Hurricane Cindy (2005)
Updated: Wikipedia source
Hurricane Cindy was a tropical cyclone that struck the U.S. state of Louisiana in July 2005. The third named storm of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, Cindy developed from a tropical wave on July 3, off the east coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Soon after, it moved over land before emerging into the Gulf of Mexico. Cindy tracked toward the northern Gulf Coast and strengthened to reach maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h), making it a Category 1 on the Saffir–Simpson scale. The hurricane made landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana, on July 5 at peak intensity, but weakened by the time it made a second landfall along southern Mississippi. Cindy weakened over the southeastern United States and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone as it merged with a cold front on July 7. The remnants of Cindy produced an outbreak of 42 tornadoes across six states. Eventually, the remnants of Cindy moved into Atlantic Canada, dissipating on July 13 over the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Along its path, Cindy produced heavy rainfall, causing flooding and contributing to six traffic deaths – one in Alabama, two in Georgia, and three in Maryland. The hurricane's damage was estimated at US$320 million, and was significant enough for five Louisiana parishes to be declared federal disaster areas. Along the Gulf Coast, Cindy produced high tides, causing beach erosion and flooding that closed some roads. The storm caused the most extensive power outage in the New Orleans area since Hurricane Betsy in 1965. The tornado outbreak associated with Cindy spawned several strong tornadoes, including an F2 tornado in Hampton, Georgia, that caused US$70 million in damage. The damage shut down the Atlanta Motor Speedway for two months. Another F2 tornado in North Carolina destroyed a dairy barn and damaged several buildings. Rainfall from the storm extended into the Mid-Atlantic, causing water rescues in Virginia and Pennsylvania. On July 9, the remnants of the storm set a rainfall record in Montpelier, Vermont, when its airport recorded 2.15 in (55 mm) of precipitation. Many of the areas affected by Cindy were struck by hurricanes Dennis and Katrina in the following weeks.