Fay Ripley

Fay Ripley (born 26 February 1966) is an English actress, television presenter and recipe author. She is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (1990). Her first professional role was in the chorus of a pantomime version of Around the World in 80 Days. Ripley's early film and television appearances were limited, so she supplemented her earnings by working as a children's entertainer and by selling menswear door-to-door. After her scenes as a prostitute were cut from Frankenstein (1994), Ripley gained her first major film role playing Karen Hughes in Mute Witness (1995).

In 1996, Ripley was cast in her breakthrough role of Jenny Gifford in the ITV series Cold Feet. Initially a supporting role in the pilot episode, Ripley's character was expanded when a series was commissioned in 1998. She stayed with the show for three full series before leaving to take more varied roles and to spend more time with her family. She returned for a guest appearance in the fifth series.

After leaving Cold Feet, Ripley played a succession of leading roles in comedies and dramas including Green-Eyed Monster (2001), I Saw You (2002), The Stretford Wives (2002), and Dead Gorgeous (2002). Each role won her critical acclaim. In 2006, she filmed a leading role in the ITV drama Bon Voyage, before taking time away from acting after the birth of her second child. Ripley returned to television in 2009, starring as human resources manager Christine Frances in the ITV comedy drama Monday Monday, and Nicola Perrin alongside Martin Clunes in BBC One's Reggie Perrin.

Since 2009, Ripley has authored three recipe books; Fay's Family Food in 2009, What's for Dinner? in 2012 and Fay Makes it Easy in 2014. She is married to actor Daniel Lapaine, with whom she has two children—a daughter and a son—and is an advocate of several charities and causes.

## Early life

Ripley was born in Wimbledon, southwest London to Bev(erley) William Deacon Ripley and Tina Ripley (née Forster) on 26 February 1966. Her father was a successful businessman – the son of Greater London Councilman Sydney William Leonard Ripley, J.P., D.L., whose family had owned a printing company that produced movie posters - and brother of 1960s pop singer Twinkle, and her mother an antiques dealer. They separated when Ripley was two years old and both remarried, so Ripley spent her childhood moving around Surrey between two families.

She was the only child from her parents' marriage but had several half-brothers and sisters from their new relationships. In her early life, she lived in various Surrey towns, including Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge, Esher and Cobham. Her father wanted her to have a good education so, despite the family's Protestant religion, sent her to various Catholic convent schools around the county. One was St Maur's Convent School in Weybridge, which she attended with Liza Tarbuck. Ripley did not feel academically challenged there, and later declared the school mediocre.

At school, Ripley enjoyed drama lessons, spurred on by the positive remarks she received from her drama teacher Susan Ford. She said of Ford, "When I was 15, one of the few people who said, 'Well done', was my drama teacher, and she was really brilliant. She was a powerful woman. Those women change your life. You always remember them. There was something about her. She basically made me feel very good about myself as a 15-year-old girl." Abandoning her childhood ambition to become a nurse, Ripley decided to go into acting.

Her father wanted to send her to a finishing school in Switzerland but, in an effort to rebel from her middle class Home Counties background, Ripley instead went to a local state college in Surrey, where she took A-levels in communication studies, art, and drama. During her time at the college, Ripley performed her own small shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In an effort to "bring Brecht to the masses", she performed The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at the 1983 festival.

After completing her A-levels, Ripley sought entry to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. It took her three attempts before she was accepted onto an acting course at the age of 20. While at drama school, Ripley lived in a flat in Streatham, South London, during a time she described as "horrible and penniless". To support herself financially, she sold menswear door-to-door, timeshares on Kensington High Street and Oxford Street, worked as a receptionist at a health club, and spent five years as children's entertainer "Miss Chief the Clown". As Miss Chief, Ripley performed magic tricks and painted faces at children's parties. The work paid off when she was able to get a mortgage on her first flat, stating clown as her occupation.

## Career

### Early career

Ripley graduated from drama school in 1990. Her first role afterwards was playing Osatko in the chorus of Around the World in 80 Days at the Liverpool Playhouse during the 1990–1991 pantomime season. She had ten lines in Japanese. Her next role came at the end of the year in the Manchester Royal Exchange's production of Medea. Ripley recalled, "It was only my second job, and I took it all very seriously, in my Greek sarong and my torch of fire, having to burble in tongues."

Ripley's early television and film career was characterised by minor roles as prostitutes or mistresses; in what was to be her film debut, she filmed two scenes as a prostitute in the film Frankenstein (1994), directed by Kenneth Branagh. In the first scene, her character was strangled by the creature (played by Robert De Niro's stand-in). The second scene featured De Niro himself, though Ripley's character was lying dead in a mortuary throughout. Pleased with what looked like her breakout role, Ripley bought a dress for the premiere, though she was distraught when Branagh sent her a card apologising for cutting her scenes from the finished film.

The same year, she filmed the role of Karen Hughes, the sister of a mute character who believes she sees a murder, in the low-budget film Mute Witness (1995), directed by Anthony Waller. After Mute Witness's British television premiere in 1999, a Daily Record critic wrote that Ripley's dramatic scenes were not as good as her comic ones. In 1995, she appeared in an episode of Channel 4's Alan Davies vehicle One for the Road and made her last theatre appearance for almost thirty years as a cast member in the Bush Theatre's Two Lips, Indifferent Red.

In 1996, she had a role in Stephen Poliakoff's Frontiers, and played a club barmaid in Dennis Potter's penultimate television series Karaoke. The following year she had roles in the comedy film Roseanna's Grave (Paul Weiland, 1997), an episode of The Bill—as a woman whose nanny is accused of stealing from her—and a two-part episode of the Kevin Whately series The Broker's Man as a police officer. Her role in The Broker's Man was one of the few occasions on which Ripley played a police officer; she has frequently declined offers of similar roles because she does not want to "summon up the misery" to play a character that performs post-mortem examinations or investigates murders when she could be starring in more true to life and funny programmes.

### Breakthrough roles

In 1996, Ripley auditioned for Granada Television's Cold Feet, a television pilot about the romances of three couples living in Manchester. She believed she was reading for the role of Rachel, the "young, pretty one", and was surprised to discover that she was wanted for Jenny, the "northern housewife". In the audition, she performed with an inelegant approximation of a local Manchester accent. The producers found her approach to the role refreshing from other actresses, who were seen as too "finger-wagging". Ripley won the role, and appeared opposite John Thomson and James Nesbitt in the programme. After the pilot won an award, ITV's director of programmes commissioned a series of Cold Feet, so Ripley worked on improving her character's accent by speaking to locals and mimicking their speech. Her supporting character from the pilot episode was given a bigger role in the series; in the first episode (broadcast in 1998), Jenny gives birth to her first child. At that time, Ripley had never experienced childbirth, so copied birth scenes she had seen in other television series. An Independent review of the first series in November 1998 noted, "Fay Ripley has a range of quirky mannerisms that are more reminiscent of Elaine in Seinfeld than of any other Brit-com woman."

Ripley's performance in the first series won her a nomination for Best TV Comedy Actress at the British Comedy Awards 1999. For her performance in the third series (2000), in which her character separates from her husband and dates another man (played by Ben Miles), she was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress. During pre-production of the fourth series (2001), Ripley announced to the producers that she would be leaving the show, partly because she did not want to spend five months living in Manchester away from her home in London and wanted to spend more time with her husband, and partly to take other roles which she would otherwise not be able to do. She asked the writer Mike Bullen to either kill off Jenny or have her lose a limb. Bullen refused and instead wrote a plot in which Jenny moves to New York. Ripley returned to the series for a guest appearance in the final episode (2003).

In 2000, Ripley appeared in the British dogme film The Announcement, as well as playing lead female character Grace Bingley—opposite Paul Rhys—in the Granada television pilot I Saw You, which used many of the same production staff as Cold Feet. David Belcher of The Herald called Ripley "perfectly scatty, tousled and self-sufficient" in the role, and Joe Joseph of The Times complimented her comic timing. Ripley returned to I Saw You for a three-episode miniseries in 2002. She considers I Saw You, in which she acted alongside her husband Daniel Lapaine, the television show she is most proud to have worked on.

### Further projects

Having left Cold Feet, Ripley began to take on more leading roles; her first role was as housewife Deanna in the BBC thriller The Green-Eyed Monster, which was broadcast in September 2001. She researched her character, a murderer, by visiting a coroner. Guardian critic Gareth McLean wrote of her performance, "Ripley did a good job of exorcising the ghost of Jenny Gifford [...] by coolly cranking up the insane desperation and needy malevolence to an impressive degree." In 2002, she played domestic abuse victim Donna Massey in Danny Brocklehurst's The Stretford Wives. Ripley was initially not eager to play another character from around Manchester so soon after leaving Cold Feet, but she changed her mind after reading the script. She did not research spousal abuse to play her character, a woman struggling to bring up her two children in a run-down house while her husband is imprisoned, because she did not find it difficult to "work out what it's like to be scared and want to protect your kids".

Also in 2002, Ripley played Rose Bell in the ITV post-war period drama Dead Gorgeous, alongside Helen McCrory. The following year, she provided the voice of Meg in the ITV adaptation of the Meg and Mog children's books, before playing Jill in the third series of the BBC One sitcom Bedtime at the end of 2003. In 2004, Ripley had her first of three on-screen partnerships with Martin Clunes, playing Jane White in the CBBC adaptation of Fungus the Bogeyman. The following year, she played the guest role of corrupt police inspector Sam Phillips in the BBC TV series Hustle, a role that received praise from The Times.

