User:12george1/Effects of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season in Florida

The effects of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season primarily focuses on the impacts and aftermaths of hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne in the state. In a six-week period, Charley, Frances, and Jeanne each made landfall in Florida, while Ivan struck just west of the Alabama–Florida state line. This was the first time four tropical cyclones produced hurricane-force winds in one state during a single season since four hurricanes made landfall in Texas in 1886. Charley made landfall in Florida just 22 hours after Tropical Storm Bonnie had struck northwestern Florida - the first time in history that two tropical cyclones struck the same state in a 24-hour period. Frances and Jeanne struck nearly the same location about three weeks apart.

Approximately 2.6 million homes sustained some degree of damage, temporarily or permanently displacing roughly 1.7 million people. The four hurricanes collectively caused an estimated $45 billion (2004 USD) in damage and left at least 47 direct fatalities in Florida. Minor damage also occurred due to tropical storms Bonnie and Matthew. In the aftermath of the storms, disaster declarations were issued for all 67 counties. Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne were each retired from the tropical cyclone naming list.

Meteorological background
Although the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1, no tropical cyclogenesis occurred for nearly two months, until Hurricane Alex formed on July 31. In August and September, a favorable Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) developed over the Atlantic basin. Additionally, sea surface temperatures during the hurricane season were the second warmest since 1948. As a result, a total of 12 tropical cyclones formed in August and September. Eight tropical cyclone were named in August, setting a record for the highest number of tropical storms in the month of August, which would later be tied in 2012. September 2004 featured the second highest Accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) for any month in the Atlantic basin, surpassed only by September 2017.

The hurricane season was also influenced by a negative North Atlantic oscillation (NAO). The NAO is a weather phenomenon of fluctuations in differences of atmospheric pressure at sea level between the Icelandic Low and the Azores-Bermuda high pressure area. A weaker NAO tends to force the Azores-Bermuda high into being positioned farther west than usual, which allows tropical cyclones to move farther westward across the Atlantic and strike the Southeastern United States and decreases the probability of recurvature out to sea.

On August 3, a tropical wave developed into Tropical Depression Two just east of the Windward Islands. The depression degenerated back into a tropical wave, but reorganized into a tropical cyclone over the northwestern Caribbean Sea on August 8. The depression intensified into Tropical Storm Bonnie on the following day. After moving west-northwestward for a few days, Bonnie curved northward over the Gulf of Mexico. By August 11, the storm turned northeastward and peaked with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h). Thereafter, wind shear caused the cyclone to weaken significantly. At 14:00 UTC on August 12, Bonnie made landfall near Apalachicola, Florida, with winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). Bonnie quickly weakened to a tropical depression and continued northeastward across the Southeastern United States, before becoming extratropical offshore New Jersey on the following day.

As Bonnie was centered over the southern Gulf of Mexico, a tropical wave developed into Tropical Depression Three near the southern Windward Islands on August 9. By the following day, the depression became Tropical Storm Charley. The cyclone continued to strengthen after curving northwestward and was a Category 3 hurricane when it struck Cuba on August 13. After emerging into the Straits of Florida, Charley weakened to a Category 2 hurricane. However, the storm abruptly strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane later on August 13, with winds peaking at 150 mph (240 km/h). Around 19:45 UTC on August 13, Charley made landfall at Cayo Costa and then in Punta Gorda about an hour later. Charley rapidly weakened over Florida, falling to Category 1 by early on August 14. Later that day, the storm emerged into the Atlantic, before making two more landfalls in South Carolina as a minimal hurricane. Late on August 14, Charley weakened to a tropical storm over North Carolina, shortly before becoming extratropical just offshore Virginia.

Impact
With Frances and Jeanne striking nearly the same location and having similar paths over Florida, these storms impacted generally the same areas three weeks apart. Some portions of the state received significant impacts from Charley, Frances, and Jeanne, especially the Florida Heartland and Osceola and Polk counties, with the latter suffering more than $1.2 billion in property damage alone from those three hurricanes combined. Frances and Jeanne each caused more than $1 billion in damage in Indian River and St. Lucie counties. At least 89 deaths occurred in Florida, directly and indirectly, as a result of the tropical cyclones in 2004.

Five tropical cyclones produced rainfall in Florida during the season. Frances brought the highest precipitation total, peaking at 16.61 in in Kent Grove, located in Pasco County. Ivan and Jeanne also dropped rainfall totals exceeding 10 in. Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne largely contributed to a statewide rainfall average of 12.68 in in September, the highest statewide monthly precipitation mean since September 1979. Some waterways and lakes rose significantly as a result. The Upper and Lower Kissimmee Basins observed a 100-year return period of monthly rainfall in September. Between August and October, Lake Okeechobee increased in height by 5.38 ft. In west Central Florida, several stations reported record or near record heights along the Alafia, Anclote, Hillsborough, Little Manatee, Manatee, Myakka, Peace, and Withlacoochee rivers, as well as along Cypress and Horse creeks. Much of the region observed at least 15 in of rainfall during September 2004, with Citrus and Hernando counties recording more than 24 in of precipitation.

