Hurricane Emily (2005)

Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in 2005

Hurricane Emily was a powerful early season Cape Verde hurricane that caused significant damage across the Caribbean to Mexico. It was also the earliest forming Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record in a season and the most intense to form before August. At the time, Emily was the earliest forming fifth named storm in the Atlantic on record; this record has since been surpassed by 2020's Tropical Storm Edouard, and again the following year by 2021's Hurricane Elsa. After forming on July 10, 2005, the storm moved through the central Atlantic Ocean before passing through the Windward Islands on July 14. Tracking generally towards the west northwest, the storm gradually intensified as it traversed the Caribbean, peaking as a Category 5 hurricane on July 16, marking the earliest date for a storm to do so during the course of a given year. The system subsequently made landfall in the Yucatán Peninsula as a Category 4. Quickly crossing the peninsula, Emily emerged into the Gulf of Mexico and reorganized. On July 20, the storm struck Tamaulipas as a major hurricane and rapidly dissipated within 24 hours. The storm caused significant damage along its path, with up to $1.01 billion (2005 USD) in damages recorded, primarily in Mexico. 5 people died in each of Jamaica, Haiti, and Mexico; 2 people died elsewhere, for a total of 17 fatalities. Despite the storm's intense strength and high impact, the name Emily was not retired and was used again in the 2011 season. It is one of three Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes to not have its name retired, the others being Lorenzo of 2019, and Lee of 2023.

On July 6, a tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa. Moving westward, the disturbance gradually organized until July 10, at which point convection became more concentrated, and it is estimated Tropical Depression Five formed in the central tropical Atlantic that evening. and therefore more favorable for tropical cyclone development. Late on July 13, Emily strengthened rapidly and reached hurricane strength while passing north of Tobago and entering the eastern Caribbean. On July 14, Emily made landfall in northern Grenada with winds. Unrelated to Emily, Typhoon Haitang developed and intensified into a Category 5 equivalent super typhoon around the same time Emily intensified into a Category 5 hurricane, marking the first time since Typhoons Ivan and Joan in 1997 when two tropical cyclones of Category 5 strength existed simultaneously in the Northern Hemisphere. The storm weakened slightly as it continued westward, and remained a Category 4 while passing south of Jamaica and, on July 17, the Cayman Islands. Emily continued on its nearly straight track to the west northwest, weakening somewhat but remaining at Category 4 strength until striking Cozumel just before mainland landfall at Playa del Carmen at 06:30 UTC on July 18. Sustained winds were , and the eyewall passed directly over Cozumel. residents in Grenada took quick action to prepare for Emily, including declaring a state of emergency. A shortage of construction material stagnated rebuilding after Ivan. This left fewer buildings as reliable shelters and many homes without roofs by the arrival of Emily. Of the 80 buildings considered for public shelters, 45 were used as such, with 1,650 people seeking refuge in them. The Grenada Red Cross Society affirmed their stockpile of 2,000 jerry cans, 600 blankets, 100 tarps, 50 cots, and 10 generators. Shelters were opened nationwide, and local radio stations broadcast regular warnings to alert the public. A delegate from the Panama Regional Delegation was sent to assist the local chapter of the Red Cross. BP evacuated all but 11 essential workers from their 14 oil platforms around the nation. Businesses shuttered across St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia. Although airports remained open, British Airways cancelled flights to and from Hewanorra International Airport. In Venezuela, a few oil tankers were forced to remain at Puerto la Cruz. Some flights were cancelled or delayed as early as July 12. Residents were alerted to the possibility of floods and mudslides. People living or visiting the Los Roques Archipelago were advised to remain sheltered in their homes. Conditions were considered safe by July 15 and activities returned to normal. Alerts were also raised for the nearby islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.

Recently impacted by Hurricane Dennis, concerns were raised of further damage in Jamaica, especially with soils already saturated. Prime Minister P. J. Patterson ordered J$100,000 be made available for each of the nation's constituencies. A further J$250,000–300,000 would be allocated for the activation of public shelters. Thousands of people were evacuated from coastal communities, including all of Port Royal and many from Portmore. Government offices were closed beginning on July 15 and local businesses were advised to do the same. Upon the onset of the storm, a total of 3,269 people were utilizing public shelters. On July 14, residents of the Cayman Islands were alerted to the potential effects of Emily. The following day shelters were opened across the territory: all but one on Grand Cayman, two on Cayman Brac, and one on Little Cayman. Owen Roberts and Charles Kirkconnell International Airports shut down for the duration of the hurricane. Already severely impacted by Hurricane Dennis, alerts were raised for four departments in Haiti on July 15: Grand'Anse, Ouest, Sud, and Sud Est. In neighboring Dominican Republic, storm alerts were issued for the towns of Baní and Pedernales.

