Hurricane Wilma

Hurricane Wilma was the twenty-first named storm, thirteenth hurricane, and sixth major hurricane, and third Category 5 of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. Wilma set numerous records for both strength and seasonal activity. At its peak, it was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. It was the only time three Category 5 hurricanes formed in the Atlantic in one year, and Wilma was only the third Category 5 to develop in the month of October. Wilma was the second 21st storm in any season, and the earliest-forming 21st storm by nearly a month.

Wilma made several landfalls, with the most destructive effects felt in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, Cuba, and the U.S. state of Florida. At least 62 deaths have been reported, and damage is estimated at $16-20 billion ($12.2 billion in the US) (2005 US dollars) [2], ranking Wilma among the top 10 costliest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic and the sixth costliest storm in U.S. history. Wilma also affected eleven countries with winds or rainfall, more than any other hurricane in recent history.

Storm history

In the second week of October 2005, a large area of low pressure with several centers of thunderstorm activity developed over the western Atlantic and eastern Caribbean. The area of disturbed weather southwest of Jamaica slowly organized into Tropical Depression 24 on October 15.

T.D. 24 reached tropical storm strength at 5 am EDT October 17 (09:00 UTC). The storm was named "Wilma," the first time the 'W' name was used since alphabetical naming began in 1950. With Wilma, the 2005 hurricane season tied the record for most storms in a season with the 1933 season. Moving slowly over warm water with little wind shear, Wilma strengthened steadily and became a hurricane on October 18. The 12th hurricane of the season, Wilma tied the record set in 1969 for most storms of hurricane strength in one season.

Hurricane Wilma began to intensify explosively at an incredible rate during late afternoon on October 18 around 4 pm EDT. Over a 10-hour period Hurricane Hunter aircraft measured a pressure drop of 78 mbar (2.30 inHg). In the 24-hour period from 8 am EDT October 18 (12:00 UTC) to the following morning, the pressure fell 90 mbar (2.65 inHg) and Wilma strengthened from a strong tropical storm with 70 mph (110 km/h) winds to a powerful Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h)^[3]. (In comparison, Hurricane Gilbert of 1988 – the previous recordholder for lowest Atlantic pressure – recorded a 78 mbar (2.30 inHg) pressure drop in a 24 hour period for a 3 mbar/h pressure drop.)

Wilma's rapid deepending set a new record for the Atlantic basin, and is one of the most rapid deepening phases ever undergone by a tropical cyclone anywhere on Earth. The global record deepening is 100 mbar (hPa) by Super Typhoon Forrest in 1983. ^[4].

With Hurricanes Wilma, Katrina and Rita, 2005 became the first year on record in which three Category 5 hurricanes developed in the Atlantic basin.

During its intensification on October 19, the hurricane's eye shrank to as small as 1.5 to 2.0 nautical miles in diameter, becoming one of the smallest eyes ever seen in a tropical cyclone. ^[5]

Shortly thereafter, Wilma set the record for the lowest central pressure recorded in an Atlantic hurricane when the pressure dropped to 884 mbar (26.10 inHg) at 8 am EDT (12:00 UTC) on October 19. The pressure dropped further to 882 mbar (26.045 InHg) three hours later before rising slowly in the afternoon (while the storm remained a Category 5 hurricane). By 11 pm EDT (03:00 UTC October 20), Wilma's pressure had risen to 894 mbar (26.40 inHg) as the hurricane weakened to Category 4, with winds of 155 mph (250 km/h). Wilma was the first hurricane ever in the Atlantic Basin (and possibly the first tropical cyclone in any basin), to have a central pressure below 900 mbar (26.58 inHg) while at Category 4 intensity (in fact, only two other Atlantic hurricanes had lower recorded central pressures than Wilma's at this point: the previous record holder, Hurricane Gilbert of 1988, and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935).

