Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | August 13,2007 |
Remnant low | August 23,2007 |
Dissipated | August 27,2007 |
Category 5 major hurricane | |
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Highest winds | 175 mph (280 km/h) |
Lowest pressure | 905 mbar (hPa);26.72 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 45 |
Damage | $1.66 billion (2007 USD) |
Areas affected | Lesser Antilles,Greater Antilles,Nicaragua,Honduras,Belize,Guatemala,Mexico,Gulf Coast of the United States,Southwestern United States |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Part of a series on Hurricane Dean | |
History Impact Other wikis |
Hurricane Dean was the strongest tropical cyclone of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the most intense North Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Wilma of 2005,tying for ninth overall. Additionally,it made the fourth most intense Atlantic hurricane landfall. A Cape Verde hurricane that formed on August 13,2007,Dean took a west-northwest path from the eastern Atlantic Ocean through the Saint Lucia Channel and into the Caribbean. It strengthened into a major hurricane, [nb 1] reaching Category 5 status on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale before passing just south of Jamaica on August 20. The storm made landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula on August 21 at peak intensity. It crossed the peninsula and emerged into the Bay of Campeche weakened,but still remained a hurricane. It strengthened briefly before making a second landfall near Tecolutla in the Mexican state of Veracruz on August 22. Dean drifted to the northwest,weakening into a remnant low which dissipated uneventfully over the southwestern United States. Dean was the second-most intense tropical cyclone worldwide of 2007 in terms of pressure,only behind Cyclone George in the Australian region,and tied with Felix as the most intense worldwide in terms of 1-minute sustained winds.
The hurricane's intense winds,waves,rains and storm surge were responsible for at least 45 deaths across ten countries and caused estimated damages of US$1.66 billion. First impacting the islands of the Lesser Antilles,Dean's path through the Caribbean devastated agricultural crops,particularly those of Martinique and Jamaica. Upon reaching Mexico,Hurricane Dean was a Category 5 storm,but it missed major population centers and its exceptional Category 5 strength landfall caused no deaths and less damage than in the Caribbean islands it passed as a Category 2 storm.
Through the affected regions,clean up and repair took months to complete. Donations solicited by international aid organizations joined national funds in clearing roads,rebuilding houses,and replanting destroyed crops. In Jamaica,where the damage was worst,banana production did not return to pre-storm levels for over a year. Mexico's tourist industry,too,took almost a year to rebuild its damaged cruise ship infrastructure.
Dean was the first hurricane to make landfall in the Atlantic basin at Category 5 intensity since Hurricane Andrew on August 24,1992. [1] Dean's Category 5 landfall was in a sparsely populated area and thus far less damaging than Andrew's,even though Dean was much larger,but its long swath of damage resulted in its name retirement from the World Meteorological Organization's Atlantic hurricane naming lists.
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 on August 13. [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 am 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 intensity 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] Operationally, Dean was thought to have only been a Category 4 on the 18th, but post-storm analysis shows that Dean had become a 165 miles per hour (265 km/h) Category 5 on that day. Dean weakened very slightly on the morning of August 19 as it finished the eyewall replacement cycle and began to interact with the island of Jamaica. [23]
Rank | Hurricane | Season | Pressure | |
---|---|---|---|---|
hPa | inHg | |||
1 | Wilma | 2005 | 882 | 26.05 |
2 | Gilbert | 1988 | 888 | 26.23 |
3 | "Labor Day" | 1935 | 892 | 26.34 |
4 | Rita | 2005 | 895 | 26.43 |
5 | Milton | 2024 | 897 | 26.49 |
6 | Allen | 1980 | 899 | 26.55 |
7 | Camille | 1969 | 900 | 26.58 |
8 | Katrina | 2005 | 902 | 26.64 |
9 | Mitch | 1998 | 905 | 26.73 |
Dean | 2007 | |||
Source: HURDAT [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 during the day, [29] and, at 8:35 pm AST on August 20 (0035 August 21, UTC), Dean restrengthened 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, 40 mi (65 km) northeast of the border between Mexico and Belize, and weakened on its way over land, reemerging on the western side of Yucatán 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 August 22, at around 11:30 CDT, near Tecolutla, Veracruz, to the south of Tuxpan, where after it moved westward, losing strength and disintegrating over central Mexico. A small remnant circulation reached the Pacific Ocean, [32] eventually moving northwestward around an anticyclone, roughly parallel to the Mexican coast and finally back inland over the southwestern United States, [33] where it completely dissipated on August 27. [34]
Hurricane Dean's smooth and well-predicted track gave unusually advance warning to all of the nations in its path and allowed them time to prepare for the storm's impact. [35] Because of the advance warning and Dean's extraordinary strength, the nations of Central America and the Caribbean set up hundreds of shelters, readied thousands of disaster recovery experts, evacuated hundreds of thousands of vulnerable residents, and prepared millions of dollars of emergency supplies.[ citation needed ]
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, [36] Martinique and Guadeloupe and its dependencies. [37] Hurricane watches were issued for Saba and St. Eustatius. [38] Tropical storm warnings were issued for Barbados, [39] Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, and St. Maarten [40] St. Vincent and the Grenadines, [40] the U.S. Virgin Islands, [41] and the British Virgin Islands. [42] Tropical storm watches were issued for Sint Maarten, [38] St. Vincent, Grenada and its dependencies, [39] Montserrat, and Anguilla. [43]