On July 15, the Mexican Red Cross began preparations for potential impact from Emily. The agency transported of supplies, rescue vehicles, communication teams, and pantry trailers to the Yucatán Peninsula. Preparations to evacuate thousands of residents from coastal communities (up to inland) in the eastern Yucatán Peninsula began on July 16, including the islands of Cozumel, Holbox, and Mujeres. Supermarkets in Mérida were packed with residents stocking up on supplies. Officials in the state of Yucatán opened 1,118 shelters. Emergency services prepped response units for medical needs. State authorities in Campeche prepared 624 shelters with a collective capacity of 85,000 persons. A state of alert was raised for Veracruz, prompting the readying of shelters. Considered an "extremely dangerous" storm, with a trajectory mirroring Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, the highest level of alert was issued for the states of Yucatán and Quintana Roo on July 17. In response to this, "massive" evacuations began that day. With the region being a tourist destination, an estimated 120,000 people were visiting at the time of Emily's approach. Local officials ordered the evacuation of 85,000 people, and the complete relocation of guests at beach hotels in Cancún. The Mexican military mobilized in preparation for rescue operations. Numerous oil platforms owned by Pemex in the Gulf of Mexico were evacuated—approximately 15,800 workers—and two ports used for crude oil exports were closed. Two pilots died during the evacuation process when their helicopter crashed amid high winds. Hotel guests were evacuated on Saturday afternoon, and staff on Sunday afternoon. Though some hotel guests in second floor rooms and above were given the option to be bussed into the center of Cancún to safe houses and shelters or to stay and wait out the storm in only the modern built hotels and resorts. Most of the remaining guests were restricted to their rooms and were not allowed out on the beach areas. No alcohol was sold in Cancún for 36 hours prior to the arrival of the storm, in an attempt to avoid drunken tourists being injured during the night. A German resident was electrocuted on his roof in Playa del Carmen while preparing for the storm. An all clear was issued for the nation as Emily traversed the Yucatán Peninsula on July 18. The Costa Rican National Meteorological Institute advised residents in high risk areas to be alert and to avoid venturing outside in the event of rainfall. Similarly, Defensa Civil de Cuba reminded people to remain vigilant.

Early fears of Emily's potential disruption to oil production contributed to a one dollar rise in prices by July 13, bringing the cost of a barrel over US$60. Emergency management officials in Escambia County, Florida, became wary of Emily's formation on the heels of Hurricane Dennis. Although the storm was expected to remain in the Caribbean, county officials identified supplies used for Dennis related relief; an influx of fuel was expected to normalize reserves before any potential impact. On July 17, the American Red Cross began preparations to open shelters and had emergency supplies deployed for rapid distribution in South Texas.

+Impact by country Country Fatalities Damage (USD) Grenada 1 $110.4 million Jamaica 5 $65 million Haiti 10 $834.3 million United States 0 Total 17 $1.014 billion

In Barbados, damaging winds downed trees and tore the roof off two homes. Tobago saw significant effects from rainfall up to and damaging winds. These rains caused extensive flooding, reaching a depth of 3 feet (1 m) in some locations, with an estimated 200–300 homes being inundated. Thirty people required evacuation in Chaguanas. Flooding in Couva left Caparo Village temporarily isolated. Striking Grenada as a hurricane, Emily inflicted extensive damage to the already storm battered nation. Hurricane force winds tore roofs from homes, devastated agriculture, and worsened the nation's struggling economy. Nationwide, 2,641 homes were damaged and of which at least 120 were destroyed, leaving 167 families homeless. Of the impacted homes, 1,153 were in Saint Andrew Parish alone. Flooding affected communities in Saint George's, notably in Grenville. Damages in Grenada amounted to $110.4 million. One child was injured on St. Vincent. Losses to the banana crop were minimal. Landslides were reported in eastern Jamaica, triggered by heavy rain as the storm passed south of the island. Damage in Jamaica was estimated at $65 million. Heavy rainfall associated with Emily killed 10 people and affected 500 families in Saint Marc, Haiti, as homes and vehicles were swept away. In Honduras, a man drowned in a river swollen by rains from Emily. The high winds produced by Emily caused considerable impact in Quintana Roo, especially in the municipality of Solidaridad, leaving nearly 200,000 residences without power. In terms of structural damage, 851 homes were impacted in varying degrees. Roughly of forests and agricultural land was affected by the storm; some swathes of trees experienced defoliation. The most substantial losses associated with the hurricane stemmed from the tourism industry, with hotels experiencing 947 million pesos ($88.7 million) worth of damage. More than 12,500 rooms, nearly one fifth of the state's available hotel infrastructure, sustained damage. Overall, damage in the state reached 1.11 billion pesos ($104.3 million). Communication to the Riviera Maya area was difficult after the storm; not all cellular phones were receiving coverage to the area, land lines were down, and electricity was out. About 18,000 people in 20 low lying communities in the state of Tamaulipas, just south of the U. S. Mexican border, were evacuated. Including losses sustained by the oil industry, damage in Mexico amounted to 8.87 billion pesos ($834.3 million). No significant structural damage was reported, although some trees were down and over 30,000 customers lost electricity. Rainfall from the storm peaked at 5.2 inches in Mercedes, Texas. Additionally, eight tornadoes touched down in Texas as a result of Emily, damaging or destroying several homes. The remains of Emily passed farther west into Texas and delivered some rainfall, which ended a drought. The Grenada Coast Guard assisted with the distribution of emergency supplies to Carriacou on July 15. Power was restored to much of the nation within a day of the hurricane, though some residences would remain disconnected for several days. A second night of curfew was imposed from 11:00 p. m. to 4:00 a. m. local time July 15–16. Businesses resumed normal operations on July 16. India provided galvanized roofing material with expected delivery in August. Trinidad and Tobago did not request international assistance, indicating they could handle relief with internal resources. The Haitian Government coordinated with the IFRC to assist victims in Saint Marc. Jamaica's Rapid Damage Assessment Team conducted aerial assessments on July 17 to determine the extent of flooding.