CAT 5 Hurricane Dean - Archived threads

[Tom8]

Chetumal, southeastern Mexico in the Yucatan peninsula, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2007. Hurricane Dean (Fox news)



Chetumal (Henry Romero/Reuters/Yahoo)

[KWT]

I don't think its going to go in RI because the northern side is real weak right now, the southern side looks okay and its got a good structure still so I expect maybe steady deepening, with a pressure of 960mbs should see Dean gets winds back upto 95-100mph once over water.

[gtalum]

I didn't realize that. Now I guess I should not take it for granted that its always correct, if just anybody can do the updating without some kind of oversite.

That's right. It's a good place to do some initial research, but it's not an authoritative source. I think they do have a small staff that does some factual checking, but you should never consider Wikipedia to be authoritative.

[msbee]

that's great news Luis.
Thanks for your updates
Barbara

[Solaris]

concerning yucatan impact....latest from wire copies

associated press

BC-Tropical Weather, 19th Ld-Writethru,1244
Weakened Hurricane Dean races toward Mexico’s Gulf, heart of oil industry


Eds: Recasts description of Chetumal winds. AP Video.
AP Photo MOIL101, XGB101, MOIL103, MOEV103
By MARK STEVENSON
Associated Press Writer

FELIPE CARRILLO PUERTO, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Dean slammed into the Caribbean coast of Mexico on Tuesday as a roaring Category 5 hurricane, the most intense Atlantic storm to make landfall in two decades. It lashed remote Mayan villages as it raced across the Yucatan Peninsula to the heart of Mexico's oil industry.

Dean's path was a stroke of luck for Mexico: After killing 13 people in the Caribbean, it made landfall along a sparsely populated coastline, well to the south of the major resorts where 50,000 tourists had been evacuated.

It weakened to a Category 1 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, but was expected to grow back into a powerful hurricane as it draws fuel from the warm waters of the lower Gulf of Mexico, where more than 100 offshore oil platforms were evacuated ahead of the storm.

"We often see that when a storm weakens, people let down their guard completely. You shouldn't do that," said Jamie Rhome, a hurricane specialist. "This storm probably won't become a Category 5 again, but it will still be powerful."

When Dean first struck land near the cruise port of Majahual, it had sustained winds near 165 mph and gusts that reached 200 mph — faster than the takeoff speed of many passenger jets. It had an expected storm surge of 12 to 18 feet above normal tides and dumped huge amounts of rain on low-lying areas where thousands of Mayan Indians live in stick huts in isolated communities.

With the storm still screaming, there were no immediate reports of deaths, injuries or major damage, Quintana Roo Gov. Felix Gonzalez told Mexico's Televisa network, though officials had not been able to survey the area.

Soldiers evacuated more than 250 small communities, but some turned away soldiers with machetes and refused to leave or hid when the army evacuated the area, said Jorge Acevedo, a spokesman for the state of Quintana Roo. Their fate was unknown.

Some of the storm's strongest winds raked the state capital of Chetumal, where residents were ordered to stay home until 10 a.m. Tuesday after a harrowing night with windows shattering and heavy water tanks flying off of rooftops. Sirens wailed constantly as the storm battered the city for hours, hurling billboards down streets. All electricity was down.

Just across the border in Belize, trees fell and debris flew through the air. The government evacuated Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye — both popular with American tourists — and ordered a dusk-to-dawn curfew from Belize City north to the Mexican border.

In the largely Mayan town of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, about 30 miles north of the eye's westward path, people stared from their porches at broken tree limbs and electrical cables crisscrossing streets flooded with ankle-deep water.

Tin roofing ripped from houses clunked hollowly as it bounced in the wind whistling through town.

"We began to feel the strong winds about 2 in the morning and you could hear that the trees were breaking and some tin roofs were coming off," said Miguel Colli, a 36-year-old store employee. "Everyone holed up in their houses. Thank God that the worst is over."

In the Belizean town of Corozal, about nine miles south of Chetumal, Dean flipped over a residential trailer, detached roofs from houses, ripped plywood off windows and spread floodwaters as high as 3 feet. No deaths or major injuries were reported there or in Belize City, where thousands evacuated to higher ground.

