Cape Verde hurricane A Cape Verde hurricane or Cabo Verde hurricane is an Atlantic hurricane that originates at low-latitude in the deep tropics from a tropical wave that has passed over or near the Cape Verde islands after exiting the coast of West Africa. The avera ...

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

area of low pressure In meteorology, a low-pressure area, low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclement weather (such as cloudy, windy, with possible ...

wind shear Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...

explosive intensification In meteorology, rapid intensification is a situation where a tropical cyclone intensifies dramatically in a short period of time. The United States National Hurricane Center defines rapid intensification as an increase in the maximum sustained ...

subtropical ridge The horse latitudes are the latitudes about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator. They are characterized by sunny skies, calm winds, and very little precipitation. They are also known as Subtropics, subtropical ridges, or highs. It is a h ...

maximum sustained wind The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unl ...

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extratropical transition Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...

Labrador Sea The Labrador Sea (French: ''mer du Labrador'', Danish: ''Labradorhavet'') is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean between the Labrador Peninsula and Greenland. The sea is flanked by continental shelf, continental shelves to the southwest, northwest, ...

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

Trans-Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway ( French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the Atlantic Ocean o ...

USD$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

military personnel Military personnel are members of the state's armed forces. Their roles, pay, and obligations differ according to their military branch (army, navy, marines, air force, space force, and coast guard), rank (officer, non-commissioned officer, or e ...

area of low pressure In meteorology, a low-pressure area, low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclement weather (such as cloudy, windy, with possible ...

tropical wave A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...

development Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development hell, when a project is stuck in development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting *Development (music), the process thematic material is reshaped *Photographi ...

convection Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convec ...

Cabo Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

gale A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ).National Hurricane Center (NHC). Development of Igor quickly abated once it was named, as a nearby disturbance produced moderate

wind shear Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...

over the storm, displacing convection from its center. Embedded within a

monsoon trough The monsoon trough is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, ...

over the eastern Atlantic, the system maintained a slow westward track as it weakened to a tropical depression on September 9. Intensification resumed the following day once shear lessened, while the dominant steering factor shifted to a mid-tropospheric

ridge A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...

north of Igor; it would remain so throughout the remainder of the cyclone's existence. Contrary to its earlier movement, the storm's forward motion markedly increased. Following the development of an intermittent eye feature and steady convection around its center, Igor strengthened into a hurricane around 00:00 UTC on September 12. Once classified a hurricane, Igor underwent

explosive intensification In meteorology, rapid intensification is a situation where a tropical cyclone intensifies dramatically in a short period of time. The United States National Hurricane Center defines rapid intensification as an increase in the maximum sustained ...

over the following 24 hours. During this time, satellite estimates indicated that the storm's winds increased from 75 mph (120 km/h) to 150 mph (240 km/h) and its

barometric pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1013.25 millibars, 7 ...

decreased by 52

mbar The bar is a metric unit of pressure, but not part of the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as exactly equal to 100,000 Pa (100 kPa), or slightly less than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea leve ...

(

hPa HPA may refer to: Organizations * Harry Potter Alliance, a charity * Halifax Port Authority, Canada * Hamburg Port Authority, Germany * Hawaii Preparatory Academy, a school in Hawaii, US * Health Protection Agency, UK * Heerespersonalamt, the Ger ...

; 1.53

inHg Inch of mercury (inHg and ″Hg) is a non- SI unit of measurement for pressure. It is used for barometric pressure in weather reports, refrigeration and aviation in the United States. It is the pressure exerted by a column of mercury in heigh ...

). Near the end of this phase, forecasters at the NHC predicted that Igor would attain Category 5 status, the highest classification on the

Saffir–Simpson scale The Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS) classifies hurricanes—which in the Western Hemisphere are tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms—into five categories distinguished by ...

