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1959 Mexico hurricane

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1959 Mexico hurricane
hurricane
FormedOctober 23, 1959
DissipatedOctober 29, 1959
Highest winds1-minute sustained: 260 km/h (160 mph)
Lowest pressure≤958 hPa (mbar)
Fatalities1000-2000 (deadliest East Pacific hurricane)
Damage≥ $280 million (1959 USD)
Areas affectedColima and Jalisco, much of western Mexico
Part of the 1959 Pacific hurricane season

The 1959 Mexico Hurricane was a devastating tropical cyclone that was one of the worst Pacific hurricanes ever. It impacted the Pacific coast of Mexico in October 1959. It killed at least 1,000 people, and perhaps double that, a record that still stands, and caused at least 280 million dollars in damage. The system's worst impact was in the Mexican States of Colima and Jalisco due to high winds, and flooding. This hurricane was also a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale and set several records, related to both impact and meteorological statistics.

Meteorological history

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Map key
Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

The fifteenth known tropical cyclone of the 1959 season and twelfth storm in the Eastern North Pacific was first noticed on October 23, south of Mexico. As it was already a Category 1 hurricane, it had probably formed a little bit earlier than this date. It took the usual northwesterly track for hurricanes in the eastern Pacific. It steadily intensified, becoming a major hurricane on October 25 and reaching Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale the next day. This was followed by a turn to the northeast. It continued to intensify, and became a Category 5 on October 27. It smashed ashore close to Manzanillo, Colima. Weakened quickly by landfall, it dissipated over central Mexico on October 29.[1]

This hurricane's lowest central pressure is 958 millibars. Its highest windspeed is 140 knots(160 mph, 260 km/h). The official "best track" data set indicates that this velocity was attained after landfall.[1] However, a minor revision corrects this error, making it clear that the hurricane strengthened over water and confirming that the hurricane made landfall with strong winds due to a reading above 135 knots (155 mph, 250 km/h) in Manzanillo. The revision also indicates that the hurricane may have had higher winds than officially recorded.[2]

Impact

Thousands of people were unprepared for the storm. Thus, the system was dubbed "a sneak hurricane". After passing well offshore from Acapulco, it was forecast to head out to sea. Instead, it recurved east and made landfall.[3]

The hurricane had devastating effects on the places it hit. It killed at least 1,000 people directly,[4] and perhaps as many as 1,500[5] or 1,800.[4] It was Mexico's worst natural disaster in recent times.[3] Most of the destruction was in Colima and Jalisco.[6] A preliminary estimate of property damage was $280 million (1959 USD).[7]

The storm sank three merchant ships,[5] and two other vessels.[8] On one ship, the Sinaloa,[9] 21 of 38 hands went down.[10] On another, the El Caribe, all hands were lost.[9] As many as 150 total boats were sunk.[6]

A quarter of the homes in Cihuatlán were totally destroyed, leaving many homeless.[5] In Manzanillo, 40 percent of all homes were destroyed, and four ships in the harbour were sunk.[11] Large portions of Colima and Jalisco were isolated by flooding. Hundreds of people were stranded. Minatitlán suffered especially, as 800 people out of its population of 1000 were dead or missing, according to a message sent to Mexican President Adolfo Lopez Mateos.[8] In Colima, all coconut plantations were blown down and thousands of people were left out of work. That state's economy was damaged enough that officials thought it would take years to recover.[6]

The hurricane also dumped heavy rains along its path. This water-logged the hills near Minatitlán, and contributed to huge mudslide late on October 29 that claimed 800 victims. The slide uncovered hundreds of venomous scorpions and snakes, which killed tens more people in the aftermath.[4] Additional hordes of scorpions were driven from their nests when the adobe walls crumbled away. The Governor of Colima, Chavez Carrillo, issued a plea for venom inoculations afterwards.[3] In some places, the mud was 10 feet (3.0 m) deep.[12] Water supplies were badly polluted, both by debris and dead bodies.[6]

In the aftermath, air rescue operations were conducted, but the destruction of roads in the area hindered convoys carrying aid.[13] Planes also made supply drops, but rescue operations were hindered by broken roads and rails.[8] Survivors were vaccinated against typhoid and tetanus.[12] Part of Manzanillo was placed under quarantine.[6]

Records

Known Pacific hurricanes that have killed at least 100 people
Hurricane Season Fatalities Ref.
"Mexico" 1959 1,800 [4]
Paul 1982 1,625 [14][15][16][17]
Liza 1976 1,263 [18][19][20]
Tara 1961 436 [21]
Pauline 1997 230–400 [22]
Agatha 2010 204 [23][24]
Manuel 2013 169 [25]
Tico 1983 141 [26][27]
Ismael 1995 116 [28]
"Lower California" 1931 110 [29][30]
"Mazatlán" 1943 100 [31]
Lidia 1981 100 [24]

This hurricane holds several records: it is the strongest landfall of any known East Pacific hurricane.[32] Of the five tropical cyclones to make landfall in Mexico at Category 5 intensity,[33][34] this one was only one to do so on the Pacific coast.[33] The other four are Janet, Anita, Gilbert,[33] and Dean.[34] Also, It is the only Pacific hurricane to make landfall as a Category 5.[32][1][2] Reaching Category 5 intensity on October 27, it holds the record for the latest time any Pacific hurricane has done that in a season.[1] Similarly, it is the first known Pacific hurricane to reach Category 5 intensity in the eastern Pacific proper (between 140°W and North America); the only earlier system, Hurricane Patsy, was located in the Central Pacific (140°W to the dateline).[1]

The cyclone was the deadliest east Pacific hurricane. Its death totals are higher than any other known Pacific hurricane,[35][4][5] including Hurricanes Paul[36] and Liza,[37][4][38] the only other known systems to come close to, or exceed, 1000 deaths.

