Impact Hurricane Dean

1 impact

1.1 lesser antilles
1.2 greater antilles
1.3 mexico
1.4 belize
1.5 other regions

impact

fifteen countries felt effects of hurricane dean path through caribbean sea claimed 42 lives. hurricane first brushed lesser antilles on august 17, 2007, , passed through interior of caribbean outer rain bands swept on greater antilles. passed jamaica category 4 hurricane, , strengthened category 5 storm made landfall on mexico s yucatán peninsula on august 21. second landfall on august 22 less devastating.

lesser antilles

hurricane dean entered caribbean category 2 hurricane through saint lucia channel on august 17. moved briskly between lesser antillean islands of st. lucia , martinique, storm surge , rain bands reaching every island in chain. damage severe in martinique total damage estimated @ €400 million , 3 indirect deaths, while nearby guadaloupe suffered €400 million of damage. in st. lucia, damage caused high seas , estimated @ us$18 million.

martinique experienced 75 mph (120 km/h) winds gusts 105 mph (170 km/h). torrential rainfall, reached 332 mm (13.07 in) caused flooding throughout island, town of rivière-pilote flooding completely. majority of martinique s population left without electricity, water, telephone, or food, , 600 martiniquans left homeless. storm destroyed martinique s entire banana crop, , 70% of island s sugar cane plantations. damage these 2 agricultural sectors accounted majority of island s €400 million damage.

on evening of august 16, 12 hours before storm arrived in st. lucia, power outages began in of island s neighborhoods. night saw heavy rains, 1.58 in (40 mm) @ st. lucia s hewanorra international airport, , intense thunderstorms , morning hurricane force winds peaked @ 90 mph (145 km/h). winds uprooted trees, downed electricity poles, disabled bridges, triggered landslides, , damaged several roofs. saint lucia s capital, castries, flooded storm surge left boulders , fishing boats on streets. 1 person drowned in sarrot after being swept away rain-swollen river while trying recover cow. hurricane dean damaged roofs of 2 of island s hospitals, no 1 injured. several other buildings damaged, on island s northern coast exposed hurricane. ministry of education reported 11 schools had sustained combined total of ec$300,000 of damage, , nationwide damage housing , buildings totaled ec$800,000. ministry of communications, works, transport, , public utilities reported of country s major infrastructure remained functional, , no long-term disruptions occurred.

the hardest hit area of saint lucia agricultural sector. 5,000 acres (20 km) of banana farms in mabouya valley, roseau valley, , marc marc severely damaged many of plantations waterlogged or outright destroyed. average of 75% of crops lost, fields in northern farms losing 80% , in roseau valley losing 85%. cost agriculture industry $13.2 million, bringing hurricane dean s total cost on island $17.3 million (us$6.4 million in 2007) or 0.5% of nation s gdp.

greater antilles


a house in kingston, jamaica destroyed hurricane dean

the storm passed south of of greater antilles, though outer rain bands crossed many of islands, , delivered hurricane force winds jamaica. puerto rico, cuba, , cayman islands spared, though hurricane dean passed 50 60 mi (80 95 km) south of jamaica category 4 hurricane. in jamaica rain caused flooding on eastern side of island , landslides on northeast end. @ least 2 direct deaths confirmed. on 1,500 roofs lost, hurricane force winds, , 1,582 of 3,127 damaged homes uninhabitable. landslides , fallen trees blocked hundreds of roads, particularly in rural northeast region. in lesser antilles, jamaica suffered severe damage agricultural sector. forty percent of sugarcane crop, 80 100% of banana crop, 75% of coffee trees under 3 years old, , 20% of top layer of cocoa crop lost. hurricane dean affected 248 roads, including 186 blocked: 10 blocked in kingston metropolitan region, 14 sections blocked in st. andrew, 43 roads blocked in st. catherine, 8 roads blocked in western region (saint james, hanover, westmoreland, , trelawny), , 110 roads blocked in northeast region.

