Emily picks up steam in Gulf of Mexico
Hurricane warning in effect for lower Texas coastTuesday, July 19, 2005; Posted: 8:11 p.m. EDT (00:11 GMT)
CNN) -- Hurricane Emily regained strength as it moved toward the Mexican coast Tuesday and was expected to gain strength before a predicted landfall in the northeast Wednesday morning, forecasters said.
Emily has become better organized as it draws strength from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, growing into a "major" Category 3 storm, said the center, warning that with some additional strengthening, the storm could become a Category 4.
At 7 p.m. ET, Emily was centered 135 miles southeast of Brownsville, Texas, with top sustained winds of 125 mph, the center reported.
Hurricane warnings stretched from Port Mansfield, Texas, to La Cruz, Mexico, and tropical storm warnings extended south to the Mexican beach town of Cabo Rojo and northward to Baffin Bay, Texas.
A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected within the next 24 hours, while a hurricane watch means such conditions are possible within 36 hours.
The storm, which crossed the Yucatan Peninsula on Monday, was moving west-northwest at 12 mph. It was expected to take a gradual turn to the west late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Hurricane-force winds extended 60 miles outward from its center, while tropical storm winds extended out 160 miles.
Forecasters predicted a coastal storm surge of up to 11 feet above normal tide levels, along with large and battering waves, near and to the north where Emily's eye makes landfall.
If the storm follows that forecast, Texas residents would be safe from a direct hit from the storm -- but residents of the lower Rio Grande Valley were warned they could receive 4 to 8 inches of rain, with up to 12 inches in isolated pockets.
Forecasters expect 5 to 10 inches in northeastern Mexico, with 15 inches possible in some areas.
Southern Texas and northeastern Mexico were already seeing heavy rainfall and wind gusts from the storm's outer rain bands.
Isolated tornadoes are also possible in southern Texas either Tuesday or Wednesday, forecasters said.
Category 3 hurricanes -- those with wind speeds of 111 mph to 130 mph -- can cause structural damage to small residences and utility buildings, blow down large trees and extensively damage mobile homes.
Some residents of South Padre Island began to gear up for Emily's approach by boarding up windows and gathering sandbags.
"The worst-case scenario is if the hurricane would turn north on us," said Dan Quant, an official for the island.
Families living in recreational vehicle parks were ordered to evacuate.
Brownsville Mayor Eddie Trevino said that city officials had been preparing for the storm's arrival for days.
"We've been doing everything -- preparing sandbags, cleaning drainage," Trevino said. "We've been advising people in low-lying areas to get to higher ground."
City spokesman Bill Young said three shelters were open in Brownsville. But Trevino said he did not plan to order an evacuation, partly due to road construction in the area.
At least 225 Texas Army National Guard soldiers were activated in case they are needed for hurricane duty, a spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry told The Associated Press.
An additional 100 Texas State Guard personnel are on standby, according to the AP.
Emily began July 10 as a tropical depression far out in the Atlantic Ocean. By Thursday, when it crossed the Windward Islands into the Caribbean, the storm was a full-fledged hurricane, blamed for one death in Grenada.
As it moved west, Emily picked up strength dramatically. At least two people were killed in Jamaica as the storm passed by the island to the south.
Early Monday, the hurricane blasted ashore in the beach resort areas of Quintana Roo state with 135 mph winds, then weakened considerably as it moved across the Yucatan Peninsula and into the Gulf of Mexico.
Police have so far reported no fatalities from Emily in the coastal areas of Mexico, popular with U.S. tourists. Thousands of locals and tourists emerged Monday afternoon after spending the night crammed in shelters.
In Playa del Carmen, a resort south of Cancun, the hurricane downed trees and blew roofs off bungalows, but there appeared to be little structural damage.
Gary Swindler, a Texan who weathered the hurricane with his family in Cozumel, said their hotel was not substantially damaged, though he could see downed trees and debris on the street outside.
"I wouldn't want to go through it again, but it turned out for the best," he said.
Emily's northern eye wall -- the strongest part of the storm -- passed directly over Cozumel.
So far, the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season has been particularly active, with five named storms developing in the first six weeks. Two of them -- Emily and Dennis -- developed into major hurricanes
posted by ... @ 6:46 PM
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