(Redirected from Hurricane Dean)
'Hurricane Dean' was the fourth named storm, first
hurricane, first
major hurricane and first Category 5 hurricane of the
2007 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the most intense tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin since
Hurricane Wilma of
2005, is the ninth most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and is the third most intense Atlantic hurricane ever at landfall. A
Cape Verde-type hurricane, Dean took a west-northwest path through the
Caribbean Sea, passing just to the south of
Jamaica on
August 20, making landfall in the
Yucatan on
August 21, and a second landfall near
Tecolutla,
Mexico, on
August 22 after crossing the
Bay of Campeche. At least 42 deaths have been reported and insured damage is estimated at about $1.9 billion (
USD).
Dean was the first hurricane to make landfall in the Atlantic basin at
Category 5 intensity in 15 years; the last storm to do so was
Hurricane Andrew on
August 24,
1992.
[1] Although Dean was much larger than Andrew its Category 5 landfall was in a more sparsely populated area and thus far less damaging.
Storm history
Main articles: Meteorological history of Hurricane Dean
On
August 11,
2007, a
tropical wave moved off the west coast of
Africa,
[2] and, encountering favorable conditions,
[3] quickly developed into
Tropical Depression Four about 520 miles (835 km)
west-southwest of
Cape Verde.
[4] The depression moved briskly westward,
[5] and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Dean at 1500
UTC on
August 14.
[6] The storm's intensity continued to build
[7] although dry air and cooler air inflow from the north were slowing structural development.
Ragged bands formed on
August 15[8] and the formation of a partial
eyewall was observed later that day.
[9]
Intensification continued
[10] and the storm was upgraded to Hurricane Dean at 5 a.m.
EDT (0900
UTC)
August 16.
[11] The deep-layered ridge to the north continued to steer the system west, towards the
Caribbean Sea.
[12] The storm quickly strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane on the
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.
[13][14] The storm's development slowed slightly but
[15] a
reconnaissance aircraft discovered a closed eyewall on
August 17 as the storm passed through the Lesser Antilles.
[16] Data from the aircraft indicated that Hurricane Dean had strengthened to a
Category 3 hurricane
[17] and its trailing bands were still over the Lesser Antilles.
[18] During the evening of
August 17 Dean strengthened into a
Category 4 hurricane
[19] and continued to steadily grow in both size and intensifying through the night.
[20] On
August 18 the presence of a double eyewall was noted,
[21] indicating an
eyewall replacement cycle and causing short term fluctuations in intensity.
[22] These fluctuations did not affect the storm's well defined satellite presentation.
[21] Hurricane Dean weakened very slightly on morning of
August 19 as it finished the eyewall replacement cycle and began to interact with the island of Jamaica
[24]
Hurricane Dean passed south of Jamaica on the evening of
August 19[25] and began to intensify again that night.
[26] Its eyewall replacement cycle was thought to be completed.
[27] A concentric eyewall was briefly observed again on the morning of
August 20, but did not last long. The hurricane, still tracking west-northwest under the influence of a strengthening deep-layered high pressure system to the north, moved over waters with extremely high heat content and began to strengthen once again.
[28] The eyewall became even better defined throughout the day,
[29] and, at 8:35 p.m.
AST on
August 20 (0035
August 21,
UTC), Dean was upgraded to a
Category 5 hurricane, the highest rating on the
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.
[30] It made landfall as a Category 5 storm in
Quintana Roo's
Costa Maya region, some 65 km (40 mi) northeast of the border between
Mexico and
Belize, and weakened on its way over land, reemerging on the western side of Yucatan as a Category 1 storm.
[31] Dean regained strength as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico, and made its second landfall as a Category 2 storm on
22 August, at around 11:30 CDT, near
Tecolutla,
Veracruz, to the south of
Tuxpan, whereafter it moved westward, losing strength and mostly disintegrating over central Mexico. A small remnant circulation did enter the far east Pacific, eventually moving northwestward around an
anticyclone, roughly parallel to the Mexican coast and finally back inland over the southwestern United States, where it completely dissipated on
27 August.
Preparations
Area preparations (marked in red) as of
August 19 for Hurricane Dean.