In 2006, Ripley played the role of child abductor Linda Holder in the two-part ITV drama Bon Voyage, starring alongside Ben Miles, Rachael Blake and Daniel Ryan. She was offered the part without having to audition, and took it because she wanted the opportunity to play an antagonist. She liked the style of Canadian director John Fawcett in making the thriller, as it differed to that of other British thrillers, which she believed were poorly filmed. Ripley filmed the role in Canada during the later weeks of her second pregnancy, so her character was dressed in baggy clothes to hide her bump. Her pregnancy also caused changes to the script; originally her character was to run through a forest, fall off a cliff and "die a gruesome death". Reviewing, Thomas Sutcliffe of The Independent and Gareth McLean of The Guardian noted that Ripley's pregnancy was poorly disguised. In complimenting the performance of the whole cast, Brian McIver of the Daily Record praised Ripley's portrayal of Linda as "scary but sympathetic".

Bon Voyage marked Ripley's last television acting appearance until 2009. During that time she appeared as a guest on panel shows and talk shows. In 2009, she returned to television screens as Nicola Perrin alongside Martin Clunes' eponymous character in the BBC One sitcom Reggie Perrin. She took the role because she had previously worked with Clunes and the writer Simon Nye. As the series was Ripley's first studio sitcom, she approached the role with apprehension; she told The Independent on Sunday, "I basically just hung off Martin's coat-tails and hoped for the best." Ripley compared Nicola to Reggie's house-bound wife Elizabeth in the original series, noting that the modern character needed a job and independence from her husband because of changes in society. She reprised the role in the second series in 2010, after which the series was cancelled.

2009 also saw the broadcast of Monday Monday, an ITV comedy drama series in which Ripley plays Christine Frances, an alcoholic human resources manager at a supermarket head office that moves from London to Leeds. She took the role because it was different to characters she had previously played.

### Other work

During her time on Cold Feet, Ripley hosted the Channel 4 show Sofa Melt, a relationships chat show in the vein of Trisha. The show lasted for one series of 60 episodes, broadcast in 1999. In Scotland on Sunday, critic Stewart Hennessey called Ripley's presenting fantastic and called the show itself "utterly without any intelligent merit whatsoever. It is just unmissable because the people on it are hilariously stupid. Set the vid, show it at parties." Ripley said of the show retrospectively, "It was the most terrifying thing I've ever done." In 2003, she presented a short film advocating Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for the BBC's Big Read series and in 2009, she presented an episode of the Blighty documentary series My Brilliant Britain.

In 2004, she appeared on the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment of Top Gear, where she discussed her car history with presenter Jeremy Clarkson. On her celebrity lap of the Top Gear test track, she achieved a lap time of 1:53, making her 38th on the Suzuki Liana leader board. The same year, she participated in a major advertising venture by The National Lottery, playing "Lady Luck" alongside a unicorn voiced by Graham Norton. In 2008, she appeared alongside Martin Clunes in a series of advertisements for Tesco Direct and, since 2009, has starred with Mark Addy in a series of adverts for Tesco's various brands.

In 2007, Ripley announced that she would be writing a cookbook about family food. She said, "I want to help people prepare good food for their kids, really practical stuff that's easy, quick, healthy and you can whizz up in the blender for the baby." Fay's Family Food was published by Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Books, in April 2009 and was selected by Marie-Claire Digby of The Irish Times as a "summer read". Ripley's second book, entitled What's For Dinner, was published in April 2012. Since the release of her first book, she has resisted offers from television production companies to make her own cookery series. In November 2016, Ripley guest presented an episode of The One Show with Alex Jones. She guest presented an episode with Angela Scanlon in January 2017. Ripley currently narrates Grime & Punishment on C5.

In late 2022, Ripley made a return to the stage with The National Theatre's production of Kerry Jackson, in which she played the eponymous lead role.

## Personal life

Ripley met English actor James Purefoy when the two were starring in the eponymous roles in a college production of Romeo and Juliet in 1983. They began an 11-year relationship that ended when Ripley was 27. She was single for five years, before being introduced to Australian actor Daniel Lapaine at a party hosted by mutual friends. Neither of them thought the other was interested in dating and they drifted apart.

After meeting again on separate holidays in New York, they began dating and married in October 2001 in a ceremony in Tuscany, Italy. Ripley gave birth to the couple's first child, daughter Parker, in October 2002. She gave birth to son Sonny in October 2006.

Ripley is a patron of several charities and causes. In 2007 she took part in What's it going to take?, a campaign by Women's Aid to raise awareness of domestic abuse against women. She visited Tanzania with ActionAid in October 2008 to raise awareness of child sponsorship. While in the country, Ripley visited community projects set up by ActionAid in Bagamoyo and Mkuranga. Ripley was already sponsoring a child and had been asked by ActionAid to participate in a visit but had always declined because of conflicts with her work.

Ripley also fronted a "Climate Action Now" protest with novelist Rebecca Frayn and actress Rula Lenska in 2008, opposing government support of the then planned third runway at Heathrow Airport.

## Filmography

English actress, television presenter, cookbook author

Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama


Procellariidae

The family Procellariidae is a group of seabirds that comprises the fulmarine petrels, the gadfly petrels, the diving petrels, the prions, and the shearwaters. This family is part of the bird order Procellariiformes (or tubenoses), which also includes the albatrosses and the storm petrels.

The procellariids are the most numerous family of tubenoses, and the most diverse. They range in size from the giant petrels with a wingspan of around 2.0 m (6 ft 7 in), that are almost as large as the albatrosses, to the diving petrels with a wingspan of around 34 cm (13 in) that are similar in size to the little auks or dovekies in the family Alcidae. Male and female birds are identical in appearance. The plumage color is generally dull, with blacks, whites, browns and grays. The birds feed on fish, squid and crustacea, with many also taking fisheries discards and carrion. Whilst agile swimmers and excellent in water, petrels have weak legs and can only shuffle on land, with the giant petrels of the genus Macronectes being the only two species that are capable of proper terrestrial locomotion. All species are accomplished long-distance foragers, and many undertake long trans-equatorial migrations. They are colonial breeders, exhibiting long-term mate fidelity and site philopatry. In all species, a single white egg is laid each breeding season. The parents take it in turns to incubate the egg and to forage for food. The feeding area can be at a great distance from the nest site. The incubation times and chick-rearing periods are exceptionally long compared to other birds.

Many procellariids have breeding populations of over several million pairs; others number fewer than 200 birds. Humans have traditionally exploited several species of fulmar and shearwater (known as muttonbirds) for food, fuel, and bait, a practice that continues in a controlled fashion today. Several species are threatened by introduced species attacking adults and chicks in breeding colonies and by long-line fisheries.

## Taxonomy and evolution

The family Procellariidae was introduced (as Procellaridæ) by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a guide to the contents of the British Museum published in 1820. The name is derived from the type genus Procellaria which in turn is derived from the Latin word procella meaning "storm" or "gale". The type genus was named in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae.

Procellariidae is one of families that make up the order Procellariiformes. Before the introduction of molecular phylogenetics, the traditional arrangement was to divide the Procellariiformes into a set of four families: Diomedeidae containing the albatrosses, Hydrobatidae containing all the storm petrels, Pelecanoididae containing the diving petrels and Procellariidae containing the petrels, shearwaters and fulmars. The family Hydrobatidae was further divided into two subfamilies, the northern storm petrels in Hydrobatinae and the southern or austral storm petrels in Oceanitinae. A 1998 analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences found there was deep genetic divergence between the two subfamilies. Subsequent large-scale multigene studies found that the two subfamilies were not sister taxa. The storm petrels were therefore split into two families: Hydrobatidae containing the northern storm petrels and Oceanitidae, containing the southern storm petrels. The multigene genetic studies found that the diving petrels in the family Pelecanoididae were nested within the family Procellariidae. As a result, the diving petrels was merged into Procellariidae.

The molecular evidence suggests that the albatrosses were the first to diverge from the ancestral stock, and the austral storm petrels next, with the procellariids and northern storm petrels splitting most recently.

Within the procellariid family, a genetic analysis based on the cytochrome b gene published in 2004 indicated that the genus Puffinus contained two distinct clades and was polyphyletic. The genus was therefore split and a group of species moved into the resurrected genus Ardenna. The other genera within the family were found to be monotypic but the relationships between the genera remained unclear. This changed when a multigene genetic study published in 2021 provided a genus-level phylogeny of the family.

There are 99 species of procellariid in 16 genera. The family has usually been broken up into four fairly distinct groups; the fulmarine petrels, the gadfly petrels, the prions, and the shearwaters. With the inclusion of the diving petrels there are now five main groups.

- The fulmarine petrels include the largest procellariids, the giant petrels, as well as the two fulmar species, the snow petrel, the Antarctic petrel, and the Cape petrel. The fulmarine petrels are a diverse group with differing habits and appearances, but are linked morphologically by their skull features, particularly the long prominent nasal tubes.
- The four diving petrels are the smallest procellariids with lengths of around 20 cm (7.9 in) and wingspans of 33 cm (13 in). They are compact birds with short wings that are adapted for use under water. They have a characteristic whirring flight and dive into the water without settling. They probably remain all year in the seas near their breeding sites.
- The gadfly petrels, so named due to their helter-skelter flight, are the 37 species in the genus Pterodroma. The species vary from small to medium sizes, 26–46 cm (10–18 in) in length, and are long winged with short hooked bills. They are most closely related to Kerguelen petrel which is placed in its own genus Aphrodroma.
- The prions comprise six species of true prion in the genus Pachyptila and the closely related blue petrel. Often known in the past as whalebirds, three species have large bills filled with lamellae that they use to filter plankton somewhat as baleen whales do, though the old name derives from their association with whales, not their bills (though "prions" does, deriving from Ancient Greek for "saw"). They are small procellariids, 25–30 cm (9.8–11.8 in) in length, with a prominent dark M-shaped mark across the upperwing of their grey plumage. All are restricted to the southern hemisphere.
- The shearwaters are adapted for diving after prey instead of foraging on the ocean's surface; several species have been recorded diving deeper than 30 m (98 ft). They are known for the long trans-equatorial migrations undertaken by many species. The shearwaters include the 20 or so species of the genus Puffinus, seven species in the genus Ardenna, as well as the five large Procellaria species and the four Calonectris species. While all these four genera are often known collectively as shearwaters, the Procellaria are called petrels in their common names.

