Effects of Hurricane Wilma in Mexico

Hurricane Wilma developed on 15 October 2005 in the Caribbean, as ascertained by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Four days later, it strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale, with the lowest recorded barometric pressure of any Atlantic hurricane: reconnaissance aircraft recorded a minimum pressure of {{convert|882|mbar|inHg|abbr=on|sigfig=4}}. Wilma weakened as it drifted northwestward through the Caribbean over the next two days. The hurricane was originally projected to transit the Yucatán Channel between Mexico and Cuba, but it maintained its northwest trajectory. Wilma made landfall late on 21 October on the island of Cozumel. The NHC estimated the landfall intensity at {{convert|927|mbar|inHg|abbr=on|sigfig=4}}, with Category 4 maximum sustained winds of {{convert|150|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. Early on 22 October, Wilma made a second landfall on the Quintana Roo mainland near Puerto Morelos. It then drifted across the northeastern Yucatán Peninsula, emerging into the Gulf of Mexico on 23 October.

File:Wilma in cozumel island-109920 m.jpg of Wilma over Cozumel|alt=Satellite image with Cozumel visible within the eye of Wilma]]

On 18 October, the Mexican government issued a hurricane watch for the eastern coastline of the Yucatán Peninsula from Punta Allen to Cabo Catoche, including offshore islands. As the hurricane grew closer, these watches were upgraded to warnings and expanded from Chetumal in southern Quintana Roo to San Felipe, Yucatán; a tropical storm warning extended westward to Celestún. The warnings were discontinued on 23 October as the hurricane moved into the Gulf of Mexico.{{cite web|author1=Richard J. Pasch |author2=Eric S. Blake |author3=Hugh D. Cobb III |author4=David P. Roberts |url={{NHC TCR url|id=AL252005_Wilma}}|title=Hurricane Wilma Tropical Cyclone Report|date=12 January 2006|publisher=National Hurricane Center|access-date=7 May 2010}} Mexico's national weather service – Servicio Meteorológico Nacional – issued 88 notices or bulletins related to Hurricane Wilma. Officials declared a state of emergency in 23 municipalities across the Yucatán, and placed Quintana Roo and Yucatán under a red alert, the highest on its color-coded alert system. Neighboring Campeche was placed on orange alert; Tabasco and Veracruz were placed on green alert; and Chiapas was placed on blue alert, the lowest warning on the scale.{{cite report|work=Government of Mexico|title=Mexico: El Presidente Vicente Fox estará en contacto permanente para ser informado de la evolución del huracán, Rubén Aguilar, vocero de Presidencia|language=es|date=21 October 2005|at=ReliefWeb|access-date=18 March 2020|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/mexico/mexico-el-presidente-vicente-fox-estará-en-contacto-permanente-para-ser-informado-de}}

Hurricane Wilma affected parts of northeast Mexico that had been struck by Hurricane Stan just two weeks earlier, as well as Hurricane Emily in July. Ahead of Wilma's landfall, workers trimmed trees near power lines and placed notices on roads. About 75,000 people in northeastern Mexico evacuated the path of the storm. Some 45,000 individuals, many of them tourists, rode out the storm in 200 emergency shelters.{{cite report|work=U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs|at=ReliefWeb|access-date=12 March 2020|date=24 October 2005|title=The Caribbean: Hurricane Wilma OCHA Situation Report No. 5|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/cuba/caribbean-hurricane-wilma-ocha-situation-report-no-5}} Among the facilities serving as shelters were schools, clinics, and in one Maya community, a cave.{{cite report|work=World Vision|date=25 October 2005|title=Hurricane Wilma devastates Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico|at=ReliefWeb|access-date=12 March 2020|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/mexico/hurricane-wilma-devastates-yucatan-peninsula-mexico}} About 300 people had to be relocated when their shelter in Cancún flooded. Thousands of tourists fled the region before officials closed the international airports in Cancún and Cozumel.{{cite news|title=Huracán Wilma azota a balnearios de México y se acerca a Florida|date=20 October 2005|language=es|url=https://www.eluniverso.com/2005/10/21/0001/14/5936AD55B349445A9DEBB2E87CE3E1A5.html|access-date=18 March 2020|agency=Reuters}} Cancún police ordered all residents to stay home during the storm. Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica – the MTV Video Music Awards Latinoamérica – were canceled due to the hurricane. The event was originally scheduled to occur in Playa del Carmen on October 20.{{cite news|title=Cancelación definitiva de los Premios MTV Latinoamérica|date=16 November 2005|language=es|work=La Nación|access-date=18 March 2020|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/espectaculos/cancelacion-definitiva-de-los-premios-mtv-latinoamerica-nid756808}} Schools closures in Quintana Roo, Yucatán, and Campeche lasted up to 15 days in some areas.{{cite report|page=36|title=Evaluación de Daños en la Infraestructura de Quintana Roo y Yucatún Causados por el Huracán Wilma|language=es|author=Orlando de Jesús Alva Gonzákes|publisher=National Autonomous University of Mexico|access-date=18 March 2020|year=2015|url=http://www.ptolomeo.unam.mx:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/132.248.52.100/9614/Tesis.pdf?sequence=1}}

