Hurricane Lenny: Difference between revisions

[[Image:USVI Lenny Damage.jpg|left|thumb|Property Damage in the [[Virgin Islands]]]]

Hurricane Lenny first made landfall on [[Saint Croix]] in the [[Virgin Islands]]. The unprotected southwest side of the island suffered hours of heavy rain accumulating to {{convert|8|in|mm}}, {{convert|155|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} winds, intense waves, and a {{convert|15|ft|m|sing=on}} storm surge. Strong winds and the rainfall impacted the agricultural sector, while many boats on the north side of the island either sank or washed ashore. Though damage was heavy, it was not extreme, and no deaths were reported.<ref name="nhc"/>

 

The worst damage was in [[Saint Martin]], the highest sustained wind speed measured at the [[Princess Juliana International Airport|Princess Juliana Airport]] was 84&nbsp;mph and the maximum gust was 104&nbsp;mph at 01:30 A.M Friday November 20 where Lenny dumped heavy rain and claimed three lives. The hurricane affected the island in a weakening motion for more than 36 hours, even more than [[Hurricane Luis]] four years earlier. [[Anguilla]], [[Saint-Barthélemy]], [[Saint Kitts & Nevis]] and [[Antigua]], [[Barbuda]] and [[Montserrat]] were hit hard too while Lenny continued drifting through the Leeward Islands. Torrential rainfall was reported in these islands, with a maximum of {{convert|27.56|in|mm}} on St. Martin.<ref name="nhc"/> The flooding led to mudslides, contributing to the destruction of numerous houses.<ref name="caribb">[http://wwwnotes.reliefweb.int/w/RWB.NSF/480fa8736b88bbc3c12564f6004c8ad5/cd9986f95aded927c125683c0041098b?OpenDocument Overall Caribbean Effects]</ref> Extensive storm surge, strong winds, and {{convert|12|ft|m|sing=on}} waves caused significant beach erosion on their west coasts, the side rarely affected by a landfalling hurricane.<ref name="nhc"/> The industries most affected by the hurricane were agriculture, fishing, and tourism.<ref name="garypadgett">[http://australiasevereweather.com/cyclones/2000/summ9911.txt November 1999 Tropical Summary]</ref>

 

Despite its large circulation, Lenny didn't directly affect [[Guadeloupe]], [[Dominica]], [[St. Lucia]], [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines|St. Vincent]], the [[Grenadines]] and [[Martinique]] but most damage was from {{convert|20|ft|m|sing=on}} waves that pounded the islands, resulting in damaged buildings. Heavy rain and high waves contributed to 5 deaths in [[Guadeloupe]] and 1 in [[Martinique]].<ref name="nhc"/> In Dominica, for example, hotels along the island's west coast experienced major damage, with 35% loss of the banana crop and 40% of coastal roads washed out. 95% of the crops in Barbuda were destroyed, while 65% of the island was flooded.<ref name="garypadgett"/>