## Morphology and flight

The procellariids are small- to medium-sized seabirds. The largest, the southern giant petrel with a wingspan of 185 to 205 cm (73 to 81 in), is almost as large as albatrosses; the smallest, the diving petrels have a wingspan of 30 to 38 cm (12 to 15 in) and are similar in size to little auks or dovekies in the family Alcidae. There are no obvious differences between the sexes, although females tend to be slighter. Like all Procellariiformes, the procellariids have a characteristic tubular nasal passage used for olfaction. This ability to smell helps to locate patchily distributed prey at sea and may help locate nesting colonies. The plumage of the procellariids is usually dull, with greys, bluish greys, blacks and browns being the usual colours, although some species have striking patterns such as the Cape petrel.

The technique of flight among procellariids depends on foraging methods. Compared to an average bird, all procellariids have a high aspect ratio (meaning their wings are long and narrow) and a heavy wing loading. Therefore, they must maintain a high speed in order to remain in the air. Most procellariids use two techniques to do this, namely, dynamic soaring and slope soaring. Dynamic soaring involves gliding across wave fronts, thus taking advantage of the vertical wind gradient and minimising the effort required to stay in the air. Slope soaring is more straightforward: the procellariid turns to the wind, gaining height, from where it can then glide back down to the sea. Most procellariids aid their flight by means of flap-glides, where bursts of flapping are followed by a period of gliding; the amount of flapping dependent on the strength of the wind and the choppiness of the water. Because of the high speeds required for flight, procellariids need to either run or face into a strong wind in order to take off.

The giant petrels share with the albatrosses an adaptation known as a shoulder-lock: a sheet of tendon that locks the wing when fully extended, allowing the wing to be kept up and out without any muscle effort. Gadfly petrels often feed on the wing, snapping prey without landing on the water. The flight of the smaller prions is similar to that of the storm petrels, being highly erratic and involving weaving and even looping the loop. The wings of all species are long and stiff. In some species of shearwater the wings are used to power the birds underwater while diving for prey. Their heavier wing loadings, in comparison with surface-feeding procellariids, allow these shearwaters to achieve considerable depths (below 70 m (230 ft) in the case of the short-tailed shearwater).

Procellariids generally have weak legs that are set back, and many species move around on land by resting on the breast and pushing themselves forward, often with the help of their wings. The exceptions to this are the two species of giant petrel, which have strong legs used when they feed on land.

## Distribution and migration

The procellariids are present in all the world's oceans and most of the seas. They are absent from the Bay of Bengal and Hudson Bay, but are present year round or seasonally in the rest. The seas north of New Zealand are the centre of procellariid biodiversity, with the most species. Among the groups, the fulmarine petrels have a mostly polar distribution, with most species living around Antarctica and one, the northern fulmar ranging in the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Of the four species of diving petrel, two are found along the coasts of South America, while the remaining two have circumpolar distributions in the Southern Ocean. The prions are restricted to the Southern Ocean, and the gadfly petrels are found mostly in the tropics with some temperate species. The shearwaters are the most widespread group and breed in most temperate and tropical seas.

Many procellariids undertake long annual migrations in the non-breeding season. Southern species of shearwater such as the sooty shearwater and short-tailed shearwater, breeding on islands off Australia, New Zealand and Chile, undertake transequatorial migrations of millions of birds up to the waters off Alaska and back each year during the austral winter. Manx shearwaters from the North Atlantic also undertake transequatorial migrations from Western Europe and North America to the waters off Brazil in the South Atlantic. The mechanisms of navigation are poorly understood, but displacement experiments where individuals were removed from colonies and flown to far-flung release sites have shown that they are able to home in on their colonies with remarkable precision. A Manx shearwater released in Boston returned to its colony in Skomer, Wales within 13 days, a distance of 5,150 kilometres (3,200 mi).

## Behaviour

### Food and feeding

The diet of the procellariids is the most diverse of all the Procellariiformes, as are the methods employed to obtain it. With the exception of the giant petrels, all procellariids are exclusively marine, and the diet of all species is dominated by either fish, squid, crustaceans and carrion, or some combination thereof.

The majority of species are surface feeders, obtaining food that has been pushed to the surface by other predators or currents, or have floated in death. Among the surface feeders some, principally the gadfly petrels, can obtain food by dipping from flight, while most of the rest feed while sitting on the water. These surface feeders are dependent on their prey being close to the surface, and for this reason procellariids are often found in association with other predators or oceanic convergences. Studies have shown strong associations between many different kinds of seabirds, including wedge-tailed shearwaters, and dolphins and tuna, which push shoaling fish up towards the surface. The gadfly petrels and the Kerguelen petrel mainly feed at night. In so doing they can take advantage of the nocturnal migration of cephalopods and other food species towards the surface.

The fulmarine petrels are generalists, which for the most part take many species of fish and crustacea. The giant petrels, uniquely for Procellariiformes, will feed on land, eating the carrion of other seabirds and seals. They will also attack the chicks of other seabirds. The diet of the giant petrels varies according to sex, with the females taking more krill and the males more carrion. All the fulmarine petrels readily feed on fisheries discards at sea, a habit that has been implicated in (but not proved to have caused) the expansion in range of the northern fulmar in the Atlantic.

The three larger prion species have bills filled with lamellae, which act as filters to sift zooplankton from the water. Water is forced through the lamellae and small prey items are collected. This technique is often used in conjunction with a method known as hydroplaning where the bird dips its bill beneath the surface and propels itself forward with wings and feet as if walking on the water.

The diving petrels and many of the shearwaters are proficient divers. While it has long been known that they regularly dive from the surface to pursue prey, using their wings for propulsion, the depth that they are able to dive to was not appreciated (or anticipated) until scientists began to deploy maximum-depth recorders on foraging birds. Studies of both long-distance migrants such as the sooty shearwater and more sedentary species such as the black-vented shearwater have shown maximum diving depths of 67 m (220 ft) and 52 m (171 ft). Tropical shearwaters, such as the wedge-tailed shearwater and the Audubon's shearwater, also dive in order to hunt, making the shearwaters the only tropical seabirds capable of exploiting that ecological niche (all other tropical seabirds feed close to the surface). Many other species of procellariid, from white-chinned petrels to slender-billed prions, dive to a couple of metres below the surface, though not as proficiently or as frequently as the shearwaters.

### Breeding

#### Colonies

The procellariids are colonial, nesting for the most part on islands. These colonies vary in size from over a million birds to just a few pairs, and can be densely concentrated or widely spaced. At one extreme the greater shearwater nests in concentrations of one pair per square metre in three colonies of more than one million pairs, whereas the giant petrels nest in clumped but widely spaced territories that barely qualify as colonial. Colonies are usually located near the coast, but some species nest far inland and even at high altitudes. Hutton's shearwater (Puffinus huttoni) breeds in burrows on the sea-facing mountainside of the Kaikōura Ranges on South Island, New Zealand. The colonies are 1,200–1,800 m (3,900–5,900 ft) above sea level at a distance of 12–18 km (7.5–11.2 mi) from the coast. Other exceptions are Barau's petrel (Pterodroma baraui) that breeds at 2,700 m (8,900 ft) on the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, and the snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea) that breeds in Antarctica on mountain ledges up to 400 km (250 mi) from the open sea.

Most seabirds are colonial, and the reasons for colonial behaviour are assumed to be similar, if incompletely understood by scientists. Procellariids for the most part have weak legs and are unable to easily take off, making them highly vulnerable to mammalian predators. Most procellariid colonies are located on islands that have historically been free of mammals; for this reason some species cannot help but be colonial as they are limited to a few locations to breed. Even species that breed on continental Antarctica, such as the Antarctic petrel, are forced by habitat preference (snow-free north-facing rock) to breed in just a few locations.

Most procellariids' nests are in burrows or on the surface on open ground, with a smaller number nesting under the cover of vegetation (such as in a forest). All the fulmarine petrels bar the snow petrel nest in the open, the snow petrel instead nesting inside natural crevices. Of the rest of the procellariids the majority nest in burrows or crevices, with a few tropical species nesting in the open. There are several reasons for these differences. The fulmarine petrels are probably precluded from burrowing by their large size (the crevice-nesting snow petrel is the smallest fulmarine petrel) and the high latitudes they breed in, where frozen ground is difficult to burrow into. The smaller size of the other species, and their lack of agility on land, mean that even on islands free from mammal predators they are still vulnerable to skuas, gulls and other avian predators, something the aggressive oil-spitting fulmars are not. The chicks of all species are vulnerable to predation, but the chicks of fulmarine petrels can defend themselves in a similar fashion to their parents. In the higher latitudes there are thermal advantages to burrow nesting, as the temperature is more stable than on the surface, and there is no wind-chill to contend with. The absence of skuas, gulls and other predatory birds on tropical islands is why some shearwaters and two species of gadfly petrel (Kermadec petrel and the herald petrel) can nest in the open. This has the advantages of reducing competition with burrow nesters from other species and allowing open-ground nesters to nest on coralline islets without soil for burrowing. Procellariids that burrow in order to avoid predation almost always attend their colonies nocturnally in order to reduce predation as well.

