▁and ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁Ver ac ru z ▁was ▁tempor arily ▁closed . ▁Flo oding ▁in ▁the ▁P ue blo ▁Vie jo ▁Municip ality ▁affected ▁ 1 , 2 0 0   famil ies ▁and ▁prompt ed ▁activation ▁of ▁public ▁sh el ters . ▁A ▁hom eless ▁man ▁d rown ed ▁in ▁a ▁storm ▁d rain ▁in ▁Ciudad ▁Mad ero , ▁T ama ul ip as , ▁after ▁flash ▁flo oding ▁impact ed ▁the ▁area . ▁ ▁H urr icane ▁Earl ▁ ▁On ▁July   2 6 , ▁a ▁tropical ▁wave ▁emer ged ▁into ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁from ▁the ▁west ▁coast ▁of ▁Africa . ▁The ▁disturb ance ' s ▁rapid ▁movement ▁prevent ed ▁significant ▁development ▁for ▁several ▁days . ▁By ▁August   2 , ▁a ▁reconna issance ▁aircraft ▁reported ▁a ▁closed ▁circul ation ▁and ▁tropical ▁storm - force ▁wind s . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁disturb ance ▁became ▁Trop ical ▁Storm ▁Earl ▁around ▁ 0 6 : 0 0   UTC . ▁Ste ered ▁generally ▁west ward ▁by ▁a ▁r idge ▁over ▁the ▁South ▁United ▁States , ▁Earl ▁intens ified ▁amid ▁warm ▁ocean ▁temper atures ▁and ▁low ▁she ar , ▁att aining ▁h urr icane ▁intensity ▁and ▁pe aking ▁with ▁wind s ▁of ▁ 8 5   m ph ▁( 1 4 0   km / h ) ▁on ▁August   3 . ▁Earl ▁struck ▁Tur ne ffe ▁C aye ▁in ▁Bel ize ▁around ▁ 0 4 : 0 0   UTC ▁on ▁August   4 ▁and ▁then ▁made ▁land fall ▁just ▁south