Hurricane Emily (1987)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Emily was the only major hurricane to develop during the below-average 1987 Atlantic hurricane season
. Forming out of a tropical disturbance
that moved off the west coast of Africa on September 20, the storm quickly attained hurricane status before undergoing rapid intensification
. On September 22, the storm attained its peak intensity with winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 958 mbar
(hPa
; 28.29 inHg). The storm weakened slightly to Category 2 status before making landfall
in the Dominican Republic
. After weakening to a tropical storm, Emily rapidly tracked northeastward through the Atlantic Ocean
, undergoing a second phase of rapid intensification before passing directly over Bermuda
on September 25. The following day the final public advisory from the National Hurricane Center was issued on the storm as it transitioned into an extratropical cyclone
.
Hurricane Emily brought heavy rains and strong winds in the Windward Islands
on September 21, leaving numerous homes damaged and severe losses in the banana industry. Losses throughout the islands amounted to $291,000. In the Dominican Republic, despite the storm's high intensity, relatively moderate damage occurred. Three people were killed by the storm and damages amounted to $30 million. Unexpected intensification of the storm led to severe impact in Bermuda. The storm caused $50 million in damages and injured 16 people.
, associated with the Intertropical Convergence Zone
(ITCZ), that moved off the west coast of Africa on September 13. Tracking westward at a low latitude
, the system fluctuated in organization, with the development and weakening of deep convection
and weak outflow
for several days. By September 18, the disturbance entered a region where there was sinking air, an inhibiting factor of tropical cyclone
development. Two days later, the system separated from the ITCZ and quickly developed into a tropical depression, the twelfth of the season
, while located about 605 miles (975 kilometers) southeast of Barbados
.
Gradual intensification took place throughout September 20, attaining the status of tropical storm by 1800 UTC and received the name Emily. The storm tracked in a general west-northwest direction around the edge of a strong subtropical
ridge
. By 1200 UTC on September 21, the center of Emily passed directly over St. Vincent
with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). Situated underneath an anticyclone
, rapid intensification
took place as the storm quickly tracked towards Hispanola. In the 24-hour span between 1800 UTC on September 21 and 1800 UTC on September 22, the central barometric pressure of the storm dropped 44 mbar (hPa) to 958 mbar
(hPa
; 28.29 inHg) and winds increased to 125 mph (205 km/h), equivalent to a high-end Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. At the time of peak intensity, the hurricane hunters recorded flight-level winds of 155 mph (250 km/h) and unofficial pressure of 949 mbar (hPa; 28.02 inHg).
Slight weakening took place late on September 22 and early on September 23 as the hurricane neared landfall
. Around 0300 UTC, the eye
of Emily tracked onshore between Barahona and Bani, Dominican Republic as a strong Category 2 hurricane with winds of 110 mph (175 km/h). Within 12 hours of landfall, the hurricane weakened to a tropical storm and had emerged into the Atlantic Ocean
near Haiti
with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h). The storm significantly slowed while tracking through the eastern Bahamas as a quasi-stationary frontal system
influenced Emily. Moving generally towards the north, the center of circulation
passed very close to Inagua
and Mayaguana
on September 24.
By midday on September 24, the system became embedded within the mid-latitude westerlies
and rapidly accelerated towards the northeast. The National Hurricane Center
anticipated that Emily would undergo an extratropical transition
within 24 hours at this point as they forecast it to merge with the frontal system to the northeast. However, the storm unexpectedly underwent a second phase of rapid intensification on September 25, at one point reaching the rate of explosive intensification with the central pressure decreasing at 2.5 mbar per hour. By 0600 UTC, Emily had re-attained hurricane intensity and at 1145 UTC, the center passed directly over Bermuda
with winds of 85 mph (140 km/h). Soon after, the storm reached its secondary peak intensity with winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 974 mbar (hPa; 28.76 inHg).
