Hurricane Gonzalo shortly before making landfall in the Caribbean. (8/16/2014)
Hurricane Gonzalo was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season, and the costliest hurricane in United States history. While it was a Category 3 storm off the coast of the Southeastern United States, the storm became the largest Atlantic hurricane on record (as measured by diameter, with winds spanning 1,300 miles) at the time. Estimates as of 2015 assessed damage to have been about $112 billion (2014 USD), a total surpassing Hurricane Katrina. At least 561 people were killed along the path of the storm in eight countries.
Preparations[]
When Gonzalo first formed, various governments across the eastern Caribbean issued tropical cyclone warnings and watches, extending from Guadeloupe to the coast of Puerto Rico. As the storm was strengthening and moving through the region, a hurricane warning was issued for the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, and Saint Martin.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued several watches and warnings for the Southeastern United States. The first watches and warnings were issued at 15:00 UTC on October 14th, which was a hurricane watch from the Jupiter Inlet to Bonita Beach, including the Florida Keys and Lake Okeechobee. The watches and warnings were extended into Georgia and South Carolina on October 15th, then North Carolina and Virginia the following day.
Much of the East Coast of the United States, in Mid-Atlantic and New England regions, had a good chance of receiving gale-force winds, flooding, heavy rain, and possibly snow from lower-than-average temperatures. Government weather forecasters said there was a 90% chance that the East Coast would be impacted by the storm. Utilities and governments along the East Coast attempted to head off long-term power failures Gonzalo might cause. Power companies from the Southeast to New England alerted independent contractors to be ready to help repair storm damaged equipment. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University, using a computer model built on power outage data from previous hurricanes, conservatively forecast that over 20 million customers along the Eastern Seaboard would lose power from the storm.
Through regional offices in Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) monitored Gonzalo, closely coordinating with state and tribal emergency management partners in Florida and the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and New England states. President Barack Obama signed emergency declarations on October 17th for several states expected to be impacted by Gonzalo, allowing them to request federal aid and make additional preparations in advance of the storm. Additionally, the National Guard and U.S. Air Force put 45,000 personnel on alert across the Eastern Seaboard to assist in the preparations and aftermath of Gonzalo.
Impact and Aftermath[]
Caribbean[]
Hurricane Gonzalo over the Leeward Islands, October 2014
While moving through the northeastern Leeward Islands as a fledgling hurricane, Gonzalo produced sustained winds of 87 mph (140 km/h) on Antigua and Barbuda, with gusts to 100 mph (160 km/h). Roads were blocked by uprooted trees, while numerous buildings, including several schools, received significant damage. Gonzalo caused an island-wide power outage, schools and businesses were forced to close, and four emergency shelters opened to storm victims. Debris and flooding forced V. C. Bird International Airport to delay its return to operation after closing as a precaution. Damages to residences, government buildings, and agriculture on Antigua contributed to Antigua and Barbuda's national storm cost of around $66 million USD. Six storm-related deaths were reported.
In Guadeloupe, low-lying and cliff-edge homes were evacuated at the threat of flooding and erosion. Schools and public businesses closed on October 15th through the 18th; hospitals stocked up on three days' worth of supplies and checked the functionality of their generators. All 32 of the island's municipalities activated their emergency plans.
Early on October 18th, Gonzalo made landfall on the Camagüey Archipelago off the northern coast of Cuba, with sustained winds of 165 mph (270 km/h). The strongest official sustained wind speed was 124 mph (200 km/h), while the highest wind gust reached 159 mph (256 km/h). The north coast of Cuba experienced significant coastal flooding due to storm surge, with wave heights at Cayo Romano exceeding 26 ft (7.9 m). Approximately 3.1 million people experienced disruptions to the water supply. Gonzalo inflicted $9.376 billion in damage and killed 10 people, making the storm the costliest tropical cyclone in Cuban history, until Hurricane Irma in 2017.
United States[]
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands[]
On October 16th, Puerto Rico declared a state of emergency. By October 17th, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency had deployed response teams in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. Supplies, including food rations, medical supplies, and blankets, were pre-staged in strategic locations on the islands for distribution.
The hurricane curved sharply from its predicted path and passed north of Puerto Rico, although it still caused significant damage to the territory. Along the coast, a tide gauge observed waves up to 1.5 ft (0.46 m) mean higher high water. Much of the main island experienced sustained tropical storm force winds, with a peak sustained wind speed of 55 mph (89 km/h) at a weather station along San Juan Bay, while the same site observed a peak wind gust of 74 mph (119 km/h). Approximately 110,000 people out of 1.5 million of Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority's customers lost electricity. No fatalities were recorded on Puerto Rico, and two were recorded on the United States Virgin Islands.
Southeastern States[]
Hurricane Gonzalo first made landfall in South Carolina on October 18th near the city of McClellanville, 30 miles north of Charleston. Nine people died due to flooding and heavy rainfall, with over 600 individuals hospitalized and over 300,000 people left without power. Additionally, over 116,000 homes were evacuated before, during, and after the storm.
Governor Vincent Sheheen announced a state of emergency on October 16th and deployed the South Carolina National Guard to assist in evacuations and preparations. Power was restored to 80% of homes by October 17th, and over 99% of surviving homes and businesses by October 20th.
Mid-Atlantic States[]
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley declared a state of emergency on October 16th. By the following day, Smith Island residents were evacuated with the assistance of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, Dorchester County opened two shelters for those in flood prone areas, and Ocean City initiated Phase I of their Emergency Operations Plan. O'Malley reached out to Pepco and Baltimore Gas & Electric, securing over 3,000 emergency personnel to be brought in from other states to keep the power on in homes and businesses. On October 17th, President Obama declared an emergency in Maryland and signed an order authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to aid in disaster relief efforts.
On October 16th, Governor Markell of Delaware declared a state of emergency, with coastal areas of Sussex County evacuated. In preparation for the storm, the Delaware Department of Transportation suspended some weekend construction projects, removed traffic cones and barrels from construction sites, and removed several span-wire overhead signs in Sussex County.
New England[]
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy partially activated the state's Emergency Operations Center on October 16th and signed a Declaration of Emergency the next day. On October 18th, President Obama approved Connecticut's request for an emergency declaration, and hundreds of National Guard personnel were deployed. On October 19th, Malloy ordered road closures for all state highways. Numerous mandatory and partial evacuations were issued in cities across Connecticut.
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick ordered state offices to be closed October 19th and recommended schools and private businesses close. On October 18th, President Obama issued a Pre-Landfall Emergency Declaration for Massachusetts. Several shelters were opened, and many schools were closed. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shut down all services on the afternoon of October 19th. On October 18th, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan, and Maine Governor Paul LePage each declared states of emergency.
Chafee surveys storm damage in South County, RI (10/20/2014)
On October 18th, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee and the state's Emergency Management Agency urged that Rhode Islanders be prepared for the storm and "pay attention to the news" as Gonzalo approached. A Declaration of Emergency was signed later that day. Additionally, National Grid USA, Rhode Island's leading energy company, announced that they were better prepared than during Hurricane Irene in 2011 or Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when lengthy power outages were widespread in the state due to what National Grid called a lack of communication among National Grid employees. However, there were over 90,000 power outages due to the storm and several million $USD in damages. In the aftermath of the storm, Chafee, like many other Governors, saw their approval ratings rise in response to their perceived management of storm preparations and relief.