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Effects of Hurricane Ike in inland North America

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Ike's storm total rainfall across the United States

The effects of Hurricane Ike in inland North America were unusually intense and included widespread damage across all or parts of ten states - Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia, and into parts of Ontario as Ike, which had rapidly become an extratropical low, was enhanced by an adjacent frontal boundary and produced widespread winds with gusts to hurricane-force in several areas. In addition, significant flooding which was already underway due to heavy rain from the front to the north was worsened by rainfall brought on by Ike in parts of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.[1]

The severe winds reported across the Midwest to the east of the center (although little or no rain fell in many of those areas) were as a result of a combination of factors, including the strength of Ike itself allowing for a strong pressure gradient and a well-defined structure, the location on the east side of the storm where the winds are usually stronger in a northward-moving system due to its forward motion, its fast forward motion of about 40 miles per hour (64 km/h)* and the warm air ahead of the storm allowed the high winds aloft to reach the surface easier. Many areas reported wind gusts to hurricane force.[2] very

It was one of the largest power outages caused by a natural disaster in the history of the Midwest with nearly 3 million customers losing power (nearly 7 million people), over 2 million people in the Cincinnati metropolitan area alone.[3] 22 people were killed in the interior states.

Arkansas

In Arkansas, about 200,000 customers lost power as a result of the winds, the worst power loss in that state since an ice storm in 2000.[4] Damage was widespread, with trees and power lines knocked down in many areas. At least five tornadoes - all rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale - were reported, in Garland, Hot Spring, Lonoke, Perry and Saline Counties.[5] The Lonoke County tornado caused some structural damage near Cabot, including a storage unit and several metal buildings at a lumber mill that were destroyed, a strip mall that was heavily damaged and many signs blown down.[6] Arkansas avoided the significant rainfall that areas farther north saw though.[5]

One person was killed when a tree fell onto a mobile home near Fisher, Arkansas.[7]

Tennessee

Two deaths occurred when a tree fell onto two people on a golf course in Hermitage, Tennessee, just outside Nashville.[8]

Missouri

Parts of Missouri, particularly around St. Louis, sustained major flooding. In St. Charles County, the Missouri River reached well above flood stage with forecasts as high as 11 feet (3.3 m) above flood stage, and seven private levees were threatened. Another hard-hit community was Arnold, where the Meramec River threatened to reach major flood stage for the third time in 2008, although sandbags were still up from the March flood there.[9] The high winds in southeastern Missouri, particularly the Bootheel, also blew corn stalks down and caused severe damage to crops.[10]

The winds and rain knocked out power to about 85,000 customers in Missouri.[11].

A woman was also struck and killed by a large tree limb in Ladue, Missouri, and two bodies of a man and a woman who presumably drowned were found in University City, Missouri, outside of St. Louis.[12] Another drowning took place in floodwaters in Columbia, Missouri.[13]

Kentucky

The Louisville area declared a state of emergency due to major damage, and the Louisville International Airport was closed temporarily. A LG&E spokesperson said that this was the worst power outage in 30 years.[14] Near Covington, the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport was also temporarily shut down, and the control tower was evacuated. Also in Covington, an apartment building lost its entire roof and the Renaissance Hotel also sustained damage.[15] Later in the day, a statewide state of emergency was declared in Kentucky by Governor Steve Beshear.[16] All school districts in the three northernmost counties in the state, save one (Southgate Independent Schools) closed or delayed in the first 3 days following the storm.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).

In the Louisville area, over 300,000 customers were without power - the worst power outage in the utility's history.[14] In western Kentucky, outside crews had to be brought in from as far away as Mississippi to restore power.[17] Statewide, well over 600,000 customers lost electricity as a result of the winds.[18]

In Simpsonville, a boy was struck and killed by a blown tree limb while outdoors.[17]

Illinois

Much of Illinois suffered major floods. The hardest hit rivers were the DuPage, Des Plaines and Chicago Rivers. Many volunteers were called in to help sandbag to hold back the rising rivers. Dozens of people had to be rescued by boat. The corn and soybean crops were also threatened in many areas as a result of the heavy rainfall. A state of emergency was declared in Chicago and Cook County as a result of the floodwaters.[9] That was later extended statewide by Governor Rod Blagojevich.[18]

About 49,000 customers lost power in Illinois.[19]

Indiana

The northwestern part of Indiana was hard hit by flooding, which was partially related to the frontal boundary and partially related to Ike. One of the hardest-hit communities was Munster, where 5,000 residents had to be evacuated as a result of the Little Calumet River overflowing in many spots and breaking through the levie near the Calumet Avenue bridge. Several people had to be rescued by boat and there was a garage fire and a massive house explosion in the flooded area that leveled one house and damaged others. Parts of Interstates 80 and 94 were closed due to flooding, slowing traffic greatly in the region.[9]