About a dozen cruise ships altered their itineraries to avoid the hurricane.
[32]
Oil
futures moved sharply higher on
August 15 as analysts considered the impact of Hurricane Dean on refining capacity if it were to move into the Caribbean as predicted.
[33][34] Transocean evacuated 11 "nonessential" workers late on
August 15 from an
oil rig located about 160 miles (260 km) southeast of
New Orleans. The company left about 125 personnel on board the structure.
[35] A day later,
Royal Dutch Shell evacuated 275 ancillary staff, following an evacuation of 188 due to
Tropical Storm Erin.
[32]
On
August 18,
2007, 10,300
barrels (1,210 m³) of oil and 11 million
cubic feet (310,000 m³) of
natural gas were shut in per day, accounting for 0.8% of crude production in the
Gulf of Mexico. By 11:30 a.m.
CST (1630
UTC), two rigs and one
platform had personnel evacuations to some degree.
[37]
Pemex, the state-owned Mexican oil company, made preparations to shut down oil production on
August 19 ahead of Dean,
[38] evacuating 13,360 workers from more than 140 oil platforms, using 55 boats and 29 helicopters.
[39] As the storm continued to intensify the number of evacuated Pemex workers increased to 18,000 on
August 20 and all 407 wells and drilling operations were abandoned. This reduced the worldwide production of oil and natural gas by 2.65 million barrels (311,000 m³) and 2.6 billion cubic feet (74,000 m³) per day, respectively.
[40]
Lesser Antilles
Main articles: Effects of Hurricane Dean in the Lesser Antilles
As Hurricane Dean approached the Lesser Antilles the local meteorological services issued
watches and warnings, advising residents to prepare for the storm.
Hurricane warnings were issued for
St. Lucia,
Dominica,
[41] and
Martinique and Guadeloupe and its dependencies.
[42] Hurricane watches were issued for
Saba and
St. Eustatius.
[43] Tropical storm warnings were issued for
Barbados,
[44] Antigua,
Barbuda,
St. Kitts,
Nevis, and
St. Maarten[45] St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
[45] the
U.S. Virgin Islands,
[47] and the
British Virgin Islands.
[48] Tropical storm watches were issued for
St. Maarten,
[43] St. Vincent,
[50] Grenada and its dependencies,
[44] Montserrat,
[52] and
Anguilla.
[53]
Airports were closed, local authorities set up shelters,
[54] and emergency service personnel were readied.
[55]
Greater Antilles
Main articles: Effects of Hurricane Dean in the Greater Antilles
A hurricane warning was issued for all of
Jamaica,
[56] for
Haiti from
Port-au-Prince to the Dominican border,
[57] and for the
Dominican Republic from
Barahona to the Haitian border.
[58] Tropical Storm warnings were issued for the rest of
Hispaniola[59] and for coastal Cuba between
Camagüey and
Guantánamo.
[60]
Hundreds of thousands were evacuated from vulnerable low-lying and coastal areas
[39] and disaster management programs were activated throughout the
Greater Antilles.
[62][ Hurricane Dean Situation Report #3 Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) ]
Mexico
On
August 17, at the request of the
Quintana Roo state government, the Civil Protection Office of
Mexico's federal
Interior Ministry declared a
state of emergency for the entire state, including the towns and cities of
Cancún,
Playa del Carmen, and
Chetumal as well as the islands of
Cozumel,
Isla Mujeres and
Holbox. On
August 18 authorities began evacuating people from parts of Quintana Roo, removing 2,500 people from Holbox Island
[63][64] and a further 80,000 tourists from elsewhere in the state.
[65] With 20,000 food packages ready, the state of
Yucatán, Quintana Roo's neighbour to the northwest, declared a green alert,
[66] and in Cancún shelter space was prepared for 73,000 people.
