A tropical wave spawned tropical depression #5 on July 11, about 1300 miles east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles. The next day it developed into Tropical Storm Emily. A few days later, while passing through the southern Windward Islands near Grenada, Emily strengthened into a hurricane.

The storm continued to grow while on a west-northwest track through the Caribbean, on a beeline for the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Winds topped out at 155 MPH making Emily the second major hurricane of the season. The storm passed just to the south of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, lashing them with heavy rain and strong winds.

FACT: Typically we don't see the second major hurricane of the season until September 28th!

Emily struck the Yucatan with winds of 135 MPH at landfall, only to emerge back over waters and once again gain major hurricane status over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. The storm made its final landfall about 75 miles south of Brownsville, Texas, with sustained winds of 125 MPH.

At least 5 deaths were attributed to Hurricane Emily, one in Grenada and four in Jamaica.