![]() Cindy shortly before reaching hurricane intensity south of
New Orleans on July 5 | |
Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | July 3, 2005 |
Extratropical | July 7, 2005 |
Dissipated | July 12, 2005 |
Category 1 hurricane | |
1-minute sustained ( SSHWS/ NWS) | |
Highest winds | 75 mph (120 km/h) |
Lowest pressure | 991 mbar ( hPa); 29.26 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 3 |
Damage | $320 million (2005 USD) |
Areas affected | Yucatán Peninsula, Southeastern United States, Northeastern United States, Atlantic Canada |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season |
Hurricane Cindy was a tropical cyclone that briefly reached minimal hurricane strength in the Gulf of Mexico during July in the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season and made landfall in Louisiana. It was the third named storm and first hurricane of the season. Cindy was originally thought to have been a tropical storm at peak strength, but was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane in the post-season analysis. Cindy formed on July 3 just east of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean Sea. The depression soon made landfall on the peninsula and weakened before reemerging in the Gulf of Mexico on July 4. The storm strengthened as it moved north becoming a hurricane just before making landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana, on July 5. The storm weakened as it moved overland and became extratropical on July 7.
The storm was responsible for 3 deaths in the United States and brought heavy rains to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Maryland. An unusually strong F2 tornado was spawned from Cindy's remnants and caused severe damage in Hampton, Georgia. Cindy also caused flooding and a severe blackout in New Orleans, Louisiana. The cost was about US$320 million. [nb 1]
The origins of Hurricane Cindy were from a tropical wave that exited the west coast of Africa on June 24. The wave moved quickly westward across the Atlantic without much development until June 28. On that day, an area of convection, or thunderstorms, formed near the Lesser Antilles. The wave continued westward across the Caribbean, and was first included in the Tropical Weather Outlook (TWO) by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) on June 30. A day later, the convection became more concentrated to the southeast of Jamaica, which gradually became more organized. Late on July 3, the system developed into Tropical Depression Three about 80 mi (130 km) east of Mexico's Yucatán peninsula. Steered by a ridge to its north, the depression continued west-northwestward and moved ashore near Mahahual early on July 4. [1] [2] [3] [4] Once over land, the circulation became elongated, with a secondary circulation forming along the northern coast of the Yucatán. At that time, tropical cyclone forecast models had conflicting predictions for the system. Some anticipated little to no development, resulting in a weaker system moving toward northeastern Mexico or southern Texas. Other computer models anticipated a strengthening storm that would turn to the north toward Louisiana. [5] The depression emerged into the Gulf of Mexico late on July 4, where the thunderstorms organized into rainbands and an outflow pattern. On July 5, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Cindy, as the circulation became better defined. [1] [6] [7]