. With a symmetrical 17 mi (27 km) wide eye, deep convection, and spiral banding, Igor maintained Category 4 intensity for nearly five days. Minor fluctuations took place during this period as multiple

eyewall replacement cycle In meteorology, eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones, generally with winds greater than , or major hurricanes ( Category 3 or above). When tropical cyclones reach this int ...

s occurred. After the first of these cycles, the hurricane is estimated to have reached its peak strength around 00:00 UTC on September 15, with 1-minute sustained winds of 155 mph (250 km/h) and an estimated minimum central pressure of 924 mbar (hPa; ). Eye of Hurricane Igor 2010-09-14 1356Z

Passing roughly 345 mi (555 km) northeast of the

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on September 17, Igor gradually weakened as it experienced increased wind shear and dry air intrusion. Over the following several days, the storm curved toward the north and became exceedingly large, with tropical storm-force winds covering an area about 865 mi (1,390 km) wide. Due to an overestimated bias in Igor's intensity, forecasts from the NHC showed that the storm would strike

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = " Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , e ...

as a major hurricane. However, weakening was more marked than anticipated, and by the time its center neared the territory on September 20, winds decreased to 75 mph (120 km/h). Igor made its closest approach to Bermuda around 02:30 UTC, passing roughly 40 mi (65 km) to the west-northwest. Once north of Bermuda, Igor began to undergo

extratropical transition Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...

as it turned northeastward. Though deep convection was no longer consistently over its center, the storm maintained hurricane intensity as supported by data from hurricane hunters. Accelerating along the leading edge of a

trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), the l ...

over the

Canadian Maritimes The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes had a population of 1,899,324 in 2021, which makes up 5.1% of Ca ...

, the storm intensified within a

baroclinic zone A weather front is a boundary separating air masses for which several characteristics differ, such as air density, wind, temperature, and humidity. Disturbed and unstable weather due to these differences often arises along the boundary. For in ...

as it neared

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

. The interaction between these two systems allowed the hurricane to strengthen despite moving over decreasing

sea surface temperature Sea surface temperature (SST), or ocean surface temperature, is the ocean temperature close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air mass ...

s. Around 1500 UTC on September 21, Igor made

landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...

near

Cape Race Cape Race is a point of land located at the southeastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Its name is thought to come from the original Portuguese name for this cape, "Raso", mea ...

, with winds of 85 mph (140 km/h). Shortly thereafter, the storm completed its transition into an extratropical cyclone as it became fully embedded within the baroclinic zone. After turning northwestward between

Labrador , nickname = "The Big Land" , etymology = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Canada , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 ...

and

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...

, Igor's center split on September 22, with the newer low to the west quickly becoming more powerful. Early on September 23, the remnants of Igor were absorbed by the new extratropical cyclone, within the

Labrador Sea The Labrador Sea (French: ''mer du Labrador'', Danish: ''Labradorhavet'') is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean between the Labrador Peninsula and Greenland. The sea is flanked by continental shelf, continental shelves to the southwest, northwest, ...

. For the next several days, this storm slowly moved eastward, before being absorbed into another developing low to the east on September 27, near

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...

.

Preparations and impact

Cape Verde and Leeward Islands

Forming near

Cabo Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

, Igor prompted the issuance of tropical storm watches for the southern islands on September 8. Only minimal effects were recorded as the storm passed closely nearby. Once the cyclone tracked away from the islands, the watches were discontinued on September 9. Although several hundred miles from the

Leeward Islands french: Îles-Sous-le-Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Leeward Islands. Clockwise: Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Saint kitts and Nevis. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean SeaNorth Atlantic Ocean , coor ...

, Igor produced large swells averaging 9 to 13 ft (2.7 to 4.0 m) in height, between September 16 and 21. There were also large breaking waves of 15 to 20 ft (4.6 to 6.1 m) or higher. The prolonged period of this event resulted in minor

coastal flooding Coastal flooding normally occurs when dry and low-lying land is submerged by seawater. The range of a coastal flooding is a result of the elevation of floodwater that penetrates the inland which is controlled by the topography of the coastal land ...

in

St. Croix Saint Croix; nl, Sint-Kruis; french: link=no, Sainte-Croix; Danish and no, Sankt Croix, Taino: ''Ay Ay'' ( ) is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincor ...

