Hurricane Emily (2005)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

July 11, 2005 to July 21, 2005

Peak strength

Category 5, 140 kt (161 mph)

Lowest pressure

929 mb (27.43 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

32.9

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

140 nmi (259 km, 161 mi) from the center at its widest

Hurricane-force wind reached

60 nmi (111 km, 69 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

10 nmi (19 km, 12 mi)

Overall size

180 nmi (333 km, 207 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Peak gust in the best track

165 kt (190 mph)

Fastest the center moved

19 kt (22 mph)

Identifier

AL052005

Radar at KBRO as it neared land, Jul 20, 12:00 UTC

The sources count different things and are not added together.

Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.

NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.

Deaths

0 (0 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

0

Property damage

$265,000

Crop damage

none recorded

Events recorded

34 in 5 reports from 4 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

13 tornado, 10 marine thunderstorm wind, 4 strong wind, 3 flash flood, 2 heavy rain, 1 lightning, 1 storm surge/tide.

13 tornadoes recorded in the United States, strongest first.

The strongest winds National Weather Service offices recorded with this storm. An estimated figure is a forecaster’s judgment from the damage, not an instrument reading.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

Rain bands and gusty winds from the northern fringes of Tropical Storm Emily affected the territory Wednesday evening. Squall lines with showers and thunderstorms produced gusty winds. An unofficial report from a spotter at Maria Hill reported a 61 mph gust.

St. Croix, Virgin Islands · Heavy Rain · Jul 13, 22:00 UTC

Tropical Storm-force wind gusts associated with Hurricane Emily over northern Mexico produced minor damage mainly to vegetation across Deep South Texas. More substantial damage of structures was noted in post-storm damage surveys over Cameron and Hidalgo counties. A peak gust to 55 knots was measured in association with the landfall of Hurricane Emily over northern Mexico at the Brownsville/South Padre Island Airport, with 51 knots measured at the Rio Grande Valley Airport in Harlingen, 41 knots at Miller International Airport in McAllen, and 42 knots at the Weslaco Mid-Valley Airport. Wind gusts to 40 knots were estimated over rural sections of Starr and Willacy counties.

Hidalgo, Texas · Strong Wind · Jul 20, 12:00 UTC

Tropical Storm-force wind gusts associated with Hurricane Emily over northern Mexico produced minor damage mainly to vegetation across Deep South Texas. More substantial damage of structures was noted in post-storm damage surveys over Cameron and Hidalgo counties. A peak gust to 55 knots was measured in association with the landfall of Hurricane Emily over northern Mexico at the Brownsville/South Padre Island Airport, with 51 knots measured at the Rio Grande Valley Airport in Harlingen, 41 knots at Miller International Airport in McAllen, and 42 knots at the Weslaco Mid-Valley Airport. Wind gusts to 40 knots were estimated over rural sections of Starr and Willacy counties.

Starr, Texas · Strong Wind · Jul 20, 12:00 UTC

Many residents in San Diego County awoke during the early morning hours of the 23rd to the sound of heavy rain and thunder as tropical moisture associated with the remnants of former hurricane Emily brought widespread thunderstorms from the desert to the coast. The Cooperative Observer in Vista measured 0.75 inches of rain and reported that lightning had sparked some fires. A nearby trained spotter measured 0.70 inches in 30 minutes. Considerable debris cloudiness would limit thunderstorm activity in San Diego County that afternoon, however much stronger heating and instability to the north triggered severe thunderstorms in Riverside County.

San Diego, California · Heavy Rain · Jul 23, 10:30 UTC

• Tropical Storm ArleneNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 1 death · $12 millionTropical Storm60 kt · 989 mb
• Tropical Storm BretNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 1 deathTropical Storm35 kt · 1002 mb
• Hurricane CindyNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 1 death · $320 millionCat 165 kt · 991 mb
• Hurricane DennisNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 42 deaths · $2.5 billionCat 4130 kt · 930 mb
• Tropical Storm FranklinNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm60 kt · 997 mb
• Tropical Storm GertNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm40 kt · 1005 mb
• Tropical Storm HarveyNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm55 kt · 994 mb
• Hurricane IreneNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 290 kt · 970 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Depression30 kt · 1008 mb
• Tropical Storm JoseNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 6 deathsTropical Storm50 kt · 998 mb
• Hurricane KatrinaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 520 deaths · $125 billionCat 5150 kt · 902 mb
• Tropical Storm LeeNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm35 kt · 1006 mb
• Hurricane MariaNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 3100 kt · 962 mb
• Hurricane NateNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 180 kt · 979 mb
• Hurricane OpheliaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 1 death · $70 millionCat 175 kt · 976 mb
• Hurricane PhilippeNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 170 kt · 985 mb
• Hurricane RitaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 7 deaths · $12 billionCat 5155 kt · 895 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Depression30 kt · 1006 mb
• Hurricane StanNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 80 deathsCat 170 kt · 977 mb
• Unnamed tropical stormNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm45 kt · 997 mb
• Tropical Storm TammyNorth Atlantic · 2005 · $25 millionTropical Storm45 kt · 1001 mb
• Unnamed tropical stormNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm40 kt · 1005 mb
• Hurricane VinceNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 165 kt · 988 mb
• Hurricane WilmaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 23 deaths · $21 billionCat 5160 kt · 882 mb
• Tropical Storm AlphaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 28 deathsTropical Storm45 kt · 998 mb
• Hurricane BetaNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 3100 kt · 962 mb
• Tropical Storm GammaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 37 deathsTropical Storm45 kt · 1002 mb
• Tropical Storm DeltaNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm60 kt · 980 mb
• Hurricane EpsilonNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 175 kt · 981 mb
• Tropical Storm ZetaNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm55 kt · 994 mb

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

• Tropical cyclone report, National Hurricane Center
• Every advisory and discussion NHC issued while it was live
• Wikipedia article: Hurricane Emily