By the time Cindy became a tropical storm, it was moving northward toward southern Louisiana, steered by a mid-level trough moving through the southeastern United States. [1] Due to an anticipated reduction in wind shear, the NHC forecast that Cindy would intensify to an estimated peak intensity of 50 mph (85 km/h). [7] However, Cindy would intensify more than expected as it turned northeastward. [1] Although its structure was asymmetrical at first, the storm's organized into an eye feature as the winds increased. [8] [9] Early on July 6, Cindy attained hurricane status just offshore Louisiana. Around 03:00 UTC that day it made landfall in southeastern Louisiana near Grand Isle. Operationally, the NHC assessed Cindy moved ashore as a strong tropical storm, although the agency upgraded it after the season due to reanalysis of radar-derived winds. The hurricane weakened to tropical storm status over land, and at 09:00 UTC that day, Cindy made its final landfall near Waveland, Mississippi with 50 mph (85 km/h) winds. It quickly weakened into a tropical depression, and Cindy merged with a stationary front on July 7, becoming an extratropical cyclone. The remnants continued northeastward across the southeastern United States, emerging into the western Atlantic on July 8 off the mid-Atlantic coast. The extratropical storm restrengthened slightly, passing near Nantucket before moving ashore Maine on July 9. After moving over Atlantic Canada, the remnants of Cindy dissipated over the Gulf of St. Lawrence on July 11. [1]
Upon Cindy's formation as a tropical depression, the government of Mexico issued a tropical storm warning from Punta Allen to Chetumal. The NHC issued tropical storm warnings for the northern gulf coast between Intracoastal City, Louisiana and Destin, Florida, but no hurricane warnings. [1] Offshore in the open Gulf of Mexico, oil companies evacuated employees from six oil rigs and 23 petroleum production platforms. In New Orleans, both the Louis Armstrong International Airport and Amtrak temporarily suspended regular air and train service, respectively. [10]
Tourists and residents were evacuated the Louisiana and Florida coasts. [11] Recreational vehicles were told to leave Grand Isle in case a full-scale evacuation was needed. In Mississippi, jail inmates filled sandbags which would be distributed to flood prone areas throughout the state. [12]
In its formative stages, Cindy produced heavy rainfall across the Yucatán peninsula, with a peak 24 hour rainfall total of 2.8 in (71 mm) recorded in Cancún. [13] However, the effects were greatest in the United States, where Cindy's damage was estimated at US$320 million. As it moved ashore, the hurricane affected the coastal areas of the northern Gulf of Mexico with a storm surge, or rise in water, with a maximum reading of 6.20 ft (1.89 m) recorded at Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and a maximum tidal reading of 7.1 ft (2.2 m) recorded at Fort Morgan, Alabama. New Orlean's Lakefront Airport recorded gale-force winds for five and a half hours, with a maximum gust of 70 mph (113 km/h). [1] Cindy produced rainfall from Louisiana to as far northeast as Maine. The heaviest rainfall occurred in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, which recorded a total of 9.50 in (241 mm). [14] Three deaths were attributed to Cindy, all related to vehicles – a driver in Peachtree City drowned in a ditch, and two people died in Maryland from a car crash. [1] [15] Across the southeastern United States, Cindy's strong winds knocked down trees and power lines, affecting about 278,000 people across New Orleans, as well as 35,000 residences in Alabama and 7,000 in both Florida and Mississippi were left without power following the storm. [16] [17] The energy company Entergy suffered its largest ever power outage during Cindy, only to be greatly surpassed by Hurricane Katrina a month later. [18]
Across southeastern Louisiana, Cindy left at least $50 million in damage, mostly related to its winds knocking down trees and power lines. Much of New Orleans was without power, while streets were flooded and covered with debris. In Grand Isle where Cindy moved ashore, high tides caused some beach erosion as strong winds caused roofing damage. [19] [1] [20] In five parishes, storm damage was significant enough for President George W. Bush to declare a federal state of emergency, which allocated money for public assistance and debris removal. [21] As thousands lost electrical power, the city experienced its worst blackout since Hurricane Betsy 40 years earlier. Although still listed as a "Tropical Storm" by the weather service at the time, many laypeople in New Orleans were under the impression that Cindy was a hurricane, and referred to it as "Hurricane Cindy" before it was officially upgraded. [22] [23] Many people in the New Orleans metropolitan area expected minimal effects from the storm, but were cleaning up debris and were without power for days after Cindy's passage. [24] [25]