[67]
At 11 a.m.
AST (1500
UTC) on
August 19 a hurricane watch was issued on the
Yucatán Peninsula from Chetumal to
San Felipe.
[68]
Belize
A hurricane warning was in effect for the coast and coastal islands north of
Belize City and
Belizeans prepared for winds of up to 150 miles per hour.
[69] On August 16 and 17 the newly created Coastguard met with emergency committees on
Caye Caulker and
Ambergris Caye to discuss the possibility of evacuating these islands by boat and plane. With tourists taking priority, the Belize National Emergency Management Organization’s coordinator for the islands, Jim Janmohamed, told
Great Belize Television he was confident that a full evacuation could be implemented in time should the need arise.
[70]
Estimates of damages in the nation rose from BZD$50 million to roughly BZD$200 million over the course of a week as reports of damages to houses and buildings in Corozal and Orange Walk came in. The sugar and papaya industries were severely affected.
Honduras
Honduras was put on a state of preventative alert for 48 hours, especially the
departments to the north of the country, with the
Bay Islands being on a state of red alert. There were places ready to accommodate 10,000 people for 15 days if necessary.
[71]
United States
The
Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness activated its Crisis Action Team on
August 16 to monitor the storm and coordinate preparation.
[72] Governor of Louisiana Kathleen Blanco declared a
state of emergency early on the evening of
August 17[73] and asked for a presidential emergency declaration to give Louisiana access to federal funds prior to any landfall.
[74] Texas suffered
severe flooding from several June/July storms, and
Tropical Storm Erin ensured that the ground was still saturated. Governor Perry feared that more rainfall from Dean would cause additional flash flooding
[75] and had 250
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department crews on standby with boats to assist in potential evacuations. He was willing to deploy up to 10,000
Texas Military Forces soldiers, but the need never arose.
[72]
The Texas fuel industry began surging fuel loads to all coastal counties to ensure adequate fuel in the event of Hurricane Dean causing a disruption to the fuel distribution system.
[72]
In preparation for an evacuation, the
Texas Department of Transportation began preparation for extra evacuation lanes and
contraflow.
[72]
NASA cut short the
STS-118 mission as a precaution in case Dean approached
Mission Control at the
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in
Houston.
[79] To that effect, mission managers cut the mission's final spacewalk short by two hours,
[80] allowing them to land a day earlier than originally planned.
[81][82]
Impact
Fifteen countries felt the effects of Hurricane Dean as its path through the
Caribbean Sea claimed 42 lives. The hurricane first brushed the Lesser Antilles on
August 17,
2007, and as it passed through the interior of the Caribbean its outer rain bands swept over the Greater Antilles. It passed Jamaica as a Category 4 hurricane, and strengthened to a Category 5 storm as it made landfall on Mexico's
Yucatán Peninsula on
August 21. A second landfall on
August 22 was less devastating.
Lesser Antilles
A lifeguard tower stands amongst fallen
palm trees in Martinique, two days after Hurricane Dean's passage.
Hurricane Dean entered the
Caribbean through the
Saint Lucia Channel between
St. Lucia and
Martinique on
August 17, while still a Category 2 hurricane.
[104] The storm killed three people, damaged buildings throughout the island chain and devastated the agricultural economies of St. Lucia, Martinique and
Dominica.
Greater Antilles
Main articles: Effects of Hurricane Dean in the Greater Antilles
The storm passed to the south of most of the
Greater Antilles, but its outer rain bands passed over many of the islands and it delivered hurricane force winds to Jamaica. Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands were mostly spared,
[105] but Hurricane Dean passed 50-60 miles (80 - 97 km) south of Jamaica as a Category 4 hurricane.
[106] In Jamaica the rain caused flooding on the eastern side of the island and landslides on the northeast.
[107] Buildings collapsed, roads were blocked, and at least two deaths were confirmed. Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which share the island of
Hispaniola were spared much of the hurricane's strength as it passed 270 km (170 miles) to their south.