Local authorities closed airports, set up shelters, [44] and readied emergency service personnel. [45] Authorities in Martinique canceled a memorial to the victims of West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 and began to set up shelters. [44] In Dominica, tourists were evacuated to concrete shelters and the vast majority of foreign medical students from the Ross University School of Medicine evacuated the island. [44] The government of Dominica also canceled leave for emergency service personnel [45] and evacuated Princess Margret Hospital, fearing that its roof might be vulnerable to the storm's winds. [46] Martinique's main airport and both of St. Lucia's commercial airports closed when the last airplanes landed on the night of August 16 and the storm's outer rainbands began to sweep over the island. [47]
In anticipation of Dean's significant damage, several emergency response groups gathered funds and readied personnel. On August 14 the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) placed its Regional Response Mechanism on standby and contacted the National Disaster Coordinators of all member states in the Lesser Antilles. [48] On August 15 the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) dispatched teams to Barbados, Dominica, and St. Kitts in advance of the hurricane to provide damage assessment should the hurricane affect those islands. [49] The Eastern Caribbean Donor Group convened a meeting on August 16 under the Chair of the Resident Representative United Nations Development Programme Barbados in anticipation that member states would require international assistance. [48]
Hurricane warnings were issued for all of Jamaica, [50] for Haiti from Port-au-Prince to the Dominican border, [51] and for the Dominican Republic from Barahona to the Haitian border. [52] Tropical Storm warnings were issued for the rest of Hispaniola [53] and for coastal Cuba between Camagüey and Guantánamo. [54] Hundreds of thousands were evacuated from vulnerable low-lying and coastal areas [55] and disaster management programs were activated throughout the Greater Antilles. [56] [57] [58]
Jamaica, which was forecast to bear the brunt of Hurricane Dean, underwent the most extensive preparations. The Jamaican government executed long-standing evacuation plans, including converting the country's national arena into a shelter and relocating inmates from two maximum security prisons. [59] Political parties in the island suspended their campaigning for the August 27 national elections, to allow residents to prepare for the storm. [60] Curfews were put in place for parts of the island, while off-duty essential personnel were called back to work. More than 1,000 schools and churches were converted to emergency shelters, but residents only occupied 47 of them before the storm's arrival. Evidently the country's high crime rate led islanders to fear for their belongings should they abandon their homes. [61] [62] UNICEF prepared 4 emergency health kits and 1,000 water containers and Copa Airlines agreed to fly the supplies to Jamaica on its scheduled August 22 flight, if possible. The World Food Program prepared food stocks in nearby Haiti, ready to move them to Jamaica if they were needed. [57] The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team tried to reach Jamaica, but only one member arrived before all incoming flights were canceled. [57] The United States confirmed that it would offer aid if it was needed, [63] and the North-West Caribbean Donor Group met to decide what actions would need to be taken. [58]
The island of Hispaniola was also predicted to be heavily affected by the storm. Workers from World Vision supplied food, clean water, medicines and emergency generators in the southern provinces of the Dominican Republic, and in the southern departments of Haiti where hurricane warnings had been issued. [56] In low-lying areas, 1,580 residents of the Dominican Republic and more than 1,000 Haitians were evacuated as the storm approached. [55] Small craft were advised to stay in port, while Haiti's Toussaint Louverture International Airport was closed. [59]
The Cayman Islands were expected to suffer badly if Hurricane Dean passed too close, and mandatory evacuations were instigated for the low-lying Little Cayman. [64] [65] Tourists were forbidden from entering the island [66] and extra flights were added to evacuate those that were already there. [63] [66] Schools and civic centers were converted to shelters on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, and, despite the mandatory evacuation, one shelter was opened on Little Cayman for the residents who remained there. [67] Expecting catastrophic damage, two Royal Navy ships of the Atlantic Patrol Task (North), HMS Portland and RFA Wave Ruler, followed 150 mi (240 km) behind the storm in order to arrive at Cayman as soon after the hurricane as possible. [68]
Cuba and Puerto Rico, neither of which were expected to experience the worst of Dean's strength, prepared more modestly. Cuba's Civil Defense evacuated 350,000 people from the coastal provinces. [55] [69] The government in Havana suspended all tourist programs ahead of the storm. [63] Soldiers and emergency officials were prepared to convert schools and other government buildings into temporary shelters, but stood down when it became evident that they would not needed. [59] The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deployed a five-member team to Puerto Rico ahead of Hurricane Dean. They were equipped with satellite communication systems to provide video-teleconferencing and help make real-time assessments of any damage. [70]
With Hurricane Dean's path predicted well in advance of the storm, [71] the Government of Mexico was able to make ample preparations. On August 17, a state of emergency was declared for the state of Quintana Roo where Dean was expected to make landfall. On August 18 authorities began evacuating tourists [72] and those residents living in the most vulnerable parts of Quintana Roo. [60] [73] The state government set up storm shelters in schools and other public buildings. [74] With emergency supplies at the ready, the state of Yucatán, Quintana Roo's neighbour to the northwest, declared a green alert. [75] On August 19 a hurricane watch was issued on the Yucatán Peninsula from Chetumal to San Felipe and residents made their last-minute preparations. [76]