File:Wilma 2005-10-22 1835Z.jpg

Hurricane Wilma produced torrential rainfall while moving slowly near the Yucatán Peninsula. Over a 24-hour period beginning at 12:30 UTC on October 21, a rain gauge on the offshore Isla Mujeres recorded {{convert|1633.98|mm|in|abbr=on}} of precipitation. This broke the record for Mexico's highest 24-hour rainfall total, as well as the highest 24-hour rainfall total in the Western Hemisphere.{{cite report|url=https://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/tcp/documents/FINAL-REPORT-HC-28.pdf|title=Final Report of the RA IV Hurricane Committee Twenty-Eighth Session|year=2006|access-date=6 February 2020}}{{cite web|author=Randall Cerveny|author2=Valentina Davydova Belitskaya|author3=Pierre Bessemoulin|author4=Miguel Cortez|author5=Chris Landsea|author6=Thomas C. Peterson|title=A New Western Hemisphere 24-hour Rainfall Record|year=2007|publisher=World Meteorological Organization|url=https://public-old.wmo.int/en/bulletin/new-western-hemisphere-24-hour-rainfall-record|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231218171917/https://public-old.wmo.int/en/bulletin/new-western-hemisphere-24-hour-rainfall-record|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 December 2023|access-date=14 April 2020}} This was greater than the annual rainfall of Quintana Roo. Of that total, {{convert|1082|mm|in|abbr=on}} fell in a span of 12 hours. This was just {{convert|62|mm|in|abbr=on}} short of the global record for 12-hour tropical cyclone rainfall set by Cyclone Denise in 1966. Other notable rainfall totals include {{convert|770|mm|in|abbr=on}} in Cancún, and {{convert|376.5|mm|in|abbr=on}} in Loché, Yucatán.{{cite web|title=Lluvias asociadas a ciclones tropicales|url=https://smn.conagua.gob.mx/es/ciclones-tropicales/lluvias-asociadas-a-ciclones-tropicales|publisher=Servicio Meteorológico Nacional|access-date=15 April 2020|language=es}} Wilma lashed parts of the Yucatán Peninsula with tropical storm-force winds for nearly 50 hours. A station in Cancún recorded 10-minute sustained winds of {{convert|160|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}, with gusts to {{convert|212|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} before the anemometer failed; gusts were estimated at {{convert|230|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}. The gust in Cancún was the strongest ever recorded in Mexico{{cite report|url=https://smn.conagua.gob.mx/tools/DATA/Ciclones%20Tropicales/Ciclones/2005-Wilma.pdf|publisher=Servicio Meteorológico Nacional|title=Resumen del Huracán "Wilma" del Océano Atlático|author=Alberto Hernández Unzón|author2=M.G. Cirilo Bravo|access-date=15 April 2020|language=es}} but was later surpassed by two gusts of {{convert|204.90|mph|km/h|order=flip|abbr=on}} and {{convert|217|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} recorded during Hurricane Otis of 2023 on the Pacific coast.{{cite web |last1=Reinhart |first1=Brad |last2=Reinhart |first2=Amanda |title=Hurricane Otis – Tropical Cyclone Report (EP182023) |url=https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/EP182023_Otis.pdf |website=National Hurricane Center |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=9 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240307213510/https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/EP182023_Otis.pdf |archive-date=7 March 2024 |location=University Park, Florida, United States |pages=1-39 |language=English |format=PDF |date=7 March 2024 |url-status=live}} Additionally, a gust to {{convert|281|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} in Chetumal during Hurricane Janet in 1955 was uncovered by reanalysis in 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/metadata_master.html|title= Documentation of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Changes in HURDAT |publisher=Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory Hurricane Research Division|access-date=9 March 2024}}