Procellariids display high levels of philopatry, exhibiting both natal philopatry and site fidelity. Natal philopatry, the tendency of a bird to breed close to where it hatched, is strong among all the Procellariiformes. The evidence for natal philopatry comes from several sources, not the least of which is the existence of several procellariid species that are endemic to a single island. The study of mitochondrial DNA provides evidence of restricted gene flow between different colonies, and has been used to show philopatry in fairy prions. Bird ringing provides compelling evidence of philopatry; a study of Cory's shearwaters nesting near Corsica found that nine out of 61 male chicks that returned to breed at their natal colony actually bred in the burrow they were raised in. This tendency towards philopatry is stronger in some species than others, and several species readily prospect potential new colony sites and colonise them. It is hypothesised that there is a cost to dispersing to a new site, the chance of not finding a mate of the same species, that selects against it for rarer species, whereas there is probably an advantage to dispersal for species that have colony sites that change dramatically during periods of glacial advance or retreat. There are differences in the tendency to disperse based on sex, with females being more likely to breed away from the natal site.

#### Mate and site fidelity

Procellariids, as well as having strong natal philopatry, exhibit strong site fidelity, returning to the same nesting site, burrow or territory in sequential years. The figure varies for different species but is high for most species, an estimated 91% for Bulwer's petrels. The strength of this fidelity can also vary with sex; almost 85% of male Cory's shearwaters return to the same burrow to breed the year after a successful breeding attempt, while the figure for females is around 76%. This tendency towards using the same site from year to year is matched by strong mate fidelity, with birds breeding with the same partner for many years; it has been suggested that the two are linked, with site fidelity acting as a means in which partnered birds could meet at the beginning of the breeding season. One pair of northern fulmars bred as a pair in the same site for 25 years. Like the albatrosses the procellariids take several years to reach sexual maturity, though due to the greater variety of sizes and lifestyles, the age of first breeding stretches from two or three years in the smaller species to 12 years in the larger ones.

The procellariids lack the elaborate breeding dances of the albatrosses, in no small part due to the tendency of most of them to attend colonies at night and breed in burrows, where visual displays are useless. The fulmarine petrels, which nest on the surface and attend their colonies diurnally, do use a repertoire of stereotyped behaviours such as cackling, preening, head waving and nibbling, but for most species courtship interactions are limited to some billing (rubbing the two bills together) in the burrow and the vocalisations made by all species. The calls serve a number of functions: they are used territorially to protect burrows or territories and to call for mates. Each call type is unique to a particular species and indeed it is possible for procellariids to identify the sex of the bird calling. It may also be possible to assess the quality of potential mates; a study of blue petrels found a link between the rhythm and duration of calls and the body mass of the bird. The ability of an individual to recognise its mate has been demonstrated in several species.

#### Breeding season

Like most seabirds, the majority of procellariids breed once a year. There are exceptions; many individuals of the larger species, such as the white-headed petrel, will skip a breeding season after successfully fledging a chick, and some of the smaller species, such as the Christmas shearwaters, breed on a nine-month schedule. Among those that breed annually, there is considerable variation as to the timing; some species breed in a fixed season while others breed all year round. Climate and the availability of food resources are important influences on the timing of procellariid breeding; species that breed at higher latitudes always breed in the summer as conditions are too harsh in the winter. At lower latitudes many, but not all, species breed continuously. Some species breed seasonally to avoid competition with other species for burrows, to avoid predation or to take advantage of seasonally abundant food. Others, such as the tropical wedge-tailed shearwater, breed seasonally for unknown reasons. Among the species that exhibit seasonal breeding there can be high levels of synchronization, both of time of arrival at the colony and of lay date.

Procellariids begin to attend their nesting colony around one month prior to laying. Males will arrive first and attend the colony more frequently than females, partly in order to protect a site or burrow from potential competitors. Prior to laying there is a period known as the pre-laying exodus in which both the male and female are away from the colony, building up reserves in order to lay and undertake the first incubation stint respectively. This pre-laying exodus can vary in length from 9 days (as in the Cape petrel) to around 50 days in Atlantic petrels. All procellariids lay a single white egg per pair per breeding season, in common with the rest of the Procellariiformes. The egg is large compared to that of other birds, weighing 6–24% of the female's weight. Immediately after laying the female goes back to sea to feed while the male takes over incubation. Incubation duties are shared by both sexes in shifts that vary in length between species, individuals and the stage of incubation. The longest recorded shift was 29 days by a Murphy's petrel from Henderson Island; the typical length of a gadfly petrel stint is between 13 and 19 days. Fulmarine petrels, shearwaters and prions tend to have shorter stints, averaging between 3 and 13 days. Incubation takes a long time, from 40 days for the smaller species (such as prions) to around 55 days for the larger species. The incubation period is longer if eggs are abandoned temporarily; procellariid eggs are resistant to chilling and can still hatch after being left unattended for a few days.

After hatching the chick is brooded by a parent until it is large enough to thermoregulate efficiently, and in some cases defend itself from predation. This guard stage lasts a short while for burrow-nesting species (2–3 days) but longer for surface nesting fulmars (around 16–20 days) and giant petrels (20–30 days). After the guard stage both parents feed the chick. In many species the parent's foraging strategy alternates between short trips lasting 1–3 days and longer trips of 5 days. The shorter trips, which are taken over the continental shelf, benefit the chick with faster growth, but longer trips to more productive pelagic feeding grounds are needed for the parents to maintain their own body condition. The meals are composed of both prey items and stomach oil, an energy-rich food that is lighter to carry than undigested prey items. This oil is created in a stomach organ known as a proventriculus from digested prey items, and gives procellariids and other Procellariiformes their distinctive musty smell. Chick development is quite slow for birds, with fledging taking place at around two months after hatching for the smaller species and four months for the largest species. The chicks of some species are abandoned by the parents; parents of other species continue to bring food to the nesting site after the chick has left. Chicks put on weight quickly and some can outweigh their parents, although they will slim down before they leave the nest. All procellariid chicks fledge by themselves, and there is no further parental care after fledging. Life expectancy of Procellariidae is between 15 and 20 years; the oldest recorded member was a northern fulmar that was over 50 years.

## Relationship with humans

### Exploitation

Procellariids have been a seasonally abundant source of food for people wherever people have been able to reach their colonies. Early records of human exploitation of shearwaters (along with albatrosses and cormorants) come from the remains of hunter-gatherer middens in southern Chile, where sooty shearwaters were taken 5000 years ago. More recently, procellariids have been hunted for food by Europeans, particularly the northern fulmar in Europe, and various species by Inuit, and sailors around the world. The hunting pressure on the Bermuda petrel, or cahow, was so intense that the species nearly became extinct and did go missing for 300 years. The name of one species, the providence petrel, is derived from its (seemingly) miraculous arrival on Norfolk Island, where it provided a windfall for starving European settlers; within ten years the providence petrel was extinct on Norfolk. Several species of procellariid have gone extinct in the Pacific since the arrival of humans, and their remains have been found in middens dated to that time. More sustainable shearwater harvesting industries developed in Tasmania and New Zealand, where the practice of harvesting what are known as muttonbirds continues today.

### Threats and conservation

While some species of procellariid have populations that number in the millions, many species are much less common and several are threatened with extinction. Human activities have caused dramatic declines in the numbers of some species, particularly species that were originally restricted to one island. According to the IUCN 43 species are listed as vulnerable or worse, with 12 critically endangered. Procellariids are threatened by many threats, but introduced species on their breeding grounds, light pollution, marine fisheries particularly bycatch, pollution, exploitation and climate change are the main threats measures as the number of species involved.

The most pressing threat for many species, particularly the smaller ones, comes from species introduced to their colonies. Procellariids overwhelmingly breed on islands away from land predators such as mammals, and for the most part have lost the defensive adaptations needed to deal with them (with the exception of the oil-spitting fulmarine petrels). The introduction of mammal predators such as feral cats, rats, mongooses and mice can have disastrous results for ecologically naïve seabirds. These predators can either directly attack and kill breeding adults, or, more commonly, attack eggs and chicks. Burrowing species that leave their young unattended at a very early stage are particularly vulnerable to attack. Studies on grey-faced petrels breeding on New Zealand's Whale Island (Moutohora) have shown that a population under heavy pressure from Norway rats will produce virtually no young during a breeding season, whereas if the rats are controlled (through the use of poison), breeding success is much higher. That study highlighted the role that non-predatory introduced species can play in harming seabirds; introduced rabbits on the island caused little damage to the petrels, other than damaging their burrows, but they acted as a food source for the rats during the non-breeding season, which allowed rat numbers to be higher than they otherwise would be, resulting in more predators for the petrels to contend with. Interactions with introduced species can be quite complex. Gould's petrels breed only on two islands, Cabbage Tree Island and Boondelbah Island off Port Stephens (New South Wales). Introduced rabbits destroyed the forest understory on Cabbage Tree Island; this both increased the vulnerability of the petrels to natural predators and left them vulnerable to the sticky fruits of the birdlime tree (Pisonia umbellifera), a native plant. In the natural state these fruits lodge in the understory of the forest, but with the understory removed the fruits fall to the ground where the petrels move about, sticking to their feathers and making flight impossible.

Larger species of procellariid face similar problems to the albatrosses with long-line fisheries. These species readily take offal from fishing boats and will steal bait from the long lines as they are being set, risking becoming snared on the hooks and drowning. In the case of the spectacled petrel this has led to the species undergoing a large decline and its listing as vulnerable. Diving species, most especially the shearwaters, are also vulnerable to gillnet fisheries. Studies of gill-net fisheries show that shearwaters (sooty and short-tailed) compose 60% of the seabirds killed by gill-nets in Japanese waters and 40% in Monterey Bay, California in the 1980s, with the total number of shearwaters killed in Japan being between 65,000 and 125,000 per annum over the same study period (1978–1981).

