MORPHOLOGIC RESPONSE OF BEACHES AND TIDAL INLETS TO HURRICANE IRMA IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, USA

Abstract

Hurricane Irma was a major Hurricane in the 2017 tropical season that reached category 5 and caused catastrophic damage in parts of the northeastern Caribbean and the Florida Keys. Irma was the strongest observed storm and the most intense in the Atlantic since 2005. Irma developed on August 30, 2017 near the west African coast then intensified into a hurricane on the Saffir- Simpson scale within one day. Irma became a major storm at Category 3 hurricane On September 5, 2017 then reached its peak of Category 5 hurricane with intensity of 185 mph (295 km/h) winds. Irma was a Category 4 hurricane, before making landfall on The Florida Keys and was a major Category 3 by the time it made a second Florida landfall on Marco Island and Naples in Southwest Florida on Sunday September 10, 2017. Irma weakened to a category 2 hurricane later that day as it tracked along the Florida peninsula. This paper discusses morphologic responses to the storm in Southwest Florida where Irma made landfall at Marco Island and Naples. FDEP (2018) provides documentation of the post-storm beach conditions and coastal impact of Hurricane Irma throughout the state of Florida, This paper focuses on case studies in Southwest Florida.