Hurricane Emily continued tracking northeast throughout September 25 into the following day with increasing speed. By late on September 25, the forward motion of the storm had reached 50 mph (85 km/h). The storm now began to undergo an extratropical transition with forward speed peaking at 65 mph (100 km/h), the third highest forward motion ever recorded in a tropical cyclone. Interacting with a baroclinic zone, the hurricane completed its transition at 1800 UTC on September 26, resulting in the issuance of the final advisory on the storm.
on September 21, a tropical storm warning was issued for Grenada
, Barbados
, St. Vincent
and St. Lucia. A tropical storm watch was also declared for Martinique
. As the storm tracked through the islands, all watches and warnings were discontinued later that day. Early on September 22, a hurricane warning
was issued for the southern coast of the Dominican Republic
and southern Haiti
, including the southwestern peninsula. Upon attaining major hurricane status, a hurricane warning was declared for northern Haiti as the storm was anticipated to maintain hurricane intensity through landfall. Later that day, a hurricane watch
was issued for the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands
. This watch was later upgraded to a warning as the storm was expected to regain intensity over the Bahamas.
Following the anticipation of a more westerly track on September 23, a hurricane watch was issued for the northwestern Bahamas, later superseded by a warning, and a hurricane warning was declared for eastern Cuba
. Early on September 24, all watches and warnings for the Caribbean Islands, including the Bahamas, were discontinued as Emily moved out over the Atlantic Ocean
. On September 25, a special advisory was issued for Bermuda
as tropical storm-force winds were likely to impact the island. Following the unexpected intensification, another special advisory was issued stating that hurricane-force winds would impact the island during the day on September 25. This advisory was discontinued following the storms' passage later that day.
Throughout the Windward Islands, schools and businesses were closed ahead of the storm. In the Dominican Republic, roughly 6,000 people were evacuated from Santo Domingo ahead of the storm. Although the storm never tracked towards Florida
, state officials advised residents to prepare for the storm. Officials were in the "awareness stage" of hurricane preparation as they were discussing the possibility of impact from Emily. In the Turks and Caicos, residents were evacuated from low-lying areas to shelters throughout the islands.
as a tropical storm, Emily brought heavy rains to several islands. In Barbados, high winds caused widespread roof damage and downed trees and power lines; losses on the island reached $100,000. On St. Vincent, the banana industry sustained severe losses, with roughly 70% of the crop destroyed. Schools throughout the island were closed prior and during the storm. Up to of 3 in (76.2 mm) of rain fell within six hours on the island, causing flooding that forced eight families to evacuate their homes. Damage on the island amounted to $191,000, mainly from landslide
s. The outer bands
of Emily produced moderate rainfall across portions of southwest Puerto Rico
, peaking at 4.63 in (117.6 mm).
In the Dominican Republic
, Emily's heavy rains caused widespread mudslides, killing two people. Another person was killed after stepping on a downed power line. An estimated 5,000 people were left homeless in the aftermath of the storm. Upwards of 4.59 in (116.6 mm) of rain fell during the storm in the Dominican Republic. The farming industry was impacted particularly hard, with $30 million in losses occurring. Following the storm, hundreds of volunteers in the Dominican Republic assisted evacuees in shelters and helped officials clean up the affected areas. The Red Cross was also deployed to the region to assist those left homeless by the storm. In all, Emily caused $80.3 million in damage and killed three people.
Although Emily passed over Haiti
, it produced little damage and no loss of life. The lack of fatalities was linked to the amount of forest remaining over the mountains of the country, estimated at 25% of their original size, compared to the 1.4% remaining in 2004. In the Bahamas, Emily produced winds up to 60 mph (95 km/h) along with rainfall up to 1.35 in (34.3 mm).
