page_title: Effects of Hurricane Dennis in Florida
section_title: Florida Panhandle
hierarchical_section_title: Effects of Hurricane Dennis in Florida / Impact / Florida Panhandle
caption_attribution_description: English: Aerial image of Pensacola Beach, Florida after tha passage of Hurricane Dennis
context_page_description: The effects of Hurricane Dennis in Florida included 14 deaths and $1.5 billion in damage. The tropical wave that became Hurricane Dennis formed on June 29, 2005, and proceeded westward across the Atlantic Ocean. It became a tropical depression on July 4, a tropical storm on July 5, and a hurricane on July 7. Dennis rapidly intensified to attain Category 4 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, and made landfall in Cuba where it weakened to Category 1 status, before re-emerging in the Gulf of Mexico and re–intensifying. The storm made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Santa Rosa Island on July 10.
  As Dennis was impacting Cuba, the outer rainbands affected the Florida Keys causing moderate wind gusts peaking at 87 mph on Sombrero Key. In central Florida, Dennis produced numerous tornadoes, one severely damaging a house. In Punta Gorda, three people were found dead in a car submerged in a ditch flooded by heavy rain. Dennis made landfall in the Florida Panhandle, causing moderate damage, although not as severe as previously predicted. Wind gusts peaked at 120 mph, and maximum rainfall reached 7.08 inches. Storm surge of 6–9 ft inundated parts of St.
context_section_description: Hurricane Dennis made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Santa Rosa Island on July 10. At Navarre Beach, sustained winds of 98 miles per hour (158 km/h) were reported with a peak gust of 121 miles per hour (195 km/h), while a tower at the Pensacola Airport reported sustained winds of 82 miles per hour (132 km/h) and a peak gust of 96 miles per hour (154 km/h). At the Pensacola Airport, a minimum pressure reading of 956.3 mb was recorded and at Navarre, a pressure reading of 965.2 mb was seen. Additionally, an unofficial storm chaser reported a minimum pressure of 942 mb at Pace, Florida. The most severe property damage occurred from Walton County to Wakulla County, where 1,000 homes were destroyed.  Numerous boats were ripped from the dock and either floated out to sea, or were washed ashore. In McDavid, the tin roof of the recreation center for Ray's Chapel was ripped off as about 12 people stood in the hallway.
  Also, several historic sites were damaged or destroyed by Dennis; Angelo's on Ochlockonee Bay, a landmark restaurant, was completely washed away. Beach front cottages on St. Teresa were either damaged or destroyed and several beach dunes on St. George Island were washed away by the pounding surf. On Holiday Island, several houses and apartment buildings were severely damaged.
  On Santa Rosa Island, the hurricane produced a storm surge of 7 feet (2.1 m), over washing parts of the low-lying island on the eastern and western shores. In Apalachee Bay, storm surge of 15 feet (4.6 m) inundated parts of St. Marks and nearby locations, which was higher than previously anticipated and was thought to be enhanced by an oceanic trapped shelf wave that
  propagated northward along Florida's west coast. As a result, sea water washed ashore up to eight blocks inland. The surge, in combination with the high surf, caused moderate beach erosion and wiped out 80 percent of the sea turtle's nests. Along the coast, severe beach erosion occurred as a result of the storm, mostly in Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin and Wakulla counties. As a result of the pounding surf, the Navarre pier was ripped apart in two places.
  Milton received 7.08 inches (180 mm) of rain, which is the highest reported rainfall total in Florida caused by Dennis. Rainfall across the Florida Panhandle ranged from 3 inches (76 mm) to 7 inches (180 mm), while rainfall across the central and southern portions of the state ranged from 1 inch (25 mm) to 5 inches (130 mm) near Tampa. In southern Leon County, flooding was reported with several areas under 7 feet (2.1 m) of water. At St. George Island, 5 miles (8.0 km) of road and numerous buildings were damaged or destroyed. Parts of U.S. Route 98 were washed out by flood waters.
  As a result of the storm, over 236,000 customers in the Florida Panhandle were without electric power. An indirect death occurred when a three-year-old boy was accidentally crushed to death when his father ran him over with a car as the family was evacuating. Two more people died from carbon monoxide poisoning in Escambia county.  In all, two people were directly killed while several others were killed indirectly, and total damage amounted to $1.5 billion (2005 USD). Directly after the storm, Bay, Dixie, Franklin, Gulf, Taylor, Wakulla and Walton counties were declared federal disaster areas.
caption: Aerial image of Pensacola Beach, Florida after Dennis moved through.
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