damage from Georges was extensive in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as well. In Puerto Rico, the storm was the first hurricane to pass over the island since the 1932 San Ciprián hurricane. Storm surges 10 ft (3 m) high were recorded, along with damage across much of the country. Roads were rendered impassible, and beaches eroded due to heavy flooding. Some areas were left isolated. Crop damage was extreme, especially to the Banana plant. A total of 96% of the territory's population was left without power due to nearly half of the island's electrical lines being downed. A little under 73,000 houses had been damaged, with just over 28,000 others being destroyed. Due to no fully developed water systems being present, 75% water and sewage services had been lost. According to contemporary reports, Hurricane Georges caused $3.6 billion in damage in Puerto Rico. In September 2017, Governor Pedro Rosselló estimated the actual damage was around $7–8 billion.

In the United States, damage was widespread across multiple states. In Florida, a high storm surge caused flooding. All of the Florida Keys were left without power. In Miami, over 200,000 had no power due to winds knocking down power lines. 17 tornadoes were confirmed throughout the state. Rainfall as high as 38.46 in (977 mm) was recorded, which caused devastating flooding. Thousands of homes were damaged throughout the state. In Louisiana, impacts were mostly minor. Evacuations were well-timed and led to zero deaths in the state. Three died indirectly, however: two men collapsed and died due to stress, and a house burned down because of a candle being tipped over, killing one.^{[citation needed]} In Mississippi, rainfall as high as 25 inches (640 mm) was recorded. Homes were flooded and people were forced to evacuate days after the storm had passed. Mobile homes were damaged and/or overturned. In Alabama, 25 ft (7.6 m) high waves were recorded. Homes, apartment buildings, and businesses were damaged. 20 tornadoes touched down, with one causing over $1.5 million. 29 in (740 mm) rainfall accumulation was recorded. Many bridges, highways, and roads were shut down due to flooding. The only direct death in the US was recorded in the state. In Georgia, damage was minor. Rainfall accumulating to about 7 inches (180 mm) closed several roads across multiple counties. The name Georges was retired due to extreme damage caused by the storm.

A tropical wave exited the coast of Africa on September 13. Moving westward, the large system quickly developed a closed circulation and was classified Tropical Depression Seven on September 15. A strong upper-level ridge forced the depression to the west-northwest, where warm water temperatures allowed it to strengthen to a tropical storm on September 16. Georges's circulation developed strong banding features around a well-organized Central Dense Overcast, and with the aid of a developing anti-cyclone, Georges attained hurricane status late on September 17.

Conditions became nearly ideal for continued development, including warm water temperatures, low-level inflow to the hurricane's north, and good upper-level outflow. A banding eye developed, and Georges reached major hurricane strength on September 19 while 675 mi (1085 km) east-southeast of Guadeloupe. By September 19, an upper-level anticyclone was well established over Georges and satellite pictures suggested that the hurricane was beginning to strengthen rapidly, as indicated by the cooling cloud tops, increased symmetry of the deep convection, and the warming and contracting of the well-defined 40 mi (64 km) wide eye as rapid intensification continued, and Georges peaked as a very dangerous and a high-end Category 4 storm with 155 mph (249 km/h) wind and a 937 minimal pressure late on September 19 and early September 20. At that time, Georges was the most intense, strongest storm since Hurricane Hugo, and along with Hurricane Luis, it is one of the largest major hurricanes in the South Atlantic with hurricane-force wind fields extending more than 115 mi (185 km) from the north and with a more than 300 mi (480 km) wide tropical storm force wind field. Shortly after peaking, upper-level wind shear from the development of an upper-level low weakened the hurricane on September 20 in the afternoon, as the central pressure had risen 26 mb as Georges approached the Leeward Islands.

On September 21, after weakening considerably, Category 3 Georges made landfall directly on Antigua and three hours later in St. Kitts, though its 175 mi (282 km) wide tropical storm force wind field affected all the Leeward Islands. After weakening to a Category 2 hurricane over the Caribbean, upper-level shear decreased, and Georges strengthened a bit before making landfall near Fajardo, Puerto Rico as a 115 mph (185 km/h) Category 3 hurricane early in the morning. Over the mountainous terrain of the island, the hurricane weakened again, but over the Mona Passage it again re-intensified to hit eastern Dominican Republic with winds of 120 mph (190 km/h) on September 22. Like in Puerto Rico, Georges was greatly weakened by the mountainous terrain, and after crossing the Windward Passage, it struck 30 mi (48 km) east of Guantánamo Bay, Cuba on September 23. Well-defined upper-level outflow allowed the hurricane to remain well organized, and while paralleling the northern coastline of the island Georges retained minimal hurricane status.

Hurricane Georges reached the Straits of Florida on September 24, and as it had done earlier in its lifetime, quickly restrengthened to Category 2 status on September 25 due to warm water temperatures and little upper-level shear. It continued to the west-northwest and struck Key West later on September 25 with winds of 105 mph (169 km/h). Despite moving over warmer water, Georges only managed to peak at 110 mph (180 km/h) in the Gulf of Mexico, likely due to its disrupted inner core. A mid-tropospheric anticyclone pushed the hurricane slowly north-northwestward, forcing Georges to make its seventh and final landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi on September 28. Within 24 hours, Georges had weakened to a tropical depression, and due to weak steering currents, the storm looped over southern Mississippi, then drifted to the east. The weak circulation moved eastward over the interior of the Florida Panhandle and dissipated on October 1 near the Florida/Georgia border.