Procellariids are vulnerable to other threats as well. Ingestion of plastic flotsam is a problem for the family as it is for many other seabirds. Once swallowed, this plastic can cause a general decline in the fitness of the bird, or in some cases lodge in the gut and cause a blockage, leading to death by starvation. Procellariids are also vulnerable to general marine pollution, as well as oil spills. Some species, such as the Barau's petrel, the Newell's shearwater or the Cory's shearwater, which nest high up on large developed islands are victims of light pollution. Chicks that are fledging are attracted to streetlights and are unable to reach the sea. An estimated 20–40% of fledging Barau's petrels are attracted to the streetlights on Réunion.

Conservationists are working with governments and fisheries to prevent further declines and increase populations of endangered procellariids. Progress has been made in protecting many colonies where most species are most vulnerable. On 20 June 2001, the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels was signed by seven major fishing nations. The agreement lays out a plan to manage fisheries by-catch, protect breeding sites, promote conservation in the industry, and research threatened species. The developing field of island restoration, where introduced species are removed and native species and habitats restored, has been used in several procellariid recovery programmes. Invasive species such as rats, feral cats and pigs have been either removed or controlled in many remote islands in the tropical Pacific (such as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands), around New Zealand (where island restoration was developed), and in the south Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The grey-faced petrels of Whale Island (mentioned above) have been achieving much higher fledging successes after the introduced Norway rats were finally completely removed. At sea, procellariids threatened by long-line fisheries can be protected using techniques such as setting long-line bait at night, dying the bait blue, setting the bait underwater, increasing the amount of weight on lines and using bird scarers can all reduce the seabird by-catch. The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels came into force in 2004 and has been ratified by eight countries, Australia, Ecuador, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa, France, Peru and the United Kingdom. The treaty requires these countries to take specific actions to reduce by-catch and pollution and to remove introduced species from nesting islands.

## See also

- List of Procellariidae species

Family of seabirds which includes petrels, shearweters and prions


Effects of Hurricane Isaac in Florida

The Effects of Hurricane Isaac in Florida were severe local flooding in South Florida and tornadoes in Central and Northern Florida in August 2012. Hurricane Isaac formed from a tropical wave while located east of the Lesser Antilles on August 21, 2012. The storm moved westward, crossed through the Leeward Islands, and entered the Caribbean Sea on August 22. Isaac initially struggled to intensify and defied predictions of it strengthening into a hurricane. The storm made its first landfall in Haiti as a midgrade tropical storm prior to making a second one in Cuba later that day. It remained somewhat disorganized while moving through the Straits of Florida and passed near the Florida Keys on August 27. The storm threatened to strike the Tampa Bay Area during the 2012 Republican National Convention and move ashore in the Florida Panhandle as a major hurricane. However, it continued northwestward and avoided landfall in the state. The storm finally became a hurricane late on August 28. Isaac made two landfalls in Louisiana on August 29, the first near the mouth of the Mississippi River and the other near Port Fourchon. The storm steadily weakened and eventually dissipated over Missouri on September 1.

Despite passing closest to the Florida Keys, impact was minimal, limited to tropical storm-force winds and light rainfall. The outer bands of Isaac produced heavy precipitation further north, especially in Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. In the former, the resultant flooding left numerous residents in Royal Palm Beach and Loxahatchee isolated. There was extensive street flooding, and water entered a few houses. Damage in Palm Beach County alone was nearly \$71.6 million (2012 USD). Inland flooding was also reported in several other counties, though losses were generally minor. A tornado in Indian River County damaged 118 mobile homes and 15 single family homes. Further north in Central Florida and the Panhandle, the storm spawned four other tornadoes. Tides along the Gulf Coast of Florida caused erosion and coastal flooding in Bay, Collier, Franklin, Gulf, and Wakulla counties. Though winds caused little damage, around 113,000 customers were left without electricity in South Florida. The storm resulted in two indirect fatalities, both caused by vehicles driving on slick roads in Palm Beach and Okeechobee counties. Throughout the state, damage reached approximately \$91.45 million.

## Background

Hurricane Isaac originated from a tropical wave that moved off the western coast of Africa on August 17. Moving generally westward, the low-pressure area initially did not have a well-defined center until three days later. Convection associated with the system organized and intensified, and the tropical wave quickly strengthened into a tropical depression. In favorable conditions, the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Isaac by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) on August 21. Quickly accelerating westward due to a subtropical ridge located to the northwest, Isaac later moved past the Lesser Antilles between Guadeloupe and Dominica by August 23, where it caused numerous mudslides and power outages. Maintaining tropical storm intensity, Isaac later made its first landfall on the southern coast of Haiti early on August 25 as a result of southeast flow. There, the storm directly killed 24 people, worsening conditions still remaining after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Isaac began to curve northwestward due to its location between a large deep-layer low pressure area in the northwestern Caribbean Sea and a mid-tropospheric ridge over the western Atlantic. After briefly moving into the Gulf of Gonâve, the tropical storm made a second landfall near Cajobabo, Guantánamo, in Cuba at 1500 UTC later on August 25, where damages were comparatively less severe than in Haiti. The storm paralleled the northern coast of the island prior to making a close pass of Key West, Florida, where it caused minor flood damage across the Florida Keys and South Florida upon entry into the Gulf of Mexico. The threat of tropical cyclone impacts in Tampa forced the postponing of the 2012 Republican National Convention. In the gulf, the tropical storm curved to the northwest and attained hurricane strength on August 27 near the southern Louisiana coast. Another ridge of high pressure caused Isaac to move towards the west and slow down as it made two landfalls on the state. Once it moved inland, the hurricane weakened before dissipating over Missouri on September 1.

## Preparations

At 2100 UTC on August 24, a tropical storm watch was issued for all of Florida south of the Jupiter Inlet on the east coast and south of Bonita Springs on the west coast; it also included Lake Okeechobee and the Florida Keys. Early on the next day, the tropical storm watch was upgraded to a warning, while the Florida Keys and the mainland from Ocean Reef to Bonita Springs were placed under a hurricane watch. Further north, a tropical storm watch was issued from the Jupiter Inlet to the Sebastian Inlet. Later on August 25, the hurricane watch was switched to a warning, while a separate hurricane watch was issued from Golden Beach southward. At 1500 UTC on August 25, the tropical storm warning was extended northward to Sebastian Inlet. In addition, a tropical storm watch was issued further north from Sebastian Inlet to Flagler Beach on the east coast and Bonita Springs to Tarpon Springs on the west coast. About six hours later, the tropical storm watch along the west coast of Florida was extended northward to the mouth of the Suwannee River on August 25. The tropical storm watch, which now stretched from Bonita Springs to Tarpon Springs, was extended to Indian Pass on August 26. Simultaneously, a hurricane watch was issued from the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana to Indian Pass, Florida.

After Isaac crossed the Florida Keys on August 26, the hurricane warning was downgraded to a tropical storm warning, and the tropical storm watch from Sebastian Inlet to Flagler Beach was discontinued. Simultaneously, the hurricane watch on the Gulf Coast of the United States was upgraded to a hurricane warning along the portion from Morgan City, Louisiana, to Destin, Florida. Additionally, the tropical storm warning was discontinued from the mouth of the Suwannee River to Tarpon Springs. Early on August 27, the tropical storm warning on the east coast of Florida was discontinued for areas lying north of the Jupiter Inlet. Six hours later, the tropical storm warning on the east coast of Florida was lifted from the Jupiter Inlet southward to Ocean Reef, including Lake Okeechobee. At 1500 UTC, all of the remaining watches and warnings for South Florida were cancelled. On August 28, the tropical storm warning in the Florida Panhandle was discontinued for areas east of Destin. By 1500 UTC on August 29, all tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings were no longer in effect for the state of Florida.

During the week of August 27, the 2012 Republican National Convention was held in Tampa, Florida. Isaac threatened to force the cancellation or postponement of the convention; there was also potential to move the event's location. According to the Republican National Convention spokesman James Davis, officials had been coordinating with the United States Secret Service, should the 50,000 politicians, delegates, and reporters require evacuation. The Republican National Convention was pushed to August 28, with the storms threatening the coast of Tampa. Chairman of the Republican National Convention Reince Priebus announced on August 25 that the convention would only convene for a short amount of time on August 27 and "immediately recess until Tuesday afternoon, August 28". At the same time, Governor of Florida Rick Scott announced he would not be attending the convention, together with Governor of Alabama Robert J. Bentley. On August 25, Governor Scott declared a state of emergency for the state of Florida ahead of Tropical Storm Isaac. Amtrak suspended the Silver Meteor and Silver Star train service from Orlando to Miami on Sunday, August 26. In Miami-Dade County, evacuations were ordered for residents living in mobile homes. Additionally, the bridges across the Port of Miami were closed during the height of Isaac. Orange juice prices increased due to the threat of the storm in Florida, which produces more than 75 percent of orange crops in the United States.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management was put into partial activation, and Florida Power & Light brought in at least 4,300 workers to help with expected power outages. Key West International Airport suspended all flights in preparation of Isaac, while all cruises and many theme parks were delayed. The United States Coast Guard activated hurricane condition "whiskey", restricting the transportation of watercraft until the storm passed. In South Florida, specifically in Monroe County, many schools were used as shelters. In Miami-Dade County, all public schools and universities – including Florida International University and the University of Miami – cancelled classes. While the airport in the county remained open, it cancelled hundreds of flights and delayed many others. As the storm passed, regular services became available once again. Across the remainder of the state, especially in coastal counties, most schools and government buildings were closed. In Escambia County, a mandatory evacuation was ordered for zones A, B, and C. Many shelters were opened for those who had nowhere to go, and all county schools were shut down. At Naval Air Station Pensacola, many planes were either evacuated from the base or placed into secure hangars. Farther east in Santa Rosa County, a mandatory evacuation was also ordered for zones A, B, and C, including all mobile home parks, campgrounds, low-lying areas, and RV parks. In Walton County, special needs and general shelters were opened to the public, and all schools and government offices were to be shut down throughout the duration of the storm. The Clyde B. Wells Bridge was also shut down in anticipation of tropical storm-force winds.