By 1 p.m. EDT, Dean had weakened to a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 85 mph. It was about 45 miles southeast of Campeche and was moving west at 18 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Dean's path takes it directly through the Cantarell oil field, Mexico's most productive, with dozens of oil rigs and three major ports. All were shut down just ahead of the storm, resulting in a production loss of 2.7 million barrels of oil and 2.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas a day. The path also veers toward Mexico's only nuclear plant, where a state official said 2,000 buses were brought in to evacuate personnel if necessary.

The Laguna Verde nuclear plant, which is more than 20 years old and has endured other severe weather with no problems, implemented emergency procedures and remains online, said Estefano Conde, spokesman for Mexico's Federal Electricity Commission. "I can assure you that everything is well taken care of," he said.

Dean was to expected slam into the central Mexican coast as a major hurricane Wednesday afternoon about 400 miles south of the Texas border. The United States was expected to see few effects from the storm.

President Felipe Calderon was cutting short his trip in Canada where he met with President Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper so that he could travel Tuesday to the hardest-hit areas. Bush offered U.S. assistance and expressed his concern for the citizens of Mexico and elsewhere whose lives were effected.

"We stand ready to help," Bush said with Calderon at his side. "The American people care a lot about the human condition in our neighborhood and when we see human suffering we want to do what we can."

The U.S. space shuttle Endeavour landed a day early Tuesday, its mission cut short by the initial possibility that Dean could pose a threat to Mission Control in Houston.

The storm picked up strength after brushing Jamaica and the Cayman Islands and became a monstrous Category 5 hurricane Monday. Jamaica postponed Aug. 27 general elections in order to survey damage, which was extensive in the capital and the island's east.

Dean is the first Category 5 to make landfall in the Atlantic region since Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida in 1992.

Insured losses from the storm are likely to range between $750 million and $1.5 billion, most of it Jamaica, according to latest estimates by Risk Management Solutions, which calculates hurricane damage for the insurance industry.

Cancun's tourist strip is still marked with cranes used to repair the damage from 2005's Hurricane Wilma, which caused $3 billion in losses.

— — —

Associated Press writers contributing to this report included John Pain and Jennifer Kay in Miami; Karla Heusner Vernon in Ladyville, Belize; Greg Bull in Campeche, Mexico; Lisa Adams in Mexico City.

AP-ES-08-21-07 1442EDT

agence-france-presse

by Jennifer Gonzalez
15 minutes ago



Hurricane Dean Tuesday pounded the Yucatan Peninsula on its way to the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico after slamming onto Mexico's Caribbean coast as a monstrous category five storm.

The ferocious hurricane uprooted trees and downed power lines, but there were no immediate reports of casualties in Mexico following Dean's rampage across the Caribbean that left nine people dead.

The hurricane lost much of its punch as it swirled over land but could regain strength when it hits the warm Gulf of Mexico waters, probably late Tuesday.

During a summit in Canada Tuesday, US President George W. Bush told his Mexican counterpart Felipe Calderon the United States was ready to assist in recovery efforts.

"I want you to know that US agencies are in close touch with the proper Mexican authorities, and if you so desire help, we stand ready to help," Bush said.

At the same news conference, Calderon announced he would leave Montebello, Canada on Tuesday to tour affected areas.

The killer hurricane hit land in a sparsely populated area near Puerto Bravo, about 280 kilometers (175 miles) south of Cancun, packing sustained winds of 270 kilometers (165 miles) per hour, with higher gusts.

That made it the first Atlantic hurricane to make landfall at the topmost category five on the Saffir-Simpson scale since Andrew rampaged in south Florida in 1992.

While Cancun and other popular resorts were spared a direct hit, tens of thousands of tourists had fled ahead of the storm, and residents in low-lying areas headed to safer ground.

State-run Petroleos de Mexico (PEMEX) earlier evacuated all 18,000 personnel from its offshore oil installations in the Gulf of Mexico.

A curfew was declared in the Quintana Roo state capital Chetumal, located just south of Puerto Bravo.

The local airport was closed, and electricity was shut down in the city, which has a population of 450,000, in addition to about 20,000 people who sought refuge thee ahead of the storm.

"I was very scared, the wind made a horrible sound and it hit the corrugated metal roof," said Rosa Ramirez, 16, who spent the night huddled in a small house with 14 family members. At one stage the family also feared they had lost 10 sheep who had run away, but the animals were later rounded up unharmed.

Chetumal feared comparatively well, and the worst damages reported were smashed windows, uprooted trees, downed power lines. Police official Arturo Campeche said floodwaters were as deep as two meters (6,6 feet) in a low-lying part of town.

