 Iris near peak intensity shortly before landfall in Belize on October 8 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | October 4, 2001 |
| Dissipated | October 9, 2001 |
| Category 4 major hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 145 mph (230 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 948 mbar (hPa); 27.99 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 36 direct |
| Damage | $250 million (2001 USD) |
| Areas affected | Windward Islands, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, Eastern Mexico |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Iris was a small, but powerful tropical cyclone that caused widespread destruction in Belize. Iris was the second-strongest storm of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season, behind Hurricane Michelle.[1] It was the ninth named storm, fifth hurricane, and third major hurricane[nb 1] of the year, forming from a tropical wave on October 4 just southeast of Barbados. It moved westward through the Caribbean, intensifying into a tropical storm on October 5 south of Puerto Rico, and into a hurricane on the following day. While passing south of the Dominican Republic, Iris dropped heavy rainfall that caused landslides, killing eight people. Later, the hurricane passed south of Jamaica, where it destroyed two houses. On reaching the western Caribbean Sea, Iris rapidly intensified into a Category 4 on the Saffir–Simpson scale. A small hurricane with an eye of only 7 mi (11 km) in diameter, Iris reached peak winds of 145 mph (233 km/h) before making landfall in southern Belize near Monkey River Town on October 9. The hurricane quickly dissipated over Central America, although its remnants contributed to the formation of Tropical Storm Manuel in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The hurricane caused severe damage—destroying homes, flooding streets, and leveling trees—in coastal towns south of Belize City.
Destruction was heaviest in Belize and totaled $250 million (2001 USD).[nb 2] Because Iris was compact, the damage was largely confined to 72% of the houses in the Toledo district and 50% of the houses in the Stann Creek district. The hurricane damaged or destroyed 3,718 homes nationwide, and wrecked more than 95% of the homes in 35 villages in the poorest parts of the country. Iris left about 15,000 people homeless, many receiving assistance from the government and the local Red Cross chapter. High winds also damaged large swaths of forest and crops, mostly affecting the banana industry. Iris killed 24 people in Belize, including 20 who died when a scuba diving boat capsized near Big Creek. The storm also killed eight people and damaged about 2,500 homes in neighboring Guatemala, and later dropped heavy rainfall in southern Mexico, where two people died.
- ^ "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)" (Database). United States National Hurricane Center. April 5, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ National Hurricane Center (July 11, 2010). "Glossary of NHC Terms". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
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