Wilma was attended by a significant storm surge, estimated as high as {{convert|15|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip}} by the NHC, which resulted in extensive beach erosion. The hurricane also damaged coral reefs offshore. In Cancún, the wave action washed away about 700,000 m³ (247 million ft³) of sand from beaches.{{cite news|publisher=Digital Post|title=Huracán Wilma en Cancún, afectó el tejido social|language=es|access-date=18 March 2020|url=https://digitallpost.com.mx/destacado/huracan-wilma-en-cancun-afecto-el-tejido-social/}} The seawater intrusion upset the microbial composition of the Nichupté Bojórquez lagoon system near Cancún,{{cite journal|author=Carbajal Pérez, N.|year=2009|title=Hidrodinámica y transporte de contaminantes y sedimentos en el Sistema Lagunar de Nichupté-Bojórquez, Quintana Roo|publisher=Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad|access-date=18 March 2020|language=es|url=http://www.conabio.gob.mx/institucion/proyectos/resultados/inf_1ra_parte_CQ063.pdf}} and more broadly injured vegetation near the coast. High waves from the hurricane trapped or immobilized about 3,800 boats in Mexico, with another 96 being damaged. The hurricane also damaged {{convert|490|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} of crops, largely in Yucatán. Affected agricultural industries included corn, papayas, tomatoes, chili peppers, and livestock; fences, wind vanes, and other equipment were all damaged. The storm killed about 10% of the region's bees, affecting 83,000 colonies. The storm damaged {{convert|900|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} of grasslands, threatening the food supply of about 100,000 cows.{{cite report|title=Mexico: El Presidente Fox encabezó una Reunión de Evaluación de las zonas afectadas por el Huracán Wilma|date=24 October 2005|at=ReliefWeb|access-date=13 March 2020|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/mexico/mexico-el-presidente-fox-encabezó-una-reunión-de-evaluación-de-las-zonas-afectadas-por|language=es}} Across the Yucatán Peninsula, the hurricane destroyed a cumulative {{convert|1000000|acre|ha|abbr=on}} of forest.{{cite report|work=Episcopal Relief and Development|at=ReliefWeb|date=1 November 2005|title=ERD aids communities in Mexico after Hurricane Wilma|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/mexico/erd-aids-communities-mexico-after-hurricane-wilma|access-date=9 March 2020}}

Across Mexico, Wilma killed eight people – seven in Quintana Roo, and one in Yucatán.{{cite news|agency=Xinhua via Comtex|date=23 October 2005|access-date=18 March 2020|title=Wilma kills 8 in southeast Mexico|at=ReliefWeb|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/mexico/wilma-kills-8-southeast-mexico}} In Playa del Carmen, two people died and another seven were injured when a gas tank exploded.{{cite news|work=El País|date=22 October 2005|title=El huracán Wilma pierde intensidad a su paso por la península de Yucatán|url=https://elpais.com/internacional/2005/10/22/actualidad/1129932001_850215.html|access-date=18 March 2020|language=es}} One person died in Yucatán after being struck by a fallen tree branch.{{cite news|title=Three killed in Wilma's Mexican blitz|date=23 October 2005|newspaper=Lawrence Journal World|access-date=18 March 2020|url=https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/oct/23/three_killed_wilmas_mexican_blitz/}} Three people died on Cozumel.{{cite report|work=U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs|at=ReliefWeb|access-date=12 March 2020|date=25 October 2005|title=The Caribbean: Hurricane Wilma OCHA Situation Report No. 6|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/cuba/caribbean-hurricane-wilma-ocha-situation-report-no-6}} One person in Cancún was electrocuted while preparing for the storm.{{cite report|title=Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico: Hurricane Wilma – Information Bulletin n° 3|work=International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies|at=ReliefWeb|date=21 October 2005|access-date=12 March 2020|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/belize/caribbean-central-america-and-mexico-hurricane-wilma-information-bulletin-n-3}} Another person died in Cancún because of glass from a broken window.{{cite news|title=Hurricane Wilma batters Mexican resorts, six dead |date=23 October 2005|author=Noel Randewich|newspaper=The Star|access-date=18 March 2020|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2005/10/23/hurricane-wilma-batters-mexican-resorts-six-dead}} Throughout Mexico, Wilma's damage was estimated at $4.8 billion (MXN, US$442 million). The hurricane caused an additional $13.9 billion (US$1.3 billion) in lost economic output and earnings, 95% of which was related to lost tourism revenue. Wilma damaged 28,980 houses along its path. Concrete buildings fared better than those constructed out of local materials. The storm damaged about 10,000 power lines, causing power outages for 300,000 people. Damage to transmission towers and antennas disrupted communications networks. The cost to repair the electrical infrastructure was $397.5 million (MXN, US$36.6 million), mostly in Quintana Roo. Across the region, Wilma damaged 473 schools, including about 60% of such institutions in Quintana Roo. Damage to schools accounted for $156 million (MXN, US$14.4 million) of the hurricane's cost. Hospitals, particularly in Cancún and Cozumel, sustained damage to medical equipment. High winds blew down traffic signals, signs, and fences.{{cite report|title=Características e Impacto Socioeconómico de los Principales Desastres Ocurridos en la República Mexicana en el Año 2005|date=August 2006|language=es|url=http://www.proteccioncivil.gob.mx/work/models/ProteccionCivil/Resource/375/1/images/no_7.pdf|publisher=Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil|access-date=10 February 2020}}

