Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | August 2,2011 |
Remnant low | August 7,2011 |
Dissipated | August 11,2011 |
Tropical storm | |
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Highest winds | 50 mph (85 km/h) |
Lowest pressure | 1003 mbar (hPa);29.62 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 4 direct,1 indirect |
Damage | $5 million (2011 USD) |
Areas affected | Antilles,Florida,Bahamas |
IBTrACS / [1] | |
Part of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season |
Tropical Storm Emily was a weak Atlantic tropical cyclone that brought torrential rains to much of the northern Caribbean in 2011. The fifth named storm of the annual hurricane season,Emily developed from a strong but poorly organized tropical wave that traversed the open Atlantic over the last week July. On August 1,it approached the Lesser Antilles and became more consolidated,producing inclement weather over many of the northern islands. Two days later,the disturbance’s wind flow became more cyclonic with a defined center of circulation,which marked the formation of Tropical Storm Emily. The storm remained fairly irregular in structure,though generating strong thunderstorms and gusty winds along its path over the Caribbean Sea. On August 4,Emily was declassified as a tropical cyclone after the mountainous areas of Hispaniola further disrupted its diffuse circulation. Upon exiting the northeastern Caribbean on August 6,its remnants briefly regenerated into a tropical storm before dissipating completely the next day.
Despite the erratic structure of its wind flow,Emily brought severe weather to many Caribbean nations. Gusty winds felled trees and heavy rains caused widespread flooding throughout the Lesser Antilles. The most significant damage was confined to Martinique,where one death occurred. In Puerto Rico,flash floods affected residences and roads,leaving behind US$5 million in infrastructural damage. Even after Emily’s dissipation,its remnants continued to produce prolonged rainfall over much of Hispaniola. Floods and mudslides in the Dominican Republic displaced over 7,000 residents and caused three people to drown in the capital of Santo Domingo. In neighboring Haiti,hundreds of houses were inundated in the department of Artibonite,forcing their inhabitants to evacuate. Minor wind damage occurred throughout the country's southern peninsula,and one person died in that region.
The cyclogenesis of Tropical Storm Emily was complicated, extending over several days from late July into early August. An easterly tropical wave—an equatorward trough of low pressure—exited the west African coast in the fourth week of July, at which point it became largely embedded within the monsoon trough. [2] Located to the south of a ridge of high pressure, the wave moved west-northwestward across the open Atlantic; it retained a broad circulation with little to no precipitation for a day or two. [1] [3] Over time, clusters of convection increased around the broad system, and it developed two distinct centers of circulation on July 30. [1] [4] [5] During the morning of July 31, the large low markedly gained in organization, and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) noted it was close to becoming a tropical depression. [6] Later that day, however, the main circulation became increasingly elongated; its westernmost component soon detached to form a separate tropical wave. [7] This new disturbance featured widely scattered convection and rainbands, which briefly affected the Lesser Antilles. [8] The next day, a new area of deep convection with a dominant center formed as the circulation became better defined. It passed through the Leeward Islands with some improvement in its structure, and the surface winds rose to near tropical storm force. [1] [9] A reconnaissance flight into the system revealed the circulation center had become well defined near the deep convection. The system was upgraded to tropical storm status and given the name Emily at 0000 UTC on August 2, when it was located to the south of Dominica. During the initial stages of its existence, the storm accelerated toward the west-northwest in response to the strong high pressure to its north. [1] [10]
With a relatively dry environment along its projected path, Emily was expected to strengthen only gradually until its predicted passage through the Greater Antilles. [11] For several hours into August 2, the cyclone fluctuated little in intensity and organization as it developed banding features. [12] Emily's appearance later improved on satellite images, and it developed a ragged central dense overcast; the NHC estimated that the storm had reached its peak sustained winds of 50 mph (80 km/h) by 0000 UTC on August 3. [1] Nevertheless, reconnaissance revealed that its circulation remained poorly organized, and at the time, several forecast models even supported dissipation prior to landfall in Hispaniola. [13] An increase in upper wind shear removed the deepest convection from the circulation center, and it would remain so for the rest of the storm's duration. [14] [15] On August 4, the cloud pattern and convective banding became better organized near the center as the upper outflow over the cyclone expanded. [16] Emily proceeded to track just south of the Dominican Republic, [17] where its weak circulation became increasingly disrupted due to the adjacent high terrain and increasing vertical wind shear. The cyclone accelerated over Hispaniola and degenerated into an open trough around 2100 UTC that day. [1] [18]