## Impact

The storm impacted nearly all of Florida, despite not making landfall in the state. Due to the weak intensity and path offshore, damage was caused primarily by flooding, rather than winds. Persistent rainbands brought heavy precipitation to much of east-central and southeast Florida. In central Palm Beach County, the highest observed total precipitation was 15.86 inches (403 mm), though radars estimated that as much as 18 to 20 inches (460 to 510 mm) fell in some areas. The resultant flooding left entire neighborhoods isolated and caused damage to homes, businesses, and roads in Palm Beach County. Other areas, such as Broward, Indian River, Martin, Miami-Dade, and St. Lucie counties, were also impacted by flooding, albeit less severely.

Tides along the Gulf Coast of Florida caused erosion and coastal flooding in Bay, Collier, Franklin, Gulf, and Wakulla counties. Though winds caused little damage, around 113,000 customers were left without electricity in South Florida alone. Further north in Central Florida and the Panhandle, Isaac spawned five tornadoes, one each in Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, and Osceola counties. All of them ranked as only F0 on the Fujita scale. The worst twister occurred in Indian River County, damaging 133 buildings, most of which were mobile homes. Throughout the state, two indirect fatalities were reported and losses reached approximately \$91.54 million.

### Southern Florida

Despite the Florida Keys being the closest to the path of the storm, effects there were minimal. In Molasses Reef, sustained winds reached 44 mph (71 km/h), while winds peaked at 41 mph (66 km/h) in Sombrero Key. Rainfall in the Florida Keys was light, peaking at 1.61 inches (41 mm) at the National Weather Service Office in Key West. Winds were stronger in Miami-Dade County, reaching 60 mph (97 km/h) at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) headquarters in Virginia Key. Many trees and power lines were downed throughout the county, with an estimated 33,000 residences experiencing power outages. Tides reaching up to 6 feet (1.8 m) caused major beach erosion and minor coastal flooding in Naples. Between Everglades City and Chokoloskee, up to 3 feet (0.91 m) of tidal inundation occurred, leaving roads flooded, stranding some people. In Goodland, water entered a few homes but was mainly confined to streets, yards, and marinas. Less than 2,000 people were left without electricity in Collier County. Damage within that county was estimated to have reached \$6 million. Throughout southeastern Florida, 113,000 people were left without electricity.

Heavy rainfall fell in portions of Broward County, peaking at 11.21 inches (285 mm) at the intersection of State Road 997 and Interstate 75 near Weston. Other significant precipitation totals include 10.86 inches (276 mm) in Miramar, and 10.41 in (264 mm) in Coral Springs, with 7 to 10 in (180 to 250 mm) reported at numerous other locations in the county. Moderate to severe flooding occurred over parts of northern Broward County. In Lauderhill, canals overflowed their banks and streets were flooded for a few days. Additionally, a few homes sustained minor water damage. Water also entered a few homes and businesses in Tamarac. Standing water also forced the closure of a few on-ramps to the Sawgrass Expressway. Losses in Broward County reached \$1 million.

#### Palm Beach County

The outer bands produced relatively strong winds in Palm Beach County. Wind gusts were estimated to have reached 60 mph (97 km/h) in Tequesta, where the shutters were ripped from a life guard stand and also moved the structure about 3 feet (0.91 m) from its original location. Additionally, winds in the area blew significant amounts of sand away, exposing rocks and creating 8–10-foot (2.4–3.0 m) drops. Slightly further south, waves of 8–10 feet (2.4–3.0 m) pounded the beaches of Jupiter, though only minimal beach erosion was reported. Nonetheless, hundreds of sea turtle nests were swept away, though 100 hatchlings were brought to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach. In Palm Beach County, the outer bands dropped significant amounts of rainfall, with radar estimates as high as 20 inches (510 mm) in some areas. The highest observed precipitation total, measured in that vicinity, was 15.86 inches (403 mm) at Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee, while 13.754 inches (349.4 mm) fell in Boynton Beach, 13.1 inches (330 mm) fell in Greenacres and 12.55 inches (319 mm) fell in Wellington. Nearly all of the eastern half of Palm Beach County experienced at least 10 inches (250 mm) of precipitation.

Due to heavy rainfall, widespread flooding was reported, especially in the central and western portions of the county. Whole neighborhoods in The Acreage, Loxahatchee, Royal Palm Beach, and Wellington were left stranded for up to several days. In some areas, flooding was considered the worst since Hurricane Irene in 1999. At the post office in Loxahatchee, the parking lot was flooded, forcing the building to close for several days. A major washout was reported in West Palm Beach at the intersection of State Roads 80 and 882. Also in West Palm Beach, a road collapsed and fire rescue crews quickly closed the road. On State Road 704, a portion of it became inaccessible to low-clearance vehicles. A man died in West Palm Beach after driving through the storm and crashing into a concrete wall along Interstate 95. Several major and minor roads were also inundated by water in Wellington. Additionally, there was flooding at the intersections of Meadow Avenue and Greenview Shores Boulevard, and Indian Mound Road and South Shore Boulevard. Heavy rainfall left several leaking roofs at an apartment complex in Pahokee.

In the southern portion of Palm Beach County, flooding and wind damage was also reported. Residents reported an unconfirmed tornado in Lake Worth. It knocked over some trees and damage a shed and some roofs, as well as cause a few power outages. The entrance to the gated community of Lawrence Grove in Boynton Beach was flooded by about 1 foot (300 mm) of water and passable only by large pickup trucks. In Delray Beach, lightning struck a tree, causing part of it to fall through an awning, break a window, and slice into a house. Streets were littered with small branches and palm fronds in Boca Raton, while low-lying roads and swales were flooded with several inches of water. One small tree was uprooted across the street from City Hall. Initially, schools throughout the county were to remain open. However, in response to flooding, all Palm Beach County schools were closed on August 27 and August 28. Thereafter, all but eight county public schools – located in Loxahatchee and The Acreage – were opened. Damage estimates for Palm Beach County reached \$71.59 million, \$40 million of which was incurred to the Indian Trail Improvement District.

### Central Florida

Precipitation amounts ranging from 4 to 8 inches (100 to 200 mm) were common throughout Okeechobee County. The most significant impacts occurred in the city of Okeechobee and adjacent areas, such as Taylor Creek. Overflowing creeks and canals caused major flood damage to 14 homes, while another 146 had minor water intrusion. Several roads were temporarily closed due to standing water. One indirect fatality occurred along State Road 78 in Okeechobee, after a 62‐year‐old man lost control of his vehicle and crashed. Winds were relatively light, with gusts between 30 and 40 mph (48 and 64 km/h) along the northern shores of Lake Okeechobee. In nearby Martin County, rainfall averaged between 5 and 10 inches (130 and 250 mm). As a result, several roads in the county were temporarily impassable, while water entered one business complex in Palm City. Further north in St. Lucie County, rainfall amounts were similar. Standing water was reported on roads in Fort Pierce, Lakewood Park, Port St. Lucie, and White City.

The storm also produced heavy rainfall in Indian River County, with 16.5 in (420 mm) reported in Vero Beach. This was the highest observed precipitation total in the state of Florida during Isaac. Elsewhere in Indian River County, rainfall amounts were generally between 7 and 10 inches (180 and 250 mm). Throughout Indian River County, 27 homes and 2 single–family homes were flooded, while 20 roads were temporarily closed due to standing water. An EF0 tornado touched down in Vero Beach for about two minutes, damaging 118 mobile homes and 15 single family houses. According to Indian River County Emergency Management Coordinator Dale Justice, that tornado caused \$850,000 in losses. At the Vero Beach Municipal Airport, sustained winds reached 43 mph (69 km/h). In Highlands County, up to 6 inches (150 mm) of rain forced the closure of a small portion of U.S. Route 98 between Cowhouse Road and County Road 621 in Lorida. The inundation was caused by Arbuckle Creek overflowing and washing a few inches of water on the road.

A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service indicates that a tornado was spawned near St. Cloud in Osceola County. It destroyed an abandoned mobile home, leaving only a floor attachment to the frame. The tornado moved across a citrus grove, causing damage to trees and shrubs. Thereafter, it removed shingles and broke a window at one residence, while some fences nearby were toppled. Additionally, rainfall amounts ranging from 3 to 6 inches (76 to 152 mm) left several roads impassable. The Myakka River overflowed in Sarasota County, flooding the Ramblers Mobile Home Park. Water rose up to the doorsteps of several units, while parking lots and grassy areas were inundated by water. Due to its weaker and further westward track than initially anticipated, impact in Hillsborough County and the city of Tampa was minimal during the Republican National Convention. On the first day of the convention, August 27, Isaac dropped 2.03 inches (52 mm) of precipitation and brought sustained winds of 21 mph (34 km/h) to Tampa International Airport, with gusts up to 50 mph (80 km/h). A waterspout moved onshore near Tampa, damaging 6 houses in addition to the fences and trees on those properties.

### North Florida and Florida Panhandle

Although it passed further west and was weaker than anticipated, the outer bands and fringe of the storm produced light rainfall and two tornadoes in the Florida Panhandle. The first tornado in the region was spawned near Greenwood in Jackson County, but caused no damage. The other tornado touched down near Graceville in Holmes County and ripped off the front porch of a mobile home and downed numerous trees. Rainfall was reported for a 3-day period in Flagler County from August 26 to August 28. In Palm Coast, communities measured between 2 and 3.5 inches (51 and 89 mm) of precipitation. Some minor flooding occurred in parking lots. Gusty winds of 40 to 50 mph (64 to 80 km/h) felled isolated trees in the western part of the county. A few trees were also blown down in Alachua County, one of which fell onto Main Street in Gainesville. Losses in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties amounted to \$10.4 million and \$1.2 million respectively.