While Wilma was the most intense hurricane (a tropical cyclone in the Atlantic, Central Pacific or Eastern Pacific basins) ever recorded, there have been many more-intense typhoons in the Pacific (see link in the next section). Super Typhoon Tip is the most intense tropical cyclone on record with a central pressure of 870 mbar (25.69 inHg).

The minimum central pressure in a tropical cyclone is the best indicator of intensity, because pressure can be precisely measured while wind speeds have to be estimated, but more importantly, because the difference between a hurricane's low central pressure and the pressure of the surrounding environment is what drives the hurricane's strength. The change in pressure over a distance, the pressure gradient, causes hurricane winds. The greater the gradient, the faster the winds generated. If two cyclones have the same minimum pressure, but one is in an area of higher ambient pressure than the other, it is in fact stronger. The cyclone must be more intense to get its pressure commensurately lower, and its larger pressure gradient would make its winds faster.

Hurricane Wilma existed within an area of ambient pressure that was unusually low for the Atlantic basin, with ambient pressures below 1010 mb. These are closer to ambient pressures in the northwest Pacific basin. Indeed, under normal circumstances the Dvorak matrix would equate an 890 mb storm in the Atlantic basin -- a CI number of 8 -- with an 858 mb storm in the Pacific. Such a conversion would suggest that Wilma was more intense than Tip, were normal considerations in play. However, Wilma's winds were somewhat slower than the 196 mph implied by an 8 on the Dvorak scale. 185 mph may seem incredibly fast, but for an 882 mb (26.05 inches) hurricane it is actually quite slow. (In comparison, Hurricane Gilbert, the previous Atlantic record holder, had a pressure of 888 mb (26.22 inches) and also had winds of 185 mph.) In fact, at one point after Wilma’s period of peak intensity, it had a pressure of 894 mb (26.40 inches) but was actually below Category 5, with winds of just 155 mph. Before Wilma, no storm had recorded pressure less than 900 mb (26.58 inches) without being at Category 5. These wind speeds indicate that the low ambient pressure surrounding Wilma caused the 882 mb (26.05 inches) pressure to be less significant, involving a lesser pressure gradient, than under normal circumstances.

On October 21, Hurricane Wilma made landfall on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula as a powerful Category four hurricane, with winds over 150 mph. The hurricane's eye first passed over the island of Cozumel, and then made official landfall near Playa del Carmen in the state of Quintana Roo around midnight on October 22 EDT, with winds near 140 mph. Portions of the island of Cozumel experienced the calm eye of Wilma for several hours, with some blue skies and sunshine visible at times. The eye slowly drifted northward, with the center passing just to the west of Cancún, Quintana Roo. Some portions of the Yucatán Peninsula experienced hurricane-force winds for well over 24 hours. The hurricane began accelerating in the early morning of October 23, exiting the northeast tip of the Yucatán Peninsula and entering the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane.

Hurricane Wilma's southeast eyewall passed the near the island of Key West in the lower Florida Keys early on the morning of October 24, 2005. The storm's eye was now approximately 35 miles (56 kilometres) in diameter. The storm made landfall on the southwest coast of Florida and cut a diagonal swath across the southern portion of the Florida peninsula, with the northern part of the eye wall crossing into south and central Palm Beach County. Several cities in the South Florida Metropolitan Area, which includes Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, suffered severe damage as a result of the intense winds of the rapidly moving system. The center of the eye was directly over the metropolitan areas of South Florida at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, October 24.

After the hurricane had passed, a storm surge of up to 10 feet from the Gulf of Mexico completely inundated a large portion of the lower Keys. Most streets on Key West and nearby islands were flooded with at least 3' of seawater that destroyed tens of thousands of vehicles. Many houses were flooded with 1 to 2 feet of seawater.

