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Hurricane Erin (1995)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Erin was the fifth named tropical cyclone
and the second hurricane of the unusually active 1995 Atlantic hurricane season
. Erin began as a tropical wave off the west coast of Africa
on July 22, and crossed the Atlantic ocean
without ever developing. On July 31, the last day of the month, it strengthened into a tropical depression, and was later named Erin. It made landfall on the central eastern Florida
coastline on August 2 as a Category 1 hurricane, and again along the Florida Panhandle
as a Category 2 hurricane on August 3, respectively, causing a moderate amount of damage. The system reached peak strength at 100 mph (160 km/h) and 973 millibars in central pressure.
Hurricane and tropical storm warnings and watches were issued for both coasts, prior to Erin's two landfalls. Tornado and flood watches and warnings were also issued for these areas, as a preparation for the impact of Erin.
$700 million (1995 USD
; $923 million 2006 USD), was the total monetary damage estimate from Erin. The monetary damages from the system primarily came from downed tree, crop damages, and ship damages. There was various other damages that also occurred as a result of Erin's impact. Erin was the first hurricane to hit the U.S. since Hurricane Andrew
in 1992.
emerged into the eastern Atlantic Ocean
, off the western coast of Africa. The system had two distinct low-level circulation centers, and a large area of convection. By July 27, both circulations were generating deep convection a few hundred miles to the northeast of the Leeward Islands
. These centers began to show tropical storm-force winds, but they did not have enough of a closed circulation needed, to be named.
Near midday, on July 30, T-number
estimates began to show numbers, potentially indicative of a tropical cyclone
. The National Hurricane Center
then decided to fly a special night reconnaissance mission into the system, due to the systems close range to the Bahamas and the state of Florida. At midnight on the July 30, Hurricane Hunter aircraft data had showed that the storm had acquired a closed circulation. The system was named Tropical Storm Erin upon the National Hurricane Center's interpreting the data and information on July 31.
The track of the center was pushed by an upper-level low, off the coast of Florida, onto a northwesterly track, from its west-northwest track. This change in the track had it cross only the northern part of the Bahamas and caused the storm to affect the central coast of Florida instead of south Florida. The steering currents associated with the upper-level low made Erin speed up to 17 mph, from a previous 6 mph, and diverted Erin up and around the northeastern portion of the upper-level low. As this was happening, the system experienced shearing
, that permitted the system to only have slow strengthening. The shear eventually diminished somewhat however, and on the evening of the July 31, Erin was upgraded to a hurricane. The next day, an eye began to become apparent on satellite imagery. Early in the day on August 2, Erin made landfall at Vero Beach, Florida
with winds around 85 mph (140 km/h).
Erin's track bent back to west-northwest while the storm crossed the Florida peninsula during the morning and early afternoon of August 2. Erin weakened to a tropical storm with 60 mph (95 km/h) winds while crossing the peninsula, but remained fairly well-organized, although the system lost its visible eye. Upon emerging into the eastern Gulf of Mexico
, Erin reintensified to a hurricane and continued strengthening until its final landfall near Pensacola, Florida
during the late morning of August 3. Erin had maximum sustained winds around 100 mph (160 km/h) in a small area of its northeastern eyewall when that portion of the hurricane came ashore near Fort Walton Beach, making it a Category 2 hurricane
at landfall.
Erin weakened to a tropical storm over southeastern Mississippi
overnight on August 3rd and 4th. It weakened to tropical depression status by the time its track shifted to the north on August 5. The storm then merged with a frontal system over West Virginia
later the next day.
in southeastern Louisiana. A state of emergency
was issued to prepare for Erin. A hurricane watch was issued on August 2 that included from south of the mouth of the Pearl River
, to the mouth of the Mississippi River
, including the city of New Orleans. This was upgraded to a hurricane warning later on August 2. This warning was discontinued on August 3. A tropical storm watch was also issued on August 2 that included east of the Pearl River to south of the mouth of the Pearl River. The last hurricane warning issued was from Grand Isle
to Morgan City
on August 3. All other hurricane warning were then discontinued.
.
opened shelters to house evacuees. A tropical storm watch was also issued on August 2 that included the southern coast of Alabama.
. A tropical storm was issued from New Smyrna Beach, northward to St. Augustine
. A flood watch was issued for all of East-Central Florida. A tornado watch was also issued for East-Central Florida.
