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Environmental Effects From Hurricane Wilma

The most intense hurricane to have occurred in the Atlantic basin is Hurricane Wilma in 2005. It spread across Mexico, Central America, Cuba and Florida. It caused damages close to $30 billion, making it one the most costly hurricanes in history. It also caused a lot of damage to the environment.

  1. Loss of Animal and Plant Life

    • Not only did Hurricane Wilma cause the deaths of a lot of people, it also led to the loss of a lot of plant and animal life. Trees were uprooted and thrown in different directions. A large number of animals also died, most of them having drowned in the floods. Animal habitats were also destroyed when Hurricane Wilma hit. The oil spill that it caused destroyed habitats for a number of aquatic animals.

    Rainfall and Flooding

    • In Cancun, rainfall exceeded 10 inches as Hurricane Wilma was moving across the Yucatan Peninsula. One of the most flooded areas was Isla Mujeres,an island next to Cancun. It received around 68 inches of rain in less than 48 hours. On some days, rainfall exceeded rates of 6 inches per hour. In Havana, Cuba, waves topped the sea wall leaving much of the city's downtown and central areas flooded. In Florida, the widespread flooding due to the hurricane led to some parts of the Florida Keys being submerged in water. Some of the main parts affected include parts of Key West, which was under several feet of water.

    Oil Spills

    • Although the amount of oil spilled was not as large as with Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Wilma still caused environmental problems due to the oil spills it caused. When Hurricane Wilma hit Miami Beach, Florida, a boat carrying oil sank. This created a large oil spill and led to the deaths of many aquatic plants and animals.

    Soil Erosion

    • Hurricane Wilma caused a lot of beach erosion, especially in Cancun. This problem existed long before Hurricane Wilma hit, but Hurricane Wilma intensified the problem. The beach had beautiful white sand, but for years the shoreline had been eroding and the beach was getting washed out to sea. Hurricane Wilma eroded more than 8 miles of the sand, which was worsened with a rise in sea level that led to more flooding in the city.

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