Meanwhile world oil prices continued to drop on Tuesday as the storm remained on course to spare key energy facilities in the United States, the world's biggest consumer of crude.

A few offshore rigs and platforms on the US side of the Gulf were nevertheless evacuated.

At 10:00 am (1500 GMT) Dean's center was located over the Yucatan Peninsula 140 kilometers (90 miles) southeast of the city of Campeche on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

It packed sustained winds of 165 kilometers (105 miles) per hour, with higher gusts. While it continued weakening over land, it was expected to remain at hurricane strength when it reaches water again, the Miami-based NHC said.

Forecasters expect Dean to make landfall again on Wednesday, in the Mexican state of Veracruz.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced he would cut short a trip to Canada where he held talks with US President George W. Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, in order to return to Mexico "as soon as possible." He was expected to tour affected areas.

Before it hit Mexico, Hurricane Dean was blamed for four deaths in Haiti, two in the Dominican Republic, two in Martinique and one in Jamaica.

reuters

BC-STORM-DEAN/ (UPDATE 6, PICTURE)
UPDATE 6-Giant Hurricane Dean punches Mexico, no deaths
(Updates with storm approaching oil wells, weakening)

By Manuel Carrillo

CHETUMAL, Mexico (Reuters) - Hurricane Dean punched its way across Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula Tuesday, flooding streets, toppling trees and blowing roofs off houses before heading for oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

There were no immediate reports of deaths in Mexico from the storm, a potentially disastrous Category 5 hurricane which lashed beach resorts on the "Mayan Riviera" where thousands of tourists had crammed into shelters.

Water surged down a main street at thigh level in Chetumal, a city of about 150,000 people near where Dean made landfall. Broken trees and street lights lay strewn around.

Dean killed 11 people elsewhere on its rampage through the Caribbean but lost power as it moved inland over Mexico and was downgraded to a Category 1 storm.

"No human losses have been reported until now," President Felipe Calderon said.

But forecasters warned that roaring winds and rains could pick up again as Dean crosses the Yucatan Peninsula and heads out into the southern Gulf of Mexico Tuesday evening, threatening Mexico's oil installations in the area
Mexico's state oil company has closed and evacuated 407 oil and gas wells, meaning lost production of 2.65 million barrels of crude per day.

Resorts like Playa del Carmen and Cancun, devastated by Hurricane Wilma in 2005, appeared to escape major damage this time. Tens of thousands of tourists fled over the weekend before Dean crashed into the area, famous for white beaches, crystal clear waters and Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza.

Litter and leaves were scattered on the streets in Playa del Carmen, where tired tourists emerged at first light after an uncomfortable night in a hotel converted to a shelter for 400 people.

"I didn't sleep, I had backache," said Italian tourist Massimiani Luca, 31. "There were nine of us in this room, eight in that room," he said.


POWER OUT

Chetumal was left without power when the hurricane's sustained winds of 165 miles per hour and gusts of up to 200 mph knocked over dozens of power poles and trees. The aluminum roofs of some houses were blown off.

Dean swiped Jamaica at the weekend with fierce winds and pelting rain, killing two people and taking the storm death toll to eleven. Haiti was worst hit with four people dead.

Dean is likely to cost insurers up to $1.5 billion with the majority of claims coming from damage caused in Jamaica, disaster-modelling firm Risk Management Solution said.

Heavy rain drenched Belize, a former British colony that is home to some 250,000 people and a famous barrier reef. Sugar canes fields were flattened in the north of the country.

In Belize City, Chyla Gill was evacuated with her family from her wooden house and sent to a concrete school shelter.

"We packed for a week because after the hurricane there is always flooding and we can't go back to our houses," she said. "We live near a swamp and the crocodiles come out."

Category 5 hurricanes are rare but there were four in 2005, including Katrina, which devastated New Orleans.

Hurricane Wilma two years ago washed away whole beaches in Mexico, killing seven people and causing $2.6 billion in damages.

Poor local residents with badly built homes are often the worst hit by hurricanes.

Calderon cut short a visit to Canada, where he met President Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, to oversee the emergency effort.

(Additional reporting by Mica Rosenberg in Belize and Ed Stoddard in Cozumel)

REUTERS Reut15:23 08-21-07

[x-y-no]

I didn't realize that. Now I guess I should not take it for granted that its always correct, if just anybody can do the updating without some kind of oversite.