A hurricane warning was issued for the coastal locations north of Belize City with the forecast of 150 mph (240 km/h) winds. [77] The government instituted a dusk-to-dawn curfew from Belize City to the Mexican border. [78] On August 16 and 17, Prime Minister Said Musa chaired two meetings of Belize's National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO). [74] He instructed the newly created Coastguard to evacuate popular tourist sites Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye by boat and plane. [78] [79] Authorities also evacuated Belize City's three hospitals, moving high-risk patients inland to the capital Belmopan. The mayor urged residents to leave Belize City and to make use of shelters in the capital. [78]
The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination team dispatched two members to Belize City and the rest of the team traveled to Belmopan. [69] Government supplies were stored in Orange Walk, Corozal ready for post-storm relief. [69] [74] Essential equipment from the Red Cross and the Pan American Health Organization was stored in the elevated UNICEF building and the Belize City UN building was converted to a crisis center. [69]
Oil futures spiked on August 15 as analysts considered the impact of Hurricane Dean on refining capacity if it were to move into the Caribbean as predicted. [80] [81] Transocean evacuated 11 nonessential workers late on August 15 from an oil rig located about 160 mi (260 km) southeast of New Orleans. The company left about 125 personnel on board the structure. [82] A day later Royal Dutch Shell evacuated 275 ancillary staff, following an evacuation of 188 due to Tropical Storm Erin. [83]
On August 18, 2007, 10,300 barrels (1,640 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 am CST (1630 UTC), two rigs and one platform evacuated personnel. [84]
Pemex, the state-owned Mexican oil company, made preparations to shut down oil production on August 19 ahead of Dean. [63] It evacuated 13,360 workers from more than 140 oil platforms, using 55 boats and 29 helicopters. [55] 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 (421,000 m3) and 2.6 billion cubic feet (74,000,000 m3) per day, respectively. [85]
Throughout the Caribbean Sea, about a dozen cruise ships altered their routes to avoid Hurricane Dean. [83] Honduras was put on a state of preventative alert for 48 hours, particularly the departments to the north of the country; the Bay Islands were on a state of red alert. There were places ready to accommodate 10,000 people for 15 days if necessary. [86]
In the 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. [70] Governor of Louisiana Kathleen Blanco declared a state of emergency early on the evening of August 17, [87] asking for a presidential emergency declaration to give Louisiana access to federal funds prior to any landfall. [70] Texas Governor 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. [88] Prior to the storm, Texas suffered severe flooding from several June–July storms, and Tropical Storm Erin left the ground still saturated. Governor Perry feared that more rainfall from Dean would cause additional flash flooding, [89] 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, and did deploy several elements of the Texas State Guard who set up emergency shelters. [70] The Texas fuel industry began surging fuel loads to coastal counties to ensure adequate fuel in the event of the hurricane causing a disruption to the fuel distribution system. [70] In anticipation of evacuations, the Texas Department of Transportation began working on extra evacuation lanes and contraflow. [70] 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. [90] To that effect, mission managers cut the mission's final spacewalk short by two hours, [91] allowing them to land a day earlier than originally planned. [59] [92]
Country | Total deaths | Direct deaths | Damage (USD) | Source | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belize | 0 | 0 | $97 million | [93] | ||||
Dominica | 2 | 2 | $162 million | [59] [94] | ||||
Dominican Republic | 6 | 6 | $40 million | [95] | ||||
Guadeloupe | 0 | 0 | $156 million | [35] | ||||
Haiti | 14 | 14 | Unknown | [35] | ||||
Jamaica | 3 | 3 | $300 million | [95] | ||||
Martinique | 3 | 0 | $400 million | [35] | ||||
Mexico | 13 | 12 | $600 million | [35] [95] | ||||
Nicaragua | 1 | 1 | None | [96] | ||||
Puerto Rico | None | None | $15,000 | [97] | ||||
Saint Lucia | 1 | 1 | $6.4 million | [35] [95] | ||||
US Virgin Islands | None | None | $35,000 | [97] | ||||
Totals: | 45 | 41 | $1.76 billion | |||||
Because of differing sources, totals may not match. |
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.[ citation needed ]
Hurricane Dean entered the Caribbean as a Category 2 hurricane through the Saint Lucia Channel on August 17. [16] It moved briskly between the Lesser Antillean islands of St. Lucia and Martinique, [16] with its storm surge and rain bands reaching every island in the chain. [35] Damage was most severe in Martinique where total damage was estimated at €350 million and three indirect deaths, while nearby Guadeloupe suffered €150 million of damage. In St. Lucia, damage was mostly caused by the high seas and was estimated at US$18 million. [35]
Martinique experienced 75 mph (120 km/h) winds with gusts to 105 mph (170 km/h). [16] The torrential rainfall, which reached 332 mm (13.07 in) [35] caused flooding throughout the island, with the town of Rivière-Pilote flooding completely. The majority of Martinique's population were left without electricity, water, telephone, or food, and 600 Martiniquans were left homeless. [98] [99] [100] The storm destroyed Martinique's entire banana crop, and 70% of the island's sugar cane plantations. [101] The damage to these two agricultural sectors accounted for the majority of the island's €400 million damage.
