Hurricane Isidore
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- This page is about the 2002 Hurricane Isidore. For other hurricanes named "Isidore", see Hurricane Isidore (disambiguation).
Hurricane Isidore was the ninth named storm out of twelve to hit during the 2002 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the second hurricane to occur during this season, and one of eight named storms to occur in September 2002.
Storm history
Isidore lasted for 13 days from September 14 to September 27, 2002. It became a tropical depression south of Jamaica on the 17th. It reached tropical storm status just barely grazing the island nation on the 18th. It became a hurricane in the early morning hours on the 19th. Its winds reached 100 mph while approaching the Isle of Youth in Cuba. Its winds dropped a bit and made landfall near Cabo Frances in the early evening hours on September 20.
It pounded Cuba for 12 hours before moving on to the Yucatan Peninsula. It reached its maximum intensity of 120 mph just before landfall at Puerto Telchac in Yucatan. It was nearly stationary over Yucatan for a day or so. Before it moved, it weakened to a tropical storm. It never re-developed over the Gulf of Mexico and made its only U.S. landfall at Grand Isle, Louisiana on September 26. It weakened to a tropical depression and produced heavy rains in the deep south. The storm dissipated over Pennsylvania on September 27 when it was absorbed by a frontal system.
Casualties and damage
According to the NHC, Isidore claimed a total of seven lives. Two indirect deaths in Mexico. One person was electrocuted by a fallen power line, and one was killed in a weather-related car crash. There were four direct and one indirect deaths in the United States. The indirect death was from a man that went into cardiac arrest in Mississippi, the other four were drowning deaths.
Isidore caused $330 million in damage.
The name Isidore was retired in 2002 and will be replaced by Ike in 2008.