Damage was heaviest in Quintana Roo, amounting to an estimated $4.506 billion (MXN, US$415 million); this made it the state's costliest hurricane. Across the state, Wilma destroyed 4,571 houses and damaged another 18,179 to some degree. Wilma also damaged 98% of the hotels in Quintana Roo, which includes the resort towns of Cozumel, Cancún, and Playa del Carmen.{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LoRNAQAAMAAJ&q=%22hurricane%20wilma%22%20merida%20yucatan%20airport&pg=RA4-PA9|journal=State Magazine|date=February 2008|pages=9–11|title=Storm Teams|author=M. Nyugen}} The hurricane caused significant damage in Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, both located off the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. The Cozumel boardwalk was wrecked. Wilma left parts of the Quintana Roo mainland without power, water, and gas. The storm damaged businesses, gas stations, and warehouses. High waves damaged the foundation of a hotel in Puerto Morelos, causing its partial collapse; it was later demolished. The hurricane caused significant flooding damage throughout the municipalities of Benito Juárez and Solidaridad, which include Cancún and Playa del Carmen. Floodwaters on Cozumel reached {{convert|1|m|ft|abbr=on}} deep in spots.

File:Hurricane Wilma damage Cancun (59103773).jpg

In Cancún, about 300,000 people were left homeless, while another 700,000 people sustained damage to their homes. The water level in Cancún reached the third storeys of some buildings due to {{convert|5|to|8|m|ft|abbr=on}} waves atop the storm surge.{{cite report|work=The Salvation Army|title=The Salvation Army in Mexico provides aid to victims of Hurricane Wilma|date=1 November 2005|at=ReliefWeb|access-date=12 March 2020|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/mexico/salvation-army-mexico-provides-aid-victims-hurricane-wilma}} About half of the buildings at Cancún International Airport were severely damaged. The runway accumulated debris but was otherwise undamaged. Most significant to the city's economy, Wilma destroyed or severely damaged 110 hotels,{{cite news|title=Hurricane death toll rises in Florida as residents face cleanup|work=Deutsche Presse Agentur|at=ReliefWeb|date=25 October 2005|access-date=12 March 2020|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/mexico/hurricane-death-toll-rises-florida-residents-face-cleanup}} mostly along Kukulkán Boulevard, which connects the line of hotels along the Nichupte Lagoon. The hotel damage was mostly material losses and generally not to the building's structure. Strong winds broke glass, tore off roof tiles, and wrecked water tanks. The storm surge washed away the foundations of two hotels, forcing them to be demolished. The high waves damaged hotel lobbies near the shore at El Miguelito. The sand at Playa Ballenas was entirely washed away, leaving behind the rocky base. Playa Delfines suffered similar effects. Two ferry terminals in Cancún were damaged.

