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C> C> i C1 IRENE: Category 11 Hurricane with maximumn sustained winds of 105mph. Irene was the season's most difficult system to forecast. Irene developed 300 miles west of Jamaica. The system moved north for 36 hours and quickly became a hurricane. Irene moved over the western portion of Cuba with winds of 75mph and rainfall totals near 10 inches. While making landfall in Cuba, satellite image, indicated the system was disorganized and quickly losing strenuth. 'I he National Hurricane Center issued a Iiurric fizz Watch for portions of southwest Florida grid the Keys. A Tropical Stone 'Watch was issued for the southeast coast of Florida. els lretie moved over the Scothern Gulf of tiexico, the system began to reorganize and gain strength Hurricane Warnings were issued for southwest Florida and the Keys. Tropica! Store Warnings %rit ismied for tb-! !mst C^as! of 1-lartd ; ft. -I'm Daytona Beach, south to Miami. Irene provided copious amounts of ram throughout south Florida prior to landfall. Flooding occurred in many areas south of Martin County. Indian River County- was spared any rainfall for 24 hours which would later prove to be very important. Irene moved over south Florida with winds of 85mph The center made landfall just south of Naples over the Everglades. Over 20 inches of rain flcxrdcd south Florida as Irtme moved. northeast. f=lood Warnings were issued for most of south Florida and as Irene inade landfall winds of 7[hriph complicated the tImAing situation As the center moved across south 1 1vn&a, the expected weakening trend did not occur. The tropical structure of Irene did not breakdown and, to everyone's surprise, the system maintained high tropical storm force; windy until it exited the peninsula near Melbourne. ,[,his wits unusual for a storm to remain so strong after making landfall_ Officials at the National hurricane Center attribute this to the fact that bene moved cPvct the Everglades. While not ocean water, the Everglades is a moist environment and can act as a quasi - ocean effect. If this theory is true, the weakening stage for Irene did not begin until well. inland and approaching the east coast. Indian River County Emergency Management did not activate the Emergency Operations Center due to only 'Tropical Storm Warnings issued in our area. No Hurricane Warnings were issued for the Treasure Coast area. Also, the amount of rainfall was expected to be less because of dry bands that movec! into [lie area 24 hours ahead of bene. Although the winds remained within tropical storm force, the rainfall was far more than anticipated. Emergency Management was opened at 3:30am, October 16, 1999. The office remained open until damage assessment was completed ind waters Ugan to iccc;dc. The office closed at 7:00pm, October 16, 1999. 54