Evacuations were issued for 800,000 people initially in Florida
, in preparation for the storm. The evacuation of 400,000 people was quickly canceled as the storm moved north, but 400,000 remained evacuated in Palm Beach County. Police in the county were sent patrolling, to prevent looting. About 300 military aircraft, in the Florida Panhandle
, were evacuated to neighboring states.
At Erin's first landfall, a tornado warning was issued for eastern Volusia County, in East-Central Florida, after radar indicated a possible tornado offshore of Volusia County. The warning said that the tornado was approaching the coast at Ormond Beach and Holly Hill
. The National Weather Service bureau in Melbourne also warned that other storms offshore Volusia County showed signs of rotation.
NASA
had to halt some activities or preparation of shuttles at Kennedy Space Center
, due to Erin.
During Erin's second landfall in Florida, a tropical storm watch was issued 37 hours prior to Erin's landfall, a tropical storm warning 25 hours prior, and a hurricane warning 23 hours prior.
, which caused a plane crash that killed 5 people. The plane was a Cessna 310 twin-engine aircraft, owned by RegionAir
, a subsidiary of the Guardsman Group. The aircraft contained four employees of Brinks Jamacia, who were due to testify in a court hearing, and a pilot. The plane departed from the Tinson Pen Aerodome in Kingston, Jamaica
, and was bound for Montego Bay, St. James
. Two teenagers were also killed on a football field in Braeton, Saint Catherine Parish
, when lightning associated with Erin struck them dead.
Hurricane-force sustained winds were experienced over various portions of the Bahamas.
A gust of 128 knots occurred at Providenciales
, in the Turks and Caicos Islands
.
. Some beach erosion was reported through portions of the state.
and Atlantic Ocean
off Florida. The cruise ship Club Royale sank, causing three of the deaths. Another ship was also sunk due to Erin. More than one million people lost power due to the hurricane. Erin caused $700 million (1995 US dollars) in damage, mostly in Florida. Moderate beach erosion was reported along Florida's east coast and Panhandle.
Multiple waterspouts and tornadoes were reported throughout the state. A tornado in Titusville
, caused minor damage. Another tornado, near Lake Lizzie
, killed two horses. Trees also went down and roofs were blown off houses.
Two to four foot storm tide was reported on Florida's east coast, during Erin's first landfall. One to two foot storm tide was reported on Florida's West-Central coast. Six to seven feet storm tides were estimated west of Navarre Beach, and three to four foot storm tides were reported along Pensacola Beach.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) issued a federal disaster declaration for Florida
, due to Erin.
NASA recorded a peak wind gust of 82 mph, from the east-southeast, within the Kennedy Space Center
vicinity, at a wind tower.
The most significant damage from the second landfall in Florida was near Pensacola, where Erin made landfall, and Navarre Beach
, where almost one-third of buildings suffered major damage. A maximum wind of 101 mph was reported at Pensacola Naval Air Station. The tower of Pensacola Airport was evacuated, due to high winds, and the data is therefore unavailable. More than 2,000 homes were reported damaged from Erin. Some beach erosion was also reported west of Navarre Beach. There was a large amount of crop losses in Northwest Florida resulting from Erin. This included about of the cotton
crop of the region, and around 20 to 25 percent of the pecan
crop. An estimated amount of 63 percent of power customers in Northwest Florida were left without power from the hurricane.
Two tornadoes were reported at Erin's second landfall in Northwest Florida. A tornado in southern Amelia Island
resulted in trees blocking route A1A. A portion of a roof was torn off a mall in south Jacksonville beach as a result of tornado.
, which is estimated at half of the total damage by the National Hurricane Center
.
Trees and power lines were blown down throughout southwest Alabama. At least 100 homes were reported damaged in Alabama. The estimated pecan crop, for Baldwin County
, Alabama, lost 50 to 75 percent of its total portion.
, winds of 90 mph were felt, even though Erin made landfall in Pensacola, Florida
.
The American Services Group estimated that there was $5 million of damage in Mississippi
, which is estimated at half of the total damage by the National Hurricane Center
.
There are no reports of the total amount of houses reported damaged in Mississippi.
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
and the second hurricane of the unusually active 1995 Atlantic hurricane season
1995 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1995 Atlantic hurricane season was the third most active Atlantic hurricane season on record. It officially began on June 1, 1995, and lasted until November 30, 1995. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the north Atlantic ocean...
