Hurricane Emily

Pre-Landfall 3 | Summary
Posting Date: July 18, 2005, 1:00:00 PM

After crossing Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula overnight, Hurricane Emily has moved back out over the Gulf. As of 11 a.m. EDT Emily is located about 575 miles east-southeast of Brownsville, Texas. Maximum sustained winds have fallen to 100 mph, which means that Emily is now a Category 2 hurricane. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center of the storm and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 150 miles from the center. Estimated minimum central pressure is now 975 mb. A hurricane watch is in effect from Cabo Rojo, Mexico northward to Baffin Bay, Texas. Along the Yucatan Peninsula, a hurricane watch remains in effect from Cabo Catoche westward and southward to Campeche. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) expects Emily to continue along its current west-northwest track, maintaining a forward speed of around 17 mph. The NHC forecasts Emily to restrengthen over the warm waters of the Gulf and arrive on the coast of Mexico as a major hurricane. Emily made landfall at Tulum, Mexico, about 100 miles south of Cancun, bringing 135 mph winds to the northeastern corner of the Peninsula. Nearly 60,000 tourists were evacuated from Mexico’s resort coast by bus as the Cancun airport closed Sunday afternoon. Ground floor windows were blown out in most businesses in Playa del Carmen, where many streets were flooded in knee-deep water. Power and phone service was also knocked out to much of the resort area. Jamaica and the Cayman Islands were spared a direct hit by the storm, which passed about 100 miles to the south over the weekend. The AIR tropical cyclone team has run simulations for those countries using the latest available meteorological information. Results indicate that insured losses will be minimal. The team continues to track Emily as she makes her way across the Gulf of Mexico for an expected arrival on the northern Mexico coast late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

Pre-Landfall 3 | Downloads
Posting Date: July 18, 2005, 1:00:00 PM