Hurricane Dean facts for kids
| Category 5 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Hurricane Dean approaching the Yucatán Peninsula
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| Formed | August 13, 2007 |
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| Dissipated | August 23, 2007 |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 175 mph (280 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 905 mbar (hPa); 26.72 inHg |
| Fatalities | 32 direct, 12 indirect |
| Damage | $1.5 billion (2007 USD) |
| Areas affected | Windward Islands (especially St. Lucia, Martinique and Dominica), Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua |
| Part of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Dean was a very powerful tropical cyclone that happened during the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. It also made the third strongest landfall for an Atlantic hurricane.
Dean started in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It moved west-northwest through the Saint Lucia Channel and into the Caribbean Sea. The storm became extremely strong, reaching Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. This happened before it passed south of Jamaica on August 20.
The hurricane then moved onto land in the Yucatán Peninsula on August 21. It was still a Category 5 storm at that time. After crossing the peninsula, it entered the Bay of Campeche. It was weaker there but still a hurricane. Dean got a bit stronger again before hitting land a second time. This happened in Veracruz, near Tecolutla, Mexico, on August 22. Dean slowly moved northwest, becoming a weaker low pressure area before it disappeared over the southwestern United States.
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Impact of Hurricane Dean
Hurricane Dean caused a lot of damage with its strong winds, big waves, heavy rains, and storm surge. More than 45 people died across ten different countries. The total damage was about US$1.5 billion.
Damage in the Caribbean
The hurricane first hit the islands of the Lesser Antilles. As it moved through the Caribbean, it badly damaged farms and crops. This was especially true in Martinique and Jamaica.
Impact in Mexico
When Hurricane Dean reached Mexico, it was a Category 5 storm. However, it did not hit any large cities directly. Because of this, its very strong landfall in Mexico caused no deaths and less damage than it did in the Caribbean islands. In the Caribbean, it had been a Category 2 storm.
Name Retirement
Because of all the damage it caused, the name Dean was officially retired. This means the name will not be used again for any future tropical cyclones.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Hurricane Dean at its strongest, as a Category 5 hurricane on August 18.
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Hurricane Dean, with its clear eye, seen by astronauts from the International Space Station.
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HMS Portland followed Dean, ready to help damaged islands.
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Hurricane Dean over the Yucatán on August 21.
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Many oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico were emptied before Hurricane Dean arrived.
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A house in Kingston, Jamaica destroyed by Hurricane Dean.
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Damage in Bull Bay.
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Dean hitting land in Mexico as a Category 5 hurricane.
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The cruise ship Freedom of the Seas was the first to visit Jamaica after Dean. It stopped in Ocho Rios on August 22.
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Heavy machines clearing sand from the road to Norman Manley International Airport, Kingston, Jamaica.
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Costa Maya, Mexico. The pier and resort here were destroyed by Dean but rebuilt later.
See also
In Spanish: Huracán Dean para niños
