Storm History and Preparations
On June 29, 2005, a tropical wave emerged off the west coast of Africa. Gradually, the system organized on July 2 and formed a broad low pressure area. The system continued to organize, and became a tropical depression on July 4. Tracking westward, it became a tropical storm on July 5 and a hurricane on July 7. Dennis rapidly intensified to attain Category 4 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale before making landfall on Cuba. The storm weakened to Category 1 status before re-emerging in the Gulf of Mexico and intensifying. Dennis made landfall on the Florida Panhandle on July 10 before tracking over Alabama as a minimal hurricane.
On July 8, a hurricane watch was put into effect for coastal areas between the Pearl River and the Steinhatchee River. Early on July 9, the hurricane watch was upgraded to a hurricane warning in anticipation of the storm. Early on July 10 prior to Dennis' landfall, the warning was discontinued for locations between the Steinhatchee River and the Ochlocknee River, leaving Alabama within the advisory. Just hours after the storm moved ashore, the warning was adjusted to include areas from the Alabama/Mississippi border to Destin, Florida. On July 10, the coastal hurricane warning was downgraded to a tropical storm warning, although inland hurricane warnings remained in place. At 2200 (UTC) on July 10, all tropical cyclone advisories were discontinued as the hurricane progressed inland.
About 500,000 people were given evacuation orders in the state, mostly in coastal areas. Residents in Mobile County, and those south of I-10 in Baldwin County, were ordered to evacuate. Similar orders were issued in Mississippi for parts of Jackson, Hancock, and Harrison counties, and for coastal areas in the Florida Panhandle stretching from Escambia County to Bay County.
At 2300 (UTC) on July 9, 2005, all southbound lanes on Interstate 65 from Mobile to Montgomery were closed. Traffic was redirected, making all four lanes northbound to allow evacuations. Likewise, military installations such as NAS Pensacola, Whiting Field, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field and Tyndall AFB were all evacuated days before the storm. Red Cross officials opened 87 shelters across the state which were able to hold about 14,000 evacuees.
Read more about this topic: Effects Of Hurricane Dennis In Alabama
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