Hurricane Irene (1999)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

October 12, 1999 to October 19, 1999

Peak strength

Category 2, 95 kt (109 mph)

Lowest pressure

958 mb (28.29 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

10.4

Eyewall radius at its peak

30 nmi (56 km, 35 mi)

Fastest the center moved

77 kt (89 mph)

Identifier

AL131999

Radar at KBYX as it neared land, Oct 15, 13:00 UTC

The sources count different things and are not added together.

Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.

NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.

Deaths

1 (1 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

7

Property damage

$519 million

Crop damage

$628 million

Events recorded

121 in 25 reports from 8 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

58 flash flood, 42 hurricane (typhoon), 8 heavy rain, 6 strong wind, 4 tropical storm, 2 tornado, 1 high wind.

2 tornadoes recorded in the United States, strongest first.

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 484 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 17.45 inches (443 mm).

WPC’s storm rainfall file, 1900 to 2020, compiled by David Roth.

The strongest winds National Weather Service offices recorded with this storm. An estimated figure is a forecaster’s judgment from the damage, not an instrument reading.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

Hurricane Irene - Minor beach erosion and flooding. Numerous reports of tree and power lines blown down. Max wind gust - 77 mph, St. Augustine (SAUF1) at 170200 UTC.

St. Johns, Florida · Hurricane (Typhoon) · Oct 16, 22:00 UTC

Hurricane Irene - Numerous reports of trees and power lines blown down. Max wind gust - 55 mph, Mayport Navy Base at 170200 UTC. Minor beach erosion.

Duval, Florida · Hurricane (Typhoon) · Oct 16, 23:00 UTC

• Tropical Storm ArleneNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Storm50 kt · 1006 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Depression30 kt · 1004 mb
• Hurricane BretNorth Atlantic · 1999Cat 4125 kt · 944 mb
• Hurricane CindyNorth Atlantic · 1999Cat 4120 kt · 942 mb
• Hurricane DennisNorth Atlantic · 1999Cat 290 kt · 962 mb
• Tropical Storm EmilyNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Storm45 kt · 1004 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Depression30 kt · 1006 mb
• Hurricane FloydNorth Atlantic · 1999Cat 4135 kt · 921 mb
• Hurricane GertNorth Atlantic · 1999Cat 4130 kt · 930 mb
• Tropical Storm HarveyNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Storm50 kt · 994 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Depression30 kt · 1002 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Depression30 kt · 1007 mb
• Hurricane JoseNorth Atlantic · 1999Cat 285 kt · 979 mb
• Tropical Storm KatrinaNorth Atlantic · 1999Tropical Storm35 kt · 999 mb
• Hurricane LennyNorth Atlantic · 1999Cat 4135 kt · 933 mb

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

• Tropical cyclone report, National Hurricane Center
• Every advisory and discussion NHC issued while it was live
• Wikipedia article: Hurricane Irene