According to the
Hurricane Research Division of the
Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Hurricane Elena produced Category 3 winds ( or greater) in Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. The
American Red Cross reported that in addition to the hundreds of single-family homes demolished by the hurricane, over 17,000 sustained some degree of damage; thousands of mobile homes, apartments, and condominiums were also damaged or destroyed. A forecaster at the National Hurricane Center determined the worst of the hurricane's effects were focused around
Dauphin Island, Alabama, and Pascagoula, Mississippi, though noteworthy damage occurred across large areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, with effects documented as far west as
South Padre Island, Texas, and as far north as
Kentucky. Nine deaths were attributed to the hurricane in four states and on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and 134 people along Elena's path were hospitalized, many of them due to storm-related stress. In addition to its effects over land, Elena also affected offshore interests. When a cargo ship close to the hurricane's center rolled in high seas on August 29, two unsecured storage containers collided, crushing a man to death. An
oil platform operated by
Exxon and anchored off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, was ripped from its moorings and reported missing on September 2. The oil rig drifted away before it was spotted by a Coast Guard aircraft. Exxon previously evacuated the platform after rough seas snapped the first two of its eight anchoring cables. Damage was reported on four other offshore platforms, and a oil pipeline broke during the hurricane at an estimated cost of $1.6 million (the same pipeline broke two more times during the 1985 hurricane season). A large aspect of the hurricane's devastation was the havoc it wrought on the eastern Gulf of Mexico
oyster industry, particularly in the
Apalachicola Bay area and off the coast of
Alabama. Elena subjected the Apalachicola Bay reefs to high winds, strong tidal action, and moderate to heavy rainfall, churning up huge quantities of silt and mud which suffocated up to 90% of live oysters and virtually destroyed the most important harvesting sites. Commercial harvesting was suspended until May 1986, at which time some of the prominent reefs of the eastern Apalachicola Bay system were deemed able to sustain oyster-catching. Low astronomical tides amplified the effects of severe turbulence in the water.
Florida The storm began affecting Florida late on August 28 and early on August 29. In
Key West, on the east side of Elena's strengthening center, wind gusts exceeded , accompanied by of rain and higher-than-normal tides. Easterly winds produced
significant wave heights of at
West Palm Beach and at
Jacksonville, along the Atlantic coast of Florida, by August 31. Outer
rainbands of the large hurricane produced squally weather over parts of northern Florida as early as the morning of August 30. By then, the low-lying coastline near Apalachicola already began to flood. Elena would continue to affect the state for several days as it meandered offshore, resulting in moderate to heavy rainfall. Upwards of accumulated in many locations, peaking at near
Cross City and reaching at Apalachicola. Farther south in the
Tampa area, the precipitation was less significant, exceeding at
Clearwater. Parts of the state's northeastern coast—farther away from the hurricane's center—also saw formidable rainfall, with a local maximum of at Jacksonville. Despite initial hopes that the hurricane would help alleviate drought conditions across interior portions of southern Florida, precipitation there was generally inconsequential. Storm-heightened tides extended along the Florida coast as far south as Sarasota and generally ran a modest above normal, though their duration and extent proved noteworthy. The highest recorded
storm surge associated with the hurricane was at Apalachicola. Debris from the Big Indian Rocks Fishing Pier drifted northward toward
Clearwater Pass and accumulated along private beaches at
Belleair Shore. The strongest winds were observed in two areas of the coast: from Cedar Key to Clearwater, and from Apalachicola to Pensacola. Winds along and around the Pinellas County coast generally blew from the south or southwest for several days, creating persistent onshore flow that built up heavy seas. Near Clearwater, waves reached in height, marked by a
period of 13 seconds on August 31. One study determined that the storm removed an average of 10 cubic yards of
coastal material per linear foot of shoreline in
Escambia County,
Gulf,
Franklin, and Pinellas counties, with values peaking at 15.6 cubic yards per foot. In some cases, the hurricane left quasi-permanent alterations on beaches and small islands. For example, North Bunces Key—an island of southern Pinellas County—lost most of its vegetation to the storm, and overwashing shifted the southern part of the island up to 330 ft (100 m) from its original settlement. More extensive changes were seen on and near
Caladesi Island, which formed in 1921 after a
hurricane split a larger barrier island into two by a new channel. The inlet became dominant over Dunedin Pass to the south, which grew narrower very gradually until Elena rearranged the dynamics of the beach, allowing Dunedin Pass to fill completely with sand within a couple years of the hurricane's passage. As a result,
Clearwater Beach became connected to Caladesi Island. Elena also created a new inlet known as Willy's Cut, which existed until 1991. Interest in artificially reopening Dunedin Pass prompted an official study in 1994 on the engineering and financial merits of such a project. Due to the high cost of dredging and the likelihood of nearly continuous maintenance, no action was taken. The hurricane tore two barges from their moorings in
Tampa Bay and blew them into