The remnant trough proceeded northwestward into the Bahamas, where the NHC assessed a high chance of redevelopment based on relenting upper wind shear. [19] Over the next couple of days, it moved over the Bahamas and proceeded east of southern Florida. Late on August 6, the trough developed a new center of circulation and regenerated into a weak tropical depression by 1800 UTC near Grand Bahama. Emily briefly reattained tropical storm strength six hours later, although it once again dissipated to a remnant low the next day owing to increasing wind shear. [20] The low took on an accelerated east-northeastward motion, bypassing Bermuda before heading eastward over the open Atlantic. It briefly retained a broad area of gale-force winds with deep convection, which prompted the NHC to remonitor the system. [1] [21] The combination of strong wind shear and its rapid forward speed inhibited significant development, and the remnant dissipated around 1200 UTC on August 11, about 980 mi (1,565 km) west of the Azores. [1]
Because of the high potential for tropical cyclone development, Météo-France declared yellow cyclone alerts for Guadeloupe and Martinique, warning of imminent squally weather. [22] [23] Due to the presence of Emily, a state of emergency was declared for all of Puerto Rico. [24] Officials ordered the preparation of over 400 storm shelters and ensured adequate water supply. [25] The morning before the storm, government workers were dismissed, and national courtrooms remained closed. [25] The United States Coast Guard issued a statement urging residents of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to avoid recreational boating and swimming until Emily had passed. [26] JetBlue Airways waived fees for flights into the Dominican Republic because of the inclement weather conditions. [27] Four cruise ships, Oasis of the Seas , Freedom of the Seas , Carnival Dream and Carnival Liberty altered their courses through the Caribbean to avoid the storm. [28]
In Haiti, about 630,000 people were still living in tents across areas devastated by the January 2010 earthquake prior to Emily's arrival. Due to the lack of sturdy structure to ride out a storm, fears arose over how they would fare with a tropical cyclone passing through the country. Emergency officials in the country set aside 22 large buses to evacuate thousands of people at the risk of flooding. Additionally, residents were urged to conserve food and safeguard their belongings. The United Nations placed 11,500 troops in the country on standby to assist in recovery efforts should they be necessitated. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies also put emergency teams on standby to deliver food support in addition to the 125,000 people already assisted. [24] In advance of the storm, authorities closed all airports and landing sites in country. [29]
Intense rainbands produced gusty winds and heavy precipitation totaling to 5.90 in (150 mm) in Martinique, [30] causing street flooding and inundating homes. Roughly 5,000 residences lost power at the height of the storm, [31] though the outages were brief and confined to the southeast of the island. A large landslide occurred in the capital of Fort-de-France due to excessive soil saturation, prompting some 40 families to evacuate the area. [32] Across the city, deep flood waters affected 29 houses; [33] a man was electrocuted and killed by an exposed wire in his flooded home. [34]
In Guadeloupe, damage from the storm was limited; potent gusts uprooted numerous trees and blew debris onto streets throughout Basse-Terre. One road was blocked off to traffic during its passage as a precautionary measure, but was reopened soon thereafter. [35] Gale-force winds downed some electricity lines in Saint Kitts and Nevis, causing two island-wide outages. [36] The storm enhanced moisture to produce intermittent torrents over the Virgin Islands, with localized totals of no more than 1 inch (25 mm). Winds in the area were also limited; the highest gust was experienced on Buck Island, measuring 52 mph (83 km/h). [37]
While moving little near Puerto Rico, Emily brought prolonged tropical storm conditions to many parts of the island. The heaviest rainfall occurred in southern regions; Caguas recorded a total of 8.22 in (209 mm) of rain during the storm. [1] High winds damaged an electrical grid, cutting off power to about 18,500 customers; roughly 6,000 people were left without drinking water during the storm. [38] Dozens of residents evacuated to shelters, in particular those living near risk zones. [39] Torrential rains of up to 10 inches (250 mm) [40] overflowed three rivers, which resulted in the flooding and subsequent closure of the PR-31 highway and PRI-3 intersection. [38] Throughout the island, multiple other roads were made impassable by landslides and fallen objects; [41] infrastructural damage surmounted $5 million, according to preliminary estimates. [42] The two-day suspension of about 280,000 employees—about 30 percent of the territory's workforce—affected the local economy significantly, with capital losses estimated at $55 million. [43]
In San Lorenzo, 25 families became isolated when a bridge threatened to collapse. [44] Flooded homes and cluttered streets were reported in Ceiba, with one residential gate collapsing in the municipality. [45] The agricultural sector also sustained losses from the storm; in Yabucoa, heavy rains washed out 1,200 acres (490 ha ) of banana seedlings. [46]
Precipitation | Storm | Location | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | mm | in | |||
1 | 1001.5 | 39.43 | Flora 1963 | Polo Barahona | [47] |
2 | 905.0 | 35.63 | Noel 2007 | Angelina | [48] |
3 | 598.0 | 23.54 | Cleo 1964 | Polo | [47] |
4 | 528.0 | 20.79 | Emily 2011 | Neyba | [49] |
5 | 505.2 | 19.89 | Jeanne 2004 | Isla Saona | [50] |
6 | 479.8 | 18.89 | Inez 1966 | Polo | [51] |
7 | 445.5 | 17.54 | Hurricane Four 1944 | Hondo Valle | [52] |
8 | 391.4 | 15.41 | Hurricane Five 1935 | Barahona | [53] |
9 | 359.9 | 14.17 | Hanna 2008 | Oveido | [54] |
10 | 350.0 | 13.78 | T.S. One 1948 | Bayaguana | [55] |
