Hurricane Gilbert was a large and extremely powerful tropical cyclone that formed during the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season, which peaked as a Category 5 hurricane. The storm brought widespread destruction to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, and is tied with 1969's Hurricane Camille as the third-most intense tropical cyclone at landfall in the Atlantic Ocean. It was also the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Atlantic basin in terms of barometric pressure, until it was surpassed by Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Gilbert was also one of the largest tropical cyclones ever observed in the Atlantic basin. At one point, its tropical storm-force winds measured 575 mi (925 km) in diameter. In addition, Gilbert was the most intense tropical cyclone in recorded history to strike Mexico.
The seventh named storm, third hurricane and first major hurricane of the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season, Gilbert developed from a tropical wave on September 8 while located 400 mi (640 km) east of Barbados. Following intensification into a tropical storm the next day, Gilbert steadily strengthened as it tracked west-northwestward into the Caribbean Sea. On September 10, Gilbert attained hurricane intensity, and rapidly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane on September 11. After striking Jamaica the following day, rapid intensification occurred once again, and the storm became a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale with peak 1-minute sustained winds of 185 mph (298 km/h), late on September 13. Gilbert then weakened slightly, and made landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula later that day while maintaining Category 5 intensity. After landfall, Gilbert weakened rapidly over the Yucatán Peninsula, and emerged into the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 2 storm on September 15. Gradual intensification occurred as Gilbert tracked across the Gulf of Mexico, and the storm made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in mainland Mexico on September 16. The hurricane gradually weakened after landfall, and eventually dissipated on September 19 over the Midwestern United States.
Gilbert wrought havoc in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico for nearly nine days. In total, it killed 318 people and caused about $2.98 billion (1988 USD) in damages along its path. As a result of the extensive damage caused by Gilbert, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name in the spring of 1989; it was replaced with Gordon for the 1994 hurricane season.
Meteorological history
The origins of Hurricane Gilbert trace back to an easterly tropical wave—an elongated low-pressure area moving from east to west—that crossed the northwestern coast of Africa on September 3, 1988. Over the subsequent days, the wave traversed the tropical Atlantic and developed a broad wind circulation extending just north of the equator. The system remained disorganized until September 8, when satellite images showed a defined circulation center approaching the Windward Islands. The following day, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) classified it as the twelfth tropical depression of the annual hurricane season using the Dvorak technique, when it was located about 400 mi (640 km) east of Barbados. The depression proceeded toward the west-northwest, and while moving through the Lesser Antilles near Martinique, it gained enough strength to be designated as Tropical Storm Gilbert.
After becoming a tropical storm, Gilbert underwent a period of significant strengthening. Passing to the south of Dominican Republic and Haiti, it became a hurricane late on September 10 and further strengthened to Category 3 intensity on the Saffir–Simpson scale the next day. At that time, Gilbert was classified as a major hurricane with sustained winds of 130 mph (210 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 960 mbar (960 hPa; 28 inHg). On September 12, the hurricane made landfall on the eastern coast of Jamaica at this intensity; its 15 mi (24 km)-wide eye moved from east to west across the entire length of the island.
Gilbert strengthened rapidly after emerging from the coast of Jamaica. As the hurricane brushed the Cayman Islands, a reporting station on Grand Cayman recorded a wind gust of 156 mph (251 km/h) as the storm passed just to the southeast on September 13. Explosive intensification continued until Gilbert reached a minimum pressure of 888 mbar (888 hPa; 26.2 inHg) with maximum sustained flight-level winds of 185 mph (298 km/h), having intensified by 72 mbar in a space of 24 hours. This pressure was the lowest ever observed in the Western Hemisphere and made Gilbert the most intense Atlantic hurricane on record until it was surpassed by Hurricane Wilma in 2005.