Gandy Bridge, Throughout the area, rising waters inundated streets, washed boats ashore, and destroyed numerous homes along the coast. At low-lying Cedar Key to the north, storm surge exceeded . Floodwaters in
Cedar Key rose to in depth, with waves atop the standing water. The extent of structural damage was largely dependent on construction type, as newer, elevated buildings fared much better than older structures nearer sea level. Waterfront restaurants were especially susceptible; winds blew out several large sliding-glass doors at one establishment, allowing both the winds and the tide to enter its interior. The hurricane compromised several other roads, destroying a section of
State Road 24. Monetary losses in Cedar Key alone were estimated at $2 million, and all major aspects of local infrastructure were severely affected, initially preventing residents from returning home to the island. Most of the affected seawalls were degrading or poorly reinforced. Seawalls with higher standards of construction generally remained intact, though even in those cases, overwash from the Gulf of Mexico topped the barriers and deposited large volumes of sand. The hurricane cost roughly $100 million in Pinellas County. Elena's track parallel to the Florida Panhandle subjected the coastline between Apalachicola and Pensacola Beach to particularly severe conditions that resulted in "significant" property damage there. In Apalachicola proper, winds tore large roofs off buildings, and data from Florida's Department of Natural Resources indicate that 20 residences and one community building in Franklin County were damaged or destroyed. Structural failure was prevalent along the county's waterfront and on islands such as
Dog Island; however, it was mainly limited to poorly constructed buildings. The configuration of the southern tip of
Cape San Blas in Gulf County was changed by the storm. The hurricane wiped out eagle nests, generated freshwater fish kills, and affected other species of wildlife at the
St. Vincent and
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuges.
U.S. Route 98, which closely follows the coast in this region, required extensive repairs after being undermined in nearly two dozen locations. When tropical cyclones move over land, they often produce the wind shear and
atmospheric instability required for the development of weak, embedded supercell thunderstorms, which can produce tornadoes. These tornadoes are usually weak and short-lived, but still capable of producing significant damage. While centered over the Gulf of Mexico, the eastern side of Hurricane Elena's circulation spawned several such tornadoes over central Florida. A tornado struck just east of
Leesburg on September 1, destroying 64 single-family houses and mobile homes, and damaging another 118; seven people were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Later that same day, another tornado touched down over downtown Leesburg, with much less damage. In nearby
Marion County, tornadic activity destroyed six mobile homes, compromised another 50 residences, and inflicted as much as $500,000 in total losses, though only minor injuries were reported. At
Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 in
Cape Canaveral, a weak tornado struck two vehicles near the location where
Space Shuttle Atlantis was being prepared for its first flight. A tornado in
New Port Richey tore parts of the roof off at least one building and brought down trees, and tornadic activity was also identified in
Sumter County. Elsewhere, two individuals died of heart attacks: one while installing storm shutters on his home, and another at a designated shelter.
Alabama The center of Elena passed 30 mi (50 km) south of mainland Alabama as it accelerated toward the Gulf Coast, affecting the state's two-county coast and offshore islands. Wind gusts at
Dauphin Island, situated much closer to the hurricane's eye, were estimated to have reached ; these velocities represented some of the highest experienced on land from the storm, Dauphin Island received an storm surge that resulted in substantial flooding and areas of total overwash. Rainfall amounted to just on the island. Additionally, the storm cut power and phone services. Post-storm surveys revealed discernible patterns in structural damage on the island; these included a nearly complete lack of destruction on the heavily wooded eastern end, and damage concentrated closer to the western side and along areas exposed to strong easterly winds. First-hand accounts relayed that in the most severe cases, entire elevated homes were torn from their
pilings and swept into the Gulf of Mexico. The number of homes demolished in that manner was informally placed at 50, An unofficial and early estimate of losses on the island was $30 million. Winds from the hurricane took a toll on crops, ruining of pecans and reducing soybean production by 10%. Farms were still in the process of recovering from
Hurricane Frederic in 1979 when Elena struck. where Elena inflicted about $715,000 worth of damage to roadways. Most damage was concentrated near the shore, where extensive erosion took place, and on islands and minor peninsulas. Farther inland, Elena's impact was generally limited to downed trees and power lines. An estimated 300 homes in the state were destroyed by Hurricane Elena, and another 1,345 sustained lighter damage. Several other weather stations clocked sustained winds at over . In the same city, the overall conditions following the hurricane were described as worse than those in the prior hurricanes Frederic or
Camille. Elena destroyed 20 houses and two supermarkets in Ocean Springs, and several buildings on every city block sustained severe roof damage due to fallen trees. Two shopping centers were destroyed in nearby
Gautier, possibly by short-lived tornadoes. A
fire captain in Gautier remarked immediately after the storm that he had not yet seen an unharmed building in the city. The community became essentially isolated from the outside world, and quickly began to run short of food, clean water, and gasoline supplies.