Elsewhere along the gulf coast, Cindy produced flash flooding and coastal flooding across southern Mississippi and Alabama, with tidal flooding in western Dauphin Island. High tides closed the Battleship Parkway in Mobile Bay for a few hours. [26] In Montgomery, floodwaters damaged a business. [27] The storm produced beach erosion as far east as Walton County, Florida. [28] A strong band of thunderstorms moved into western Georgia, producing flash floods across six counties that swelled creeks and washed out a few roads. [29] Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport recorded 5.14 in (131 mm), which was its sixth-highest one-day rainfall ever recorded. [30] In north Atlanta, the Peachtree Creek crested at 19 ft (5.8 m), which is 2 ft (0.61 m) above flood stage; the floodwaters affected a golf course and a few nearby homes. [31] A driver in Upson County was injured after driving into a washed-out road. Motorists in Peachtree City and Fayetteville became stranded by flooded roads. Near Fayetteville, the rains collapsed the roof of a house and a gas station canopy. [32] Due to the rain, the Atlanta Braves game against the Chicago Cubs was postponed. [33] In Villa Rica, the rains caused a sinkhole, which trapped a delivery vehicle for several hours. [34] In Lawrenceville, a sinkhole developed due to the storm, destroying a driveway. [35]
Cindy's remnant low moving across western and northern North Carolina combined with a frontal boundary to produce several supercell thunderstorms. [36] Continuing north, Cindy brought over 5 in (125 mm) of rain to areas as distant as Salisbury, Maryland. [37] In addition, Cindy's remnants produce moderate rainfall in Upstate New York causing light damage due to flooding and gusty winds, which downed some trees. [38]
FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | 24 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 |
Over a three-day period, Cindy produced a tornado outbreak across the southeastern United States. [1] On July 6 alone, the National Weather Service issued 67 tornado warnings, setting a single-day record in July for the most warnings; the record was broken by Hurricane Beryl in 2024. [39] The final event of the outbreak was an unconfirmed tornado in Cockeysville, Maryland, which damaged a few trees at 07:15 UTC on July 7. [nb 2] [40]
The outbreak began as the remnants of Cindy weakened over Louisiana. As the storm weakened, strong thunderstorms began to develop along the edges of the system in Alabama. The first tornado touched down near Semmes, Alabama at 3:00 a.m. ( CST). The tornado caused roof damage to several structures as well as knocking down several trees. [41] Over the next ten hours, several F0 and two F1 tornadoes touched down in Alabama and Florida. Later on July 6, the remnants of Cindy were moving over Alabama and the activity shifted into Georgia. At 8:45 pm ( EST), a large tornado touched down near the Atlanta Motor Speedway causing severe damage to the structures in the complex. The tornado then moved into an airfield where several planes and helicopters were damaged. Numerous homes were damaged or destroyed by the tornado as well. The tornado was rated F2 by the NWS. [42] [43] The activity slowed for a short while before picking back up in early afternoon hours on July 7 as the remnants of Cindy moved through Georgia. At 2:10PM (EST) an F2 tornado touched down about seven miles south of Taylorsville, North Carolina where three buildings were damaged a mobile home was destroyed. [44] About an hour later, another F2 tornado touched down in North Carolina. It touched down about four miles north-northeast of Harmony. The tornado damaged several buildings before moving into Yadkin County where an additional 13 buildings were damaged as well as severe crop damage to the tobacco and corn farms. [45] By the nighttime hours, the activity was shifting into Virginia. Before the remnants of Cindy moved out into the Atlantic Ocean, seven F1 tornadoes touched down in Virginia. The outbreak ended early on July 8 as Cindy began to move out over the Atlantic.
