On September 2, 2004 a Tropical Depression formed from a large tropical wave southwest of Cape Verde. By the next day it had become Tropical Storm Ivan, the 9th named storm of the season. On September 5th, it had become the 6th hurricane that year. At 5pm that day, the unprecedented happened, as Ivan rapidly strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane. It first became a Category 5 on September 9th just north of the Windward Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. It weakened as it's eye skirted Jamaica and Cuba, but strengthened back into a Category 5 just after passing. Between September 11th and 12th, Ivan was at peak power, but after slipped through the Yucatan Channel and entering the Gulf of Mexico late on the 13th, dropped back to a Category 4.
At 2am, September 16th, Ivan made landfall in Gulf Shores, Alabama as a Category 3 or 4. It managed to maintain hurricane strength till it was over central Alabama, where it became a tropical storm. That same day, it was downgraded again to a tropical depression. On September 18th, while transversing Virginia, Ivan lost all it's tropical characteristics and the remaining low drifted off the US coast over Maryland. It then proceeded to turn and head back south, and started increasing in strength again.
On the 20th, Ivan's remains hit Florida once more, crossing the peninsula. By the 22nd, it had reorganized back into a tropical depression, and after considerable and animated debat, was once again officially called Ivan. The depression made landfall once more, this time near Cameron, Louisiana, on the 23rd, weakened into a low over Texas on the 24th, but managed to hang on till the 25th before dissipating.
Intresting, but what does that have to do with the Roscoe's who where in Connecticut?
Even though it never made it further north than Maryland/Delaware, it managed to dump 3-5 inches of rain on us. Luckily, Brad put in Mopus Bridge and took erosion control seriously. The steep banks and the bridge did not wash away, the water never reached the house, the basement didn't get flooded, and the big crash we all heard was only the cottonwood falling in the side yard. The golf course that bumped up against the back yard on the other hand, was completely flooded. Exploring it, after the flood waters receded to safer levels, relieved a 5 pound zucchini.
Donna made it into bread.
Only she liked it.
