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Ivan Spreads Damage Across Gulf
Written by
Lesly C. Hallman
, Staff Writer, RedCross.org
Thursday, September 16, 2004 — Hurricane Ivan hit Alabama this morning in the coastal town of Gulf Shores, with destructive winds of up to 130 mph that knocked down power lines and trees and flooded streets.
At least 12 people were killed, mostly by hurricane-spawned tornadoes in Florida. In Calhoun County, Fla., a tornado killed five, and another tornado in Panama City Beach, Fla. killed two others. Tornado watches remain in effect for parts of Florida, as well as communities in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.
Even over land, Hurricane Ivan remains a massive storm. (Photo Credit: NOAA) |
Much of Ivan’s heaviest damage hit the Florida panhandle region. Near Pensacola, a quarter mile section of the Highway I-10 bridge was washed away by storm surge.
At least 80 percent of customers are without electricity in Mobile, Alabama, about 25 miles north of where Ivan's eye came ashore. Throughout the region more than 660,000 people are powerless.
Meteorologists are concerned about the ongoing damage from this large, slow moving storm as it heads over land, dumping inches of rain to areas already drenched by Hurricane Frances last week. The storm is heading north at about 14 mph, and is expected to move across Tennessee, the Carolinas and Kentucky over the weekend.
Maximum winds have fallen to around 75 mph with some higher gusts reported. The storm is expected to weaken further today and may become a tropical storm by day’s end, according to the National Weather Service. Although the storm’s winds have fallen to Category 1 status, the threat of flooding and tornadoes remains a major concern.
Red Cross Continues Unprecedented Response
The Red Cross is already gearing up its response to Hurricane Ivan. Local chapters opened more than 275 shelters open in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, housing close to 40,000 people in advance of the storm, and those shelters will continue to house people who find their homes uninhabitable. Estimates for how much the relief efforts for Ivan will cost should be determined in the coming days.
“The recovery amount is about $68 million for [Hurricanes] Charley and Bonnie, and it’s still too early to tell for Ivan,” President and CEO Marty Evans said today. “But we do know this is going to be an enormous challenge. This has been a triple whammy for us, and we still need significant resources to deal with this disaster.”
As the storm heads north, Evans said the Red Cross plans to open more shelters to accommodate residents in Georgia and the Carolinas.
“We already know we are opening additional evacuation shelters as the storm travels north,” said Evans, encouraging the public to join the relief efforts by making a financial donation to the Red Cross or contacting a local Red Cross chapter to volunteer for disaster relief efforts.
All Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of these floods, hurricanes and thousands of other disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting our Online Donation Page.
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