TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Today marks the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Frances. It was the second of four 2004 North Atlantic hurricanes to make landfall in Florida. It hit three weeks after Hurricane Charley and was followed by two more hurricanes – Ivan and Jeanne.
According to the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), Frances left behind an estimated $9 billion in damage and evacuation orders were issued for nearly 3 million Floridians.
FDEM leaders say this serves as a reminder for Floridians to have a family emergency plan and a disaster supply kit, as it only takes one storm to make an impact. More information is available at www.FLGetAPlan.com.
“Hurricane Frances was the second storm of what became a historic season,” said Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Director Bryan W. Koon. “Take a moment today to remember where you were when this storm hit us, and ask yourself how well you would be prepared today if it were to happen again right now.”
According to FDEM, Frances made landfall near Sewall’s Point as a Category 2 storm, with sustained winds of 105 mph. Frances then moved across central Florida and was downgraded to a tropical storm before emerging just north of Tampa. Frances again made landfall as a tropical storm the following day when it crossed into St. Marks.