. One person drowned near Carambola Beach Resort after being overcome by large swells. Similar conditions affected

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

where another person drowned. On several occasions,

Luquillo Luquillo () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northeast coast, northwest of Fajardo; and east of Rio Grande. Luquillo is spread over 5 barrios and Luquillo Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the ci ...

was flooded by the surf, though no damage took place. In nearby

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

, still reeling from a devastating earthquake in January, officials warned residents of possible relocation from "tent cities" to safer areas. An orange alert was declared across the country, indicating that heavy rains could result in flooding. Portions of the

Greater Antilles The Greater Antilles ( es, Grandes Antillas or Antillas Mayores; french: Grandes Antilles; ht, Gwo Zantiy; jam, Grieta hAntiliiz) is a grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and ...

were affected by large swells and rip currents for several days as Igor approached Bermuda.

Bermuda

Long seen to be within Igor's track, Bermuda was placed under a hurricane watch on September 17 as the threat became imminent. Later that day, the watch was upgraded to a warning as hurricane-force winds were anticipated to impact the islands within 24 hours. This remained in place for nearly three days while Igor impacted Bermuda. Following the passage of hurricane winds, the hurricane warning was changed to a tropical storm warning early on September 20 before being discontinued later that day. The Bermuda government closed its schools and the

Bermuda International Airport L.F. Wade International Airport , formerly named Bermuda International Airport, is the sole airport serving the British overseas territory of Bermuda in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is located in the parish of St. George's and is northeast of B ...

on September 20 and 21 in anticipation of Igor. No evacuation plans were put in place, although a local high school was converted into a shelter for residents who felt unsafe in their homes. Residents boarded up structures with plywood in order to protect windows. Tourists on the island wanting to escape the storm left more than a week before Igor's arrival. Additionally, a

British Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

vessel and helicopter were stationed offshore to assist with recovery efforts once the storm passed. Prior to Igor's arrival, there were fears that the large hurricane would be worse than

Hurricane Fabian Hurricane Fabian was a powerful Cape Verde hurricane that impacted Bermuda in early September during the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the sixth named storm, fourth hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season, developed from a tr ...

in

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

and could "flatten" the territory. These fears resulted from forecasts from the National Hurricane Center which indicated the storm would strike Bermuda as a Category 3 hurricane. However, following post-storm analysis, it was found that the forecast model consensus overestimated the storm's future intensity. Although effects from Igor were observed in Bermuda for several days, relatively little rain fell, with the highest amount being 3.19 in (81 mm). Winds proved to be the most significant factor. Sustained winds reached 91 mph (146 km/h) and gusts peaked at 117 mph (188 km/h) at an unofficial AWOS station on St. David's Lighthouse. Additionally, a

storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the n ...

of 1.75 ft (0.53 m) took place in St. George's; this combined with tides to produce a storm tide of over 4 ft (1.22 m). As the storm arrived, the island's airport was shut down earlier than originally planned due to the threat of

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

es. Against initial fears, Igor left relatively little damage across Bermuda. The most significant impact was from downed trees and powerlines which cut power to 27,500 residents. A few emergency rescues were undertaken during the storm but no injuries occurred. The causeway-bridge connecting St. George's Islands to the main island of Bermuda sustained minor damage, leaving one lane closed for several days. Waves over 15 ft (4.6 m) battered the coast, breaking several ships from their moorings and tossing them into rocks. Officials in Bermuda stated that the biggest loss from Igor would be lessened tourism revenue following a mass exodus prior to the hurricane's arrival. Throughout the islands, damage from the storm was less than $500,000.

United States

Though Igor's closest approach to the contiguous United States only brought it within 600 mi (970 km) of land, its large circulation produced significant swells along the entire

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. High surf advisories were issued in

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18th ...