On the evening of August 16, 12 hours before the storm arrived in St. Lucia, power outages began in some of the island's neighborhoods. The night saw heavy rains, 1.58 in (40 mm) at St. Lucia's Hewanorra International Airport, [102] [103] and intense thunderstorms and by morning hurricane-force winds peaked at 90 mph (145 km/h). [104] The winds uprooted trees, [45] downed electricity poles, disabled bridges, triggered landslides, and damaged several roofs. Saint Lucia's capital, Castries, was flooded by the storm surge which left boulders and fishing boats on the streets. One person drowned in Sarrot after being swept away by a rain-swollen river while trying to recover a cow. [83] [105] Hurricane Dean damaged the roofs of two of the island's hospitals, but no-one was injured. [46] [106] Several other buildings were damaged, mostly on the island's northern coast which was most exposed to the hurricane. [107] The Ministry of Education reported that 11 schools had sustained a combined total of EC$300,000 of damage, [108] and nationwide damage to housing and buildings totaled EC$800,000. [108] The Ministry of Communications, Works, Transport, and Public Utilities reported that most of the country's major infrastructure remained functional, and no long-term disruptions occurred. [107] [108]
The hardest hit area of Saint Lucia was its agricultural sector. 5,000 acres (20 km2) of banana farms in Mabouya Valley, Roseau Valley, and Marc Marc were severely damaged with many of the plantations waterlogged or outright destroyed. [104] [109] An average of 75% of the crops were lost, with fields in the Northern Farms losing up to 80% and in the Roseau Valley losing up to 85%. The cost to the agriculture industry was $13.2 million, bringing Hurricane Dean's total cost on the island to $17.3 million (US$6.4 million in 2007) or 0.5% of the nation's GDP. [108] [110] [111]
The storm passed to the south of most of the Greater Antilles, though its outer rain bands crossed many of the islands, and delivered hurricane-force winds to Jamaica. Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands were mostly spared, [112] though Hurricane Dean passed 50 to 60 mi (80 to 95 km) south of Jamaica as a Category 4 hurricane. [35] [113] In Jamaica the rain caused flooding on the eastern side of the island and landslides in the northeast. [114] At least two direct deaths were confirmed. [115] Over 1,500 roofs were lost, primarily to the hurricane-force winds, [116] and 1,582 of the 3,127 damaged homes were uninhabitable. [117] Landslides and fallen trees blocked hundreds of roads, particularly in the rural northeast region. [118] [119] As in the Lesser Antilles, Jamaica suffered severe damage to its agricultural sector. Forty percent of the sugarcane crop, 80-to-100% of the banana crop, 75% of the coffee trees under three years old, and 20% of the top layer of the cocoa crop were lost. [117] Hurricane Dean affected 248 roads, including 186 that were blocked: [118] [119] 10 were blocked in the Kingston metropolitan region, [118] 14 sections were blocked in St. Andrew, 43 roads were blocked in St. Catherine, eight roads were blocked in the Western Region (Saint James, Hanover, Westmoreland, and Trelawny), and 110 roads were blocked in the Northeast region. [119]
Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which share the island of Hispaniola, were spared much of the hurricane's force, as it passed 170 mi (270 km) south of them. [120] [121] However, 15 people were killed among the island's two nations. [55] [74] [122] Heavy rain flooded the streets of Santo Domingo [123] and rough surf pounded the coast. [55] [124] Rain also caused landslides in Haiti, [125] destroying several hundred homes and forcing 5,154 people into temporary shelters, [74] and compromising the temperamental water system in the town of Bainet. [122]
Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Cayman Islands experienced high surf and heavy rains, though despite a power outage in Grand Cayman, [126] no significant damage was reported. [112] There, 2000 people weathered the storm in temporary shelters. The hurricane's outer bands swept over Cuba between August 19 and 21, bringing heavy rain and high seas, yet sparing the island damaging winds. [126] Rain from Hurricane Dean flooded several roads throughout Puerto Rico, and there was heavy surf along the island's coast, but no deaths or injuries were reported. [112]
The hurricane strengthened right up until it made landfall near Majahual on the Quintana Roo coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on August 21, 2007, as a Category 5 hurricane. [35] The state's tourist cities of Cancún and Cozumel were spared the worst of the storm, but it wreaked havoc in the state capital Chetumal, 40 mi (65 km) south of landfall, causing significant flooding. [127] The town of Majahual, which had a population of 200, was totally destroyed by the storm. Storm surge and high winds severely damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings [128] and had the strength to crumple steel girders. [35] The waves tore away portions of the concrete docks at Costa Maya's popular cruise port and the harbor was closed to cruise ships for almost a year. [128] [129] Despite the storm's tremendous intensity, not a single death was attributed to its initial landfall, owing mostly to the government's thorough preparations and forecasters' ample warning. [130] [131]
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". [132] Petroleum production was not severely damaged [133] and quickly returned to normal.[ citation needed ]
Most intense landfalling Atlantic hurricanes Intensity is measured solely by central pressure | |||
---|---|---|---|
Rank | Hurricane | Season | Landfall pressure |
1 | "Labor Day" [nb 2] | 1935 | 892 mbar (hPa) |
2 | Camille | 1969 | 900 mbar (hPa) |
Gilbert | 1988 | ||
4 | Dean | 2007 | 905 mbar (hPa) |
5 | "Cuba" | 1924 | 910 mbar (hPa) |
Dorian | 2019 | ||
7 | Janet | 1955 | 914 mbar (hPa) |
Irma | 2017 | ||
9 | "Cuba" | 1932 | 918 mbar (hPa) |
10 | Michael | 2018 | 919 mbar (hPa) |
Sources: HURDAT, [24] AOML/HRD, [135] NHC [136] |
Rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 in (100 to 200 mm) fell across the states of Jalisco and Nayarit. [137] This rainfall caused one fatality in Jalisco after a mudslide fell on 10 houses, killing one of the occupants. [138] Five people were killed in Puebla by landslides, and one more was crushed after a wall on his house collapsed. 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. [133] [139] Hurricane Dean killed 12 people in Mexico but remarkably no one was killed by its first (and catastrophically powerful) landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula. [35] Between the two landfalls damages, focused mainly in the agricultural sector, totaled Mex$2.05 billion (US$160 million). [140]