Throughout the state, Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne collectively damaged approximately 2.6 million homes to some degree, temporarily or permanently displacing roughly 1.7 million people. Nearly one-third of Floridians reported damage to their homes. About 23.8% of houses received minor damage, 8.1% received major hurricane, and 0.4% experienced total destruction. In a 13-county region of the hardest hit counties – defined as Brevard, Charlotte, DeSoto, Escambia, Hardee, Highlands, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Osceola, Polk, St. Lucie, and Santa Rosa – almost 74% of residents experienced damage to their dwellings, with 39% experiencing minor damage, 32.7% experiencing major damage, and 2.2% suffering complete destruction. Of the homes sustaining damage, the median cost of damage per home in the 13-county region was about $11,000, compared with the statewide average of $4,000 per home.

Crops also sustained significant damage, especially citrus. Approximately 291.8 million boxes of citrus were produced during the 2003-2004 growing season, but just 169.1 million boxes were produced in the 2004-2005 growing season, a 42% decline, primarily as a result of the hurricanes. The orange crop production overall fell to its lowest level since the 1991-1992 growing season. All varieties of oranges declined in production, except for tangelos. Grapefruits dropped to their lowest production amounts since 1935-1936.

Hurricane Frances
Frances made landfall near the southern end of Hutchinson Island on September 5. Sustained wind speeds topped out at 85 mph at the Port Mayaca Lock and Dam, while gusts peaked at 108 mph at the Florida Coastal Monitoring Program (FCMP) tower in Fort Pierce. The maximum precipitation amount recorded in the state was 16.61 in (422 mm) in Kent Grove, located in Pasco County. Storm surge reached 5.89 ft in height at the St. Lucie Lock, while storm tides peaked at 7.73 ft above normal in Fernandina Beach. About 4.27 million customers in Florida lost electricity. Frances caused 37 fatalities in the state, with 5 direct deaths and 28 indirect deaths, including at least 6 in Palm Beach, 4 each in Polk and Volusia; 3 in Alachua; 2 each in Broward, Hillsborough, Lee, and Marion; and 1 each in Collier, Highlands, Indian River, Martin, Putnam, and Seminole counties. Damage in the United States totaled approximately $9.8 billion, with much of the damage occurring in Florida.

The Treasure Coast region of Florida – comprised of Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties – experienced the most significant impact from the storm. In the tri-county region, hundreds of businesses, homes, and mobile homes suffered destruction, while thousands of other structures experienced various degrees of damage. Damage in the Treasure Coast alone totaled approximately $4.5 billion. Just to the south, Palm Beach County also received significant impact. Roughly 15,000 houses and 2,400 businesses in the county were inflicted some degree of damage. Frances left about $500 million in damage in Palm Beach County. Volusia County was also among those experiencing the most extensive effects. Throughout the county, Frances damaged 478 businesses, 19,958 single-family homes, 4,800 mobile homes, and 1,414 agriculture-related structures. The hurricane left about $238.5 million in damage in the county.

Other tropical cyclones
Tropical cyclone watches and warnings were issued as Tropical Storm Bonnie approached the Big Bend of Florida, beginning with a tropical storm watch at 03:00 UTC on August 11 from the Suwannee River to the Alabama–Florida state line. Voluntary evacuations went into effect for Gadsden, Levy, and Wakulla counties, while numerous schools were closed. Bonnie made landfall near Apalachicola, with sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). The storm produced rainfall up to 4.1 in (104 mm) in Pace. Bonnie generated a 4 ft storm surge; moderate wave action caused slight beach erosion. Rainfall and storm surge flooded roads, forcing the evacuation of approximately 2,000 residents in Taylor County. Wind gusts peaked at 42 mph (68 km/h), downing trees and causing scattered power outages. A tornado in Jacksonville damaged several businesses and houses.

