"I" is for Inundation Trivia Quiz

Answer: Inez

Inez was the second "I" name to be retired, after Ione in 1955. It lasted 21 days with the peak intensity coming on September 28, with sustained winds of 150 mph. It first made landfall in the Dominican Republic as a category 1 hurricane, followed by landfalls in Cuba, the Bahamas, Florida, and finally the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico as a category 2.

It caused the most damage on the island of Hispanola, with $200 million, and caused about 1,000 deaths overall.

Answer: Iris

Iris formed on October 4, 2001 and lasted five days. It intensified into a hurricane just south of Puerto Rico and brushed the Dominican Republic as a category 1, causing landslides and killing eight. It rapidly intensified across the Caribbean, making its only landfall in Belize as a category 4, with wind speeds of 145 mph.

Despite its short lifespan, it caused $250 million in damage and killed 36 people.

Answer: Isidore

Isidore lasted from September 14 through September 27, 2002. It formed as a tropical depression near Trinidad and Tobago, then a tropical storm as it reached Jamaica. From there it grazed Cuba before making landfall in Yucatán, Mexico as a category 3 with sustained winds of 125 mph.

It then weakened but turned northward towards the gulf coast, making a second landfall in Louisiana as a tropical storm. Isidore wound up costing 22 lives and $1.28 billion in damage.

Answer: Isabel

Isabel lasted for fourteen days, from September 6-20, 2003. It reached hurricane intensity on September 7, and a category 5 on the 11th with 165 mph winds. It was still a category 5 on the 14th, 400 miles north of Puerto Rico, and caused powerful surf along the Greater Antilles.

It gradually weakened to a category 2 on its way to the U.S., making landfall in North Carolina on September 14th, with 105 mph winds. Overall, it caused 51 deaths and $5.5 billion in damage, Virginia suffering the most with $1.8 billion.

Answer: Ivan

Ivan lasted for over three weeks, from September 2-24, 2004. It reached hurricane strength on September 5, 1,150 miles east of Tobago. It moved quickly to the Caribbean, where it passed directly over Grenada, killing 39 people and causing $815 million in damage.

It first reached category 5 intensity in the Caribbean on September 9th, passing Jamaica and Cuba before turning north and making landfall as a category 3 in Alabama. Overall, Ivan caused 124 deaths and $26.1 billion in damage.

Answer: Ike

Ike lasted for two weeks, from September 1-15, 2008. Forming in the Atlantic, it quickly reached its peak strength on the 4th, as a category 4 with winds of 145 mph. It made landfall in the Bahamas as a category 3 before hitting Haiti and Cuba and turning into the Gulf of Mexico.

It maintained category 2 strength across the gulf, making landfall on September 13 in Texas. Ike was responsible for 214 deaths and caused $38 billion in damage.

Answer: Igor

Igor lasted from September 8-23, 2010, and was the most destructive hurricane ever to hit Newfoundland. It attained category 4 status, with winds of 155 mph, and came within 345 miles of the Leeward Islands on September 17. It weakened as it turned northward but maintained a very large diameter of 830 miles.

After brushing Bermuda as a category 1, it made landfall on Newfoundland on September 21. It also caused severe rip currents along the U.S. east coast. Overall, Igor claimed four lives and caused $200 million in damage.

Answer: Irene

Irene lasted from August 21-30, 2011. It was only named very close to the Caribbean, 190 miles east of Dominica. It made landfall as a tropical storm in Puerto Rico, then intensified up to a category 3 hurricane, with 120 mph winds, near the Bahamas before moving northward.

It made landfall in North Carolina on August 27 as a category 1, then hit New Jersey and finally Brooklyn as a tropical storm a day later. Irene was responsible for 58 deaths and $14.2 billion in damage overall.

Answer: Ingrid

Ingrid lasted for five days, from September 12-17, 2013. It organized into a tropical storm in the southern Gulf of Mexico and strengthened to a hurricane with maximum winds of 85 mph on September 14. It made landfall on the northeastern coast of Mexico and dealt most of its damage due to heavy rainfall and mudslides. Tropical storm-force winds and rain also came to Texas.

Ingrid caused 32 deaths and $1.5 billion in damage overall.

Answer: Irma

Irma lasted from August 30 to September 13, 2017. It was the strongest hurricane on record in the open Atlantic region, reaching maximum winds of 180 mph. It made landfall at peak intensity on Barbuda on September 6, destroying 95% of its buildings.

After weakening as it crossed the Lesser Antilles, it made landfall again as a category 5 on Cuba before turning northward. It then struck the Florida Keys as a category 4, followed by the west coast of Florida as a category 3. Irma wound up claiming 134 lives and causing $64.8 billion in damage.