That's right. It's a good place to do some initial research, but it's not an authoritative source. I think they do have a small staff that does some factual checking, but you should never consider Wikipedia to be authoritative.

Yeah, that's exactly how I use it - as a very handy source for an overview of a topic. But I will always double-check any claim that I don't already know to be fact.

[mf_dolphin]

Has anyone heard the status of those fishermen that were call for help off-shore of Jamaica?

[cycloneye]

More good news,this time from CNN.No deaths in Mayas.

La cadena de Estados Unidos CNN reporta que no hay muertes en Mayas.

[tolakram]

I see the first sign of increased development around the eye. (a bump)

[baitism]

Yeah, convection is firing up rather quickly again.

[PhillyWX]

Images from TV on Hurricane Dean in the Yucatan:

http://philadelphiaweather.blogspot.com ... ean-7.html

[Derek Ortt]

atmospheric conditions have become more unfavorable during the last few hours, some signs that easterly shear has returned

[Sanibel]

We'll see what happens when it manages to get a good portion of its south quadrant over warm BOC waters. Should see a convection improvement.

[cycloneye]

094
WTNT34 KNHC 212030
TCPAT4
BULLETIN
HURRICANE DEAN ADVISORY NUMBER 35
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042007
400 PM CDT TUE AUG 21 2007

...DEAN EMERGES INTO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE...

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT ALONG THE GULF COAST OF MEXICO
FROM SOUTH OF PROGRESO WESTWARD TO TAMPICO. PREPARATIONS IN THE
WESTERN PORTION OF THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA SHOULD BE RUSHED TO
COMPLETION.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF TAMPICO TO
LA PESCA.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 400 PM CDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DEAN WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 19.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 91.3 WEST OR ABOUT 60 MILES...
100 KM...WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CAMPECHE MEXICO AND ABOUT 410 MILES...660
KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF TUXPAN MEXICO.

DEAN IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 20 MPH...32 KM/HR...AND A
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO WESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...DEAN IS EXPECTED TO BE VERY NEAR
THE COAST OF CENTRAL MEXICO DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 80 MPH...130 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. DEAN IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. SOME RE-STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES...55 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140
MILES...220 KM.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 970 MB...28.64 INCHES.

STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 6 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS
POSSIBLE...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...ALONG
THE COAST OF MEXICO WITHIN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA.

DEAN IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE STORM TOTAL RAINFALL OF 5 TO 10 INCHES
OVER PARTS OF SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MEXICO...AND GUATEMALA...WITH
MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF UP TO 20 INCHES. THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE
LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL
OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH TEXAS.

REPEATING THE 400 PM CDT POSITION...19.4 N...91.3 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST NEAR 20 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...80 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...970 MB.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 700 PM CDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 1000
PM CDT.

$$
FORECASTER FRANKLIN/RHOME

[cycloneye]

AT 400 PM CDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DEAN WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 19.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 91.3 WEST OR ABOUT 60 MILES...
100 KM...WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CAMPECHE MEXICO AND ABOUT 410 MILES...660
KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF TUXPAN MEXICO.

DEAN IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 20 MPH...32 KM/HR...AND A
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO WESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...DEAN IS EXPECTED TO BE VERY NEAR
THE COAST OF CENTRAL MEXICO DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 80 MPH...130 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. DEAN IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. SOME RE-STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

[cycloneye]

802
WTNT44 KNHC 212031
TCDAT4
HURRICANE DEAN DISCUSSION NUMBER 35
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042007
500 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 2007

DEAN HAS EMERGED INTO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE. THE ADVISORY INTENSITY
OF 70 KT IS AGAIN BASED ON TYPICAL DECAY RATES...AND HIGHLY
UNCERTAIN. AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WILL
BE IN THE CYCLONE AROUND 00Z TO ASCERTAIN THE TRUE STRENGTH OF
DEAN. BASED ON SATELLITE IMAGERY...THE INNER CORE OF DEAN APPEARS
TO BE LARGELY INTACT...WITH DEEP CONVECTION DIRECTLY OVER THE
CENTER. THIS IS EXPECTED TO ALLOW RESTRENGTHENING TO BEGIN FAIRLY
QUICKLY...AND DEAN COULD BE VERY NEAR MAJOR HURRICANE STATUS BY THE
TIME OF ITS LANDFALL IN THE WESTERN GULF. THE SHIPS MODEL FORECAST
APPEARS TO BE OVERLY INFLUENCED BY THE RECENT DECAY AND HAS BEEN
DISCOUNTED FOR THIS ADVISORY. AFTER LANDFALL...THE SURFACE
CIRCULATION SHOULD RAPIDLY BECOME DISRUPTED OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN
OF CENTRAL MEXICO...ALTHOUGH MOISTURE FROM DEAN COULD END UP
WORKING ITS WAY INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES OVER THE NEXT
SEVERAL DAYS.

