EARTH Atlantic Ocean -- 21 Aug 2007 -- This image shows Hurricane Dean as it re-emerged over the Gulf of Mexico after crossing the Yucatan Peninsula.

EARTH Atlantic Ocean -- 21 Aug 2007 -- This image shows Hurricane Dean as it re-emerged over the Gulf of Mexico after crossing the Yucatan Peninsula. In this image, the peninsula is barely visible northeast of the hurricane. The storm itself has lost the near-perfect shape and distinct eye it displayed on 20 August, 2007 - but it still maintains the tight spiraling clouds typical of a powerful storm.Hurricane Dean was the fourth named storm and the first hurricane of the 2007 Atlantic season. It was also one of the strongest hurricanes ever observed in the Atlantic Basin. Dean reached Category Five status - the highest rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale - on the 20th August as it passed over the deep, warm waters of the Caribbean headed for the Yucatan Peninsula. When it came ashore on the 21st August, it was the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the Atlantic basin since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, said the US National Hurricane Center. According to news reports, Hurricane Dean followed a sparsely inhabited path through Mexico, avoiding the tourist attraction of Cancun. Nevertheless, the storm tore roofs off houses, felled trees, downed power lines, and flooded streets -- Picture by Lightroom Photos / NASA