THG's Hurricane Irene 2011 (WMHB)

Hurricane Irene was a powerful, destructive and costly tropical cyclone that affected parts of the Southeast coast and Mid-Atlantic and northeast states in 2011. The ninth named storm, second hurricane and first major hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane season, Irene originated from a nascent well-defined disturbance as it passed over the Lesser Antilles as a weak system on August 21, 2011, before gradual development ensued and the disturbance was designated Tropical Storm Irene. On August 22nd, 2011, Irene began to explosively intensify south of Puerto Rico, from a tropical storm to a category four hurricane in just 16 hours, marking Irene as one of the fastest intensifying tropical cyclones in recorded history. Irene turned to the north after becoming a category four hurricane, and passed between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico before targeting the Bahamas and eventually landfalling in eastern North Carolina on August 27th as a category three hurricane.

Irene weakened to a category two hurricane as it passed Norfolk, Virginia on August 28th. Afterwards, Irene made a second landfall over Ocean City, MD, destroying parts of the boardwalk and widening the Ocean City Inlet as a category one hurricane. On the 29th, Irene transitioned into an extratropical cyclone before passing over New Jersey and three other states before merging with a pre-frontal trough over southeast Canada on the 30th of August.

During its lifetime, Irene caused a total of 57 fatalities and widespread destruction, totaling $18.6 billion. Hurricane Irene was one of the costliest tropical cyclones to landfall in the United States.

WIP