The town of Corozal on Belize's northern border experienced the worst conditions in the country. Trees were downed throughout the town, [78] and minor flooding was reported. [141] Eight thousand were displaced to shelters, though all returned home in less than two days. [142] Throughout the entire country, the Belizean Ministry of Health reported no storm-related fatalities and only a few minor injuries. [142]
Belize's agricultural sector received significant damage. Its sugar cane fields and papaya crops suffered extensive damage. [141] [143] The Belizean Government's National Emergency Management Organization estimated Dean's damage to the papaya industry at BZ$30 million and to the sugar industry at 6,000 acres (24 km2) worth BZ$3.6 million. [144] Belize Sugar Industries Ltd. reported that the country's sugar crop that year was the worst on record, producing 980,000 lb (445,000 kg) of sub-standard cane, compared to 1.2 million lb (545,000 kg) of high quality cane the year before. [145] More than 1000 people were out of work as a result of the damage to the papaya and sugar cane plantations. [142] The government attempted to improve the next crop season in 2008 by providing fertilizers to the farmers whose land had been damaged by Dean the year before. [146] Prime Minister Said Musa estimated that it would cost US$10 million to replace or repair all the damaged houses in Belize. [144]
No land effects were reported in Nicaragua but a four-year-old girl drowned on a boat that sank amidst high winds and waves at the mouth of the Kukra River. [96]
While the hurricane itself never approached 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 the turbulent waters at Siesta Key caused by Hurricane Dean. [147] Rough seas produced by Dean caused minor flooding in Dauphin Island, Alabama. Damages from the flooding amounted to $100,000. [148] The remnant circulation of Dean, after lingering off the Pacific Coast, moved inland by Santa Barbara, California, and brought heavy thunderstorms and localized flooding to coastal Southern California on the morning of August 26. [149] The remnants crossed the Mojave Desert on the morning of August 27. Las Vegas, received a daily record of 0.58 in (15 mm) of rain, with flash flooding and minor damage. [150]
Despite Dean's significant damage, it did not have severe effects on infrastructure, and the non-agricultural sectors of most affected nations recovered quickly. Most cruise lines diverted their ships away from the Western Caribbean in anticipation of Hurricane Dean's passage, though by August 27 all were back on schedule, except those with damaged ports in Belize and the Yucatán. The Lesser Antilles and the Greater Antilles were especially quick to resume servicing cruise lines, as their ports opened within days. [129]
Although Hurricane Dean was only a Category 2 hurricane when its northern eyewall passed over Martinique, the wind and widespread flooding destroyed 70% of the island's sugar cane crop and all of its banana crop, valued at €400 million [35] or 10% of GDP. [151] Remarkably the tourism industry withstood the storm well; only a few hotels reported minor damage and the airport opened the day after the hurricane. [129] [152] [153] Other than landscaping damage, all of the island's hotels were fully functional by the end of August. [129]
The French Overseas Minister, Christian Estrozy and French Prime Minister, François Fillon visited French Caribbean island to assess the storm's damage. They estimated the storm left 600 people homeless. The brevity of their visit prompted some of Martinique's famous writers, including Edouard Glissant, Patrick Chamoiseau and Raphael Confiant, to write an open letter airing their grievances concerning French politics and the handling of Hurricane Dean's impact. [154]
François Fillon then visited Guadeloupe and brought with him a team of experts from the Ministry of the Interior to assess the nature and cost of the damage. [155] The local government reported to them that 75% of Guadeloupe's banana plantations, valued at €100 million, were totally destroyed. [35] Despite promises by Overseas Minister Christian Estrosi that all problems would be resolved within three months, [156] it took over six months to restart banana production, and several more to restore lost capacity. [157] Other than the crop damage, the island suffered only minor wind and flooding damage, both of which were quickly repaired. [158]
On August 24, Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller announced that her government would provide JA$225 million (US$3.2 million) in emergency assistance to the country's agriculture sector. This aid was targeted at the country's hardest-hit parishes. [159] She also announced a JA$500 million (US$7.1 million) programme to provide grants and low-interest loans for emergency housing repairs. Temporary tarpaulins were also provided to patch roofs at no cost. [160]
The World Food Program immediately placed 5,500 Jamaicans on complementary food assistance, a daily ration of 1900 kJ (450 kcal) of High Energy Biscuits, for two weeks. [161] Within three days US$398,000 of pre-prepared United States Agency for International Development (USAID) emergency supplies arrived on the island. The airlift was composed mostly of mattresses, blankets, plastic sheeting, hygiene kits and water containers. [116] The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) provided a US$200,000 grant to support the relief effort [162] and the Chinese Red Cross, despite dealing with Typhoon Sepat, sent US$30,000 to its Jamaican counterpart for the purchase of emergency relief supplies. [163]
In December, four months after the hurricane struck the island, the World Bank's board of directors approved a US$10 million emergency loan. [164] World Bank Director for the Caribbean and the Jamaican Finance Minister negotiated a 17-year repayment plan, and endowed the money into the Jamaica Hurricane Dean Emergency Recovery Project. The Jamaica Social Investment Fund, which was charged with implementing the project, used the money to "rebuild and support schools, health centers, and community and farm roads affected by the hurricane". [165] [166] The Hurricane Dean Emergency Recovery Project finally kicked off in June 2008, with the issuance of rural road repair contracts valued at JA$37 million (US$520,000). [167]
By the end of the summer on 2008, banana production in Jamaica was returning to pre-Dean levels. With the help of JA$1.1 billion (US$15.5 million) of aid from the EU's Banana Support Programme, thousands of acres were replanted. Banana chips were the first products ready for export at the beginning of the summer, with fresh banana production following shortly thereafter. [168]
