Hurricane Emily (2005)

Still recovering from Hurricane Ivan a year prior, which damaged or destroyed approximately 90 percent of housing,[4] residents in Grenada took quick action to prepare for Emily including declaring a state of emergency.[5] 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.[6] Thirty-six shelters opened nationwide on July 13,[7] with hundreds of people utilizing them.[5] Residents rushed to stock up on emergency supplies, resulting in heavy road traffic.[6] The International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) described residents to be in "panic"; grocery stores were emptied and stretches of cars lined at gas stations.[7] The Grenada Red Cross Society affirmed their stockpile of 2,000 jerry cans, 600 blankets, 100 tarps, 50 cots, and 10 generators.[8] They also coordinated evacuations with local transportation services.[7]

In the easternmost Caribbean Island of Barbados, the government ordered the closure of businesses while residents stocked up emergency supplies.[9] Shelters were opened nationwide and local radio stations broadcast regular warnings to alert the public.[10] A delegate from the Panama Regional Delegation was sent to assist the local chapter of the Red Cross.[7] The Dominica Red Cross Society confirmed emergency resources were properly stockpiled.[8] Trinidad and Tobago activated its National Emergency Centre and ordered the closure of commerce.[7] Approximately 500 people sought refuge in shelters across Trinidad and Tobago.[5] 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.[6] The St. Lucia Red Cross placed ten response teams on standby. The Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross placed 100 personnel on standby.[8] The Pan American Disaster Response Unit (PADRU), already prepping its response to Hurricane Dennis, allocated supplies for the anticipated effects of Emily.[8]

In Venezuela, a few oil tankers were forced to remain at Puerto la Cruz.[11] Some flights were cancelled or delayed as early as July 12.[12] Residents were alerted to the possibility of floods and mudslides.[13] A red alert was issued for Aragua and 100 personnel were deployed to coastal communities.[14] People living or visiting the Los Roques Archipelago were advised to remain sheltered in their homes.[15] Conditions were considered safe by July 15 and activities returned to normal.[16] Alerts were also raised for the nearby islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.[13]

Recently impacted by Hurricane Dennis, concerns were raised of further damage in Haiti and Jamaica. In the former nation, PADRU requested immediate shipment of relief supplies, particularly hygiene kits and plastic tarps. The Jamaica Red Cross moved supply stockpiles originally intended for Dennis-related relief to southern areas of the island in preparation for Emily.[7]

In Mexico, tens of thousands of tourists and residents were evacuated from the beach resorts in and around Cancún, the Riviera Maya, and Cozumel.[17] 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. Two helicopter pilots were killed when their aircraft crashed while evacuating offshore oil platforms operated by Pemex. A German resident was electrocuted on his roof in Playa del Carmen while preparing for the storm.[18]

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.[19] 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.[20]

On July 14, Emily hit Grenada, which was still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Ivan less than a year earlier. Emily resulted in one reported fatality and significant damage in the northern part of the country, including Carriacou which had been spared from the worst effects of Ivan. 16 houses were destroyed and well over 200 more were damaged, and two of the main hospitals were flooded.[31] Damages in Grenada amounted to $110.4 million.[32]

In Barbados, damaging winds downed trees and tore the roof off two homes.[33]

Landslides were reported in eastern Jamaica, triggered by heavy rain as the storm passed south of the island.[31] Five people were killed due to an accident caused by flash flooding.[21] Damages in Jamaica were estimated at $65 million.[32] Damage was also reported in Trinidad and Tobago, where landslides and flooding damaged several homes.[31] Strong winds downed power lines on the island, one of which sparked a fire.[5] In Honduras, a man drowned in a river swollen by rains from Emily.[18]

Striking the Yucatán Peninsula on July 18 as a Category 4 hurricane, widespread damage was expected from 135 mph (215 km/h) winds; however, these winds were confined to a small area around Emily's center. Areas in Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Cozumel sustained the most severe impact. In a few instances, concrete utility poles were snapped in half by powerful wind gusts. Due to the relatively fast movement of Emily, rainfall was fairly light, peaking at 4.9 in (120 mm). Few meteorological reports exist during Emily's passage of the Yucatán, though an unofficial station recorded a storm surge of 15 ft (4.6 m) in San Miguel, Cozumel.[1] Along the mainland, surge heights were generally less than 4 ft (1 m). Additionally, waves reached 13 ft (4 m), resulting in some beach erosion and damage to dunes and coral reefs. Additionally, 0.7 mi (1.1 km) of retaining walls sustained damage, leaving areas vulnerable to flooding from future storms.[34]

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 13,345 acres (5,400 hectares) 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).[34]

Emily's second landfall as a strong Category 3 hurricane brought significant damage to the northeast coast of Mexico. In the fishing community of Laguna Madre, over 80% of the buildings were destroyed as a result of the storm surge.[1] Several communities on the remote coast of Tamaulipas were isolated after the storm, and major coastal flooding was reported along with heavy wind damage, with numerous homes destroyed. Inland flooding was also reported in Monterrey.[35]

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).[28]

Total rainfall from Emily in the United States

In southern Texas, damage was relatively minor despite the proximity of the storm.[36] Portions of the state experienced tropical storm force winds and gusts as high as 65 mph (100 km/h), resulting in scattered roof damage. Along the coast, a storm surge of 4.26 ft (1.30 m) flooded portions of Texas State Highway 100.[1][37] No significant structural damage was reported, although some trees were down and over 30,000 customers lost electricity.[36] 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. Some positive effects were noted; the remains of Emily passed farther west into Texas and delivered some badly needed rainfall, helping relieve a drought.[35] Agricultural losses in Texas amounted to $4.7 million,[30] while property losses reached $225,000.[29]