Hurricane Iris

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Hurricane Iris
Type=hurricane
Year=2001
Basin=Atl
Image location=Hurricane Iris 08 oct 2001 1922Z.jpg


Formed=October 4, 2001
Dissipated=October 9, 2001
1-min winds=125
Pressure=948
Da

Inflated=1
Fatalities=31+ direct
Areas=Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Belize, Guatemala, eastern Mexico
Hurricane season=2001 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Iris was a Category 4 hurricane that devastated Belize in October 2001. It was the eleventh tropical cyclone, ninth named storm, fifth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the second strongest storm of the season behind Hurricane Michelle.

Tropical Depression Eleven formed just southeast of Barbados on October 4. It traveled across the Windward Islands, and was named Tropical Storm Iris while south of Puerto Rico on the 5th. Iris continued to the west and intensified. After passing just south of Jamaica, Iris reached Category 4 hurricane strength. Iris made landfall near Monkey River Town, Belize on October 9 at Category 4 strength, but weakened rapidly. It dissipated later that day.

An exact death toll is unknown, but 31 are confirmed dead, 3 in the Dominican Republic, 8 in Guatemala, and 20 from the M/V "Wave Dancer", a ship that capsized off the Belize coast. Newspapers have reported an additional 30 deaths in Belize, but the government there has only confirmed the 20 deaths from the "Wave Dancer". Damage in Belize is reported at $66.2 million (2001 USD, $72.9 million 2006 USD) and total damage is estimated to be $150 million (2001 USD, $165 million 2006 USD).

Meteorological history

Iris began as poorly defined tropical wave moving across the Atlantic at the end of September. The system entered an area of more favorable conditions and developed a closed circulation, thus becoming Tropical Depression Eleven on October 4, just convert|85|nmi|km southeast of Barbados. The depression continued moving westward and west-northwestward into the Caribbean Sea, where it strengthened to tropical storm intensity on October 5, convert|240|nmi|km south-southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, receiving the name Iris.

Moderate strengthening allowed Iris to reach hurricane strength on October 6, near the Barahona Peninsula. Fortunately, a strong middle-level ridge forced Iris to maintain a nearly due west track, saving Jamaica from the worst of the storm. But after that, rapid intensification occurred, with its pressure dropping from 990 millibars to 950 millibars and winds increasing from convert|85|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on to convert|140|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on in 18 hours. Just before landfall in Monkey River Town, Belize, early on October 9, the very small hurricane reached its peak intensity with its winds at 145 miles per hour and its pressure at 948 millibars.

After moving ashore, the storm quickly weakened over the mountains of Central America, and its circulation dissipated in less than 18 hours. The remnants of Iris entered the East Pacific basin and contributed to the development of Tropical Storm Manuel.

Preparations

Sixteen warnings and watches were issued in association with Iris for Jamaica, the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, the Yucatán Peninsula, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize over a stretch of 4 days.

Impact

Seventeen United States citizens were killed as a result of this hurricane. Twenty scuba divers from the Richmond Dive Club- Richmond, VA were anchored at a small dock ninety miles south of Belize City when their boat capsized after being hit directly by Hurricane Iris; three survived. The result was the worst diving accident in United States history.

Family members of the dead alledge negligence on the part of the company that chartered the trip, Peter Hughes Diving Co. They claim that the company did not prepare sufficiently for the hurricane, and did not heed the warnings of local officials to abandon ship and move inland. Their story is chronicled in the book "" authored by survivor Joe Burnworth.

Said by the travel service of Belize: "Hurricane Iris, a compact, Category 4 storm bringing convert|18|ft|m|sing=on sea surges, convert|145|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on winds and six inches (152 mm) of rain slammed into southern Belize Monday night, demolishing hundreds of homes and leaving at least 10.000 people homeless.

The poor rural Mayan villages in Belize’s southern Toledo District were hardest hit. Because they are inland, these villages were not prepared for this kind of impact. San Pedro Columbia, one of the largest villages in the Toledo District, had 204 homes completely destroyed and 150 badly damaged. Other villages reportedly hit very hard were Big Falls, Indian Creek and Medina Bank. Twenty-six of 56 rural schools in the district are said to have been destroyed. Immediate and urgent needs are for emergency shelter, food, and water. Fortunately, little loss of life has been reported." [http://www.plenty.org/iris/pr_iris.html]

Another boat, The Vendera, also reportedly capsized with people on board, but information on this vessel has not been confirmed by the National Hurricane Center. The Belize government reports that 20 people are dead in the area and that Iris caused $150 million (2001 USD) in damage. [http://www.wmo.ch/web/www/TCP/MEETING/RA%20IV%20HC-24/doc14.doc] Eight people were reported killed by flash flooding in Guatemala.

Retirement

The name Iris was retired in the spring of 2002 by the World Meteorological Organization and will never again be used for an Atlantic hurricane. Iris was replaced by Ingrid, which was used in the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season.

See also

* List of tropical cyclones
* List of Atlantic hurricanes
* 2001 Atlantic hurricane season
* 2001 Pacific hurricane season

External links

* [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2001iris.html NHC Tropical Cyclone Report for Hurricane Iris]
* [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/IRIS.html NHC advisory archives for Hurricane Iris]
* [http://www.plenty.org/iris/pr_iris.html Plenty Belize Report on Iris]