Although Dean's landfall in Mexico occurred in a relatively uninhabited area and the storm's well-predicted track gave ample warning, the storm inflicted extreme damage. In Majahual, the only town to experience the full force of the hurricane, hundreds of buildings were destroyed. [35] Quintana Roo Governor Félix González Canto reported that although the cleanup in the state capital of Chetumal was completed within three weeks, it took more than six months to fix all of the region's more rural roads. [129] Unable to handle the hurricane's aftermath, the state government appealed to federal authorities for aid. Together, they established a housing-repair fund which contributed to the reconstruction of over 37,000 residences. [169]
The cruise port of Puerto Costa Maya was severely damaged, causing Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean Cruises, the world's two largest cruise operators, to divert away from the port until at least 2009. [170] The Mexican government was quick to fund rebuilding of the destroyed concrete piers [171] which, by June 2008, were rebuilt to accommodate even larger ships than before. [172]
The federal government was initially lauded for its swift and thorough preparation to which most observers, including the United Nations, attributed Dean's low death toll. [130] [131] However, after the storm there were several accusations of political motivation in the distribution of aid. Members of President Felipe Calderón's Partido Accion Nacional (PAN) distributed bags of bread, funded by the nation's disaster relief coffers, carrying the party's logo. In Veracruz, Governor Fidel Herrera was accused by both the PAN and his own Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) of using state resources, including hurricane relief, to support the campaigns of PRI candidates. [173]
Due to the hurricane's widespread impact, the name Dean was retired by the World Meteorological Organization in May 2008, and it will never be used again for an Atlantic tropical cyclone. The name was replaced with Dorian for the 2013 season. [174] [175]
Hurricane Dean featured prominently in the travel novel Chasing Dean by Welsh surf/travel writer Tom Anderson. The book is an account of surfing America's hurricane states and the swell produced by Hurricane Dean. [176]
Hurricane Lili was the second costliest, deadliest, and strongest hurricane of the 2002 Atlantic hurricane season, only surpassed by Hurricane Isidore, which affected the same areas around a week before Lili. Lili was the twelfth named storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 2002 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm developed from a tropical disturbance in the open Atlantic on September 21. It continued westward, affecting the Lesser Antilles as a tropical storm, then entered the Caribbean. As it moved west, the storm dissipated while being affected by wind shear south of Cuba, and regenerated when the vertical wind shear weakened. It turned to the northwest and strengthened up to category 2 strength on October 1. Lili made two landfalls in western Cuba later that day, and then entered the Gulf of Mexico. The hurricane rapidly strengthened on October 2, reaching Category 4 strength that afternoon. It weakened rapidly thereafter, and hit Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane on October 3. It moved inland and dissipated on October 6.
Hurricane Gilbert was the second most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Atlantic basin in terms of barometric pressure, only behind Hurricane Wilma in 2005. An extremely powerful tropical cyclone that formed during the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season, Gilbert peaked as a Category 5 hurricane that brought widespread destruction to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, and is tied with 1969's Hurricane Camille as the second-most intense tropical cyclone to make landfall in the Atlantic Ocean. Gilbert was also one of the largest tropical cyclones ever observed in the Atlantic basin. At one point, its tropical storm-force winds measured 575 mi (925 km) in diameter. In addition, Gilbert was the most intense tropical cyclone in recorded history to strike Mexico.
Hurricane Michelle was the fifth costliest tropical cyclone in Cuban history and the strongest hurricane of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season. The thirteenth named storm and seventh hurricane that year, Michelle developed from a tropical wave that had traversed into the western Caribbean Sea on October 29; the wave had initially moved off the coast of Africa 13 days prior. In its early developmental stages, the depression meandered over Nicaragua, later paralleling the Mosquito Coast before intensifying into tropical storm intensity on November 1; Michelle was upgraded to hurricane strength the following day. Shortly after, rapid intensification ensued within favorable conditions, with the storm's central barometric pressure dropping 51 mbar in 29 hours. After a slight fluctuation in strength, Michelle reached its peak intensity as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 933 mbar. This tied Michelle with 1999's Lenny as the fourth most powerful November hurricane on record in the Atlantic Basin, behind only the 1932 Cuba hurricane and 2020 Hurricanes Iota and Eta. At roughly the same time, the hurricane began to accelerate northeastward; this brought the intense hurricane to a Cuban landfall within the Bay of Pigs later that day. Crossing over the island, Michelle was weakened significantly, and was only a Category 1 hurricane upon reentry into the Atlantic Ocean. The hurricane later transitioned into an extratropical cyclone over The Bahamas on November 5, before being absorbed by a cold front the following day.
Hurricane Charley was the first of four separate hurricanes to impact or strike Florida during 2004, along with Frances, Ivan and Jeanne, as well as one of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the United States. It was the third named storm, the second hurricane, and the second major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Charley lasted from August 9 to 15, and at its peak intensity it attained 150 mph (240 km/h) winds, making it a strong Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale. It made landfall in Southwest Florida at maximum strength, making it the strongest hurricane to hit the United States since Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992 and tied with Hurricane Ian as the strongest hurricane to hit southwest Florida in recorded history.