Gilbert then weakened somewhat, but remained a Category 5 hurricane as it made landfall for a second time on the island of Cozumel, and then a third time on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula on September 14. This made it the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the Atlantic basin since Hurricane David hit Hispaniola in 1979. The minimum pressure at landfall in Cozumel was estimated to be 900 millibars (27 inHg), along with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h). The storm weakened quickly while crossing land before it emerged into the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane. Gilbert re-strengthened rapidly, however, and made landfall for a final time as a Category 3 hurricane near La Pesca, Tamaulipas on September 16, with winds of about 125 mph (201 km/h).
On September 17, Gilbert brushed the inland city of Monterrey, Nuevo León before taking a sharp turn to the north. The storm spawned 29 tornadoes in Texas on September 18, and then moved across Oklahoma. It was absorbed by a low-pressure system over Missouri on September 19, and finally became extratropical over Lake Michigan.
Preparations
Late on September 10, a tropical storm warning was issued by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) for the southern coast of the Dominican Republic alongside a hurricane watch for the Barahona Peninsula. The hurricane watch for Barahona was upgraded to a hurricane warning early on September 11. Later that day, hurricane watches were posted for the Dominican Republic's southern coast, Jamaica, and the southern coast of Cuba east of Cabo Cruz; the hurricane watch in Jamaica was upgraded to a hurricane warning by the end of the day. Hurricane warnings for the southern coast of Haiti were also posted on September 11.
On September 12, a hurricane watch was issued for the Cayman Islands, and the hurricane watch for the southern coast of Cuba was extended to Cienfuegos, with the portion of the watch east of Camagüey upgraded to a hurricane warning. That evening, the Yucatán Peninsula was placed under a hurricane watch between Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Progreso. This area included the resort cities of Cancún and Cozumel. The following day, hurricane watches were posted for Pinar del Río Province and Isla de la Juventud, and the Cayman Islands were placed under a hurricane warning. The watches in western Cuba and the Yucatán Peninsula were replaced with warnings at about mid-day September 13. As Gilbert approached the Yucatán Peninsula on September 14, the hurricane warning in the region was extended to cover the entire coast between Chetumal and Champotón, while a hurricane watch was posted for the northern district of Belize. Once Gilbert entered the Gulf of Mexico on September 15, hurricane watches were posted for the portion of the shore between Port Arthur and Tampico. Around noon that day, the hurricane watch was upgraded to a hurricane warning between Tampico and Port O'Connor.
The NHC advised small craft to remain in port in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands until weather conditions improved. Civil defense authorities in the Dominican Republic urged residents along the country's south coast to be prepared for strong winds, torrential rainfall, and rough seas. Gilberto Gutierrez, the civil defense planning director, estimated that 100 to 200 people fled their homes in the Barahona Peninsula. In Cuba, a state of emergency was declared for Granma, Guantánamo, and Santiago de Cuba provinces. Approximately 90,000 people in eastern Cuba evacuated from low-lying areas. Another 60,000 individuals fled their homes from low-lying areas of Pinar del Río Province and Isla de la Juventud. Some 4,000 Red Cross volunteers assisted with evacuations and medical needs in Cuba. Jamaican Prime Minister Edward Seaga alerted other government officials about the approaching storm, including police and armed forces, and ordered that the National Arena be used as a shelter, which thousands of people stayed at. Around 100,000 people evacuated from the Portmore area alone. The threat from Gilbert led airports to cancel inbound commercial flights, while ferry services were suspended across Kingston Harbour.
Cayman Airways evacuated residents from the Cayman Islands ahead of Gilbert. Authorities in Mexico estimated that approximately 75,000 people evacuated from parts of the Yucatán Peninsula, including tourists leaving resorts at places such as Cancún and Cozumel. As Gilbert approached northeastern Mexico, 16 shelters were opened in Matamoros, which sheltered roughly 55,000 people. Another 100,000 individuals moved farther inland. Approximately 10,000 oil workers left rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. In the United States, schools closed in some coastal counties of Texas and parishes of Louisiana. All naval ships along the Gulf Coast had "been ordered out to sea to ride out the storm", according to United Press International, while the naval air stations at Beeville and Corpus Christ were closed and their aircraft flown to Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio. Around 25,000 people evacuated in the latter, including 15,000 from southern Plaquemines Parish, 7,500 from Cameron Parish, and 2,000 from Grand Isle. Upwards of 170,000 people fled their homes in Texas, with at least 113,000 from Galveston County, due in part to an evacuation order of Galveston Island. South Padre Island and some neighborhoods of Brownsville were also ordered to evacuate. A total of 192 Red Cross shelters opened across the state. Around 4,400 state and county prisoners were moved inland. Texas governor Bill Clements issued a decree allowing municipalities to lift laws in the name of public safety, including contraflow lane reversals and speed limits.