THE INITIAL MOTION CONTINUES TO BE 280/17...AND THERE CONTINUES TO
BE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO THE TRACK FORECAST. HIGH PRESSURE
NORTH OF THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL CONTINUE TO STEER DEAN ON A TRACK
JUST NORTH OF WEST. MODEL GUIDANCE IS A LITTLE MORE DIVERGENT THIS
AFTERNOON...WITH THE UKMET SHOWING A BIT OF JOG TO THE RIGHT JUST
BEFORE LANDFALL. HOWEVER...THE REST OF THE GUIDANCE IS LARGELY
UNCHANGED AND THE OFFICIAL FORECAST IS LARGELY AN UPDATE OF THE
PREVIOUS ADVISORY.


FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INITIAL 21/2100Z 19.4N 91.3W 70 KT
12HR VT 22/0600Z 19.8N 93.9W 85 KT
24HR VT 22/1800Z 20.5N 97.1W 95 KT...INLAND
36HR VT 23/0600Z 21.0N 100.5W 30 KT...INLAND
48HR VT 23/1800Z...DISSIPATED

$$
FORECASTER FRANKLIN

[tolakram]

DEAN HAS EMERGED INTO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE. THE ADVISORY INTENSITY
OF 70 KT IS AGAIN BASED ON TYPICAL DECAY RATES...AND HIGHLY
UNCERTAIN. AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WILL
BE IN THE CYCLONE AROUND 00Z TO ASCERTAIN THE TRUE STRENGTH OF
DEAN. BASED ON SATELLITE IMAGERY...THE INNER CORE OF DEAN APPEARS
TO BE LARGELY INTACT...WITH DEEP CONVECTION DIRECTLY OVER THE
CENTER. THIS IS EXPECTED TO ALLOW RESTRENGTHENING TO BEGIN FAIRLY
QUICKLY...AND DEAN COULD BE VERY NEAR MAJOR HURRICANE STATUS BY THE
TIME OF ITS LANDFALL IN THE WESTERN GULF. THE SHIPS MODEL FORECAST
APPEARS TO BE OVERLY INFLUENCED BY THE RECENT DECAY AND HAS BEEN
DISCOUNTED FOR THIS ADVISORY. AFTER LANDFALL...THE SURFACE
CIRCULATION SHOULD RAPIDLY BECOME DISRUPTED OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN
OF CENTRAL MEXICO...ALTHOUGH MOISTURE FROM DEAN COULD END UP
WORKING ITS WAY INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES OVER THE NEXT
SEVERAL DAYS.

THE INITIAL MOTION CONTINUES TO BE 280/17...AND THERE CONTINUES TO
BE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO THE TRACK FORECAST. HIGH PRESSURE
NORTH OF THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL CONTINUE TO STEER DEAN ON A TRACK
JUST NORTH OF WEST. MODEL GUIDANCE IS A LITTLE MORE DIVERGENT THIS
AFTERNOON...WITH THE UKMET SHOWING A BIT OF JOG TO THE RIGHT JUST
BEFORE LANDFALL. HOWEVER...THE REST OF THE GUIDANCE IS LARGELY
UNCHANGED AND THE OFFICIAL FORECAST IS LARGELY AN UPDATE OF THE
PREVIOUS ADVISORY.

[JonathanBelles]

It looks like the Tropical Storm wind swath went out just enough to cover the Yucatan and Belize. I've noticed with Dean that he likes to expand his arms and swath just to cover an island or an area. TS winds almost covered all the lesser antilles, almost all of hispanola, and now all of Yucatan and Belize. The hurricane winds stretched out just enough to reach all of Jamaica. I just though that was neat.

[Tom8]

[Tom8]

directed to the Mexico City