Some coastal flooding occurred across portions of Bay, Franklin, Gulf, and Wakulla counties due to storm surge. Erosion was most significant in Franklin County, where storm surge was measured at 3.45 feet (1.05 m) in Apalachicola, while tides were 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m) above normal. Water Street in Apalachicola was inundated with over 1 foot (0.30 m) of water in some places. At St. George Island State Park, waves pushed pass the dune line and flooded parking areas. Losses were estimated at \$500,000. In Bay County, storm surge reached 2.5 feet (0.76 m) at Panama City, while tides were 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3.0 m) above normal. The depth of inundation along 7th Avenue in Panama City ranged from a few inches to about one foot, while other roads in Lynn Haven and West Bay were also flooded. Tides along the coast of Gulf County flooded a road in Indian Pass and the access road to St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, causing closure of the park. In Wakulla County, minor coastal flooding was reported around St. Marks, with 2 to 4 inches (51 to 102 mm) of water in a few businesses. The area experienced tidal flooding only about two months earlier during Tropical Storm Debby. One vacant home experienced minor water intrusion around the time of highest tide in Shell Point.

## Aftermath

Following the storm, Governor of Florida Rick Scott attended a briefing at the South Florida Water Management District before boarding a helicopter to tour flooded areas of Palm Beach County. Scott said, "We've got to take care of everybody's needs but we've got to get our state back to work," and also encouraged tourists to return to the state, especially in Key West, where hotel owners were considering cancelling reservations for Labor Day. A Florida state fund known as Neighbors to the Rescue – with the purpose of distributing money to help recovery efforts for victims of Isaac – was activated by the governor. The area already qualified for small business loans due to a state of emergency and after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reviewed damage assessments, President of the United States Barack Obama considered a disaster declaration. Initially, FEMA denied a disaster declaration. In response, Governor Scott mailed a letter of appeal to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. The appeal was accepted, and on October 18, 2012, President Obama issued a disaster declaration for Bay, Collier, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Martin, Monroe, Okaloosa, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, and Santa Rosa counties.

## See also

- Effects of Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana
- Tropical Storm Debby (2012)
- Tropical Storm Fay (2008)

Effects of hurricanes in the United States


2016 Long Beach ePrix

The 2016 Long Beach ePrix (formally the 2016 Faraday Future Long Beach ePrix) was a Formula E electric car race held on 2 April 2016, before a crowd of 17,000 spectators, at the Long Beach Street Circuit, in Long Beach, California. It was the sixth round of the 2015–16 Formula E Championship, and the final Long Beach ePrix. The 41-lap race was won by Lucas di Grassi for Audi Sport ABT from second place. Venturi driver Stéphane Sarrazin finished second, with Di Grassi's teammate Daniel Abt third.

Sam Bird of Virgin began from the pole position after the fastest driver in qualifying Team Aguri's António Félix da Costa was sent to the rear of the grid for an illegal tire pressure. Bird led for the first 11 laps until he was overtaken by di Grassi on the 12h lap. Di Grassi remained at the front of the field through the mandatory pit stop phase to switch into a second car, but his four-second lead was reduced to nothing when the safety car was deployed on lap 35 after NextEV driver Nelson Piquet Jr. crashed. However, di Grassi kept the lead at the rolling restart to take his second victory of the season, and the third of his career.

The result promoted di Grassi to the lead of the Drivers' Championship with 101 points, after previous leader Sébastien Buemi of e.Dams-Renault scored no points in Long Beach. Bird and Jérôme d'Ambrosio for Dragon maintained third and fourth. Sarrazin's second-place finish moved him from eighth to fifth. In the Teams' Championship, Audi Sport ABT reduced e.Dams-Renault's lead to six points, and Dragon fell from second to third with four races left in the season.

## Background

The 2016 Long Beach ePrix was confirmed as part of Formula E's 2015–16 schedule in July 2015 by the FIA World Motor Sport Council. It was the sixth of ten scheduled electric car races of the 2015–16 season, and the second edition of the event. It was held at the seven-turn clockwise 1.324 mi (2.131 km) Long Beach Street Circuit in Long Beach, California on April 2, 2016. Construction of the track began on February 16, more than a month before the race. A later Long Beach City Council resolution authorizing the closure of pathways lining the track was adopted in March 2016. There were nine squads entering two participants for a total of 18 drivers each for the ePrix.

Before the race, e.Dams-Renault driver Sébastien Buemi led the Drivers' Championship with 98 points. Audi Sport ABT's Lucas di Grassi was in second position with 76 points, Sam Bird of Virgin was third with 60 points, and Dragon driver Jérôme d'Ambrosio placed fourth with 58 points. With 44 points, d'Ambrosio's teammate Loïc Duval was fifth. In the Teams' Championship, e.Dams-Renault led with 136 points; Dragon were in second place with 102 points, and Audi Sport ABT were a further ten points behind them in third. Virgin were fourth with 66 points, and Mahindra fifth with 49 points.

After he was disqualified from the victory in the preceding Mexico City ePrix because one of his cars was underweight, di Grassi said his objective in Long Beach was to contend for either the podium or victory, "Being disqualified in Mexico was obviously a setback in the fight for the title. My team has dealt precisely with the circumstances and will do everything in its power to prevent this happening ever again. The issue is now closed for me and I’m only looking forward now: six races, a good 150 points – there is plenty to aim for and our ambition remains unbroken. In Mexico we lost together, the next time we’ll win together again." Abt stated beforehand that his objective in Long Beach was to enter the super pole session of qualifying and to contend for a podium place.

## Practice

Two practice sessions—both on Saturday morning—were held before the late afternoon race. The first session ran for 45 minutes and the second 30 minutes. A half-hour shakedown on Friday afternoon was led by Duval with a time of 1 minute, 8.016 seconds, followed by his teammate d'Ambrosio and NextEV's Nelson Piquet Jr. Overnight alterations were made to the turn one chicane after drivers raised concerns about its tightness. In the first practice session, held in misty weather and an ambient temperature of 59 °F (15 °C), Buemi lapped fastest with a time of 57.383 seconds. Bird was 0.432 seconds slower in second. The Andretti duo of Simona de Silvestro and Robin Frijns were third and fourth. Salvador Durán was the quicker Aguri driver in fifth, and his teammate António Félix da Costa was seventh; they were separated by Stéphane Sarrazin's Venturi in sixth. Di Grassi, Nico Prost of e.Dams-Renault, and Abt were in eighth to tenth positions. Although the session passed relatively peacefully, Di Grassi ran straight off the dirty track at the turn one chicane, and lightly touched a barrier. Prost and Mahindra's Bruno Senna locked their rear brakes and hit the wall. Venturi's Mike Conway, a two-time winner of the Long Beach Grand Prix, went straight on under braking for turn five, but he avoided striking a wall.

In the shorter second free practice session, held i clear weather, the temperature of the track was rising, and drivers immediately drove onto it to familiarize themselves with setting lap times at 200 kW (270 hp) of power. Buemi set a benchmark time that Virgin's Jean-Éric Vergne bettered. Mahindra's Nick Heidfeld, Sarrazin, Prost and Buemi all held the lead until Abt set the overall fastest lap time of 56.778 seconds with seven minutes remaining. Buemi, Di Grassi, Félix da Costa, Frijns, Bird, Prost, Senna, Sarrazin, and d'Ambrosio made up second to tenth places. As with the first practice session, the second passed without any major incidents, although Duran, Vergne and Frijns (twice) went onto the escape road at turn one; all three executed spin turns to rejoin the track. Heidfeld ran deep going into the same corner, and he swerved to avoid hitting a tire wall. Conway glanced a barrier alongside the circuit on his maximum power lap but he continued with only minor damage.

## Qualifying

Saturday afternoon's qualifying session ran for 60 minutes and was divided into two groups of four cars and another two groups with five vehicles. Each group was determined by a lottery system and was permitted six minutes of on-track activity. All drivers were limited to two timed laps with one at maximum power. The fastest five overall competitors in the four groups participated in a "Super Pole" session with one driver on the track at any time going out in reverse order from fifth to first. Each of the five drivers was limited to one timed lap and the starting order of the ePrix was determined by the competitor's fastest times. The driver and team who recorded the fastest time were awarded three points towards their respective championships.

In the first group, Bird set the fastest lap time of any driver in group qualifying at 56.821 seconds. Frjins was 0.324 seconds slower in second. Buemi eased off his accelerator pedal and lost a plethora of grip entering the first turn, and that meant he could drive into the corner in the method he desired due to him carrying excess oversteer, and he was third-fastest. D'Ambrosio and Oliver Turvey of NextEV were the first group's slowest two drivers. Sarrazin was fastest in group two. Prost had problems with his car's speed despite running without aerodynamic turbulence to slow and he took second with De Silvestro third. Duval was the second group's slowest driver, and overall in group qualifying after he hit the turn five barrier with his car's left-rear wheel during his maximum power lap. Abt used a clean track to go fastest in the third group, followed by Vergne who reported discomfort with his breaks. Piquet and Duran set the slowest two times of group three. It appeared at this point that the five drivers who would progress to super pole had been decided, but Félix da Costa was fastest in the fourth group. Di Grassi followed in second place and Heidfeld was third. Senna and Conway rounded out group four.