Despite encountering significant wind shear in the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Wilma had regained some strength before making its third landfall just north of Everglades City, Florida, near Cape Romano, at 6:30 am EDT October 24 (10:30 UTC) as a Category 3 hurricane. The reintensification of Hurricane Wilma is attributed to its interaction with the warm Loop Current in the Gulf. At landfall in Florida, Wilma had sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h). Passing over the Florida peninsula, Wilma weakened slightly to a Category 2 hurricane, its strength when it exited Florida and entered the Atlantic about six hours later.

Unexpectedly, Wilma strengthened again over the Gulf Stream and again became a Category 3 hurricane north of the Bahamas, having regained all the strength it lost within 12 hours. On October 25, the storm gradually began weakening and was classified extratropical late in the afternoon, south of Nova Scotia, still at hurricane strength and affecting a large area of land and ocean with stormy conditions.

• The NHC's archive on Hurricane Wilma.

Preparations

Quintana Roo government officials declared a red alert on the evening of Wednesday, October 19. Classes were suspended in the state's northern municipalities and residents of coastal areas were advised to take refuge further inland; tourists in the resort city of Cancún and its adjacent islands were told to return to their places of origin or head inland. In neighboring Yucatán, classes were also suspended in 18 coastal municipalities. ^[6]

In Nicaragua, civil organizations were ordered to make hurricane preparations.

In El Salvador, the National Emergency Committee was activated.

In Cuba, preparations were made to evacuate four western provinces, including the Isle of Youth ^[7]. In all, over 368,000 people were ordered to evacuate. ^[8].

A mandatory evacuation of residents was ordered for the Florida Keys in Monroe County. However, reports suggest that as many as 80% of residents may have ignored the evacuation order. County offices, schools and courts were closed Monday, October 24. At least 300 Keys evacuees were housed at the Monroe County shelter at Florida International University in Miami-Dade County ^[9].

Also in Florida, all Collier County public schools were declared closed for Friday, October 21. The schools were closed to "allow parents and staff to prepare for the storm and potential evacuation", and also allowed "for needed preparation of schools to be used as hurricane shelters." The schools remained closed on Monday, October 24 as the hurricane made landfall. ^[10]

Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers completed an evacuation; classes were canceled until further notice. Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida also evacuated by 5 pm EDT on October 20. All campuses of the University of South Florida, the University of Tampa and the University of Central Florida were closed on Monday, October 24.

Mandatory evacuations were in effect for all Collier County residents living West or South of US 41. Other areas that were included in the mandatory evacuation were Seagate, Parkshore, The Moorings, Coquina Sands, Olde Naples, Aqualane Shores, Port Royal and Royal Harbour. Hurricane shelters in the area were opened. Curfews were put in place for several cities in Lee and Collier counties. ^[11]

Anticipating high winds all public school districts south of Marion closed their schools on Monday, October 24 in order to prevent possible harm to county employees and students. The last places to issue this warning sat within the gap between bands as tornadoes were observed as far north as Sumter, Marion, Pasco, and Polk Counties.

Impact

Death toll

Mudslides were triggered from the outer bands in Haiti, killing at least 12 people. ^[12]

Wilma claimed one death in Jamaica as a tropical depression on Sunday, October 16. It pounded the island for a third day on October 18, 2005, flooding several low-lying communities and triggering mudslides that blocked roads and damaged several homes. Almost 250 people were in emergency shelters on the island. ^[13]

At least eight deaths were reported in Mexico. Two were in the Playa del Carmen area due to a gas explosion caused by the strong winds. Four deaths have also been reported on Cozumel and another in Cancún due to wind blowing a window out. Another death was reported in the state of Yucatán due to a falling tree, but no other details were available. ^[14]

In Cuba, a bus carrying evacuees crashed, killing four people, including three foreign tourists. ^[15]

At least 35 Hurricane Wilma-related deaths were reported in the United States, all in Florida. CNN reports that a Coral Springs man who was inspecting damage during the eye of the hurricane was killed by a falling tree, according to a Broward County official. ^[16] Three more direct deaths were reported in Florida, one in rural Collier County and two in Palm Beach County, all due to wind-blown debris. In addition, a drowning was reported on Maule Lake in northern Miami-Dade County from a capsized boat. Wilma was also blamed for at least 26 indirect deaths. [17] [18] [19] [20] [21]

Direct deaths indicate those caused by the direct effects of the winds, flooding, tornadoes, storm surge or oceanic effects of Wilma. Indirect deaths indicate those caused by hurricane-related accidents (including car accidents, fires or other incidents), as well as clean-up and evacuation incidents and health issues (e.g. poisoning, illnesses, waiting for help).

