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1943 Mazatlán hurricane

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1943 Mazatlán hurricane
Surface analysis of the hurricane near landfall
Meteorological history
Formed≤8 October 1943
Dissipated9 October 1943
Category 4 major hurricane
1-minute sustained (SSHWS)
Highest winds≥135 mph (≥215 km/h)
Lowest pressure≤958.6 mbar (hPa); ≤28.31 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalitiesat least 100
Damage$4.5 million
Areas affectedsouthern coastal Sinaloa
Part of the 1942–48 Pacific hurricane seasons

The 1943 Mazatlán hurricane was a powerful Pacific hurricane that struck the Mexican state of Sinaloa in October 1943. It originated off the Pacific coast of Mexico and became an intense hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of at least 136 miles per hour (219 km/h), equivalent to a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The hurricane made landfall just south of Mazatlán on October 9, becoming the strongest on record to strike the city. An observatory in the city recorded a minimum pressure of 958.6 millibars (28.31 inHg).

The hurricane severely damaged a 50 mi (80 km) portion of western Mexico, from Nayarit to Sinaloa. In Mazatlán, the communications severed due to the strong winds, and the city briefly relied on a single Pan Am plane that was carrying American filmmaker Walt Disney. The hurricane killed at least 100 people and left over 1,000 homeless. Total damage was estimated at $4.5 million (1943 USD).

Meteorological history

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Location of Mazatlán within Mexico

On October 8, a tropical cyclone developed west of Mexico, between the Revillagigedo Islands and Islas Marías. Moving to the northeast, the system became a powerful hurricane before it moved ashore. At 15:30 UTC on 9 October, the hurricane made landfall just south of Mazatlán, in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The Mazatlán Observatory recorded a minimum atmospheric pressure of 958.6 millibars (28.31 inHg), along with maximum sustained winds of 134 mph (216 km/h) over a period of 15 minutes, before the anemometer broke loose.[1] The wind speed is equivalent to a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.[2] It was the strongest hurricane on record to strike the city.[3] Soon after moving ashore, the hurricane rapidly weakened, dissipating over the mountainous terrain of northwestern Mexico.[1] The remnants of the hurricane later moved through the Mexican state of Chihuahua, heading toward the southern United States.[4]

Effects and aftermath

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Known Pacific hurricanes that have killed at least 100 people
Hurricane Season Fatalities Ref.
"Mexico" 1959 1,800 [5]
Paul 1982 1,625 [6][7][8][9]
Liza 1976 1,263 [10][11][12]
Tara 1961 436 [13]
Pauline 1997 230–400 [14]
Agatha 2010 204 [15][16]
Manuel 2013 169 [17]
Tico 1983 141 [18][19]
Ismael 1995 116 [20]
"Lower California" 1931 110 [21][22]
"Mazatlán" 1943 100 [23]
Lidia 1981 100 [16]

The hurricane struck Mazatlán with sustained winds of at least 134 mph (216 km/h), with little warning.[1][24] The hurricane produced little rainfall in the city, which recorded just 2 in (51 mm) of precipitation.[1] High waves lashed the coast, damaging homes and hotels along the waterfront.[25] Offshore, there were several fishing boats, as well as a Mexican Navy vessel caught in the storm, no trace reportedly was found; all persons aboard these vessels apparently died. A small coastal boat arrived in the port of Mazatlán after the storm and reported six crew members missing.[1] The hurricane destroyed about 60% of the buildings in Mazatlán, including 3,000 homes, with thousands left homeless in the city.[26][27][28] The storm also caused severe damage in nearby Villa Unión, with damage estimated at US$4.5 million. The hurricane killed at least 100 people.[1]

Shortly before the peak of the hurricane, Pan Am grounded all of their airlines. A plane from Los Angeles landed in Mazatlán and rode out the storm, with 21 passengers onboard. The passengers included filmmaker Walt Disney, his family, and employees, who were headed to Mexico City for production on The Three Caballeros. After the storm, the plane was the only means of communicating with the rest of the world for about 18 hours, after the airport's radio towers were damaged. The storm also damaged all telephone or telegraph lines in the city, while also damaging the airport's hangar and administration building.[24][25][29][25] Throughout the state of Sinaloa, the storm overflowed rivers and destroyed warehouses, ruining most of the crops in the state.[30] The hurricane caused severe damage along a 50 mi (80 km) portion of the Mexican coastline, from Acaponeta, Nayarit northward to Mazatlán.[25] In Guadalajara, the hurricane tore the roofs of houses while also causing flooding. The city's power plant was shut down.[29] Storm damage disrupted train service for the Southern Pacific Transportation Company between Nogales and Guadalajara.[25] The storm damaged water systems, leaving people without potable water or sewage systems.[31]

