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Hurricane Paloma

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Hurricane Paloma
Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Paloma nearing Cuba at peak intensity.
FormedNovember 5, 2008
DissipatedNovember 10, 2008
Highest winds1-minute sustained: 145 mph (230 km/h)
Lowest pressure944 mbar (hPa); 27.88 inHg
Fatalities1 indirect
Damage$315 million (2008 USD)
Areas affectedCayman Islands, Jamaica, eastern Cuba, eastern Honduras, north-eastern Nicaragua, Florida Panhandle, southern Bahamas
Part of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Paloma was the seventeenth tropical cyclone, sixteenth tropical storm, eighth hurricane and fifth major hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. This was a late season hurricane. It set several records for its intensity and formation. Paloma was the second most powerful November hurricane on record in the Atlantic Basin, behind only 1999's Lenny. It was the third and final major hurricane to hit Cuba in 2008, being the first time that 3 major hurricanes have struck Cuba in one season. It also marked the first time that at least 1 major hurricane formed in every month of the hurricane season from July to November, with only June not having a major hurricane this season.

Paloma developed out of a strong tropical disturbance off the eastern coast of Nicaragua and northern coast of Honduras on November 5. The disturbance had slowly developed into a tropical depression while hugging the coastline. The depression strengthened into a tropical storm early on November 6, then a hurricane later that day. The next day, Paloma intensified into a Category 2 hurricane then soon a Category 3. Early on November 8, Paloma continued to intensify and reached Category 4 intensity, and then weakened rapidly into a Category 2 before making landfall in Santa Cruz del Sur, Cuba.[1] Paloma weakened into a tropical storm on November 9 while moving over Cuba, where it stalled out. It dissipated later that evening. Hurricane Paloma caused heavy damage in both the Cayman Islands and Cuba. Damages in the Caymans amounted to $15 million (USD),[2] and damages in Cuba totaled to $300 million (USD), and 100,000 in damage to Jamaica, for a total of $315 million (USD), with 1 fatality.[3][4]

Meteorological history

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Map key
Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

The wave that became Paloma moved west off the coast of Africa on October 23.[5] The system became a low pressure system on November 3 while in the southwestern Caribbean sea. The low pressure area became a swirl of clouds and begin to show sign of organization while moving toward the northwest. It slowly organized into a tropical disturbance soon after. The disturbance slowly organized and became a depression- the seventeenth of the season on November 5. The next day, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Paloma about 200 miles south-southwest of Grand Cayman. Paloma begin to give heavy rainfall as is brushed near eastern Honduras and northeastern Nicaragua. Paloma headed northward, and strengthened into a hurricane according to supporting data from a NOAA buoy by the evening of November 6. Gradual strengthening continued on November 7, and Paloma became a Category 2 hurricane that afternoon.[6] It continued to strengthen, but at a more rapid pace and became a Category 3 hurricane that evening, while passing very close to the south shore of Grand Cayman, but doing only minor damage. Paloma then took a more easterly turn, and became a Category 4 hurricane early on November 8, being the first Category 4 in November since 2001's Michelle, and was approaching Little Cayman and Cayman Brac at this time. The center of Paloma passed directly over the two islands that morning with 140 mph (220 km/h) winds, causing heavy damage.

Infrared Satellite image of Hurricane Paloma on November 8 nearing peak intensity.

Paloma continued eastward, and hit its peak intensity of 145 mph (230 km/h) on the morning of November 8, making it officially the second most powerful November hurricane by windspeed in recorded history, behind only Hurricane Lenny in 1999.[1] Paloma held steady in intensity until late that afternoon, but as wind shear increased, it suddenly weakened to a Category 2 hurricane before making landfall near Santa Cruz del Sur, Cuba that evening, striking on the same day and within the same area as the 1932 Cuba Hurricane did 76 years earlier.[1]

After making landfall, Paloma rapidly weakened over Cuba, both due to strong wind shear and land interaction. It rapidly slowed in movement after making landfall. It weakened into a tropical storm early on November 9 and downgraded to a tropical depression that afternoon while stalling over the area. That evening, Paloma weakened into a remnant low.[1] Very strong shear and cold water made the remnant loop and moved back into the Caribbean, crossed Western Cuba, and its remnant low reached the Florida Panhandle by November 14 which caused heavy rain in the area and was dissipated, some of the low was absorbed by a front without re-developing.