Bahamas

The northwestern Bahamas, particularly Grand Bahama Island, received a storm surge that was reported as high as 15 feet in some areas. Heavy damage to coastal areas was reported, and parts of the northwestern area of the island were washed out from the surge.

Mexico

Information on damage remains unclear. However, according to pictures and television reports, there is extensive structural damage throughout the Cancún area, as well as significant flooding and many downed trees and power lines and scattered debris. Several homes had also collapsed. Rainfall amounts in excess of 23 inches (590 mm) were reported in several areas, with Isla Mujeres reporting 64 inches (1,637mm) — three times what Hurricane Gilbert dropped. ^[22] One gymnasium used as a shelter lost its roof, which forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 people staying there. ^[23]

The Governor of Quintana Roo, Félix González Canto, said in an interview: "Never in the history of Quintana Roo have we seen a storm like this." ^[24]

On Cozumel, the damage is extensive, but not as catastrophic as originally feared according to a witness, with many broken windows, fallen trees and power lines but less in the way of structural damage. It is comparable to the scene after Hurricane Emily back in July 2005, a storm of similar intensity but faster moving.

Communication is limited at this point as telephone and electric services are completely out in the affected areas. There have also been extensive reports of looting of many businesses in the Yucatán, particularly in Cancún. ^[25]

After Wilma passed, there was a sense of desperation that developed in the region, due to the fact that people were being held in shelters due to the extensive damage. Thousands of tourists remain stranded in shelters, and the priority is sending them home now, according to President Vicente Fox. Buses have begun to come into Cancún from Mérida, where tourists are hoping to find flights home. US embasy told tourist to go to Mérida, the next day they changed their game plan because Mérida had become so packed with people. The road trip to Mérida was very dangerous and impassable for Taxi yet people still payed upwards of $200 for a ride. [26]

The destruction left behind by Wilma in the Yucatán has also severely damaged the tourist industry there, as the storm affected some of the tourist hot spots of Mexico.

Insured damage in Mexico is estimated at between $1-3 billion, which would likely translate to $2-6 billion (USD) in total damage. [27] It was the costliest natural disaster in Mexican history, according to local insurers. [28]

Cuba

Coastal flooding was reported in many areas due to Wilma's storm surge and flooding from the outer bands, particularly around Havana. Over 250 homes were heavily flooded and rescuers required scuba gear, inflatable rafts and amphibious vehicles to reach the most severely flooded areas. ^[29] The city of Havana was also without power and wind damage was reported as a result of winds up to 85 mph (140 km/h). ^[30]

Florida

Early reports suggested the damage from Wilma was extensive and widespread over South Florida due to winds and flooding. Key West was under 3 to 6 feet (1 to 2 metres) of water from the storm surge, and major flooding was reported throughout the Keys. In the city of Fort Lauderdale, in Broward County, several highrise buildings suffered extensive damage, including the 14-floor Broward County School Board building and the Broward County Courthouse, which was forced to remain closed for two weeks as a result of the storm, along with Broward County Public Schools, which remained closed for two weeks. Some Miami high-rises also suffered severe damage during the storm.

Even while the center of Wilma was still a long way away from Florida, its effects were already being felt with its expansive outer bands.