Storm damage was estimated at $295.3 million (MXN, US$27.2 million) in Yucatán. There, the hurricane damaged 6,230 houses, with 4,892 of those being completely destroyed. Major causes of building failure were severe flooding and flimsy construction materials. Flooding was worst in the low-lying terrain of eastern Yucatán. The primary highway connecting Cancún and Mérida, Yucatán was impassible, and workers began restoration work immediately after the storm passed. Public access to the archaeological site Chichen Itza was closed while cleanup work got underway. Roof damage to schools in San Felipe and Tizimín resulted in the destruction of furniture and electrical systems inside. Flooding undermined roads and cut water service in Tizimín. Raging floodwaters battered bridges to Telchac Puerto, Chabihau, and Santa Rosa. High winds heavily damaged the El Cuyo port lighthouse.

File:Cancún, Huracán Wilma, Oct 22.jpg restaurant in Cancún|alt=Photograph of a fast food restaurant showing some damage to its façade with debris on the adjacent road]]

Storm shelters and affected communities both faced shortages in the immediate aftermath of Wilma. In Cancún, officials distributed food and water from city hall.{{cite report|title=Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico: Hurricane Wilma – Information Bulletin n° 4|work=International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies|at=ReliefWeb|date=24 October 2005|access-date=12 March 2020|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/cuba/caribbean-central-america-and-mexico-hurricane-wilma-information-bulletin-n-4}} There were 10 community kitchens across the city, each capable of feeding 1,500 people per day.{{cite news|title=Wilma: Inicia la reconstrucción mxm (martes)|language=es|work=El Universal|date=26 October 2005|access-date=18 March 2020|url=https://archivo.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/312456.html}} Local and federal troops quelled looting and rioting in Cancún. Traffic on Cancún's Kukulkán Boulevard reopened on October 25 after the roadway was flooded for three days. The Mexican Army partially reopened Cancún International Airport on October 24 to facilitate the movement of aid and equipment; it reopened to the public three days later.{{cite report|work=U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs|date=28 October 2005|at=ReliefWeb|access-date=12 March 2020|title=The Caribbean: Hurricane Wilma OCHA Situation Report No. 8|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/cuba/caribbean-hurricane-wilma-ocha-situation-report-no-8}} While Cancún's airport was closed to the public, stranded visitors filled taxis and buses to Mérida, Yucatán. Located {{convert|320|km|mi|abbr=on}} from Cancún, Mérida was home to the closest operational airport.{{cite news|author=Sofia Miselem|title=After Wilma Hits Mexico, All Buses Lead To Mérida|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=24 October 2005|access-date=18 April 2020|url=https://www.terradaily.com/news/hurricane-05zzzzze.html|work=Terra Daily}} Hotels and outgoing flights were filled to capacity in Mérida for several days after the storm.{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|date=26 October 2005|title=Stranded In Mexico, 6 Days Later|publisher=CBS|access-date=19 April 2020|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stranded-in-mexico-6-days-later/}} On October 27, President of Mexico Vicente Fox surveyed the storm damage. Fox's Secretary of Tourism, Rodolfo Elizondo Torres, orchestrated the response with a goal of quick revival tourist areas.{{cite report|date=28 October 2005|title=Mexico: Concluye Presidente Vicente Fox Gira de Supervisión por destinos de playa dañados en Quintana Roo por Wilma|language=es|at=ReliefWeb|access-date=12 March 2020|publisher=Government of Mexico|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/mexico/mexico-concluye-presidente-vicente-fox-gira-de-supervisi%C3%B3n-por-destinos-de-playa}} President Fox pledged that 75% of the hotels would be repaired by December 15, promising loans and tax breaks to restore the industry.{{cite news|author=Will Weissert|title=In Cancún, the rebuilding goes slowly after Hurricane Wilma|newspaper=Seattle Times|agency=Associated Press|date=14 December 2005|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/in-cancun-the-rebuilding-goes-slowly-after-hurricane-wilma/|access-date=18 March 2020}} Most hotels in Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, and the Riviera Maya were reopened by early January 2006.{{cite news|author=Will Weissert|title=After the hurricane, Cancún still has a long way to go|newspaper=Seattle Times|agency=Associated Press|date=5 January 2006|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/after-the-hurricane-cancun-still-has-a-long-way-to-go/|access-date=18 March 2020}} The resorts in Cancún took longer to restore, but most were open for business by one year after the storm.{{cite news|title=Cancún, rebuilt and showing off|author=Chris Erskine|date=12 November 2006|access-date=18 March 2020|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-nov-12-tr-yucatan12-story.html}}