Preparations

As Paloma approached the Cayman Islands while intensifying, residents and tourists were evacuated from low-lying areas and the airport was closed. Water and electrical service was turned off on the islands.[7] The British ship RFA Wave Ruler was sent to Little Cayman and Cayman Brac for humanitarian assistance, on the order of Governor Stuart Jack. [8]

In Sancti Spiritus Province in Cuba, over 85,000 students were evacuated from low-lying areas ahead of the projected arrival of Paloma, and more evacuations are expected.[9][10] In the central-eastern province of Camagüey alone, more than 220,000 people had been moved from low-lying areas to higher ground. Another 170,000 people were evacuated in the eastern province of Las Tunas.[11]

Impact

Cayman Islands

File:Home destroyed by Paloma in CI.jpg
A home destroyed by Paloma on Cayman Brac

Damage in Grand Cayman, for the most part, was not severe. There were reports of downed trees and power lines and some flooding was reported, however, all the main roads were passable. The electrical system was damaged on part of the island.[8] Cayman Brac, to the east of Grand Cayman, experienced hurricane force winds that blew roofs off some buildings, although there were no reports of casualties, according to the Hazard Management Committee. A sustained wind report of 151 mph (242 km/h) was reported on that island.[1] Residents of Cayman Brac sought refuge in an emergency shelter where the roof partially collapsed.[12] The District Commissioner of Cayman Brac said that 90 percent of the buildings were damaged and that about 500 people have taken refuge in shelters. The government is working on a plan to provide temporary accommodations for residents of the island.[13] The total cost of the damages amounted to $15 million (2008 USD) in the Cayman Islands.[14]

Jamaica

Flooding was reported in parts of Jamaica as a result of the outer bands of Paloma. One person drowned in Clarendon Parish while crossing a flooded river.[15][16] Severe flooding also destroyed crops in 100 farms, causing over $100,000 in damages.[17]

Cuba

Cuban utility officials say Paloma's effect on the power grid was not as bad as the destruction caused by Gustav and Ike earlier in the season.[18] Paloma did, however knock down power and telephone lines, as well as a major communications tower. The hurricane brought with it a 14 foot (4 meter) storm surge which moved the coastline inland by almost a mile (about 1.5 km) in Santa Cruz del Sur, doing extensive damage. [19]

In Santa Cruz del Sur where Paloma came ashore, 435 homes were torn to shreds. The sea swept more than a mile inland. The wind and waves left wooden houses in splinters, topped with seaweed. Two of the two-story concrete walls of a factory crumbled into piles of rubble, smashing 57 wooden fishing boats stored inside for safekeeping.[20] An estimated 328 hectares of crops were destroyed by the storm, most of which were in the process of recovery following Hurricane Ike. A total of 8,000 homes in Santa Cruz were damaged and another 670 in Camaguey and Las Tunas. About 7,000 farmers and 4,700 residences were isolated by floodwaters.[21] Overall damages in Cuba totaled to $300 million.[4] The government has reported no Paloma-related deaths, but a dissident group has informed that one person died in the storm.[22]

Florida

The remnants of Paloma contributed to heavy rainfall along the Florida Panhandle on November 14.[1]

Aftermath

Local groups in the Cayman Islands set up funds following Hurricane Paloma. By March 3, 2009, one group raised $120,000 in relief funds and received another $20,000 in donations.[23]

Retirement

See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricane names

Due to the damage caused by the storm in the Caymans and Cuba, on April 22, 2009 the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Paloma from its rotating name lists. It will be replaced with Paulette in 2014. Paloma was the first P name to be retired since 1954, and was one of only 2 Atlantic hurricanes, with the other being Elena in 1985, to be retired without doing any direct casualties, and Paloma had the lowest total number of deaths of any retired Atlantic hurricane.[24]

