Hurricane Isaias (General Wreck)

Meteorological History
On August 9, a disturbance was noted to the east of the Lesser Antilles. It quickly coalesced into a Tropical Depression, and 6 hours later Gale force winds had wrapped around the centre and it was named Isaias. Isaias quickly organised and struck the Leeward Islands as a strong tropical storm with winds of 70 mph. As it entered the Caribbean, the NHC upgraded it to a hurricane. The next day, Isaias strengthened to a Category 2 Hurricane and soon after made landfall in Puerto Rico, with winds of 110 mph and a central pressure of 969 millibars. It weakened to a Category 1 as it passed over the island, but soon restrengthened in the open Atlantic. On August 14, the storm became a major hurricane as it headed westwards towards the Bahamas. Isaias stopped strengthening as it was mixing dry air out of its system, however intensification resumed soon after. As it headed west, the NHC upgraded it to a Category 4 hurricane, the second of the season. Isaias continued west and strengthened further as it approached the Bahamas. Although originally forecast to make landfall in the Turks and Caicos islands, it headed more northerly and intensified into the first Category 5 hurricane of the season. It made a direct landfall on Nassau, where it sunk the cruise ship Empire of the Seas on its maiden voyage. The only person killed in the incident was the Captain who went down with her ship. Isaias continued west, and reached peak intensity with winds of 165 mph and a central pressure of 908 millibars, before weakening slightly as it made landfall on Andros Island. Then, the storm continued west, and as the eye shifted slightly more to the north, the storm made its first US landfall near Homestead, Florida - almost exactly where Hurricane Andrew made landfall 28 years prior. Isaias continued through Florida and then entered the Gulf of Mexico, still as a Category 5 hurricane, before weakening as it underwent an eyewall replacement cycle. The next day, after completing the process, Isaias restrengthened to a Category 5 Hurricane, a status it held for more 18 hours, before it weakened to a Category 4 hurricane for the last time before making landfall at Inlet Beach, Florida and heading eastwards into South Carolina before finally dissipating.