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.
2013 Atlantic hurricane season
An area of low pressure in the eastern Gulf of Mexico developed into Tropical Storm Andrea on June 5. Despite strong wind shear and an abundance of dry air, the storm strengthened while initially heading north-northeastward, before turning northeastward later that day. Andrea intensified and peaked as a strong tropical storm with winds at on June 6. A few hours later, the storm weakened slightly and made landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida. It began losing tropical characteristics while tracking across Florida and Georgia. Andrea transitioned into an extratropical cyclone over South Carolina on June 7, though the remnants continued to move along the East Coast of the United States until being absorbed by another extratropical system off Maine on June 10.