At 01:45 UTC on July 7, [nb 3], a large tornado touched down at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton in Henry County. Already measuring 0.5 mi (0.80 km) in diameter, the large tornado caused heavy damage at the speedway, such as knocking down a 50 ft (15 m) scoreboard and damaging facilities at the venue. The racetrack was covered with debris, although was not directly damaged. Nearby, the tornado destroyed a gas station and shattered many windows of a nine-story condominium, in addition to damaging the structure's roof. The winds were estimated at 120 to 150 mph (190 to 240 km/h), making it an F2 on the Fujita scale. The tornado was on the ground for 19 minutes, which immediately brought its path over Tara Field, where it heavily damaged eleven planes and five vintage helicopters, with two hangars damaged. The twister knocked down trees and power lines, causing damage to nearby homes and leaving much of Henry County without power. Later the tornado moved through the Edgar Blalock Raw Water Reservation, narrowing its width as it moved into Clayton County. After a 9 mi (14 km) path, the tornado lifted at 02:04 UTC. [nb 4] The tornado caused about $70 million in damage, of which about $40 million was at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, airport, and nearby facilities. [46] [47] [48] Due to the extent of the damage, the speedway was closed until mid-September, when it reopened for a motorsports event. [49]
List of confirmed tornadoes - Wednesday, July 6, 2005 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | Location | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage |
Alabama | ||||||
F0 | Semmes area | Mobile | 30°47′N 88°15′W / 30.78°N 88.25°W | 0900 | 1 mi (1.6 km) | The first tornado of the outbreak was on the ground for about three minutes, during which a few homes and outbuildings sustained roof damage. Several trees were also knocked down by the tornado. Damages amounted to $50,000. [50] |
F0 | Chunchula area | Mobile | 30°55′N 88°12′W / 30.92°N 88.2°W | 0953 | 1 mi (1.6 km) | A brief tornado last three minutes, knocking down several trees and power lines, with damage estimated at $20,000. [51] |
F0 | Leroy area | Washington | 31°30′N 87°59′W / 31.5°N 87.98°W | 1120 | 0.5 mi (0.8 km) | A tornado was on the ground for four minutes, knocking down several trees and power lines, and causing $15,000 worth of damage. [52] |
F0 | W of Walker Springs | Clarke | 31°32′N 87°53′W / 31.53°N 87.88°W | 1125 | 0.5 mi (0.8 km) | A tornado lasting three minutes caused $15,000 in damage, mostly from knocked down trees and power lines. [53] |
F0 | Atmore area | Escambia | 31°02′N 87°30′W / 31.03°N 87.5°W | 1220 | 0.5 mi (0.8 km) | A tornado touched down in a large field, blowing down a few trees before it dissipating within three minutes. [54] |
F0 | W of Huckaville | Covington | 31°05′N 86°26′W / 31.08°N 86.43°W | 1545 | 0.5 mi (0.8 km) | A tornado was on the ground for four minutes, knocking down trees and power lines, and causing $15,000 in damage. [55] |
F1 | N of Autaugaville | Autauga | 32°30′N 86°40′W / 32.5°N 86.67°W | 1827 | 0.3 mi (0.5 km) | A brief tornado damaged an outbuilding and knocked down several trees, with damage estimated at $14,000. [56] |
F0 | S of Billingsley | Autauga | 32°37′N 86°41′W / 32.62°N 86.68°W | 1836 | 0.2 mi (0.3 km) | A brief tornado blew down several trees. [57] |