, as waves of 6 to 10 ft (1.8 to 3.0 m) affected the area.

Rip current A rip current, often simply called a rip (or misleadingly a ''rip tide''), is a specific kind of water current that can occur near beaches with breaking waves. A rip is a strong, localized, and narrow current of water which moves directly away ...

s in Florida pulled four people out to sea who were later rescued. One person drowned in

Surf City, North Carolina Surf City is a town in Pender and Onslow counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 1,853 at the 2010 census. It is located on Topsail Island. The Pender County portion of Surf City is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan ...

after being overwhelmed by rough surf. Along the

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

coastline, waves averaging between 6 and 9 ft (1.8 and 2.7 m) and dangerous rip currents were reported.

Canada

On September 20, roughly one day prior to Igor's arrival in

Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...

, the Canadian Hurricane Center (CHC) issued tropical storm watches and warnings for southern

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

and the French territory of

Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Pierre and Miquelon (), officially the Territorial Collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (french: link=no, Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon ), is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France in t ...

. The following day, the CHC issued a hurricane watch for the eastern and northern coasts. Although sustained hurricane-force winds were recorded across parts of the island, warnings were not issued due to stronger-than-expected re-intensification of the storm as it transitioned into an extratropical cyclone. Early on September 22, all advisories were discontinued as Igor moved away from the region. In response to the storm's arrival, schools were closed, and several flights were delayed or canceled at

St. John's International Airport St. John's International Airport is in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located northwest of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and serves the St. John's metropolitan area and the Avalon Peninsula. The airport is part of the Nati ...

. Offshore, an oil rig with 110 personnel was mostly evacuated near the coast of Newfoundland on September 19. In comparison to Hurricane Earl two weeks earlier, there was substantially less media attention given to Igor, attributed to the possibility of it going out to sea. The combination of a

stationary front A stationary front (or quasi-stationary front) is a weather front or transition zone between two air masses when both air mass is advancing into the other at speeds exceeding 5 knots (about 6 miles per hour or about 9 kilometers per hour) at the g ...

and significant moisture from Hurricane Igor resulted in torrential rainfall across parts of eastern Newfoundland, leading to widespread flooding. In Bonavista, more than 10 in (250 mm) was estimated to have fallen between September 20 and 21. In

St. Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. " laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roma ...

, a confirmed 9.37 in (238 mm) of rain fell, ranking Igor as the third-wettest tropical cyclone in Canadian history. The widespread nature of heavy rains ranked the storm as a 1-in-100 year event. Winds across eastern Newfoundland were also exacerbated by the interaction of the front and Igor. In Cape Pine, near where the center of the cyclone tracked, sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and gusts to 107 mph (172 km/h) affected the area. No records for sustained winds or gusts were broken; however, it was noted as a 1-in-50 year event even with powerful

winter storm A winter storm is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures, such as snow, mixed snow and rain, or freezing rain. In temperate continental climates, these storms are not necessar ...

s taken into account. Along the coast, Igor produced a

storm tide A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the no ...

of 3.5 ft (1.1 m). Additionally, offshore waves reached immense heights, measured up to 83.6 ft (25.5 m); one buoy reported a wave of 92 ft (28 m), but that data is subject to further analysis to verify it. Hurricane Igor packs a punch - panoramio

Hurricane Igor packs a punch - panoramio

The most significant impacts from Igor were attributed to torrential rains, which led to excessive

runoff Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to: * RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program * Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed * Runoff or run-off, a stock market ...

and flash flooding. Several rivers rose to record levels across the Bonavista and Burin peninsulas where many roads were washed out. Entire bridges, homes, and portions of roads were destroyed. In some instances, flood waters overtook the height of houses. In response to the widespread floods, Newfoundland Power Inc. warned residents who still had power by the afternoon of September 21 to turn off their main electrical panel if water entered their basement. Parts of St. Bernard's – Jacques Fontaine had to be evacuated by boat during the storm as rising water flooded some areas of the small town. Portions of