The Naples Metropolitan Area received the brunt of Hurricane Wilma. Hundreds in the county, if not thousands, have been left homeless by the category three hurricane. The point of landfall, between Marco Island and Everglades City, is largely uninhabited but the communities around landfall suffered extreme damage.

The Naples Airport was severely damaged by the hurricane, while areas like Immokalee and East Naples extreme and widespread roof damage to numerous homes and communities. Out of the 170 signaled intersections in Collier County, 130 have been destroyed. There has been damage to the 90 high-rise condominiums in Coastal Naples, where some levels have been blown out completely by the high winds brough by the storm (much like the damage in downtown Miami and Fort Lauderdale). 90% of all mobile homes in East Naples have been destroyed, while 30% of the mobile homes in all of Collier County suffered the same fate. Widespread roof damage is evident across the county outside of the City of Naples itself. At least three deaths are blamed on Hurricane Wilma in Collier County and widespread wind and water damage is commonplace across the county. In Boca Raton, a city in southeastern Palm Beach County, the local Boca Raton Airport suffered extensive damage, including the collapse of two hangars, planes flipped over, and hangar doors blown in. The airport has reported $12 million in damages, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Hurricane Wilma caused widespread destruction of critical infrastructure, including power, water and sewer systems. Florida Power and Light, the largest electricity utility in the state, reported more than 3,241,000 customers had lost power, equivalent to approximately 6,000,000 people. More than 20 days later, some residents and business owners remained without electric service. Cable television and internet services as well as cell phone services were unavailable for up to 2 months in some areas. This prompted many residents to switch service providers [31].

Damage was widespread throughout South Florida. Broward and Palm Beach counties were hit particularly hard by the many tornadoes in the western portion of the hurricane. In addition, a tornado may have touched down in Miami-Dade County, causing damage to the South Beach Community Hospital.

Power outages in southeastern Florida, notably in Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County, compounded the difficulties South Floridians faced following Wilma. Any traffic lights still standing were not working, causing an increase in traffic problems. Gasoline was in high demand for cars and generators; six-hour waits were not uncommon, due to lack of power to pump the fuel. Much of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties were told to boil water. Communication was also difficult -- land lines were damaged, while cellular towers were either damaged, without power, or overloaded in capacity. Many people later admitted they underestimated Wilma's power (Category 3) as she approached South Florida (Wilma was expected to weaken to a Category 1 as she reached the east coast), and failed to take the precautions that they would have taken with a stronger storm.

Economic impact

Orange juice futures reached the highest level in six years on Wednesday, October 19, 2005, closing up 2.9 cents at $1.118 per pound. Wilma's potential for damage to orange trees in Florida could have an impact on several upcoming growing cycles. This is compounded by problems caused last year by Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne, which devastated Florida's orange crop, destroying many groves entirely. ^[32]

As dynamic models have moved the storm's track east over Florida, oil futures eased as worries of another direct hit on the oil producing regions of the Gulf of Mexico subsided. Also, Florida's sugar Industry was hard hit, the cropping season had already started and had to be halted indefinitely. Damage to sugarcane crops is critical and widespread.

The NFL moved up its regular-season game between Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins to 7pm on Friday, October 21 in preparation of the hurricane. The NCAA postponed two college football games scheduled in south Florida on Saturday, October 22. Georgia Tech vs. University of Miami has been rescheduled for Saturday, November 19. West Virginia vs South Florida has been rescheduled for Saturday, December 3. The NHL rescheduled its Saturday, October 22 regular-season game between the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers to Monday, December 5. Due to roof damage caused by Wilma and the loss of power at the BankAtlantic Center, the Panthers also had to postpone their October 29 matchup against the Washington Capitals. Furthermore, a long anticipated concert by the industrial rock band, Nine Inch Nails, expected to have taken place Monday, October 24th, was postponed to another date, yet to be announced.

The economic impact isn't limited to the United States, however. The popular Mexican resort towns of Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and Cancún all suffered significant damage from Wilma, causing major loss of tourism income.