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With minimum central pressure at 910 millibars, Hurricane Ivan is ranked as the sixth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record. Ivan passed over Grenada on September 7, 2004, killing at least 23 people and causing extensive property damage. Many buildings in the capital of St. George's were destroyed or damaged, including the prime minister's home. A prison on the island was also damaged, and many of the inmates escaped. There were also deaths in the Dominican Republic and in Venezuela.
The fifth hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season, Hurricane Ivan was the season's first to have reached category 5 intensity. As Ivan was passing just north of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba on September 9, sustained wind speed increased to 160 mph (260 km/h) thus classifying Ivan as a category 5 hurricane. After that, Ivan fluctuated between category 4 and 5 status, which is typical of intense hurricanes. Continuing west-northwest, the storm headed for Jamaica on September 10, and then moved back to a more northerly approach, strengthening until it reattained category 5 intensity with sustained windspeeds of 165 mph (270 km/h). Ivan then caused widespread damage in the Cayman Islands, grazed Cuba, and moved into the Gulf of Mexico, causing evacuations from the Florida Panhandle to the Louisiana bayous.
For latest hurricane news and advisories, see www.hurricaneadvisories.com
Last updated: November 10, 2004.
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