Hurricane Beulah was an intense Category 5 hurricane which impacted the Greater Antilles, Mexico, and Texas in September 1967. The second tropical storm, second hurricane, only major hurricane, and strongest storm in the 1967 Atlantic hurricane season, Beulah tracked through the Caribbean, struck the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico as a major hurricane, and moved west-northwestward into the Gulf of Mexico, briefly becoming a Category 5 hurricane. The hurricane made landfall just north of the mouth of the Rio Grande as a Category 3 hurricane. It spawned 115 tornadoes across Texas, which established a new record for the highest amount of tornadoes produced by a tropical cyclone. Due to its slow movement over Texas, Beulah led to significant flooding. Throughout its path, at least 59 people were killed and total damage reached $234.6 million, of which $200 million occurred in the United States, $26.9 million occurred in Mexico, and $7.65 million occurred in the eastern Caribbean.
Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, and devastating tropical cyclone that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The ninth named storm the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic hurricane season, Ivan formed in early September, and reached Category 5 strength on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale (SSHS). Ivan caused catastrophic damage in Grenada as a strong Category 3 storm, heavy damage in Jamaica as a strong Category 4 storm, and then severe damage in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, and the western tip of Cuba as a Category 5 hurricane. After peaking in strength, the hurricane moved north-northwest across the Gulf of Mexico to strike Pensacola/Milton, Florida and Alabama as a strong Category 3 storm, causing significant damage. Ivan dropped heavy rain on the Southeastern United States as it progressed northeastward and eastward through the Eastern United States, becoming an extratropical cyclone on September 18. The remnant low of the storm moved into the western subtropical Atlantic and regenerated into a tropical cyclone on September 22, which then moved across Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, and then into Louisiana and Texas, causing minimal damage. Ivan degenerated into a remnant low on September 24, before dissipating on the next day.
Hurricane Allen was the strongest Atlantic hurricane by wind speed on record. An extremely powerful tropical cyclone, Allen affected the Caribbean, eastern and northern Mexico, and South Texas in August 1980. The second tropical depression, first named storm, and first hurricane of the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season, Allen was the sixth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record in terms of barometric pressure. It was one of the few hurricanes to reach Category 5 status on the Saffir–Simpson scale on three occasions, and spent more time at Category 5 status than all but two other Atlantic hurricanes. Allen is the only hurricane in the recorded history of the Atlantic basin to achieve sustained winds of 190 mph, Until Hurricane Patricia in 2015, these were also the highest sustained winds in the Western Hemisphere. Hurricane Allen was also the third strongest tropical cyclone to exist in the Gulf of Mexico in terms of pressure, behind hurricanes Milton and Rita.
Hurricane Iris was a small, but powerful tropical cyclone that caused widespread destruction in Belize. Iris was the second-strongest storm of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season, behind Hurricane Michelle. It was the ninth named storm, fifth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the year, forming from a tropical wave on October 4 just southeast of Barbados. It moved westward through the Caribbean, intensifying into a tropical storm on October 5 south of Puerto Rico, and into a hurricane on the following day. While passing south of the Dominican Republic, Iris dropped heavy rainfall that caused landslides, killing eight people. Later, the hurricane passed south of Jamaica, where it destroyed two houses. On reaching the western Caribbean Sea, Iris rapidly intensified into a Category 4 on the Saffir–Simpson scale. A small hurricane with an eye of only 7 mi (11 km) in diameter, Iris reached peak winds of 145 mph (233 km/h) before making landfall in southern Belize near Monkey River Town on October 9. The hurricane quickly dissipated over Central America, although its remnants contributed to the formation of Tropical Storm Manuel in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The hurricane caused severe damage—destroying homes, flooding streets, and leveling trees—in coastal towns south of Belize City.
Hurricane Dennis was a deadly and destructive tropical cyclone that briefly held the record for the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever to form before August. Dennis was the fourth named storm of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It originated on July 4 near the Windward Islands from a tropical wave. Dennis intensified into a hurricane on July 6 as it moved across the Caribbean Sea. Two days later, it became a strong Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale before striking Cuba twice on July 8. After weakening over land, Dennis re-intensified in the Gulf of Mexico, attaining its lowest barometric pressure of 930 mbar (27 inHg) on July 10. That day, Dennis weakened slightly before making a final landfall on Santa Rosa Island, Florida as a Category 3 hurricane. After moving through the central United States, the circulation associated with former Hurricane Dennis dissipated on July 18 over Ontario. While Dennis was still active as a tropical cyclone, it lost its status as the strongest hurricane before August to Hurricane Emily, which also moved through the Caribbean.
Hurricane Emily was one of only two July Atlantic hurricanes to reach Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The fifth named storm of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, Emily formed on July 11 from a tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles. Three days later, it made landfall on Grenada as a minimal hurricane, just ten months after Hurricane Ivan devastated the region. Emily attained maximum sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph) on July 16 while passing southwest of Jamaica. Slight weakening occurred before Emily made landfall along Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula on July 18 as a Category 4 hurricane. Quickly crossing the peninsula, Emily emerged into the Gulf of Mexico and reorganized, making a second landfall in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas on July 20. It rapidly weakened and dissipated over land.