See also

Template:Tcportal

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Eastern North Pacific Tracks File 1949-2007". National Hurricane Center. 2008-03-04. Retrieved 2008-03-11. Cite error: The named reference "best track" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "EPAC HURDAT Metadata". Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  3. ^ a b c "Scorpions Add To Storm Havoc" (PDF). San Mateo Times. 1959-10-30. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Natural Hazards of North America. National Geographic Society. 1998. {{cite book}}: |format= requires |url= (help); |work= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help) Cite error: The named reference "National Geographic" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d E. Jáuregui (2003). "Climatology of landfalling hurricanes and tropical storms in Mexico" (PDF). Atmósfera. p. 201. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-06-14. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Mexico Fights Threat of Epidemic After Hurricane That Killed 2,000" (PDF). Ogden Standard-Examiner. 1959-11-02. p. 8. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  7. ^ "Deaths Near 1500 in Mexico storm". Pacific Stars and Stripes. 1959-11-03. p. 31. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  8. ^ a b c "Toll of Over 1,000 Now Feared in Mexico Hurricane and Floods" (PDF). Titusville Herald. 1959-10-30. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  9. ^ a b "Mexico Hurricane Kills 800". Pacific Stars and Stripes. 1959-10-31. p. 29. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  10. ^ Charles H. Guptill (1959-10-30). "Hurricane Kills 1000 in Mexico" (PDF). Lowell Sun. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  11. ^ Associated Press (1959-10-29). "Mexico Hit by Killer Hurricane" (PDF). Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  12. ^ a b "1,452 Dead in Hurricane". San Antonio Express and News. 1959-11-01. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  13. ^ Jimmie S. Payne. "Toll in Mexico Hurricane Now at 300" (PDF). Helena Independent Record. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  14. ^ "More Flood Victims found". The Spokesman-Review. September 28, 1982. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
  15. ^ "More flood victims found". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. September 28, 1982. p. 12. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  16. ^ "Mexico - Disaster Statistics". Prevention Web. 2008. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
  17. ^ "24 killed from hurricane". The Hour. October 1, 1982. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  18. ^ "Mexico gives up to try and find storm victims". Bangor Daily News. United Press International. October 6, 1976. p. 8. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  19. ^ "Hurricane Liza rips Mexico". Beaver County Times. United Press International. October 2, 1976. p. 18. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  20. ^ "Historias y Anecdotas de Yavaros". Ecos del mayo (in Spanish). June 14, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  21. ^ "Significant Data on Major Disasters Worldwide 1900-present" (PDF). Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance. August 1993. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
  22. ^ Lawrence, Miles B (November 7, 1997). Preliminary Report: Hurricane Pauline October 5 – 10, 1997 (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center.
  23. ^ Beven, John L (January 10, 2011). Tropical Cyclone Report: Tropical Storm Agatha (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  24. ^ a b Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. "EM-DAT: The Emergency Events Database". Université catholique de Louvain.
  25. ^ Steve Jakubowski; Adityam Krovvidi; Adam Podlaha; Steve Bowen. "September 2013 Global Catasrophe Recap" (PDF). Impact Forecasting. AON Benefield. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  26. ^ "Disaster History: Significant Data on Major Disasters Worldwide, 1900-Present". Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development. 1989. Retrieved November 14, 2008.
  27. ^ "Oklahoma residents clean up in Hurricane's wake". The Evening independent. October 22, 1983. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  28. ^ Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres (2006). "Impacto Socioeconómico de los Ciclones Tropicales 2005" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved November 9, 2006.
  29. ^ Associated Press (November 17, 1931). "Hurricane Toll Reaches 100 in Mexico Blow". The Evening Independent. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
  30. ^ "World News". The Virgin Islands Daily News. September 18, 1931. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
  31. ^ Sumber, Howard C (January 4, 1944). "1943 Monthly Weather Review" (PDF). U.S. Weather Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 23, 2008. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
  32. ^ a b James Franklin (2002-12-26). "Tropical Cyclone Report Hurricane Kenna". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  33. ^ a b c E. Jáuregui (2003). "Climatology of landfalling hurricanes and tropical storms in Mexico" (PDF). Atmósfera. p. 198. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-06-14. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  34. ^ a b James Franklin (2008-01-31). "Tropical Cyclone Report Hurricane Dean" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. p. 8. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  35. ^ Addison Whipple (1982). Storm. Time Life Books. p. 103. ISBN0-8094-4312-0.
  36. ^ E.B. Gunther, R.L. Cross, & R.A. Wagoner (1983). "Eastern North Pacific Tropical Cyclones of 1982" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review. American Meteorological Society. pp. 1080, 1097–8. Retrieved 2007-12-13. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  37. ^ Emil B. Gunther (1977). "Eastern North Pacific Tropical Cyclones of 1976" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review. American Meteorological Society. p. 508. Retrieved 2007-12-24. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  38. ^ Mary E. Clifford (1977). News Dictionary 1976. Facts On File. ISBN 0-87196-103-2.

External links

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