Since the storm was not expected to be strong when it passed Bermuda
, islanders were caught off guard by the 90 mph (150 km/h) winds. Cars and boats were affected the most, though some houses experienced severe damage during the storm's passage as well. Hurricane Emily caused $50 million in damage to the island, though no one was killed. About 230 buildings lost their roofs and 16 people were injured due to winds gusting in excess of 112 mph (180.2 km/h). The local airport was shut down as a large portion of its roof was blown off during the storm. Several cars and boats were flipped by the storm and a cruise ship carrying 700 people slipped from its moorings. Before the storm's landfall, officials in Bermuda cut power to roughly 90% of the island to protect the power grid. There were also unconfirmed reports of tornado
es associated with the storm. Emily was the strongest hurricane to hit Bermuda since the 1948 season
.
1987 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1987 Atlantic hurricane season was a below-average hurricane season that was limited by an ongoing El Niño. The season officially began on June 1, 1987, and lasted until November 30, 1987, although activity began on May 25 when a tropical depression developed in the east central...
. Forming out of a tropical disturbance
Tropical wave
Tropical waves, easterly waves, or tropical easterly waves, also known as African easterly waves in the Atlantic region, are a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which move from east to west across the tropics causing areas of...
that moved off the west coast of Africa on September 20, the storm quickly attained hurricane status before undergoing rapid intensification
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
. On September 22, the storm attained its peak intensity with winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 958 mbar
Bar (unit)
The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. Other units derived from the bar are the megabar , kilobar , decibar , centibar , and millibar...
(hPa
Pascal (unit)
The pascal is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is a measure of force per unit area, defined as one newton per square metre...
; 28.29 inHg). The storm weakened slightly to Category 2 status before making landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. After weakening to a tropical storm, Emily rapidly tracked northeastward through the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, undergoing a second phase of rapid intensification before passing directly over Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
on September 25. The following day the final public advisory from the National Hurricane Center was issued on the storm as it transitioned into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
.
Hurricane Emily brought heavy rains and strong winds in the Windward Islands
Windward Islands
The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles, within the West Indies.-Name and geography:The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the...
on September 21, leaving numerous homes damaged and severe losses in the banana industry. Losses throughout the islands amounted to $291,000. In the Dominican Republic, despite the storm's high intensity, relatively moderate damage occurred. Three people were killed by the storm and damages amounted to $30 million. Unexpected intensification of the storm led to severe impact in Bermuda. The storm caused $50 million in damages and injured 16 people.
Meteorological history
Hurricane Emily originated out of a tropical disturbanceTropical wave
Tropical waves, easterly waves, or tropical easterly waves, also known as African easterly waves in the Atlantic region, are a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which move from east to west across the tropics causing areas of...
, associated with the Intertropical Convergence Zone
Intertropical Convergence Zone
The Intertropical Convergence Zone , known by sailors as The Doldrums, is the area encircling the earth near the equator where winds originating in the northern and southern hemispheres come together....
(ITCZ), that moved off the west coast of Africa on September 13. Tracking westward at a low latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
, the system fluctuated in organization, with the development and weakening of deep convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
and weak outflow
Outflow (meteorology)
Outflow, in meteorology, is air that flows outwards from a storm system. It is associated with ridging, or anticyclonic flow. In the low levels of the troposphere, outflow radiates from thunderstorms in the form of a wedge of rain-cooled air, which is visible as a thin rope-like cloud on weather...
for several days. By September 18, the disturbance entered a region where there was sinking air, an inhibiting factor of tropical cyclone
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
development. Two days later, the system separated from the ITCZ and quickly developed into a tropical depression, the twelfth of the season
Atlantic hurricane season
The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year when hurricanes usually form in the Atlantic Ocean. Tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic are called hurricanes, tropical storms, or tropical depressions. In addition, there have been several storms over the years that have not been fully...
, while located about 605 miles (975 kilometers) southeast of Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
.
Gradual intensification took place throughout September 20, attaining the status of tropical storm by 1800 UTC and received the name Emily. The storm tracked in a general west-northwest direction around the edge of a strong subtropical
Subtropical cyclone
A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of a tropical and an extratropical cyclone. As early as the 1950s, meteorologists were unclear whether they should be characterized as tropical or extratropical cyclones. They were officially recognized by the National...
ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
. By 1200 UTC on September 21, the center of Emily passed directly over St. Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). Situated underneath an anticyclone
Anticyclone
An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon defined by the United States' National Weather Service's glossary as "[a] large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere"...
, rapid intensification
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
took place as the storm quickly tracked towards Hispanola. In the 24-hour span between 1800 UTC on September 21 and 1800 UTC on September 22, the central barometric pressure of the storm dropped 44 mbar (hPa) to 958 mbar
Bar (unit)
The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. Other units derived from the bar are the megabar , kilobar , decibar , centibar , and millibar...
(hPa
Pascal (unit)
The pascal is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is a measure of force per unit area, defined as one newton per square metre...
; 28.29 inHg) and winds increased to 125 mph (205 km/h), equivalent to a high-end Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. At the time of peak intensity, the hurricane hunters recorded flight-level winds of 155 mph (250 km/h) and unofficial pressure of 949 mbar (hPa; 28.02 inHg).
Slight weakening took place late on September 22 and early on September 23 as the hurricane neared landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
. Around 0300 UTC, the eye
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
of Emily tracked onshore between Barahona and Bani, Dominican Republic as a strong Category 2 hurricane with winds of 110 mph (175 km/h). Within 12 hours of landfall, the hurricane weakened to a tropical storm and had emerged into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
near Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h). The storm significantly slowed while tracking through the eastern Bahamas as a quasi-stationary frontal system
Weather front
A weather front is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena. In surface weather analyses, fronts are depicted using various colored lines and symbols, depending on the type of front...
influenced Emily. Moving generally towards the north, the center of circulation
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
passed very close to Inagua
Inagua
Inagua is the southernmost district of the Bahamas comprising the islands of Great Inagua and Little Inagua.Great Inagua is the third largest island in The Bahamas at 596 sq mi and lies about 55 miles from the eastern tip of Cuba. The island is about 55 x 19 miles in extent, the highest point...
and Mayaguana
Mayaguana
Mayaguana is the most easterly island and district of the Bahamas. It is one of only a few Bahamian islands which retain their Lucayan names. The population of Mayaguana in the 2000 census was 259, amounting to an estimate 312 in 2010...
on September 24.
By midday on September 24, the system became embedded within the mid-latitude westerlies
Westerlies
The Westerlies, anti-trades, or Prevailing Westerlies, are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude, blowing from the high pressure area in the horse latitudes towards the poles. These prevailing winds blow from the west to the east, and steer extratropical...
and rapidly accelerated towards the northeast. The National Hurricane Center
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
anticipated that Emily would undergo an extratropical transition
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
within 24 hours at this point as they forecast it to merge with the frontal system to the northeast. However, the storm unexpectedly underwent a second phase of rapid intensification on September 25, at one point reaching the rate of explosive intensification with the central pressure decreasing at 2.5 mbar per hour. By 0600 UTC, Emily had re-attained hurricane intensity and at 1145 UTC, the center passed directly over Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
with winds of 85 mph (140 km/h). Soon after, the storm reached its secondary peak intensity with winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 974 mbar (hPa; 28.76 inHg).
Hurricane Emily continued tracking northeast throughout September 25 into the following day with increasing speed. By late on September 25, the forward motion of the storm had reached 50 mph (85 km/h). The storm now began to undergo an extratropical transition with forward speed peaking at 65 mph (100 km/h), the third highest forward motion ever recorded in a tropical cyclone. Interacting with a baroclinic zone, the hurricane completed its transition at 1800 UTC on September 26, resulting in the issuance of the final advisory on the storm.
Preparations
As Tropical Storm Emily quickly approached the Windward IslandsWindward Islands
The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles, within the West Indies.-Name and geography:The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the...
on September 21, a tropical storm warning was issued for Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
, Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, St. Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
and St. Lucia. A tropical storm watch was also declared for Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
. As the storm tracked through the islands, all watches and warnings were discontinued later that day. Early on September 22, a hurricane warning
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches
Warnings and watches are two levels of alert issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local population and civil authorities to make appropriate...
was issued for the southern coast of the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and southern Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, including the southwestern peninsula. Upon attaining major hurricane status, a hurricane warning was declared for northern Haiti as the storm was anticipated to maintain hurricane intensity through landfall. Later that day, a hurricane watch
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches
Warnings and watches are two levels of alert issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local population and civil authorities to make appropriate...
was issued for the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.The Turks and...