The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season was the first season since 2003 to feature tropical activity both before and after the official bounds of the season. There were an above-average number of named storms during the season – 15, however many storms were weak and short-lived. Despite the predominance of weak systems, this was the first season on record to feature more than one Category 5 landfalling hurricane. This would not happen again until 2017. It produced 17 tropical cyclones, 15 tropical storms, six hurricanes, and two major hurricanes. It officially started on June 1 and ended on November 30, dates which conventionally delimit the period during which most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Ocean, although as shown by Subtropical Storm Andrea and Tropical Storm Olga in early May and early December, respectively, the formation of tropical cyclones is possible at any time of the year. The first system, Subtropical Storm Andrea, developed on May 9, while the last storm, Tropical Storm Olga, dissipated on December 13. The most intense hurricane, Dean, was, at the time, the third most intense landfalling Atlantic storm on record. It was the second on record in which an Atlantic hurricane, Felix, and an eastern Pacific hurricane, Henriette, made landfall on the same day. September had a then record-tying eight storms, until it was surpassed in 2020. However, the strengths and durations of most of the storms were low.
Hurricane Claudette was a moderately strong tropical cyclone that struck South Texas in July 2003. A fairly long-lived July Atlantic hurricane, Claudette was the fourth depression, third tropical storm and first hurricane of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. Claudette began as a tropical wave in the eastern Caribbean. It moved quickly westward, brushing past the Yucatán Peninsula before moving northwestward through the Gulf of Mexico. Claudette remained a tropical storm until just before making landfall in Port O'Connor, Texas, when it quickly strengthened to a strong Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Forecasting of its path and intensity was uncertain throughout its lifetime, resulting in widespread and often unnecessary preparations along its path.
Hurricane Dean was a strong tropical cyclone that affected the United States and Atlantic Canada while remaining offshore in early August 1989. The fourth named storm and second hurricane of the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season, Dean formed on July 31 and reached tropical storm status the following day east of the Leeward Islands. Dean brushed the northern Leeward Islands as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale, bringing light rain but producing no damage, before turning northward and striking Bermuda as a Category 2 hurricane. It continued northward before making landfall in southeastern Newfoundland.
The effects of Hurricane Dean in the Lesser Antilles were spread over five island countries and included 3 fatalities. Hurricane Dean formed in the Atlantic Ocean west of Cape Verde on August 14, 2007. The National Hurricane Center's first Forecast Advisory on the system anticipated that the Cape Verde-type hurricane would pass into the Caribbean through the Lesser Antilles. The storm moved persistently towards the small island chain, strengthening until it passed through the islands three days later on August 17 as a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. It went on to brush the island of Jamaica and reached Category 5 strength before making landfall on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.
The effects of Hurricane Dean in the Greater Antilles were spread over six countries and included 20 deaths. Hurricane Dean formed in the Atlantic Ocean west of Cape Verde on August 14 as part of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. The Cape Verde-type hurricane tracked steadily westward into the Caribbean, where it rapidly intensified. Its outer bands swept over the Greater Antilles; the storm surge was felt from the eastern side of Puerto Rico to the western tip of Cuba. It brushed the island of Jamaica as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale before striking Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula at Category 5 strength.
Hurricane Felix was an extremely powerful tropical cyclone which was the southernmost-landfalling Category 5 storm on record, surpassing Hurricane Edith of 1971. It was the sixth named storm, second hurricane, and second Category 5 hurricane of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. Felix formed from a tropical wave on August 31, passing through the southern Windward Islands on September 1 before strengthening to attain hurricane status. On the next day, Felix rapidly strengthened into a major hurricane, and early on September 3 it was upgraded to Category 5 status; at 2100 UTC on the same day, the hurricane was downgraded to Category 4 status, but strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane for the second and final time by the morning of September 4.
The effects of Hurricane Dean in Mexico were more severe than anywhere else in the storm's path. Hurricane Dean, the most intense storm of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season, formed in the Atlantic Ocean west of Cape Verde on August 14, 2007. The Cape Verde-type hurricane sped through the Caribbean Sea, rapidly intensifying before making landfall on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Accurate forecasts of the storm's location and intensity enabled thorough preparations; nevertheless when the massive storm made landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula as a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale it damaged thousands of homes.
Hurricane Gustav was the second most destructive tropical cyclone of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. The seventh tropical cyclone, third hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season, Gustav caused serious damage and casualties in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Cuba and the United States. Gustav caused at least $8.31 billion (2008 USD) in damages.
From September 8 to 14, 2004, Hurricane Ivan moved through the Caribbean Sea, affecting all of the Greater Antilles. Reaching peak winds of 165 mph (266 km/h), Ivan attained Category 5 strength on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, the strongest possible category, on three times in the Caribbean. It first lashed the southern coasts of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola with high waves, killing five people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti; in the latter country, two others drowned due to storm flooding. The effects in Jamaica were among the worst from a tropical cyclone in the island's recorded history. The storm caused severe damage which left 18,000 people homeless. An estimated 17 people on the island were killed by Ivan.
Hurricane Matthew was a powerful tropical cyclone which caused catastrophic damage and a humanitarian crisis in Haiti, as well as widespread devastation in the southeastern United States. The deadliest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Stan in 2005, and the first Category 5 Atlantic hurricane since Felix in 2007, Matthew was the thirteenth named storm, fifth hurricane and second major hurricane of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season. It caused extensive damage to landmasses in the Greater Antilles, and severe damage in several islands of the Bahamas which were still recovering from Joaquin, which had pounded the archipelago nearly a year earlier. Matthew also approached the southeastern United States, but stayed just offshore, paralleling the Florida coastline.
Media related to Hurricane Dean at Wikimedia Commons