Records

Paloma is one of seven major hurricanes recorded in the month of November—the others were The Jamaica Hurricane of 1912, The Cuba hurricane in 1932, Hurricane Greta in 1956, Hurricane Kate in 1985, Hurricane Lenny in 1999 and Hurricane Michelle in 2001. Also, when it reached Category 3 intensity on November 7, the 2008 season was the first on record to have at least one major hurricane form in each of July, August, September, October and November, becoming the first hurricane season on record to have a major hurricane form in five different months of the hurricane season. On November 8, Paloma became the fifth hurricane to reach Category 4 strength in the month of November—a feat previously accomplished only by the Cuba Hurricane, Greta, Lenny and Michelle—and is the second-latest-forming storm to reach Category 4 strength. In terms of wind, Paloma is the second strongest November hurricane, behind Lenny.[25] Also, Paloma had marked only the second time on record that an Atlantic and Pacific hurricane season both had 16 storms in the two seasons; the other time this happened was in 2003, but records before 1944 remain incomplete. This was the first use of the name Paloma for a tropical cyclone in any basin.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Michael J. Brennan (2009-01-26). "Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Paloma" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2009-01-26.
  2. ^ Tad Stoner (2008-12-02). "Overseas territories discuss disaster aid". Cayman Net News. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
  3. ^ http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1153
  4. ^ a b "Report on 2008 Hurricane Season in Cuba". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
  5. ^ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/text/TWSAT/2008/TWSAT.200812011324.txt
  6. ^ http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/easyhurdat_5107.html
  7. ^ http://ktar.com/?nid=46&sid=986821
  8. ^ a b "5am update: Storm causes damage, slams Sister Islands". Caymanian Compass. 2008-11-08. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  9. ^ "Dangerous Hurricane Paloma pounds Cayman Islands". International Herald Tribune. 2008-11-07. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  10. ^ http://www.escambray.cu/Eng/SS/Ssanctipaloma081107136.htm
  11. ^ Evan S. Benn, Kirstin Maguire and Alfonso Chardy (2008-11-09). "Hurricane Paloma batters south-central coast of Cuba". Miami Herald. Retrieved 2008-11-09.
  12. ^ Jacobs, Trent (2008-11-08). "Paloma becomes Category 4 storm, heads toward Cuba". Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  13. ^ "Paloma makes landfall in Cuba". CNN. 2008-11-08. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Paloma TCR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ "One death from Hurricane Paloma?". Radio Jamaica. 2008-11-10. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  16. ^ Government of Jamaica (2009). "Jamaica's Report on the 2008 Hurricane Season". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved March 17, 2009.
  17. ^ Staff Writer (November 10, 2008). "Floods flatten farms". Jamaica Gleaner. Retrieved March 17, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ "Powerful Paloma roars ashore in Cuba, then weakens 8th Ld-Writethru". Associated Press. 2008-11-09. Retrieved 2008-11-09.
  19. ^ "UPDATE 2-Paloma weakens to tropical storm over Cuba". Reuters. 2008-11-09. Retrieved 2008-11-09.
  20. ^ Sanchez, Ray (2008-11-11). "Paloma leaves scenes of ruin and despair in Cuba". Miami Herald. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
  21. ^ Cuban Red Cross (November 12, 2008). "Cuba: Hurricane Paloma" (PDF). Red Cross and Red Crescent. Retrieved March 17, 2009.
  22. ^ Franks, Jeff (2008-11-13). "Raul Castro says Cuban storm losses near 6 billion pounds". UK Reuters. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
  23. ^ Staff Writer (March 3, 2009). "Cayman National supports Brac relief". Caymanian Compass. Retrieved March 16, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ "Gustav, Ike, and Paloma retired". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. April 22, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  25. ^ "Hurricane PALOMA Forecast Discussion 400 PM EST SAT NOV 08 2008". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-11-08.

External links

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