Impact
Gilbert claimed 318 lives, mostly in Mexico. Exact monetary damage figures are not available, but the total for all areas affected by Gilbert is estimated to be near $2.98 billion (1988 USD).
Eastern Caribbean and Venezuela
As a tropical storm, Gilbert brought high winds and heavy rains to many of the eastern Caribbean islands. In St. Lucia, heavy rains peaking at 12.8 in (330 mm) in Castries resulted in flash flooding and mudslides, though no major structural damage was reported. At Hewanorra International Airport, a dam ruptured and flooded one of the runways. Offshore, six fishermen went missing as Gilbert approached the Lesser Antilles. Banana crop losses from the storm in St. Lucia reached $740,000, with Guadeloupe, St. Vincent, and Dominica reporting similar damage. Several mudslides were reported in Dominica, though no damage resulted from them. Roughly 5 in (130 mm) of rain fell in Barbados, leading to flash floods and prompting officials to close schools and government offices. The U.S. Virgin Islands experienced widespread power outages and flooding, with many residents losing electricity for several days. Damage was less severe in the nearby British Virgin Islands, where only some flooding and power outages took place. In Puerto Rico, dozens of small communities lost power and agricultural losses reached $200,000.
In Venezuela, outflow bands from Gilbert produced torrential rain which triggered widespread flash floods and landslides in the northern part of the country, killing five people and leaving hundreds homeless. Damage from the storm was estimated at $3 million. In total, seven fatalities would occur in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
Hispaniola
Heavy rains from the outer bands of Hurricane Gilbert triggered significant flooding in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. At least nine people perished in the Dominican Republic as many rivers, including the Yuna, overtopped their banks. The main electrical relay station in Santo Domingo was damaged by the storm, causing a temporary blackout for much of the city. Losses in the country were estimated in the millions of dollars. In nearby Haiti, more substantial losses took place; 53 people died, including 10 offshore. Most of the casualties took place in the southern part of the country. The port of Jacmel was reportedly destroyed by 10 ft (3.0 m) waves stirred up by the hurricane. In light of extensive damage, the government of Haiti declared a state of emergency for the entire southern peninsula. Losses throughout Haiti were estimated at $91.2 million.
Jamaica
Hurricane Gilbert produced a 19 ft (5.8 m) storm surge and up to 32.4 inches (823 mm) of rain in the mountainous areas of Jamaica, causing inland flash flooding. An observation site located about 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Kingston recorded sustained winds of 121 mph (195 km/h) and wind gusts up to 147 mph (237 km/h). At least 45 people died. Prime Minister Edward Seaga stated that the hardest hit areas near where Gilbert made landfall looked "like Hiroshima after the atom bomb." The storm left at least $800 million (1988 USD) in damage from destroyed crops, buildings, houses, roads, and small aircraft, according to the National Library of Jamaica. However, other sources such as the Monthly Weather Review and the National Hurricane Center estimated that Gilbert caused almost $2 billion in damage in the country. Additionally, the Regional Disaster Information Centre placed the damage total at $4 billion, with agricultural impacts representing more than 40% of this figure. Seaga initially stated that damage reached about $8 billion, but later lowered his estimate to $818 million to $1 billion while speaking to Parliament. Regardless, Gilbert was one of the most destructive storms in the history of Jamaica and the most severe storm since Hurricane Charlie in 1951.