F0 | SSW of Cecil | Montgomery | 32°16′N 86°01′W / 32.27°N 86.02°W | 1842 | 7.6 mi (12.2 km) | A tornado touched down and remained on the ground for eight minutes. It severely damaged a baseball complex and blew down trees, with the tornado's damage estimated at $22,000. [58] |
F0 | W of Shorter | Macon, Elmore | 32°24′N 85°59′W / 32.4°N 85.98°W | 1855 | 5.6 mi (9.0 km) | A tornado was on the ground for eight minutes. It damaged the roofs of a few houses and snapped several tree branches. After crossing the Tallapoosa River, the tornado dissipated in Elmore County, resulting in $26,000 in damages. [59] [60] |
F0 | SSW of Tallassee | Elmore | 32°31′N 85°54′W / 32.52°N 85.9°W | 1917 | 1.3 mi (2.1 km) | A brief tornado damaged the roofs of five structures, with damage estimated at $38,000. [61] |
F1 | NW of Tuskegee | Macon | 32°31′N 85°48′W / 32.52°N 85.8°W | 1934 | 0.1 mi (0.2 km) | A brief tornado destroyed an automobile repair shop, injuring a man who was flung out of the building. The twister also damaged three vehicles due to fallen trees, with damage estimated at $48,000. [62] |
F0 | SW of Prattville | Autauga | 32°25′N 86°33′W / 32.42°N 86.55°W | 1956 | 0.2 mi (0.3 km) | A brief tornado snapped a few tree trees. [63] |
F0 | E of Camp Hill | Tallapoosa/ Chambers | 32°48′N 85°35′W / 32.8°N 85.58°W | 2034 | 0.1 mi (0.2 km) | A tornado touched down briefly along Alabama State Route 50 along the border between the counties. [64] |
F0 | E of Opelika | Lee | 32°39′N 85°13′W / 32.65°N 85.22°W | 2040 | 1.2 mi (1.9 km) | A brief tornado damaged two mobile homes and knocked down dozens of trees, with damage estimated at $34,000. [65] |
Florida | ||||||
F0 | Cantonment area | Escambia | 30°37′N 87°20′W / 30.62°N 87.33°W | 1150 | 1 mi (1.6 km) | A tornado blew down trees and power lines, resulting in $20,000 in damage. [66] |
F0 | W of Century | Escambia | 30°58′N 87°26′W / 30.97°N 87.43°W | 1211 | 0.5 mi (0.8 km) | A tornado knocked down several trees and power lines, causing $15,000 in damages. [67] |
F0 | Laurel Hill area | Okaloosa, Covington (AL) | 30°58′N 87°28′W / 30.97°N 87.47°W | 1555 | 2 mi (3.2 km) | A tornado touched down just south of the Alabama/Florida, and moved into Covington County, lifting up five minutes after it formed. The twister inflicted $30,000 worth of damage from downed trees and power lines. [68] [69] |
Georgia | ||||||
F0 | S of Rocky Mount | Meriwether | 33°09′N 84°41′W / 33.15°N 84.68°W | 2230 | 0.3 mi (0.5 km) | A tornado on the ground for a minute damaged two buildings and a vehicle, with damage estimated at $25,000. [70] |
List of confirmed tornadoes - Thursday, July 7, 2005 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | Location | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage |
Georgia | ||||||
F0 | N of Haralson | Coweta | 33°17′N 84°34′W / 33.28°N 84.57°W | 0100 | 0.1 mi (0.2 km) | A brief tornado knocked down a few trees along Route 85 (SR 85). [71] |
F0 | SE of Fayetteville | Fayette | 33°26′N 84°26′W / 33.43°N 84.43°W | 0110 | 1 mi (1.6 km) | A tornado on the ground for two minutes knocked down hundreds of trees, which damaged dozens of buildings and cars. The twister blew off the roof of several homes and businesses. Damage was estimated at $1.95 million. [72] |
F2 | Atlanta Motor Speedway to NNE of Lovejoy | Henry, Clayton | 33°23′N 84°19′W / 33.38°N 84.32°W | 0145 | 9 mi (14.5 km) | See section on this tornado |
F0 | W of McDonough | Henry | 33°27′N 84°10′W / 33.45°N 84.17°W | 0155 | 0.5 mi (0.8 km) | A tornado touched down near I-75, damaging a church and several homes were damaged, with damage estimated at $150,000. Several trees and power lines were also knocked down. [73] |
F1 | NE of McDonough | Henry | 33°29′N 84°06′W / 33.48°N 84.1°W | 0155 | 7 mi (11.3 km) | A tornado was on the ground for 14 minutes through mostly rural areas, causing $25,000 worth of damage through downed power lines. [74] |
South Carolina | ||||||
F1 | W of Anderson | Anderson | 34°30′N 82°48′W / 34.5°N 82.8°W | 0643 | 0.5 mi (0.8 km) | A waterspout developed over Lake Hartwell, which damaged docks and about a dozen sailboads, one of which was thrown 100 yards. It moved ashore and became a tornado, which knocked down trees. Although only on the ground briefly, the twister caused $150,000 worth of damage. [75] |