Clarenville Clarenville is a town on the east coast of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Clarenville was incorporated in 1951. It is located in the Shoal Harbour valley, fronting an arm of the Atlantic Ocean called Random ...

were evacuated under similar circumstances after a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

was declared for the town. Water and sewage lines in Sunnyside broke due to flooding. In

Glovertown Glovertown is a town in northeastern Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is in Division No. 7 on Alexander Bay. History Originally, Glovertown was called Bloody Bay. That name dated back to the 18th century and supposedly it refe ...

, downed power lines sparked two fires, both of which were put out by firefighters without injuries. Roughly 150 communities were temporarily isolated as all roads leading to them were severely damaged or washed out. Overall damage to roadways was regarded as "colossal" by Tom Hedderson, the minister for emergency preparedness. A 100 ft (30 m) section of the

Trans-Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway ( French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the Atlantic Ocean o ...

in

Terra Nova National Park Terra Nova National Park is located on the east coast of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, along several inlets of Bonavista Bay. The park takes its name from the Latin name for Newfoundland; it is also the orig ...

was severely eroded, leaving a large ravine behind and disconnecting the main population of Newfoundland from the rest of the island. A bridge washout on the Burin Peninsula left 20,000 people cut off from the rest of the island. Public infrastructure losses were estimated in excess of $100 million, mainly attributed to roadways. On

Random Island Random Island is an island located off Canada's Atlantic coast. Part of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, it is located on the east coast of Newfoundland and partially surrounded by the Bonavista Peninsula on the north and within th ...

, a man was killed when his driveway collapsed from flooding and he was swept out to sea. In addition to flood damage, hurricane-force winds downed trees and power lines across a wide region, and many homes were damaged to varying degrees. An estimated 50,000 residences were left without electricity. The small coastal community of South East Bight sustained some of the most significant wind damage, where entire fishing sheds were hurled into the air. Along the East Coast hiking trail, an estimated 5,000 trees were downed. In all, losses from the hurricane were placed at $200 million, ranking it as the costliest cyclone in Newfoundland history. In terms of its overall impact, Igor was regarded as the worst storm of tropical origin to hit Newfoundland since Hurricane Two in 1935.

Aftermath

In Igor's wake, a state of emergency was declared for 30 communities in Newfoundland. The mayor of one of the towns affected by Igor, Sam Synard, remarked that "We've never seen such a violent storm before." More than 50 families were relocated to evacuation shelters. Electricity was gradually restored to residents; by six days after the hurricane's passage, a few hundred had yet to regain power. In light of the widespread damage, 1,000 personnel from the

Canadian military } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...

were brought in for recovery efforts. The military operation, known as ''Operation Lama'', was to last for the duration of the emergency phase in the immediate aftermath. An initial deployment of 120 soldiers and 40 vehicles arrived on September 25 from the Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in

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. Three ships and a fleet of helicopters were called in for the distribution of emergency aid, and the military set up temporary bridges while long-term plans for reconstruction were made. ''Operation Lama'' also enabled partial repairs of several buildings, and simultaneously, emergency personnel surveyed roughly 500 mi (900 km) of roads in Newfoundland. On September 27, government officials stated that it would take months for cleanup efforts to be completed. Ten days after the storm, six towns were still isolated as slow progress on temporary road reconstruction was made. Allocation of military aid continued through October 6, though the number of on-scene personnel began to decrease two days earlier. Stream washed out by Hurricane Igor in Newfoundland

Stream washed out by Hurricane Igor in Newfoundland

Roughly a month after the storm, a benefit concert was held in St. John's. The concert raised about $400,000 (2010

CAD Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve co ...