Harrison and
Hancock counties were generally not affected quite as severely as communities closer to the Alabama border, but the entire area still suffered extensively. In sections of Gulfport, large fires were sparked by downed power lines and fed by broken natural gas pipes. Debris on roadways prevented firefighters from reaching the fires, allowing them to spread. Similar destruction was seen to the east at Biloxi, where the hurricane's winds tore the roofs off many buildings. Beachfront communities were in a state of disarray, with large trees uprooted, debris littering the ground, and accumulations of sand on parts of roads like U.S. 90. Most homes in the area survived the storm, which was locally estimated to have been a once-in-50-year event, with relatively little damage. Several buildings along the coast in the Biloxi area sustained severe damage, but many of the older houses near the Gulf of Mexico there fared remarkably well. Winds brought down large highway signs, in some cases striking nearby buildings. Along the coast, Elena caused beach erosion, damaged coastal structures and recreational beach facilities, and dislocated navigational buoys and markers in various ports, several of which were closed pending Coast Guard inspection. There were numerous reports in southern Mississippi of embedded tornadoes that exacerbated the hurricane's effects. Reports in Gulfport indicated that three schools actively being used as hurricane shelters were struck and damaged by tornadoes. At one location, almost 400 people being housed in a school had to rush to safety before part of its roof collapsed. Another apparent tornado sideswiped a senior citizens' center, endangering nearly 200 people in a structure that sustained damage to windows, doors, and part of its roof; about 20 people required rescue by paramedics. Only minor injuries occurred in association with the possible tornadoes. Teams of experts tasked with reviewing the validity of tornado reports were largely unable to prove that a significant portion of the damage in southern Mississippi had been done by tornadoes. As a result, few tornadoes were confirmed, Operations at
Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula were halted due to the power outage and widespread damage to the shipyard's buildings and cranes, Facilities at
Horn Island in the
Gulf Islands National Seashore,
Buccaneer State Park, and the
Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge required repairs following the storm; at the latter, damages included the cost of healing a
Florida sandhill crane's injured leg. Thirty seafood processing plants were damaged, and one was destroyed. The Red Cross estimated that 200 single-family houses in the state were destroyed, and some 13,200 were damaged, 1,200 of them heavily. Additionally, the hurricane demolished 390 mobile homes and damaged another 2,290. The overall cost of damage in Mississippi alone approached $1 billion. The hurricane also overturned mobile homes and strew debris throughout communities such as
Bogalusa and
Franklinton in Washington Parish, the hardest-hit area in the state. Downed trees caused damage to 200 homes and another 200 businesses, chiefly near Bogalusa. Located southwest of the storm's core, New Orleans escaped with little damage and relatively benign weather conditions; still, the hurricane triggered minor flooding and brought down tree limbs around the city. Levees along the shores of Lake Pontchartrain were able to contain the lake's large waves, despite initial fears to the contrary. The storm led to the deaths of two individuals in the state: one due to a drowning in
St. Tammany Parish and another in a traffic accident attributed to the weather. The hurricane, along with Danny and Juan, also affected several other barrier islands, and Elena itself removed as much as of beach along the island of
Grand Isle, Louisiana.
Elsewhere on August 28 Precipitation from Hurricane Elena reached into southern
Georgia and parts of
South Carolina, For several days after landfall, the weakening tropical cyclone produced moderate to heavy rainfall across portions of central and northern Arkansas. Rainfall totals were generally , with locally higher amounts;
Mountain Home, Arkansas received of rain, including in just three hours on September 4.
Clinton to the south recorded . At the state capital of
Little Rock, under of liquid fell. Early in its formative stages, Elena triggered rainshowers and thunderstorms over parts of Cuba,
The Bahamas, and
Hispaniola. Later, the mature hurricane generated strong
rip currents as far away as
South Padre Island, Texas, where two swimmers drowned in separate incidents over the Labor Day weekend. Both victims were male Texas residents. ==Aftermath==