[108][109] Nevertheless 15 people were killed on the island and hundreds of homes were destroyed.
[110][111][39]
Nicaragua
While no land effects have been reported in
Nicaragua, a 4-year-old girl drowned on a boat that sank amidst high winds and waves in the
Kukra River.
Mexico
Dean at landfall in Mexico as a Category 5 hurricane
The hurricane hit land near
Majahual on the
Quintana Roo coast of the
Yucatán Peninsula at 08:30 UTC (03:30 EDT) on
August 21,
2007. Wind gusts of 200 mph (320 km/h) were reported. The state's tourist cities of Cancún and Cozumel were spared the worst of the storm, but it wreaked havoc in state capital
Chetumal, some 65 km south of landfall, causing significant flooding.
[113] Communication with the
Mayan communities near the landfall location was initially difficult, but news sources are reporting that Majahual, which has a population of 200, was "almost flattened" by the storm. Storm surge and high winds severely damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings.
[ Travelers' Checks: Hurricane Dean knocks out Costa Maya cruise port ] A spokesman for the busy Majahual port said that the harbor will likely be closed for six to eight months.
[ Following the second landfall on the Veracruz coast, two rivers in the mountains of the state of Hidalgo overflowed, and rain fell as far west as the Pacific coast. Veracruz Governor Fidel Herrera said there was "a tremendous amount of damage"[114]. Petroleum production was not severely damaged and was expected to quickly return to normal.[89]]
At least 11 deaths have been reported from Hurricane Dean in Mexico. Rainfall amounts of 100-200 mm fell across the states of Jalisco and Nayarit.[116] This rainfall caused one fatality in Jalisco after a mudslide fell on 10 houses, killing one of the occupants.[92] One person died in Puebla after a wall crashed on him in his house, and five other deaths have been reported in Puebla due to mudslides. One person in Veracruz was electrocuted after touching a power line while doing roof repairs. In Michoacán, a man was struck by lightning under a tree in the outer bands of the storm, and two people died in Hidalgo when the roof collapsed in their house.[98][89]
Insured damage in Mexico is currently estimated at up to $400 million.
United States
While no land impacts of Dean as a tropical cyclone were reported in the United States, heavy surf and rip currents were reported on the beaches of Florida. One person drowned and at least 35 people had to be rescued from Siesta Key due to rip currents.[102]. The remnant circulation of Dean, after lingering off the Pacific Coast for some time, moved inland by Santa Barbara, CA and brought heavy thunderstorms and localized flooding to coastal Southern California on the morning of 26 August[121], and crossed the Mojave Desert on the morning of 27 August. Las Vegas, Nevada received a daily record of 0.58" of rain, with some flash flooding and minor damage [AccuWeather.com - Weather Blogs- Weather News AccuWeather.com ].
See also
★ List of notable Atlantic hurricanes
★ List of Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes
★ 2007 Atlantic hurricane season
References
1. Hurricane Dean Discussion Thirty Three Pasch/Brown
2. August 11 Tropical Weather Outlook (1130) Knabb
3. August 12 Tropical Weather Outlook (0530) Rhome
4. August 13 Tropical Weather Outlook (1130) Knabb/Blake
5. Tropical Depression Four Discussion Three Brown/Franklin
6. Tropical Storm Dean Discussion Five Avila
7. Tropical Storm Dean Discussion Seven Brown
8. Tropical Storm Dean Discussion Eight Beven
9. Tropical Storm Dean Discussion Ten Blake
10. Tropical Storm Dean Discussion Eleven Brown
11. Hurricane Dean Discussion Twelve Beven
12. Hurricane Dean Discussion Thirteen Blake
13. Hurricane Dean Discussion Fourteen Avila/Blake
14. Hurricane Dean Discussion Fifteen Franklin
15. Hurricane Dean Discussion Sixteen Beven
16. Hurricane Dean Discussion Seventeen Avila
17. Hurricane Dean Special Discussion Eighteen Avila/Mainelli
18. Hurricane Dean Discussion Nineteen Avila
19.
