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October 2004                                                                            Volume 7 - Number 1

 

 

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Hurricane Update...

 

 

                                                                     

 Hurricane Ivan’s Death Toll
Betty Kim

 

 

Hurricane Ivan grew to a Category 3 hurricane when it hit the shores of Florida on September 5, 2004.  Within a matter of weeks, Ivan went through 14 states, beginning in Pensacola, Florida and ending in Trenton, New Jersey.  The damages incurred by Ivan have been to estimate from $3 to $10 billion.  With winds at 130 miles/hour and a storm surge, the hurricane destroyed homes, businesses, and road infrastructure. Furthermore, over a million people lost electrical power as result of the hurricane. 

 

According to the National Hurricane Center, “Hurricane Ivan ranks as the fifth deadliest hurricane since 1960,”[1] following Hurricane Floyd in 1999, which killed 56 people.  While Hurricane Ivan has been reported to have killed about 70 people in the Caribbean, news reports estimated that 72 people have died in the U.S. from the hurricane.  Many people took steps to flee from the storm.  For example, Florida was hit particularly hard from the hurricane.  Of the 52 reported deaths in Florida, many were elderly or young children.  As evacuees tried to escape the flooding, several deaths occurred while trying to evacuate from their homes or businesses.  An elderly woman in Florida, at the age of 78, died of a heart attack while seeking shelter from the storm.  In addition to Hurricane Ivan’s torrential downpour of rain and strong winds, making the situation even more deadly, several tornadoes hit concurrently throughout the eastern coast.  A few who stayed in their homes tried to ride out the storm and tornado.  Unfortunately, those who were caught in the path of the tornado, such as a married couple and several elderly people in Florida, died as a result of the tornado.  In other states (Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and North Carolina), many people tried to seek shelter in safer areas, but did not survive.  First responders, such as a firefighter in Mississippi, died trying to rescue people.  People in Georgia were swept away in flooded areas.  Also, one person in North Carolina and one person in West Virginia are reported to be missing. 

 

However, not everyone evacuated to safer areas.  One new report indicated that an out-of-state person on vacation died.  A man from Colorado died while surfing during the hurricane.  According to a medical examiner, his neck was broken in several places and he had bruising in the head.  His sense of adventure to ride the hurricane waves caused his death.  However, while this man’s death was from poor judgment and irresponsibility seeking shelter from the hurricane, most others died trying to escape the storm to safer shelter areas.

 

This particular hurricane season, which typically runs from June 1st through November 30th, has had seven hurricanes, five of which were major hurricanes (category 3, 4, or 5).  The hurricane season is not yet over. Emergency responders are trying to restore the communities’ power, infrastructure, and lives in midst of other storms, such as Hurricane Jeanne and others.  Thus, continued community devastation will continue to have devastating impacts on hurricane related deaths.

 

 

Table: Summary of Hurricane Ivan Related Deaths

States

Number of Hurricane- Related Deaths

Number of Person(s) Still Missing

How Deaths Occurred

Alabama

1

0

Evacuation

Georgia

4

0

Swept away by flood waters

Florida

52

0

Heart attack during evacuation; Tornado; falling debris; Surfing in storm

Louisiana

4

0

Evacuation

Mississippi

3

0

One firefighter killed in car accident (hit a downed tree)

North Carolina

8

1

Evacuation; cleaning up debris’ mudslides

West Virginia

0

1

N/A

 

 

For more information about deaths related to Hurricane Ivan:

·        Cable News Network (CNN), http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/09/18/hurricane.ivan/

·        Miami Herald, “Florida Deaths Blamed on Hurricane Ivan,” http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/9701811.htm

·        New York Times, “Ivan’s Floodwaters Recede, Leaving Muck,” http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Ivan-Remnants.html?page...

·        New York Times, “At Least 10 Dead as Storm Slams Appalachian Region,” http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/17/national/17CND-STOR.html?pagewa...

·        New York Times, “Ferocious Hurricane Drenches the Gulf Coast,” http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/16/national/16CND-HURR.html.pagewa...

·        Terra Daily, http://www.terradaily.com/2004/040917205207.yi9otloc.html

·        WATE Television News (Tennessee), “Ivan Blamed for 18 Deaths in Southeast,” http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=2307340

·        WNBC Television News, “Ivan Kills at Least 23; Rain Still Pounding South,” http://www.wnbc.com/print/3738453.detail.html?use=print

·        USA Today,  “Ivan’s Moved on, But It’s Not Over,” http://www.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2004-09-21-ivan_x.htm

·        USA Today, “Hurricane’s Toll Grows Heavier in Eastern USA,” http://www.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2004-09-20-ivan-1a_x.htm

 


[1] Donna Leinwand and Gregg Zoroya, “Hurricane’s Toll Grows Heavier in Eastern USA,” USA Today, 20 September 2004. http://usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2004-09-20-ivan-1a_x.htm