Albeit disorganized, Emily and its remnants dropped extensive precipitation across the Dominican Republic, with maximum totals of up to 21 inches (528 mm) recorded in Neiba. Among other consequences, severe flooding and isolated mudslides left 56 communities isolated from surrounding areas. [56] The storm displaced up to 7,534 people throughout the country, of which 1,549 sought refuge in storm shelters. [57] Consecutive hours of rainfall resulted in the overflow of some rivers, although no significant damage was reported to adjacent areas. [58] Offshore, squalls generated rough waves that briefly affected boating operations and oceanside homes. [56] To the east of Santo Domingo, two men drowned after getting caught in a swollen river. A third drowning fatality occurred elsewhere in the capital due to flooding. [59]
Owing to the timing of its dissipation, Emily spared neighboring Haiti from the devastation initially anticipated. At least 235 people in Jacmel and Tabarre, as well as 65 prisoners from Gonaïves and Miragoâne, required evacuation at the height of the storm. [40] In Artibonite, civil protection teams evacuated roughly 300 residents. [40] Rainfall triggered floods that damaged over 300 homes throughout the country, while several cholera treatment centers were destroyed. [60] At the risk of new outbreaks, special sterilizers were distributed to sanitize possibly contaminated waters. [61] A body was recovered from a ravine near Les Cayes, but the exact cause of death was disputed; another person in the area sustained injuries after being hit by a fallen tree. [62] High winds caused some property damage in Léogâne and Jacmel. [60]
The successor trough to Emily produced torrential rains over eastern Cuba, causing some rivers to overflow. Damaging flood waters spread across roads in Santiago de Cuba, where 37 homes were affected by mud. While regenerating into a tropical depression, Emily dropped prolonged rainfall in the Bahamas; a severe thunderstorm warning was accordingly issued for Grand Bahama and adjacent waters. [63] Precipitation totals of up to 7.9 in (200 mm) were recorded during the time. [64]
Hurricane Hortense was the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico since Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and the second most intense hurricane during the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season. The eighth tropical cyclone, eighth named storm, and sixth hurricane of the season. Hortense developed on September 3 from a tropical wave in the central Atlantic Ocean. Initially a tropical depression, it headed westward without significant strengthening for four days due to unfavorable upper-level winds. While nearing the Lesser Antilles upper-level winds decreased, allowing the depression to become Tropical Storm Hortense on September 7. Hortense crossed Guadeloupe on September 8 and entered the Caribbean Sea. By on the following day, it was upgraded to a hurricane while curving northwestward. Hortense made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 9 and brushed the Dominican Republic shortly thereafter. After re-entering the Atlantic, Hortense began to substantially strengthen and peaked as a 140 mph (220 km/h) Category 4 hurricane early on September 13. Thereafter, the storm steadily weakened as it tracked rapidly north-northeastward. Early on September 15, Hortense made landfall in Nova Scotia as a minimal Category 1 hurricane. It quickly weakened further to a tropical storm before re-entering the Atlantic to the south of Newfoundland. Late on September 15, Hortense transitioned into an extratropical cyclone and subsequently merged with a frontal system about 24 hours later.
The 1967 Atlantic hurricane season was an active Atlantic hurricane season overall, producing 13 nameable storms, of which 6 strengthened into hurricanes. The season officially began on June 1, 1967, and lasted until November 30, 1967. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when most tropical cyclogenesis occurs in the Atlantic Ocean. The season's first system, Tropical Depression One, formed on June 10, and the last, Tropical Storm Heidi, lost tropical characteristics on November 2.
Hurricane Klaus was a minimal Atlantic hurricane that dropped heavy rainfall across the Lesser Antilles in October 1990. The eleventh tropical cyclone and sixth hurricane of the 1990 Atlantic hurricane season, Klaus developed from a tropical wave on October 3 a short distance east of Dominica. It drifted northwestward, and quickly intensified to attain hurricane status on October 5. Though its closest approach to the Lesser Antilles was within 12 miles (19 km), the strongest winds remained to its northeast due to strong wind shear, which caused Klaus to steadily weaken. After deteriorating into a tropical depression, Klaus briefly restrengthened over the Bahamas before dissipating on October 9 under the influence of developing tropical storm, Marco.
Hurricane Marilyn was the most powerful hurricane to strike the Virgin Islands since Hurricane Hugo of 1989, and the third such tropical cyclone in roughly a two-week time span to strike or impact the Leeward Islands, the others being Hurricane Iris and the much more powerful and destructive Hurricane Luis. The thirteenth named storm, seventh hurricane and third major hurricane of the extremely active 1995 Atlantic hurricane season, Marilyn formed on September 12 as a tropical depression from a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on September 7. After formation, the storm quickly became a tropical storm, and steadily intensified into a hurricane by the time it struck the Lesser Antilles on September 14 at Category 1 strength. Entering the northeastern Caribbean Sea, rapid intensification ensued and it peaked on September 16 north of Puerto Rico as a Category 3 hurricane shortly after it had impacted the U.S. Virgin Islands. A Hurricane Hunter reconnaissance flight reported hail, which is unusual for tropical cyclones. After heading north past Bermuda, Marilyn weakened and became extratropical on September 22. The remnant circulation wandered the Atlantic Ocean from September 23 – October 1, just south of Nova Scotia.
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.
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