20 years ago, Hurricane Ivan hit the Gulf Coast twice

The deadly hurricane took an unusual path after making landfall in the United States, making landfall in three states and going down as one of the most memorable storms of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season.

On Sept. 2, 2004, a tropical depression formed off the coast of Africa. Just three days later, it was a major hurricane on a path that would lead to multiple landfalls in the United States. Ivan's first deadly strike was in the Caribbean, where it caused heavy damage to Grenada where it killed nearly 100 people. The storm also caused damage in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

Ivan then moved across the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall on Sept. 16 at Gulf Shores, Alabama, as a Category 3 hurricane. It affected the Alabama and western Florida Panhandle coast with a 10- to 15-foot storm surge, more than 15 inches of rain, and 145-mph wind gusts.

More than $18 billion—$30 million in 2024 USD—damage was done in Alabama, making it the most expensive storm to ever hit the state. More than half a million residents lost power.

Ivan's second act: A tornado outbreak and record flooding

After landfall, Hurricane Ivan spun up 120 tornadoes, a record number of tornadoes spawned by a tropical system, inland from Alabama to Pennsylvania. One twister became a monster EF3 tornado near Remington, Virginia, and tossed a car 75 yards away.

The storm also brought record flooding to Pittsburgh and State College, Pennsylvania.

The Ghost of Ivan

Ivan's story was not yet over after it tracked off the U.S. coast and back over the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

The tropical rainstorm moved off the coast of Maryland, then traveled southward, striking South Florida before moving back into the Gulf of Mexico, becoming a tropical depression once again on Sept. 22. On Sept. 24, Tropical Storm Ivan made landfall again at Cameron, Louisiana.