Effects of Hurricane Irma in Florida
Irma was the first major hurricane to strike the state since Wilma in 2005 and the first Category 4 hurricane to make landfall in Florida since Charley in 2004. The storm made landfall in Florida on the same date as Hurricane Donna, the last Category 4 hurricane to strike the Florida Keys. Irma was only the second hurricane to hit Florida since Wilma, the other being Hermine in 2016. Due to few very intense hurricanes since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, there was concern that many Floridians never experienced or did not recall experiencing a hurricane as strong as Irma was projected to be at landfall, with significant growth in population and assets during the previous 25 years.
Timeline of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season
A total of 16 tropical depressions were recorded, of which 15 further intensified into tropical storms. Of those 15, a total of 7 strengthened into hurricanes, while 4 attained their peaks as major hurricanes. Activity began with Alex which, upon making landfall in the Azores, became the first January landfalling tropical cyclone since Hurricane Alice in the 1954 season. In June, tropical storms Colin and Danielle became the earliest third and fourth named storms, respectively, on record. Hermine moved ashore the coastline of Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on September 2, ending the record hurricane drought that began in the state after the 2005 season's Hurricane Wilma. In late September and early October, Hurricane Matthew wrought destruction throughout the Caribbean Sea and Southeastern United States, resulting in $15.09 billion (2016 USD) in damage and 603 deaths; it remains the ninth-costliest hurricane on record in the Atlantic, as well as the tenth-costliest in the United States. In mid-October, Hurricane Nicole ascended to Category 4 intensity and remained a major hurricane while directly impacting Bermuda, the first storm of such strength to do so since Hurricane Fabian in the 2003 season. The season concluded with Hurricane Otto, the latest-forming major hurricane on record in the Atlantic and the first cyclone to cross from the basin while maintaining tropical characteristics into the East Pacific since Hurricane Cesar–Douglas.