page_title: Hurricane Emmy
section_title: Impact and preparations
hierarchical_section_title: Hurricane Emmy / Impact and preparations
caption_attribution_description: National Hurricane Center's Photo of Hurricane Emmy of 1976.
context_page_description: Hurricane Emmy was the longest-lived hurricane of the 1976 Atlantic hurricane season. The fifth tropical cyclone and the third hurricane of the season, Emmy developed from a tropical wave on August 20 to the east of the Lesser Antilles. After changing its direction three times over several days, during which it reached a peak intensity of 105 mph, it turned to the east and slowly weakened. Emmy passed through the Azores on September 3, and a day later it was absorbed by approaching Hurricane Frances.
  Emmy passed within 135 miles of the Lesser Antilles, though only minor effects were experienced. No damage was reported in the Azores, though strong winds from the hurricane caused a Venezuelan air force C-130 flight to crash near Lajes Field, killing all 68 aboard.
context_section_description: Initially, the path of Emmy was uncertain whether it would affect the Lesser Antilles. As a result, officials issued a hurricane watch for the northeastern Leeward Islands. The warning was cancelled when the storm turned more to the north, with the outer fringes of the hurricane slightly impacting Antigua. Several ships experienced rough seas and strong winds from Emmy, though none reported any damage. After Emmy turned to the west for the final time, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center considered the hurricane not a real threat to land, though they indicated it had a remote chance to affect land masses. The hurricane also posed a threat to the island of Bermuda initially, though it remained away from the island. Two days before Emmy passed through the Azores, the National Hurricane Center advised citizens there to closely monitor the progress of the storm. No damage reports exist from the Azores, though it was likely not severe.
  On September 3, a C-130 Hercules air force flight left Caracas, Venezuela for Spain, with a flight crew of 8 and 60 members of the Central University of Venezuela choir. That night, heavy rainfall from the hurricane forced the plane to land on the Azores island of Terceira Island, Portugal. After attempting twice to land in hurricane-force winds, the plane crashed in a hill one mile from the runway of Lajes Field, killing all 68 aboard.
caption: Reconnaissance Aircraft image of Emmy shortly after reaching hurricane strength
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