At the conclusion of group qualifying, Bird, Félix da Costa, Heidfeld, Di Grassi, and Sarrazin's lap times qualified them for super pole. Félix da Costa was the fourth driver to set a lap time, and he set the fastest overall lap in the third sector, and had the speed for an optimal exit leaving the turn seven hairpin, allowing him to take the first provisional pole position of his career with a lap of 57.178 seconds. Bird made an error at turn one but regained some time by using the kerbs to qualify in second on the grid. DI Grassi had an oversteer that qualified him no better than third. Sarrazin had a lack of grip due to oversteer, meaning he drifted wide on the track, and he was restricted to fourth. Fifth-placed Heidfeld had exess oversteer and rear brake locking. He lost time and glanced the turn seven hairpin barrier. After qualifying, Félix da Costa had all of his lap times deleted because a post-qualifying scrutineering inspection discovered the pressure in his left-rear tire was 0.05-bar (5.0 kPa) below the permitted limit. Piquet received a ten-place grid penalty for changing his electric motor, his second of the season, and series officials ordered him to spend an additional ten seconds at his pit stop. The application of penalties meant Bird began from pole position, ahead of Di Grassi, Sarrazin, Heidfeld, Frijns, Abt, Buemi, Prost, d'Ambrosio, Senna, Vergne, De Silvestro, Turvey, Conway, Duran, Duval, Piquet, and Félix da Costa.

### Qualifying classification

Notes:

- – Nelson Piquet Jr. received a ten-place grid penalty for changing his second electric motor of the season.
- – António Félix da Costa had all of his qualifying lap times deleted because of an irregular tire pressure.

## Race

The race began before a crowd of 17,000 people at 16:00 Pacific Standard Time (UTC−08:00). The weather at the start were dry and clear. The air temperature ranged from 75.4 to 76.5 °F (24.1 to 24.7 °C) and the track temperature was between 80.96 and 83.03 °F (27.20 and 28.35 °C). A special feature of Formula E is the "Fan Boost" feature, an additional 100 kW (130 hp) of power to use in the driver's second car. The three drivers who were allowed to use the boost were determined by a fan vote. For the Long Beach race, Di Grassi, d'Ambrosio, and Heidfeld were handed the extra power. Bird and Di Grassi made equally good getaways but it was Bird who led into the first corner. Although the entire field avoided a major incident on the first lap, Frijns braked heavily for turn one, but he retained control of his car, and fifth from Abt. Félix da Costa made the best start, advancing four positions by the end of lap two. Meanwhile, d'Ambrosio overtook Vergne into turn five. On the third lap, Frijns overtook Heidfeld on the outside for fourth. Heidfeld then locked his rear tyres and ran deep entering turn five, losing further places to Abt, and the e.Dams-Renault duo of Buemi and Prost.

Bird led Di Grassi by half a second as he conserved his electrical energy usage in the early part of the race. Turvey was passed by Félix da Costa for the 13th position. Buemi set what was at that point, the fastest lap of the race on lap seven, as he was moved closer to Abt. At the conclusion of the following lap, Buemi out-braked Abt around the inside at the turn seven hairpin for fifth position. Bird blocked Di Grassi from passing him for the lead on the eleventh lap. On lap twelve, Buemi sought to overtake Frijns but he missed his braking point and momentarily mounted the rear of Frijns' car at the turn seven hairpin. Frijns' rear wing was removed, while Buemi went airborne, and lost his front wing's left-hand section. Frijns was sent around by the impact. Yellow flags were waved at the turn seven hairpin to caution drivers about debris there. Frijns fell to ninth, while Abt and Prost advanced to fourth and fifth.

That lap, Di Grassi caught Bird off guard, and got a better run to pass him on the inside into turn five to take the lead. Both narrowly avoided running over Buemi's section of nose cone from the earlier incident. Frijns and Buemi were shown the black flag with an orange disc by marshals on lap 15, mandating they enter the pit lane and repair their cars, which they did on lap 16. Both elected to switch into their second cars, but their expectations of finishing were improbable. Series officials later deemed Buemi responsible for causing the accident with Frijns and imposed a drive-through penalty on him. Vergne and Duval made their pit stops to switch into a second car to end the 20th lap. The majority of the field, apart from Buemi, Frijns, and the Mahindras of Heidfeld and Senna, entered the pit lane on the next lap. Heidfeld led lap 22, as he and his teammate Senna elongated their electrical energy usage to gain positions.

After the pit stops, Di Grassi returned to the lead, with Bird in second, and Sarrazin close behind the duo in third. Prost was issued a drive-through penalty because his pit stop was a tenth of a second under the mandated minimum time of 67 seconds. Bird's mid-corner speed allowed him to stay close to Di Grassi's low-drag car. But, during his out-lap on lap 23, he locked his cold brakes into turn five, and lightly touched the exit tire barrier with the front of his car. Bird extricated himself from the barrier, and he rejoined behind Senna in seventh place. He had bodywork damage to his car, but his chance of winning the race was over. Bird caught Senna quickly but the latter fended off his passing manoeuvres despite a rear brake bias problem. On lap 27, Félix da Costa overtook Vergne for ninth. The following lap, Buemi set the race's fastest lap of 57.938 seconds, earning him two championship points. Prost took his drive-through penalty at the conclusion of the 30th lap, dropping him from fourth to fourteenth.

On lap 33, Duran was imposed a drive-through penalty for exceeding the maximum amount of permitted electrical energy of 170 kW (230 hp) in his first car during the first half of the race. On the next lap, Piquet was seeking to set the fastest lap, but carried excess speed on the entry to the chicane, launching the left-hand side of his car airborne by clambering over the kerbs. He crashed into an outside barrier at the exit of the pit lane that rejoined the track after turn two. Since he could not drive because his front wing had folded under the car, and was in a dangerous position, the safety car was deployed on lap 35 to close the field up, and to allow Piquet's vehicle to be recovered, reducing Di Grassi's four-second lead to nothing. In the meantime, Félix da Costa entered the pit lane to retire from eighth with a broken suspension wishbone. The safety car was withdrawn at the conclusion of lap 38, and racing resumed without incident as Di Grassi led Sarrazin and Abt. Heidfeld immediately used his FanBoost to try and overtake Abt but was unsuccessful.

Sarrazin had three percent less usable electrical energy than Di Grassi who marginally pulled away from him. He then locked his rear brakes at the turn seven hairpin while under pressure by Abt for second. No positional changes occurred within the top six in the final three laps, and Di Grassi crossed the start/finish line after 41 laps to take his second victory of the season, and the third of his career. Sarrazin claimed his first career podium in second, and Abt took third. Off the podium, Heidfeld could not pass Abt and he took fourth. His teammate Senna was fifth, and he was followed by Bird in the higher-placed of the two Virgins in sixth. The two Dragon cars of d'Ambrosio and Duval placed seventh and eighth. De Silvestro finished in ninth to become the first woman to score points in Formula E. Conway rounded out the top ten finishers. The final classified drivers were Prost, Turvey, Vergne, Duran, Frijns, and Buemi. There were three lead changes amongst three different drivers during the race. Di Grassi led twice for a total of 29 laps, more than any other driver.

### Post-race

The top three drivers appeared on the podium to collect their trophies and spoke to the media in a later press conference. Di Grassi said of his victory, "I'm very happy to show that if you keep your focus, keep up your work, good results come. From the outside races always look comfortable, this is a tricky track, it's very easy to do mistakes. It's an extremely difficult car to drive on the edge so we had no comfort in winning the race. We just had to focus on making no mistakes." Sarrazin said he was happy with the pace of both of his cars allowing him to race at the front of the field and finish second, "We have been so close to a win so many times since the beginning of the Formula-E series. Today is a great relief, and a great joy – everything really came together for us today." Third-placed Abt said he was disappointed not to qualify in a strong position, "In the race I tried to stay cool while others around were making a lot of mistakes, and that helped me a lot. This result was so important for the team and our first double podium is for them."

Félix da Costa bemoaned the lost opportunity to win after his qualifying times were deleted due to an irregular tire pressure, saying, "Finally I had the chance to compete for a race clean and it got taken away. The team is going through a big transition. We're a new team really and I think only this weekend we got the people that will be with the team next year. At the moment all these people coming in and out, mistakes happen. I don't believe in bad luck; the tyre pressure was down because we pushed it to the limit. I can appreciate all the hard work, that we win together and lose together, but it's very painful." Bird stated his belief he was responsible for the error that lost him a podium result, "It was fortunate, really, normally when you get stuck in a tyre wall you don't finish the race, so fortunate in one respect but gutted I didn't get the second or the win. Just a shame we didn't capitalise at one of the circuits we’re good at." De Silvestro had a best result of eleventh before the Long Beach race and commented on her career-best finish of ninth, "We’ve been so close so many times and we’ve never got them. So it's a great step forward. The weekend was good, pretty happy to have it happen in Long Beach too because most of my racing has happened here in the U.S. so it feels like home. You always want to do well in front of your home crowd."

The result of the race moved Di Grassi into the lead of the Drivers' Championship with 101 points. Buemi scored no points in Long Beach and fell to second, one point behind Di Grassi. Bird maintained third place with 71 points, and d'Ambrosio kept fourth with seven less points. With 48 points, Sarrazin's second-place finish moved him to fifth. e.Dams-Renault kept the lead of the Teams' Championship with 138 points, but Audi Sport ABT moved them from third to second, and lowered e.Dams' advantage to six points. Dragon were third with 112 points while Virgin, with 77 points, continued to lead Mahindra on 61 points with four races left in the season. The Long Beach ePrix was dropped from the Formula E calendar in July 2016 because race organizers and the series could not agree on a financial agreement to continue the event.

### Race classification

Drivers who scored championship points are denoted in bold.

Notes:

- – Three points for pole position.
- – Two points for fastest lap.

## Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings

Teams' Championship standings

- Notes: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.

Open-wheel race

April 2016 sports events in the United States