Hurricane Dean Intermediate Advisory Nineteen 'A' Knabb
20. Hurricane Dean Discussion Twenty Knabb
21. Hurricane Dean Discussion Twenty Three Avila
22. Hurricane Dean Discussion Twenty Two Avila
23. Hurricane Dean Discussion Twenty Three Avila
24. Hurricane Dean Discussion Twenty Five Pasch/Brown
25. Hurricane Dean Discussion Twenty Seven Franklin/Rhome
26. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Twenty Eight Blake
27. Hurricane Dean Discussion Twenty Eight Knabb
28. Hurricane Dean Discussion Twenty Nine Pasch/Brown
29. Hurricane Dean Discussion Thirty Franklin
30.
31. Hurricane weakens after hitting land (Sky News)
32. Hurricane Dean Gains Power in Caribbean Staff writer
33. Crude oil, natural gas rise sharply on storm worries Polya Lesova
34. When gas prices go up, blame Dean Alejandro Bodipo-Memba
35. Storm-Drenched Texas Prepare for Hurricane Dean Staff writer
36. Hurricane Dean Gains Power in Caribbean Staff writer
37. Hurricane Dean Statistics Update Minerals Management Service
38. Jamaica alert as Dean threatens
39. Monster hurricane bears down on Jamaica Staff Writer
40. Dean's rain reaches Mexico; damage reported in Jamaica David Ovalle, Jacqueline Charles and Martin Merzer
41. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Twelve Beven
42. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Fourteen Blake/Avila
43. Tropical Storm Dean Public Advisory Eleven Brown
44. Hurricane Dean Tropical Cyclone Update Pasch
45. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Thirteen Blake/Avila
46. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Thirteen Blake/Avila
47. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Fifteen Franklin/Brown
48. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Sixteen Beven
49. Tropical Storm Dean Public Advisory Eleven Brown
50. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Twelve (Corrected) Blake/Avila
51. Hurricane Dean Tropical Cyclone Update Pasch
52. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Twelve Blake/Avila
53. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Fourteen A Franklin/Brown
54. Hurricane Dean strengthens as it takes aim at Caribbean islands Staff writer
55. Hurricane hits eastern Caribbean Staff writer
56. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Twenty Two Avila
57. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Twenty Knabb
58. Hurricane Dean Intermediate Advisory Nineteen A Knabb
59. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Seventeen Avila/Mainelli
60. Hurricane Dean Intermediate Advisory Twenty Two A Avila
61. Monster hurricane bears down on Jamaica Staff Writer
62. As hurricane looms over Caribbean, relief teams prepare: World Vision positioning relief supplies for immediate response when storm hits Hispaniola World Vision
63. Declara SEGOB emergencia en Quintana Roo Staff writer
64. Hurricane Dean bears down on Jamaica
65. Hurricane Dean turns deadly AFP
66. Preparativos en Yucatán por el huracán Dean Staff writer
67. Mighty hurricane advances on Mexico Chris Kraul
68. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Twenty Six Franklin/Rhome
69. Hurricane Dean hits Mexico coast BBC Staff Writer
70. San Pedro prepares for evacuation James Janmohamed
71. Autoridades decretan alerta roja en Islas de la Bahía
72. Gulf States Mop Up After Erin, Ramp Up for Hurricane Dean Staff Writer
73. Blanco declares state of emergency Associated Press
74. Gulf States Mop Up After Erin, Ramp Up for Hurricane Dean Staff Writer <;/ref>