damage in bull bay

haiti , dominican republic, share island of hispaniola, spared of hurricane s force, passed 170 mi (270 km) south. however, 15 people killed among island s 2 nations. heavy rain flooded streets of santo domingo , rough surf pounded coast. rain caused landslides in haiti, destroying several hundred homes , forcing 5,154 people temporary shelters, , compromising temperamental water system in town of bainet.

cuba, puerto rico, , cayman islands experienced high surf , heavy rains, though despite power outage in grand cayman, no significant damage reported. there, 2000 people weathered storm in temporary shelters. hurricane s outer bands swept on cuba between august 19 , august 21, bringing heavy rain , high seas, yet sparing island damaging winds. rain hurricane dean flooded several roads throughout puerto rico, , there heavy surf along island s coast, no deaths or injuries reported.

mexico


dean @ landfall in mexico category 5 hurricane

the hurricane strengthened right until made landfall near majahual on quintana roo coast of yucatán peninsula on august 21, 2007 category 5 hurricane. wind gusts of 200 mph (320 km/h) reported. state s tourist cities of cancún , cozumel spared worst of storm, wreaked havoc in state capital chetumal, 40 mi (65 km) south of landfall, causing significant flooding. town of majahual, had population of 200, totally destroyed storm. storm surge , high winds severely damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings , had strength crumple steel girders. waves tore away portions of concrete docks @ costa maya s popular cruise port , harbor closed cruise ships year. despite storm s tremendous intensity, not single death attributed initial landfall, owing government s thorough preparations , forecasters ample warning.

following second landfall on veracruz coast, 2 rivers in mountains of state of hidalgo overflowed, , rain fell far west pacific coast. veracruz governor fidel herrera said there tremendous amount of damage . petroleum production not severely damaged , returned normal.

rainfall amounts of 4 8 in (100 200 mm) fell across states of jalisco , nayarit. rainfall caused 1 fatality in jalisco after mudslide fell on 10 houses, killing 1 of occupants. 5 people killed in puebla landslides, , 1 more crushed after wall on house collapsed. 1 person in veracruz electrocuted after touching power line while doing roof repairs. in michoacán, man struck lightning under tree in outer bands of storm, , 2 people died in hidalgo when roof collapsed in house. hurricane dean killed 12 people in mexico remarkably no 1 killed first (and catastrophically powerful) landfall on yucatán peninsula. between 2 landfalls damages, focused in agricultural sector, totaled mex$2.05 billion (us$160 million).

belize

the town of corozal on belize s northern border experienced worst conditions in country. trees downed throughout town, , minor flooding reported. 8 thousand displaced shelters, though returned home in less 2 days. throughout entire country, belizean ministry of health reported no storm-related fatalities , few minor injuries.

belize s agricultural sector received significant damage. sugar cane fields , papaya crops suffered extensive damage. belizian government s national emergency management organization estimated dean s damage papaya industry @ bz$30 million , sugar industry @ 6,000 acres (24 km) worth bz$3.6 million. belize sugar industries ltd. reported country s sugar crop year worst on record, producing 980,000 lb (445,000 kg) of sub-standard cane, compared 1.2 million lb (545,000 kg) of high quality cane year before. more 1000 people out of work result of damage papaya , sugar cane plantations. government attempted improve next crop season in 2008 providing fertilizers farmers land had been damaged dean year before. prime minister said musa estimated cost us$10 million replace or repair damaged houses in belize.

other regions

no land effects reported in nicaragua four-year-old girl drowned on boat sank amidst high winds , waves @ mouth of kukra river.

while hurricane never approached united states, heavy surf , rip currents reported on beaches of florida. 1 person drowned , @ least 35 people had rescued turbulent waters @ siesta key caused hurricane dean. rough seas produced dean caused minor flooding in dauphin island, alabama. damages flooding amounted $100,000. remnant circulation of dean, after lingering off pacific coast, moved inland santa barbara, california, , brought heavy thunderstorms , localized flooding coastal southern california on morning of august 26. remnants crossed mojave desert on morning of august 27. las vegas, received daily record of 0.58 in (15 mm) of rain, flash flooding , minor damage.