Hurricane Paloma

Landfall | Summary
Posting Date: November 10, 2008, 11:41:00 AM

Hurricane Paloma made landfall near Santa Cruz del Sur, Cuba, at 7:00 EST on Saturday, November 8, as a Category 3 hurricane. Maximum sustained winds at landfall were 120 mph. The storm toppled trees, damaged thousands of homes, and knocked over a communications tower as it ripped through the island. The hurricane's storm surge, estimated at over 20 feet, penetrated as far as a mile inland. Near Santa Cruz del Sur, flooding washed out banana crops and other national food reserves, and civil defense authorities reported that more than 400 homes were destroyed. In preparation for Paloma, officials had evacuated more than 1.2 million people. Earlier on Saturday, Paloma strengthened unexpectedly to a Category 4 hurricane with 145 mph winds as it passed near and just south of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Paloma became the second most powerful hurricane recorded in the month of November since Hurricane Lenny in 1999. The hardest-hit of the islands was Cayman Brac, where over 90% of buildings are reported to have suffered damage. On Little Cayman, officials also reported some flooding in low-lying areas, downed trees, and ripped-off roofs. Fortunately, over 96% of total insured value in the Cayman Islands is located on Grand Cayman, which was largely spared from the force of Paloma’s winds. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), after crossing Cuba, Paloma quickly succumbed to wind shear and was downgraded to a tropical depression. The storm is expected to continue weakening and then degenerate to a low pressure system on its way toward the Bahamas. The AIR tropical cyclone team is monitoring the progress of Paloma and will make additional information available if warranted.

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Posting Date: November 10, 2008, 11:41:00 AM