On September 2, 2004, a tropical depression originated off the coast of Africa. Within a span of just three days, it rapidly intensified into a major hurricane, with its trajectory set to make landfall multiple times in the United States. Ivan’s initial devastating impact was felt in the Caribbean, particularly in Grenada, where it resulted in extensive destruction and claimed the lives of nearly 100 individuals. Additionally, the storm wreaked havoc in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, causing significant damage in these regions as well.
Ivan later crossed the Gulf of Mexico and hit Gulf Shores, Alabama, on September 16 as a powerful Category 3 hurricane. The impact of the storm was felt along the coast of Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle, bringing with it a storm surge of 10 to 15 feet, rainfall exceeding 15 inches, and gusts of wind reaching 145 mph.
The storm caused extensive damage in Alabama, resulting in over $18 billion in losses, equivalent to $30 million in 2024 USD. This makes it the costliest storm ever experienced in the state. Additionally, more than half a million residents were left without power as a result of the storm.
Hurricane Ivan, upon making landfall, unleashed a staggering 120 tornadoes, setting a new record for the highest number of tornadoes generated by a tropical system. These tornadoes wreaked havoc across a wide area, stretching from Alabama to Pennsylvania. Among them was a particularly formidable EF3 tornado near Remington, Virginia, which astonishingly hurled a car a remarkable distance of 75 yards.
In addition to wreaking havoc, the storm caused unprecedented flooding in Pittsburgh and State College, Pennsylvania.
After tracking off the U.S. coast and returning over the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Ivan’s story was far from over.
The tropical rainstorm moved away from the coast of Maryland and proceeded southward, hitting South Florida before returning to the Gulf of Mexico. It transformed into a tropical depression once more on September 22. Two days later, on September 24, Tropical Storm Ivan made landfall once again, this time at Cameron, Louisiana.
