Impact
As Hurricane Dennis moved through the state, sustained winds reached minimal hurricane force in the interior of the state. In total, 280,000 people in Alabama experienced power outages during the storm. No deaths occurred, although Dennis caused three injuries and total damage amounted to $127 million dollars (2005 USD), mostly due to structural damage. There was also severe damage to cotton crops.
Rainfall typically ranged from 2–4 inches (50–100 mm), although rainfall in localized areas reached 12.80 in (325 mm). This caused numerous rivers to overflow causing widespread, locally major, flash flooding. The rainfall flooded numerous state and county roads, some with water up to 5 ft (1.5 m) deep. Parts of Interstate 20 were overwashed with water, temporarily closing the highway. In Dallas County, a mudslide closed a section of State Highway 5. In Greene County, the minor flooding was reported along the Tombigbee River. Throughout the region, numerous bridges were washed away several homes were flooded, sustaining major damage in some cases.
Storm surge generally ranged from 3 ft (0.91 m)–6.5 ft (2.0 m), with the highest surge reported in Mobile Bay as winds became onshore during Dennis' landfall.
A wind gust of 51 mph (82 km/h) was reported at Dothan, with minimum barometric pressure reaching 999.2 mb. It is reported that the worst damage occurred in Escambia and Monroe counties. In the Escambia County city of Atmore, 100 percent of the city's residents lost electric power for some a period of time during the hurricane. The strongest winds occurred in Escambia County, where gusts surpassed 70 mph (110 km/h), leaving numerous structures damaged or destroyed as Dennis tracked through the western half of the county. One man in the county was injured by a fallen tree branch. Also, an unconfirmed tornado tore the roof off a home, forcing emergency workers to evacuate a man inside. In Coffee County, local officials reported wind gusts had blown a carport into a wall of a house. Marengo County received moderate damage, mostly limited to power outages and minor roof and structural damage caused by fallen trees and powerlines. Many customers were without electric power for at least a day, and numerous county roads were covered with debris. A person was injured in Dallas County when a tree landed on their car. Five homes and one business were damaged due to high winds, and thousands of people county-wide experienced power outages. Greene County reported hundreds of downed trees and powerlines causing County Roads 148 and 20 and State Highways 11, 43 and 14 to be temporarily closed. In Forkland, a mobile home caught fire when a powerline fell on the home. A motorist ran into a fallen tree in Boligee although did not sustain injuries. In Perry County, 2,200 homes were without electric power for several hours, and several vehicles and homes were damaged. A structural fire occurred in Russell County and was believed to be ignited by downed powerlines.
Wind gusts in Autauga County surpassed 50 miles per hour (80 km/h), causing $180,000 dollars (2005 USD) in damage. The Robinson Springs United Methodist Church had part of its roof torn off in Elmore County, while numerous other homes sustained roof damage. One person was injured in Montgomery County when a tree fell on their vehicle. Another person was injured in Clay County when he ran his vehicle into a downed tree. A structural fire occurred in Randolph County as a result of fallen powerlines.
Read more about this topic: Effects Of Hurricane Dennis In Alabama
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