. Erin began as a tropical wave off the west coast of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
on July 22, and crossed the Atlantic ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
without ever developing. On July 31, the last day of the month, it strengthened into a tropical depression, and was later named Erin. It made landfall on the central eastern Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
coastline on August 2 as a Category 1 hurricane, and again along the Florida Panhandle
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
as a Category 2 hurricane on August 3, respectively, causing a moderate amount of damage. The system reached peak strength at 100 mph (160 km/h) and 973 millibars in central pressure.
Hurricane and tropical storm warnings and watches were issued for both coasts, prior to Erin's two landfalls. Tornado and flood watches and warnings were also issued for these areas, as a preparation for the impact of Erin.
$700 million (1995 USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
; $923 million 2006 USD), was the total monetary damage estimate from Erin. The monetary damages from the system primarily came from downed tree, crop damages, and ship damages. There was various other damages that also occurred as a result of Erin's impact. Erin was the first hurricane to hit the U.S. since Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
in 1992.
Meteorological history
On July 22, a tropical waveTropical wave
Tropical waves, easterly waves, or tropical easterly waves, also known as African easterly waves in the Atlantic region, are a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which move from east to west across the tropics causing areas of...
emerged into the eastern Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, off the western coast of Africa. The system had two distinct low-level circulation centers, and a large area of convection. By July 27, both circulations were generating deep convection a few hundred miles to the northeast of the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
. These centers began to show tropical storm-force winds, but they did not have enough of a closed circulation needed, to be named.
Near midday, on July 30, T-number
Dvorak technique
The Dvorak technique is a widely used system to subjectively estimate tropical cyclone intensity based solely on visible and infrared satellite images. Several agencies issue Dvorak intensity numbers for cyclones of sufficient intensity...
estimates began to show numbers, potentially indicative of a tropical cyclone
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
. The National Hurricane Center
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
then decided to fly a special night reconnaissance mission into the system, due to the systems close range to the Bahamas and the state of Florida. At midnight on the July 30, Hurricane Hunter aircraft data had showed that the storm had acquired a closed circulation. The system was named Tropical Storm Erin upon the National Hurricane Center's interpreting the data and information on July 31.
The track of the center was pushed by an upper-level low, off the coast of Florida, onto a northwesterly track, from its west-northwest track. This change in the track had it cross only the northern part of the Bahamas and caused the storm to affect the central coast of Florida instead of south Florida. The steering currents associated with the upper-level low made Erin speed up to 17 mph, from a previous 6 mph, and diverted Erin up and around the northeastern portion of the upper-level low. As this was happening, the system experienced shearing
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
, that permitted the system to only have slow strengthening. The shear eventually diminished somewhat however, and on the evening of the July 31, Erin was upgraded to a hurricane. The next day, an eye began to become apparent on satellite imagery. Early in the day on August 2, Erin made landfall at Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County...
with winds around 85 mph (140 km/h).
Erin's track bent back to west-northwest while the storm crossed the Florida peninsula during the morning and early afternoon of August 2. Erin weakened to a tropical storm with 60 mph (95 km/h) winds while crossing the peninsula, but remained fairly well-organized, although the system lost its visible eye. Upon emerging into the eastern Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, Erin reintensified to a hurricane and continued strengthening until its final landfall near Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
during the late morning of August 3. Erin had maximum sustained winds around 100 mph (160 km/h) in a small area of its northeastern eyewall when that portion of the hurricane came ashore near Fort Walton Beach, making it a Category 2 hurricane
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
at landfall.
Erin weakened to a tropical storm over southeastern Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
overnight on August 3rd and 4th. It weakened to tropical depression status by the time its track shifted to the north on August 5. The storm then merged with a frontal system over West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
later the next day.
Louisiana
9,000 residents underwent mandatory evacuationEmergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
in southeastern Louisiana. A state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
was issued to prepare for Erin. A hurricane watch was issued on August 2 that included from south of the mouth of the Pearl River
Pearl River (Mississippi-Louisiana)
The Pearl River is a river in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Louisiana. It forms in Neshoba County, Mississippi from the confluence of Nanih Waiya and Tallahaga creeks. It is long. The Yockanookany and Strong rivers are tributaries. Northeast of Jackson, the Ross Barnett Reservoir is formed by...