) toward storm relief in one night. In late October, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador allocated $275,000 in funds for 200 workers who lost their jobs after two fish processing plants were damaged in

Marystown Marystown is a town in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The provi ...

and Port Union. However, union leaders claimed that the assistance was insufficient and accounted for just 420 of 600 work hours. Following more than a year of discussions, the plant's parent company, Ocean Choice International, decided to permanently shut down operations on December 2, 2011. Numerous insurance claims, reaching $65 million by early November, were made following Hurricane Igor's landfall. Over the course of the recovery phase, several complaints, including concerns lodged by church ministers, remarked that relief funds were not being distributed fast enough and the overall process was taking too long. Roughly ten months after the hurricane, work on permanent reconstruction of roadways began in several areas across the Burin Peninsula. By January 24, 2011,

The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...

received about $1.6 million worth of donations, roughly half of which had been distributed at that point. An additional $200,000 had been pledged by donors. In June 2011, a federal document detailing the actions made by province officials was released to be public and incited further outcry from residents affected by the storm. The main complaint raised was related to the delay in accepting federal aid despite the severity of the damage. In an email sent on September 21, 2010, Denys Doiron, the nation's Emergency Preparedness and Response Officer, relayed that local emergency services reported Igor to be the worst disaster they ever experienced. Doiron also stated that no requests for federal aid were made. On September 12, 2011, nearly a year after the passage of Igor, a

weather buoy Weather buoys are instruments which collect weather and ocean data within the world's oceans, as well as aid during emergency response to chemical spills, legal proceedings, and engineering design. Moored buoys have been in use since 1951, while ...

from St. John's was spotted near the

Shetland Islands Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...

north of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. In early October, Newfoundland was again struck by a tropical cyclone – Hurricane Ophelia. Though a weaker storm, Ophelia caused more damage than expected as it destroyed infrastructure repaired in the wake of Igor. The mayor of Marystown criticized government officials for not increasing the size of repairs, especially to culverts, to account for flooding.

Retirement

Due to the extensive damage in Newfoundland, the name ''Igor'' was

retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

in the spring of 2011 by request of the Meteorological Service of Canada and will never again be used for an

Atlantic hurricane An Atlantic hurricane, also known as tropical storm or simply hurricane, is a tropical cyclone that forms in the Atlantic Ocean, primarily between the months of June and November. A hurricane differs from a cyclone or typhoon only on the basis of ...

. In Canada's report to the World Meteorological Organization, it was stated to be a storm without parallel in the island's history. This was only the second time that the Meteorological Service of Canada had requested that a hurricane name be retired (the first was

Hurricane Juan A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

in 2003). The hurricane is also considered a probable benchmark for future cyclones in the region, having illustrated to residents that they are not immune from hurricanes and their impacts. The name was replaced by ''Ian'' and was first used during the 2016 season.

Notes

References

External links

*

National Hurricane Center The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 3 ...

'
advisory archive for Hurricane Igor
*

National Hurricane Center The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 3 ...

's
Damage pictures
from the

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador refers to the provincial government of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It was established by the Newfoundland Act and its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867. Lie ...

{{Authority control

Igor Igor may refer to: People * Igor (given name), an East Slavic given name and a list of people with the name * Mighty Igor (1931–2002), former American professional wrestler * Igor Volkoff, a professional wrestler from NWA All-Star Wrestling * ...

2010 natural disasters

Igor Igor may refer to: People * Igor (given name), an East Slavic given name and a list of people with the name * Mighty Igor (1931–2002), former American professional wrestler * Igor Volkoff, a professional wrestler from NWA All-Star Wrestling * ...

2010 disasters in Canada 2010 in Bermuda 2010 in Cape Verde 2010 in Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Igor Igor may refer to: People * Igor (given name), an East Slavic given name and a list of people with the name * Mighty Igor (1931–2002), former American professional wrestler * Igor Volkoff, a professional wrestler from NWA All-Star Wrestling * ...

Meteorological history

Preparations and impact

Cape Verde and Leeward Islands

Bermuda

United States

Canada

Aftermath

Retirement

See also

Notes

References

External links