In Indiana, about 350,000 customers lost power statewide, mostly in the southern part.[20] The fields of southern Indiana were heavily impacted, and a spokesman the state's Natural Resource Conservation Service described the situation as a "severe crop loss" and the "worst wind damage I have ever seen".[10] A state of emergency was later declared by Governor Mitch Daniels.[18]

Seven deaths were reported in Indiana. Two deaths took place in Chesterton as a result of flooding[1], and five deaths due to fallen trees in other parts of Indiana - two in Clark County and one each in Crawford, Perry and Ohio Counties.[21]

Ohio

In Cincinnati, the effects of this storm have become known as The Cincinnati Blackout. Wind gusts of over 75 miles per hour (121 km/h)* were recorded in Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus, which is equivalent to sustained wind levels found in a Category 1 hurricane.[22] Additionally, a state of emergency was declared in Ohio on Monday by Governor Ted Strickland.[23] On September 16 and 17, Governor Strickland took a tour of the heavily damaged areas, particularly in Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton to survey the damage.[18]

The Cincinnati metropolitan area was very hard hit, with over 927,000 customers losing power in that region (approximately 2.1 million people).[3] A Duke Energy spokesperson said “We have never seen anything like this. Never. We’re talking about 90 percent of our customers without power"[24] On September 15, 16 and 17, most of the schools in Hamilton County and Butler County had classes cancelled because of power outages.[25] [26] In the Dayton, Ohio area 300,000 of 515,000 Dayton Power & Light Co. customers lost power at some point following severe wind storms on the afternoon of Sept. 14, according to a company spokesperson. As of Thursday morning, Sept. 18, 90,000 DP&L customers remained without power.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). Also hard hit were central Ohio (with over 350,000 customers losing power) and northeastern Ohio (with over 310,000 customers losing power).[27] A water emergency was also declared in Butler County as the water supply diminished due to the lack of power, and a "Level One" emergency was declared in the county to encourage people to remain at home, although stopping short of a curfew.[28] A curfew was implemented on September 17 in Carlisle due to increased looting activity as a result of the lengthy power outage and damage.[29]

Agricultural damage was severe, with as much as 20% of the state's total corn crop lost as a result of winds blowing down corn stalks. Some fields were nearly flattened by the hurricane-force wind gusts.[10] Tens of thousands of people also lost power in northwest Ohio where widespread outages and damage were reported in the Lima and Findlay areas as the center of the storm tracked just to the north and west. Some of the most significant damage there included a radio tower that collapsed and a church that was heavily damaged.[30]

In Mount Healthy, a tree crushing a house resulted in one fatality, and two others died when a tree crashed onto a motorcycle parade in Hueston Woods State Park near Oxford.[24] A similar incident in Lorain County also resulted in the death of a young boy who was hit by a fallen tree limb.[31] An indirect death in Hilliard was caused by electrocution while working on a generator,[32] and another in St. Bernard was caused by a candle fire while power was out.[33]

West Virginia

The Northern Panhandle of West Virginia also sustained high winds as a result of the storm with widespread tree damage. About 32,000 customers in the region lost power, particularly around Wheeling.[34]

Pennsylvania

In total, over 180,000 customers lost power as a result of the high winds in western Pennsylvania.[35] The damage eventually resulted in a state of emergency declaration by Governor Ed Rendell.[18]

In Oil City, one death took place as a result of a fallen tree limb while outdoors.[36]

New York

The high winds continued northward into Upstate New York late in the evening of September 14. Widespread damage, mostly to trees and power lines, was reported.[37]

In New York State, over 100,000 customers were reported without power.[38] The hardest hit area was around Rochester, where over half of the outages were reported.[37]

Canada

In Windsor, Ike's remnants brought a record amount of rain on September 14, closely following a slow-moving frontal system that had drenched the city the day before. The storm had dumped 75.2 mm (3.1 inches) of rain, which broke the old record of 39.1 mm (1.5 inches) in 1979, according to Environment Canada. Most damage in the Windsor area was confined to downed power lines and toppled tree branches, with spotty street flooding that made driving treacherous in some areas.[39] Along the northern shores of Lake Erie, about 25,000 customers lost power and trees and power lines were knocked down.[40] The storm continues to cause wind and rain as it continues east along the St. Lawrence River as the frontal boundary completely absorbed the remnants of Ike.