On November 28, the Official Journal of the Federation announced a disaster area for 9 of Quintana Roo's 11 municipalities – Benito Juárez, Cozumel, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Isla Mujeres, Lázaro Cárdenas, Othon P. Blanco, and Solidaridad. Following the destructive impacts of Wilma and earlier Hurricane Stan, Mexico's state-owned bank, Banobras, authorized $21 billion (MXN, US$2 billion) to states and local municipalities for rebuilding.{{cite report|title=El Presidente anunciará apoyos extraordinarios del Gobierno Federal para la reconstrucción y reparación de las 50 mil viviendas dañadas por el huracán en el estado de Chiapas: Rubén Aguilar, vocero de Presidencia|language=es|at=ReliefWeb|publisher=Government of Mexico|date=1 November 2005|access-date=12 March 2020|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/mexico/el-presidente-anunciar%C3%A1-apoyos-extraordinarios-del-gobierno-federal-para-la}} Mexico's development bank – Nacional Financiera – provided financial assistance for businesses affected by Wilma and Stan through a $400 million fund (MXN, US$37 million). Quintana Roo's state government began a temporary work program for residents whose jobs were impacted by the hurricane. Other Mexican state governments sent helicopters, machinery, food, and aid to the hardest hit areas. Healthcare workers provided vaccines and focused on preventing vector-borne diseases. About 3,500 people worked to restore water and power service, although total restoration of electricity was expected to take about a month. Mexico's Comisión Nacional de Libros de Texto Gratuitos sent 250,000 textbooks to Quintana Roo for the thousands of students who lost their academic supplies. To replenish beaches, crews installed geotubes and dredged about 2.5 million m³ (660 ft³) of sand, supported by Mexico's federal government and the Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua. The new beaches were not as smooth or fair in color as the previous ones, which had formed naturally over time.

The Mexican Red Cross provided health care and food to emergency shelters.{{Cite report|title=Mexican Red Cross delivers immediate aid to victims of Wilma in the Yucatán Peninsula|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/mexico/mexican-red-cross-delivers-immediate-aid-victims-wilma-yucatan-peninsula|work=International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies|date=24 October 2005|access-date=18 March 2020|at=ReliefWeb}} The agency sent 54 tons of food and water supplies to the Yucatán Peninsula, along with teams of experts to coordinate the disaster response. It also distributed 3,650 emergency kits to affected residents in Quintana Roo;{{cite report|title=Mexico: Distribución de botiquines en Quinana Roo|publisher=Mexican Red Cross|language=es|date=18 October 2006|at=ReliefWeb|access-date=9 March 2020|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/mexico/mexico-distribuci%C3%B3n-de-botiquines-en-quinana-roo}} the kits included plastic sheeting, mosquito nets, kitchen sets, and hygiene supplies.{{cite report|work=U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs|at=ReliefWeb|access-date=12 March 2020|title=The Caribbean: Hurricane Wilma OCHA Situation Report No. 7|date=26 October 2005|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/cuba/caribbean-hurricane-wilma-ocha-situation-report-no-7}} A Salvation Army plane dropped off 10 tons of bottled water to Cancún and took stranded tourists on its return flight. The United States Agency for International Development sent $9.8 million (US$900,000) to the Mexican Red Cross following hurricanes Stan and Wilma.{{cite report|work=United States Agency for International Development|date=2 November 2005|access-date=9 March 2020|title=USAID increase assistance to Mexico flood victims|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/mexico/usaid-increase-assistance-mexico-flood-victims|at=ReliefWeb}}

The name Wilma was later retired, meaning it will not be used again for another Atlantic hurricane.{{cite web|title=Tropical Cyclone Naming History and Retired Names|url=https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames_history.shtml|publisher=National Hurricane Center|access-date=18 March 2020}} It was replaced by Whitney for 2011.

{{Portal|Tropical cyclones}}

• Hurricane Gilbert – the strongest Atlantic hurricane before Wilma, struck the Yucatán Peninsula in 1988
• Hurricane Isidore – slow-moving hurricane in 2002 that struck the north coast of the Yucatán Peninsula
• Hurricane Janet – powerful hurricane that struck the Yucatán Peninsula in 1955

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• {{NHC TCR url|id=AL252005_Wilma|title=Hurricane Wilma Tropical Cyclone Report}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Effects Of Hurricane Wilma In Mexico}}

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Category:2005 in Mexico

Wilma

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