Hurricane Lorenzo (2007) - Preparations and Impact

Preparations and Impact

About 26 hours before landfall, the Mexican government issued a tropical storm watch from Palma Sola to La Cruz in Veracruz. About 14 hours before landfall, a tropical storm warning was put into place from Palma Sola to Cabo Rojo, which in turn was upgraded to a hurricane warning six hours later. Mexico's Civilian Protection officials declared a "red alert" for much of the state of Veracruz. Along the coast of Veracruz, officials canceled school classes. Officials opened 315 shelters in Veracruz, along with six in neighboring Hidalgo, which housed 45,164 people during the storm. The government of Veracruz provided buses for people to transport from their houses to the shelters. Ports in Tecolutla, Tuxpan and Nautla were forced to close. Lorenzo's formation caused gas prices to rise due to its potential to disrupt oil facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hurricane Lorenzo made landfall in Veracruz, the same region of east-central Mexico as Hurricane Dean did one month prior. The hurricane primarily affected small fishing villages along the coast, where strong winds knocked down power lines, leaving about 85,000 people without electricity. To prevent the danger of fallen wires, officials shut off the power grid in several municipalities in northern Veracruz. The winds also destroyed the roofs of several houses in Nautla. In addition to the high winds, Lorenzo dropped heavy rainfall along the coast and further inland, peaking at 12.83 in (326 mm) in El Raudal, Veracruz. The rains caused flash flooding and mudslides that killed at least four people, including a family of three in Puebla state. Landslides also closed portions of three highways. In some locations, floodwaters reached about 1 foot (300 mm) in depth. The combination of winds and rains damaged 169 houses in Puebla, while in Hidalgo, the San Lorenzo River overflowed its banks and forced the evacuation of over 200 people. Overflown rivers in Veracruz forced about 25,000 people to leave their houses. Along the Cazones River, more than 1,000 houses were flooded, resulting in local police officials to assist in evacuations. Damage in Veracruz was estimated at $1 billion pesos ($92 million 2007 USD), much of it from road damage in the northern portion of the state.

Overall, the hurricane affected 123,320 people across Veracruz and Hidalgo, prompting the declaration of a state of emergency in 112 municipalities. The declaration allowed the usage of emergency resources for the affected people. There were a total of six deaths in the country, five of which in Puebla. By about three days after the storm, all schools were reopened. The Mexican government distributed food, water, and construction materials for the areas most affected in Veracruz. Following the storm, about 500 power workers were dispatched in Veracruz to restore electricity in the affected areas.