F1 | NW of Chesnee | Spartanburg, Rutherford (NC) | 35°11′N 81°55′W / 35.18°N 81.92°W | 1451 | 0.2 mi (0.3 km) | A tornado touched down just south of the North Carolina/South Carolina border. After knocking down a few trees, the twister crossed into North Carolina, where it lifted a mobile home 50 ft (15 m), severely damaging it. It also ripped off the roof of a barn. Damage was estimated at $50,000. [76] [77] |
North Carolina | ||||||
F2 | S of Taylorsville | Alexander | 35°50′N 81°10′W / 35.83°N 81.17°W | 1710 | 4 mi (6.4 km) | A tornado touched down near North Carolina Highway 16 and was on the ground for seven minutes, during which it destroyed a mobile home. The twister caused $150,000 in damages, with extensive roof damage to three buildings. [78] |
F2 | NNE of Harmony | Iredell, Yadkin | 36°00′N 80°45′W / 36.0°N 80.75°W | 1810 | 8.6 mi (13.8 km) | An F2 tornado wrecked a dairy farm during its 17 minute duration, eventually dissipating in neighboring Yadkin County. The twister damaged or destroyed 13 structures and also damaged tobacco and corn crops. Monetary damage was estimated at $2.4 million. [79] [80] |
F1 | NE of Yadkinville | Yadkin | 36°09′N 80°39′W / 36.15°N 80.65°W | 1841 | 1.4 mi (2.3 km) | A tornado lasting four minutes caused damage to roofs and trees. [81] |
F1 | E of Yadkinville | Yadkin | 36°08′N 80°37′W / 36.13°N 80.62°W | 1853 | 1.1 mi (1.8 km) | Just eight minutes after the previous tornado dissipated, another F1 tornado touched down nearby, causing tree and roofing damage. [82] |
F0 | Lewisville area | Forsyth | 36°06′N 80°25′W / 36.1°N 80.42°W | 1930 | 8 mi (12.9 km) | A weak tornado had an intermittent path lasting ten minutes, during which it knocked trees onto roads and homes. [83] |
F0 | NW of Roxboro area | Person | 36°27′N 79°03′W / 36.45°N 79.05°W | 1942 | 1 mi (1.6 km) | A brief twister touched down and blew over several trees. [84] |
F0 | Oak Ridge area | Guilford | 36°11′N 79°59′W / 36.18°N 79.98°W | 2120 | 5 mi (8.0 km) | A tornado was on the ground for eight minutes, knocking down several trees. [85] |
F0 | N of Olivia | Harnett | 35°23′N 79°07′W / 35.38°N 79.12°W | 0040 | 12 mi (19.3 km) | A weak tornado had an intermittent path lasting 13 minutes, during which it knocked off a few shingles and blew down some trees. [86] |
Virginia | ||||||
F1 | NW of Ararat | Patrick | 36°38′N 80°33′W / 36.63°N 80.55°W | 1722 | 0.6 mi (1.0 km) | A brief tornado knocked down trees and blew a motor home off its foundation. [87] |
List of confirmed tornadoes - Friday, July 8, 2005 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | Location | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage |
Virginia | ||||||
F1 | N of Alberta | Brunswick, Nottoway | 36°58′N 77°52′W / 36.97°N 77.87°W | 0050 | 3.7 mi (6.0 km) | A tornado was on the ground for seven minutes, knocking down trees along its path and at Fort Pickett. [88] [89] |
F1 | Winterpock area | Chesterfield | 37°21′N 77°44′W / 37.35°N 77.73°W | 0229 | 0.5 mi (0.8 km) | A brief tornado damaged a home. [90] |
F1 | E of South Hill | Mecklenburg | 36°44′N 78°07′W / 36.73°N 78.12°W | 0255 | 4.5 mi (7.2 km) | A tornado knocked down trees and caused damage to several buildings, including warehouses and barns. [91] |
F1 | SS of Chester | Chesterfield | 37°17′N 77°36′W / 37.28°N 77.6°W | 0415 | 0.5 mi (0.8 km) | A brief tornado touched down in a forested area, uprooting a few large trees. [92] |
F1 | Varina area | Henrico | 37°28′N 77°24′W / 37.47°N 77.4°W | 0515 | 0.1 mi (0.2 km) | A brief tornado blew the roof off an industrial barn. [93] |
F1 | N of Capron | Southampton | 36°43′N 77°12′W / 36.72°N 77.2°W | 0620 | 1 mi (1.6 km) | A brief tornado snapped a few trees. [94] |
F1 | Saluda area | Middlesex | 37°36′N 76°36′W / 37.6°N 76.6°W | 0715 | 3 mi (4.8 km) | A tornado on the ground for five minutes blew the roof off one home. [95] |