page_title: Hurricane Earl (2016)
section_title: Preparations
hierarchical_section_title: Hurricane Earl (2016) / Preparations
caption_attribution_description: English: True-color satellite image of Invest 97L, the precursor to Hurricane Earl, on August 1, 2016.
context_page_description: Hurricane Earl was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane to impact Mexico since Hurricane Stan in 2005. The fifth named storm and second hurricane of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season, Earl formed from a tropical wave south of Jamaica on August 2. The precursor to Earl brought torrential rainfall and flooding to the Lesser Antilles. Upon classification, the storm moved westward through the Caribbean Sea, brushing the north coast of Honduras. Earl strengthened into an 85 mph hurricane before making landfall on Belize on August 4. It weakened while moving across the Yucatán Peninsula, but reintensified in the Bay of Campeche and followed the coastline. On August 6, Earl dissipated after moving ashore Veracruz.
  Prior to Earl becoming a tropical cyclone, 13 people died in storm-related incidents across the Dominican Republic. Striking Belize as a Category 1, the hurricane caused extensive damage; losses to agriculture exceeded US$100 million. Heavy rain in Mexico triggered many landslides, several of which proved fatal in the states of Puebla, Hidalgo, and Veracruz; at least 81 people died in the country. Lesser effects were felt in neighboring countries in Central America.
context_section_description: Ahead of the precursor wave that became Earl, the NHC advised people in the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola to closely monitor the system. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. In Jamaica, the government activated its National Emergency Center, which advised residents in low-lying areas and near the coast to evacuate. The Cayman Islands Government issued a tropical storm watch for all three islands. Fishermen were also advised to remain at port in both Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
  After Earl formed, the government of Honduras issued a tropical storm warning for its entire northern coastline, from Cape Gracias a Dios westward to the border with Guatemala. Two international airports along the northern coast were closed, and classes in seven departments were canceled. A red alert was issued for the offshore Bay Islands, advising residents in at-risk areas to evacuate. In northern Guatemala, about 2,000 people evacuated due to the storm, including around 100 people in Melchor de Mencos. Classes were canceled in Petén and Izabal departments, and the Mundo Maya International Airport was closed. The government of El Salvador advised residents to take caution when boating or fishing due to the storm's threat.
  The governments of Belize and Mexico also issued a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch from Belize's border with Guatemala northward to Punta Allen, which was upgraded to a hurricane warning from Belize's border with Guatemala to Costa Maya, Mexico, after Earl intensified. The Belize Red Cross Society distributed messages about the hurricane via social media. Across the country, 29 shelters were opened, housing 2,500 people. Non-essential government workers were allowed to return home to secure their property. The Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport closed during the storm's passage, but was reopened on August 4. During the storm, schools, businesses, and ports were closed, while hospitals were on standby. Officials in Mexico opened 750 emergency shelters in Quintana Roo, helping 300 families to evacuate along a river in the southeastern portion of the state. In Tabasco state, the military activated 1,500 troops for relief work, while along the Bay of Campeche, offshore petroleum companies evacuated their workers.
caption: The precursor to Earl passing south of Hispaniola on August 1
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