. This watch was later upgraded to a warning as the storm was expected to regain intensity over the Bahamas.
Following the anticipation of a more westerly track on September 23, a hurricane watch was issued for the northwestern Bahamas, later superseded by a warning, and a hurricane warning was declared for eastern Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Early on September 24, all watches and warnings for the Caribbean Islands, including the Bahamas, were discontinued as Emily moved out over the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. On September 25, a special advisory was issued for Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
as tropical storm-force winds were likely to impact the island. Following the unexpected intensification, another special advisory was issued stating that hurricane-force winds would impact the island during the day on September 25. This advisory was discontinued following the storms' passage later that day.
Throughout the Windward Islands, schools and businesses were closed ahead of the storm. In the Dominican Republic, roughly 6,000 people were evacuated from Santo Domingo ahead of the storm. Although the storm never tracked towards Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, state officials advised residents to prepare for the storm. Officials were in the "awareness stage" of hurricane preparation as they were discussing the possibility of impact from Emily. In the Turks and Caicos, residents were evacuated from low-lying areas to shelters throughout the islands.
Impact and aftermath
Tracking through the Lesser AntillesLesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
as a tropical storm, Emily brought heavy rains to several islands. In Barbados, high winds caused widespread roof damage and downed trees and power lines; losses on the island reached $100,000. On St. Vincent, the banana industry sustained severe losses, with roughly 70% of the crop destroyed. Schools throughout the island were closed prior and during the storm. Up to of 3 in (76.2 mm) of rain fell within six hours on the island, causing flooding that forced eight families to evacuate their homes. Damage on the island amounted to $191,000, mainly from landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s. The outer bands
Rainband
A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar imagery, this precipitation elongation is referred to as...
of Emily produced moderate rainfall across portions of southwest Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, peaking at 4.63 in (117.6 mm).
In the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Emily's heavy rains caused widespread mudslides, killing two people. Another person was killed after stepping on a downed power line. An estimated 5,000 people were left homeless in the aftermath of the storm. Upwards of 4.59 in (116.6 mm) of rain fell during the storm in the Dominican Republic. The farming industry was impacted particularly hard, with $30 million in losses occurring. Following the storm, hundreds of volunteers in the Dominican Republic assisted evacuees in shelters and helped officials clean up the affected areas. The Red Cross was also deployed to the region to assist those left homeless by the storm. In all, Emily caused $80.3 million in damage and killed three people.
Although Emily passed over Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, it produced little damage and no loss of life. The lack of fatalities was linked to the amount of forest remaining over the mountains of the country, estimated at 25% of their original size, compared to the 1.4% remaining in 2004. In the Bahamas, Emily produced winds up to 60 mph (95 km/h) along with rainfall up to 1.35 in (34.3 mm).
Since the storm was not expected to be strong when it passed Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, islanders were caught off guard by the 90 mph (150 km/h) winds. Cars and boats were affected the most, though some houses experienced severe damage during the storm's passage as well. Hurricane Emily caused $50 million in damage to the island, though no one was killed. About 230 buildings lost their roofs and 16 people were injured due to winds gusting in excess of 112 mph (180.2 km/h). The local airport was shut down as a large portion of its roof was blown off during the storm. Several cars and boats were flipped by the storm and a cruise ship carrying 700 people slipped from its moorings. Before the storm's landfall, officials in Bermuda cut power to roughly 90% of the island to protect the power grid. There were also unconfirmed reports of tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
es associated with the storm. Emily was the strongest hurricane to hit Bermuda since the 1948 season
1948 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1948 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1948, and lasted until November 15, 1948. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
.
See also
- Other storms of the same name