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Hurricane Dean formed on August 18th 2007 and dissipated on August 23rd. It is the ninth most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, its winds reaching 165 miles per hour. Hurricane Dean is thought to have killed 37 people, but some communities affected by the disaster have been difficult to contact. The areas affected by Hurricane Dean include St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Nicaragua and central Mexico.

The hurricane caused a large amount of disruption to transport. In Jamaica airports were closed and all fights were cancelled until the hurricane had passed. In other areas, flights were severely limited. The heavy rain prompted road closures and other roads were blocked by debris such as felled trees. Thousands of people on Gonave Island, Haiti, experienced a power cut.

Hurricane Dean also caused damage to property. Houses throughout the Caribbean were damaged or even completely destroyed. In Haiti the hurricane triggered landslides, destroying hundreds of homes. The roofs of many Jamaican houses were torn off by the wind.

Many people were evacuated from their homes, including 150 000 people in Cuba and 1580 in the Dominican Republic. In Jamaica, evacuees stayed in makeshift shelters, such as schools and churches. Workers were evacuated from Atlantic oil rigs.

As with many natural disasters, hurricane dean prompted crime and disorder. In Kingston, Jamaica, there was a shoot-out between police and looters.

The hurricane has been very damaging economically in some areas such as St. Lucia, Martinique and Dominica which rely heavily on their agricultural industry. The total cost of damage is currently estimated at $3.8 billion, but this is expected to rise.

Hurricane Dean left 37 people dead and thousands homeless. Despite this, there is cause to be relieved the hurricane was dealt with very efficiently by the affected counties, each of which produced thorough plans for evacuation, and the hurricane was not as damaging as many people expected. Natural disasters will always be horrific, but as we develop our technology and experience hopefully we can minimise their effects.

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