, to the mouth of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, including the city of New Orleans. This was upgraded to a hurricane warning later on August 2. This warning was discontinued on August 3. A tropical storm watch was also issued on August 2 that included east of the Pearl River to south of the mouth of the Pearl River. The last hurricane warning issued was from Grand Isle
Grand Isle, Louisiana
Grand Isle is a town in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, located on a barrier island of the same name in the Gulf of Mexico. The island is at the mouth of Barataria Bay where it meets the gulf. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,541; during summers, the population sometimes increases to...
to Morgan City
Morgan City, Louisiana
Morgan City is a city in St. Martin and St. Mary parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 12,404 at the 2010 census....
on August 3. All other hurricane warning were then discontinued.
Mississippi
A tropical storm watch was issued on August 2, that included the southern coast of MississippiMississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
Alabama
Dauphin Island and low lying areas of Mobile County underwent voluntary evacuation. AlabamaAlabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
opened shelters to house evacuees. A tropical storm watch was also issued on August 2 that included the southern coast of Alabama.
Florida
A hurricane warning was issued at Erin's first landfall from New Smyrna Beach southward, and Lake OkeechobeeLake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee , locally referred to as The Lake or The Big O, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. It is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States and the second largest freshwater lake contained entirely within the lower 48 states...
. A tropical storm was issued from New Smyrna Beach, northward to St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
. A flood watch was issued for all of East-Central Florida. A tornado watch was also issued for East-Central Florida.
Evacuations were issued for 800,000 people initially in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, in preparation for the storm. The evacuation of 400,000 people was quickly canceled as the storm moved north, but 400,000 remained evacuated in Palm Beach County. Police in the county were sent patrolling, to prevent looting. About 300 military aircraft, in the Florida Panhandle
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
, were evacuated to neighboring states.
At Erin's first landfall, a tornado warning was issued for eastern Volusia County, in East-Central Florida, after radar indicated a possible tornado offshore of Volusia County. The warning said that the tornado was approaching the coast at Ormond Beach and Holly Hill
Holly Hill, Florida
Holly Hill is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,119 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 12,586...
. The National Weather Service bureau in Melbourne also warned that other storms offshore Volusia County showed signs of rotation.
NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
had to halt some activities or preparation of shuttles at Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
, due to Erin.
During Erin's second landfall in Florida, a tropical storm watch was issued 37 hours prior to Erin's landfall, a tropical storm warning 25 hours prior, and a hurricane warning 23 hours prior.
Impact
Widespread tree downings, power line, crop, and roof damage was reported throughout the Southeastern United States.Jamaica
Heavy rains occurred in JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, which caused a plane crash that killed 5 people. The plane was a Cessna 310 twin-engine aircraft, owned by RegionAir
RegionAir
RegionAir is an airline headquartered in port-Gentil, Gabon. It focus on regional flights in Central and West Africa. RegionAir works strictly as a charter airline to companies in the oil & gas industry and does not sell tickets to the general public....
, a subsidiary of the Guardsman Group. The aircraft contained four employees of Brinks Jamacia, who were due to testify in a court hearing, and a pilot. The plane departed from the Tinson Pen Aerodome in Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, and was bound for Montego Bay, St. James
Saint James Parish, Jamaica
St James is a suburban parish, located on the north west end of the island of Jamaica. Its capital, Montego Bay, derived from the Spanish word Manteca because many wild hogs were found there from which they made lard. It was named publicly the second city of Jamaica, behind Kingston, in 1981....
. Two teenagers were also killed on a football field in Braeton, Saint Catherine Parish
Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica
St Catherine is a parish located in the south east of Jamaica. It is located in the county of Middlesex, and is one of the island's largest and most economically valued parish because of its many resources. It includes the first capital of Jamaica, Spanish Town, originally known as San Jago de la...
, when lightning associated with Erin struck them dead.
Northwest Caribbean
All of the Bahaman islands had sustained damage, characterized by the Bahamas Department of Meteorology as mostly minor, much of it from sunken boats. Some of the other damage resulted from structural damage, and crop loss. Damage totaled to $400,000 (1995 USD).Hurricane-force sustained winds were experienced over various portions of the Bahamas.
A gust of 128 knots occurred at Providenciales
Providenciales
Providenciales is an island in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The island has an area of and an approximate population of 15,542, making it the largest island in population and the third largest in area. It is served by the Providenciales International Airport...