References

  1. ^ a b Associated Press (2008-09-14). "Hurricane remnants blamed for 3 deaths in Midwest". Kansas City Star. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  2. ^ "Public Information Statement: Spotter Reports". National Weather Service Cleveland. 2008-09-16. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  3. ^ a b Duke Power (2008-09-15). "Duke Current Power Outages - Ohio". Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  4. ^ Betsey Martin (2008-09-14). "5:34 p.m. Update - Power Outages Reported Statewide". KARK. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  5. ^ a b "Severe Weather/Wind on September 13-14, 2008". National Weather Service Little Rock. 2008-09-16. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  6. ^ "Public Information Statement". National Weather Service Little Rock. 2008-09-15. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  7. ^ Associated Press (2008-09-14). "1 dead from Ike when tree falls on mobile home". KFSM. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  8. ^ Associated Press (2008-09-14). "Ike's death toll keeps climbing". KSWO. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  9. ^ a b c Daniel J. Yovich (2008-09-15). "Hurricane Ike remnants blamed for Midwest deaths, blackouts". Argus Observer. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  10. ^ a b c Rebecca Townsend (2008-09-16). "Ike Flattens Corn, Floods Soybeans, Delays Wheat Planting". Cattle Network. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  11. ^ STLAmerican (2008-09-14). "Remnants of Ike Leave Thousands Without Power in Missouri". STLAmerican. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  12. ^ "Authorities identify body of woman swept away in flash flooding". KMOV. 2008-09-15. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  13. ^ "Woman Found Dead". KOMU. 2008-09-15. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  14. ^ a b News Staff (2008-09-14). ""A significant amount of time" to restore power, LG&E says". Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  15. ^ News Staff (2008-09-15). "Aftermath of the wind storm". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  16. ^ Jessica Noll (2008-09-14). "Beshear Issues State Of Emergency For Ky". WCPO. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  17. ^ a b Staff Report (2008-09-15). "Thousands still without power; winds blamed for Kentucky boy's death". Evansville Courier & Press. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  18. ^ a b c d e Staff Report (2008-09-17). "Death Toll From Ike Aftermath Climbs To 50". KCBS. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
  19. ^ Associated Press (2008-09-15). "Thousands Still Without Power in Illinois". WTHI. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  20. ^ Staff Report (2008-09-15). "Power Trouble Lingers After Ike Strikes Indiana". WRTV. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  21. ^ Tom Coyne (2008-09-15). "Indiana storm death toll up to 7". Journal and Courier. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  22. ^ http://www.erh.noaa.gov/iln/sept14wind.html
  23. ^ http://www.governor.ohio.gov/News/PressReleases/2008/September2008/News91508/tabid/831/Default.aspx
  24. ^ a b Amber Ellis and Scott Wartman (2008-09-14). "High winds knock out power". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  25. ^ The Business Courier of Cincinnati, September 16, 2008 [1]
  26. ^ Krantz, Cindy, Cincinnati Enquirer, September 17, 2008 [2]
  27. ^ Associated Press (2008-09-14). "1 dead from Ike when tree falls on mobile home". Greeley Tribune. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  28. ^ Deb Silverman (2008-09-15). "Water Emergency Declared In Butler County". WCPO. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  29. ^ "Curfew Order In Effect For Carlisle". WLWT. 2008-09-17. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
  30. ^ Ronald Lederman Jr. (2008-09-15). "Ike wreaks havoc on region". LimaOhio.com. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  31. ^ Associated Press (2008-09-15). "Wind storm leaves 1M without power in Ohio, at least 4 dead". WTOL. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  32. ^ News Staff (2008-09-15). "Hilliard Man Electrocuted While Fixing Generator". WBNS. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  33. ^ Jay Warren (2008-09-15). "Five Deaths Blamed On High Winds". WCPO. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  34. ^ News Staff (2008-09-15). "Ike's Winds Blow Through Valley". Wheeling News-Register. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  35. ^ News Staff (2008-09-14). "Ike's Strong Winds, Power Outages Plague Pittsburgh Area". WTAE. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  36. ^ News Staff (2008-09-15). "More than 140,000 in region still without power". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  37. ^ a b Gary McLendon and Victoria E. Freile (2008-09-16). "Wind storm power outages may last into tomorrow for some". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  38. ^ "Heavy winds lead to power outages". WCAX. 2008-09-15. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  39. ^ Canwest Media (2008-09-15). "Windsor storm topples trees". Windsor Star. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  40. ^ Samantha Craggs (2008-09-15). "Ike's leftovers blow through Niagara". St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved 2008-09-16.

See also

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