Governor of Texas Rick Perry declared Dean to be an imminent threat to the state and initiated a full-scale hurricane preparedness effort on August 17 when the storm was at least five days away.[ Gov. Perry Declares Hurricane Dean Imminent Threat to Texas Governor Rick Perry ]
75. Texas Soaked by Erin, Braces for Dean Elizabeth White
76. Gulf States Mop Up After Erin, Ramp Up for Hurricane Dean Staff Writer
77. Gulf States Mop Up After Erin, Ramp Up for Hurricane Dean Staff Writer
78. Gulf States Mop Up After Erin, Ramp Up for Hurricane Dean Staff Writer
79. Storm warnings posted in Jamaica, Caymans
80. Hurricane Dean Forces NASA To Scale Back Final Spacewalk
81. STS-118 MCC Status Report #20 Mission Control Center
82. Hurricane Dean Gains Caribbean Strength
83. Dean kills one in D.R., heading to Jamaica JACQUELINE CHARLES, JIM WYSS, TRENTON DANIEL AND MARTIN MERZE
84. hdnews.net
85. Hurricane, Now Category 5, Approaches Coast of Mexico (Update7) Demian McLean
86. Dean kills three in Jamaica CMC
87. AIR: Dean Jamaica Losses will not Exceed .5 Billion AIR Worldwide
88. Hurricane Dean Death Toll climbs to 8 The Associated Press
89. Hurricane Dean rains pound Mexico Staff Writers
90. Provoca Dean 5 muertes y desbordamiento de ríos Javier Salinas
91. Confirman seis muertes en Hidalgo por ''Dean'' Pachuca, Hidalgo
92. Death toll reaches 11 from Hurricane Dean in Mexico Staff Writer
93. Aumentan a siete los muertos por ‘Dean’ Agencias
94. Hurricane Dean rains pound Mexico Staff Writers
95. Provoca Dean 5 muertes y desbordamiento de ríos Javier Salinas
96. Hurricane Dean rains pound Mexico Staff Writers
97. Alerta máxima en Hidalgo y Puebla; van ocho muertos Blanca Patricia Galindo and Dinorath Mota
98. Hurricane Dean slams Mexico's Gulf coast, kills two Tomas Bravo
99. Alerta máxima en Hidalgo y Puebla; van ocho muertos Blanca Patricia Galindo and Dinorath Mota
100. Hurricane Dean pummels Jamaica Howard Campbell
101. EQECAT Estimates Dean Losses Between .5-$ 3 Billion EQECAT
102. Lifeguards Rescue More Than 35 Off Siesta Key Sarasota Herald-Tribune
103. Hurricane Dean Bears Down on Mexico's Oil Industry MARK STEVENSON
104. Tropical Storm Dean Discussion Seventeen Avila
105. Se aleja huracán "Dean" de Puerto Rico sin causar daños Staff Writer
106. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Twenty Seven Franklin/Rhome
107. Hurricane batters Jamaica's south Staff Writer
108. Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Twenty Three Avila
109. Dominican Republic feels effects of Hurricane Dean Staff Writer
110. Hurricane Dean OCHA Situation Report No. 3 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
111. Situation Report 7 - Hurricane Dean - 24 August 2007 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
112. Monster hurricane bears down on Jamaica Staff Writer
113. Category 5 Hurricane Dean slams Mexico Mark Stevenson (AP)
114. Hurricane Dean's wake: updates from Mexico & the Caribbean
115. Hurricane Dean rains pound Mexico Staff Writers
116. REMANENTES DEL CICLÓN TROPICAL "DEAN" Servicio Meteorológico Nacional Mexico
117. Death toll reaches 11 from Hurricane Dean in Mexico Staff Writer
118. Hurricane Dean slams Mexico's Gulf coast, kills two Tomas Bravo
119. Hurricane Dean rains pound Mexico Staff Writers
120. Lifeguards Rescue More Than 35 Off Siesta Key Sarasota Herald-Tribune
121. " Thunderstorms dump rain on North County SignOnSanDiego News Services
External links
★ The NHC's archive on Hurricane Dean
★ Hurricane Dean came to Southern Arizona Chandler, AZ, McQueen & Pecos, view to the South from Chandler Ranch
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