, in the Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.The Turks and...
.
Georgia
Minimal damage was experienced in GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. Some beach erosion was reported through portions of the state.
Florida
Erin caused six drowning deaths across the Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
and Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
off Florida. The cruise ship Club Royale sank, causing three of the deaths. Another ship was also sunk due to Erin. More than one million people lost power due to the hurricane. Erin caused $700 million (1995 US dollars) in damage, mostly in Florida. Moderate beach erosion was reported along Florida's east coast and Panhandle.
Multiple waterspouts and tornadoes were reported throughout the state. A tornado in Titusville
Titusville, Florida
Titusville is a city in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is the county seat of Brevard County. Nicknamed Space City, USA, Titusville is on the Indian River, west of Merritt Island and the Kennedy Space Center and south-southwest of the Canaveral National Seashore...
, caused minor damage. Another tornado, near Lake Lizzie
Lake Lizzie
Lake Lizzie is a lake located in the townships of Dunn and Lida in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.-Size and Shape:The lake covers an area of , and reaches a maximum depth of in the northern portion of the lake. The lake is in the shape of the letter L. Whether this has anything to do with the first...
, killed two horses. Trees also went down and roofs were blown off houses.
Two to four foot storm tide was reported on Florida's east coast, during Erin's first landfall. One to two foot storm tide was reported on Florida's West-Central coast. Six to seven feet storm tides were estimated west of Navarre Beach, and three to four foot storm tides were reported along Pensacola Beach.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
(FEMA) issued a federal disaster declaration for Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, due to Erin.
NASA recorded a peak wind gust of 82 mph, from the east-southeast, within the Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
vicinity, at a wind tower.
The most significant damage from the second landfall in Florida was near Pensacola, where Erin made landfall, and Navarre Beach
Navarre Beach, Florida
Navarre Beach, is an unincorporated community in Santa Rosa County in the U.S. state of Florida. It is on Santa Rosa Island, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. The community is considered part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.Immediately to its east...
, where almost one-third of buildings suffered major damage. A maximum wind of 101 mph was reported at Pensacola Naval Air Station. The tower of Pensacola Airport was evacuated, due to high winds, and the data is therefore unavailable. More than 2,000 homes were reported damaged from Erin. Some beach erosion was also reported west of Navarre Beach. There was a large amount of crop losses in Northwest Florida resulting from Erin. This included about of the cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
crop of the region, and around 20 to 25 percent of the pecan
Pecan
The pecan , Carya illinoinensis, is a species of hickory, native to south-central North America, in Mexico from Coahuila south to Jalisco and Veracruz, in the United States from southern Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana east to western Kentucky, southwestern Ohio, North Carolina, South...
crop. An estimated amount of 63 percent of power customers in Northwest Florida were left without power from the hurricane.
Two tornadoes were reported at Erin's second landfall in Northwest Florida. A tornado in southern Amelia Island
Amelia Island
Amelia Island is one of the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands that stretches along the east coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida. It is long and approximately 4 miles wide at its widest point. Amelia Island is situated off the coast in Nassau County,...
resulted in trees blocking route A1A. A portion of a roof was torn off a mall in south Jacksonville beach as a result of tornado.
Alabama
The American Insurance Services Group estimated that there was $20 million of damage in AlabamaAlabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, which is estimated at half of the total damage by the National Hurricane Center
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
.
Trees and power lines were blown down throughout southwest Alabama. At least 100 homes were reported damaged in Alabama. The estimated pecan crop, for Baldwin County
Baldwin County, Alabama
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*85.7% White*9.4% Black*0.7% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.5% Two or more races*4.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Alabama, lost 50 to 75 percent of its total portion.
Mississippi
In Jackson, MississippiJackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, winds of 90 mph were felt, even though Erin made landfall in Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
.
The American Services Group estimated that there was $5 million of damage in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, which is estimated at half of the total damage by the National Hurricane Center
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
.
There are no reports of the total amount of houses reported damaged in Mississippi.
See also
- Other storms of the same name
- Timeline of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane seasonTimeline of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane seasonThis timeline documents all the storm formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, as well as dissipation during the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season. The season officially began on June 1, 1995, and ended on November 30, and no storms formed off-season...
- List of North Carolina hurricanes (1980–present)
- List of Florida hurricanes