Aftermath
Following Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne, President George W. Bush issued successive major disaster declarations, which eventually included all 67 counties. The federal government first spent approximately $1.16 billion for immediate relief needs, such as food, water, ice, and temporary roofing materials. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) then provided eligible victims with more than $1.43 billion for assistance with home repairs, rent expenses, medical needs, unemployment, and replacement of personal property. Additionally, FEMA granted over $230 million for hurricane-related public projects; the agency agreed to pay 90% of expenses for that program, while state and local governments would cover the remaining costs. Between August 13 and October 4, 9,633 patients received treatment from the FEMA's Disaster Medical Assistance Teams. The Small Business Administration authorized low-interest loans for repairs to businesses and homes, with over $544 million in loans approved. By December 1, the federal government expended approximately $3.11 billion in aid to Florida, while sending more than 15,500 workers for response and recovery operations, including over 11,000 FEMA employees and 2,000 medical specialists.

FEMA received criticism for honoring some bogus requests for assistance or haphazardly inspecting damages, which led to some storm victims being greatly overcompensated, particularly in Miami-Dade County. Although FEMA declared a disaster area for the county, local officials stated that Frances caused only minimal damage. On May 18, the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a hearing to discuss the matter. The committee noted that almost 12,600 residents in the county received payments totaling over $31 million. The aid allowed people to replace of thousands of electronic appliances, some of which they may have never even owned. Other residents received payments to repairs replacements almost 800 cars, with some people being compensated for more than their vehicle was actually worth. FEMA also compensated some residents with rental or home repairs assistance, but hastily inspected damage or did not inspect damage altogether. In one instance, a resident collected almost $18,500 from FEMA, but a second inspection of the property revealed no damage at all. Criticism was also leveled at FEMA for paying expenses for the funerals of 320 people, but at least 203 of those people were not directly or indirectly killed by the hurricanes.

Volunteers also contributed extensively to relief efforts. Almost 141,000 people volunteered on behalf of more than 100 disaster relief, community, and religious organizations. These volunteers logged over 5.9 million hours for recovery and relief efforts. Damage to schools and surrounding local areas led to prolonged school closures in several counties. Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, Polk, and St. Lucie county schools closed just prior to Frances and did not resume classes until October 4 – more than a month later. Escambia and Santa Rosa counties resumed school classes on October 11, just over three weeks after Ivan made landfall.

The 2004 hurricanes left detectable psychological impacts on Floridians. A study published by the American Journal of Public Health in April 2007 indicated that 3.6% of those surveyed met the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 5.5% for generalized anxiety disorder, and 6.1% for a major depressive episode. The survey used a sample size of 1,452 adults, who resided in 33 counties that experienced hurricane-force winds and were contacted by landline telephone between April 5 and June 12, 2005. Carol S. Fullerton, et al. conducted a separate study on the impacts on 2,249 Florida Department of Health (FDOH) workers, which would be published by Cambridge University Press in February 2013. The study found that approximately 11% of FDOH workers experienced behavioral or mental health issues relating to the 2004 hurricanes, including about 4% who likely had PTSD and 3.8% who likely suffered from depression. FDOH employees with more disaster exposure or heavier work demands as a result of the hurricanes were more likely to report increased usage of alcohol or tobacco. At least one suicide was directly linked to the hurricanes, after a man lost his home and possessions due to Hurricane Charley. The hurricanes occurred during the final months leading up to the 2004 United States presidential election. In the previous presidential election, President Bush won Florida by a razor-thin margin. Florida's status as a large swing status led to a high-stakes campaign between Bush and United States Senator John Kerry. However, the hurricanes would cause disruptions to campaign activity. For example, Charley caused Kerry to postpone a rally in Orlando to September. But the campaign event would be canceled due to Frances. Kerry and Senator Bill Nelson visited some of the areas hardest-hit by Charley in August, though he did not hold any official post-convention campaign events in Florida until late September. In the meantime, he instead campaigned in other states such as Iowa, Ohio, and Minnesota. President Bush's visibility in the state in the aftermath of the hurricanes was generally viewed as advantageous, though some pollsters and political scientists argued that the hurricanes would have little or no bearing on the outcome of the presidential election. Kerry generally led Bush in the polls from July to mid-August, while Bush then typically led Kerry from late August to late October. Although the polling average became very tight in the final week leading up to the election, Bush won the state of Florida by a margin of 5.1%.

State officials and tourism-related businesses feared that the hurricanes would potentially lead to a decrease in tourism. A survey in October 2004 indicated that about one out of five people would be less likely to travel to Florida as a result of the hurricanes. Visit Florida, the state's official tourism marketing corporation, spent approximately $4.75 million on advertisements and efforts to combat misconceptions about the impacts of the hurricanes on tourism. Web cams and media tours were also used to assure potential visitors that the state remained viable for tourism. Tourism instead increased in 2004, with 79.8 million visitors, up from 74.6 million in 2003. Hotels and restaurants saw taxable sales rise by 14.2% and 10.7%, respectively. By March 2005, just one out of ten people indicated in a survey that they would be less likely to vacation in Florida.