Aftermath

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Within a day of the hurricane, Mexican President Manuel Ávila Camacho ordered nurses and doctors on standby, and for military workers in the area to prepare to assist in the aftermath.[25] By two days after the hurricane's landfall, water access was restored at a limited capacity for only two hours a day.[32] By five days after the storm, officials had restored power and communications in the area. Around the same time, the president issued an appeal for public donations for storm victims.[33] Within a week, citizens sent large quantities of food, clothing, and medicine to the worst affected areas.[31] The President of Mexico personally visited Mazatlán with other officials, bringing aid in the form of medicine and clothing.[34] A group of Mexican Americans in California raised nearly $27,000 for relief efforts.[35]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Sumner, Howard C. (November 1943). "North Atlantic hurricanes and tropical disturbances of 1943" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review. 71 (11). U.S. Weather Bureau: 179–183. Bibcode:1943MWRv...71..179S. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1943)71<179:NAHATD>2.0.CO;2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2008.
  2. ^ "Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  3. ^ "Tropical Cyclones Affecting Mazatlan". NRL Monterrey. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  4. ^ "Hurricane Sweeps Toward U.S. Border". Racine Journal-Times. Associated Press. October 12, 1943. p. 6. Retrieved September 10, 2024.(subscription required)
  5. ^ Natural Hazards of North America (Map). National Geographic Society. April 1998.
  6. ^ "More Flood Victims found". The Spokesman-Review. September 28, 1982. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
  7. ^ "More flood victims found". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. September 28, 1982. p. 12. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  8. ^ "Mexico - Disaster Statistics". Prevention Web. 2008. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
  9. ^ "24 killed from hurricane". The Hour. October 1, 1982. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  10. ^ "Mexico gives up to try and find storm victims". Bangor Daily News. United Press International. October 6, 1976. p. 8. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  11. ^ "Hurricane Liza rips Mexico". Beaver County Times. United Press International. October 2, 1976. p. 18. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  12. ^ "Historias y Anecdotas de Yavaros". Ecos del mayo (in Spanish). June 14, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  13. ^ "Significant Data on Major Disasters Worldwide 1900-present" (PDF). Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance. August 1993. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
  14. ^ Lawrence, Miles B (November 7, 1997). Preliminary Report: Hurricane Pauline October 5 – 10, 1997 (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center.
  15. ^ Beven, John L (January 10, 2011). Tropical Cyclone Report: Tropical Storm Agatha (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  16. ^ a b Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. "EM-DAT: The Emergency Events Database". Université catholique de Louvain.
  17. ^ Steve Jakubowski; Adityam Krovvidi; Adam Podlaha; Steve Bowen. "September 2013 Global Catasrophe Recap" (PDF). Impact Forecasting. AON Benefield. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  18. ^ "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.
  19. ^ "Oklahoma residents clean up in Hurricane's wake". The Evening independent. October 22, 1983. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  20. ^ Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres (2006). "Impacto Socioeconómico de los Ciclones Tropicales 2005" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved November 9, 2006.
  21. ^ Associated Press (November 17, 1931). "Hurricane Toll Reaches 100 in Mexico Blow". The Evening Independent. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
  22. ^ "World News". The Virgin Islands Daily News. September 18, 1931. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ a b "70th anniversary of Mazatlan 'surprise' hurricane". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  25. ^ a b c d e f "100-Mile Wind Razes Half of Mazatlan City". Syracuse Herald-American. October 10, 1943. p. 14. Retrieved September 8, 2024.(subscription required)
  26. ^ "Cyclone Rips Mexican Port". Lowell-Sun. October 11, 1943. p. 18. Retrieved September 8, 2024.(subscription required)
  27. ^ "Toll Rises to 52 in Mexican Storm". Charleston Daily-Mail. October 12, 1943. p. 1. Retrieved September 10, 2024.(subscription required)
  28. ^ "Mazatlan Hurricane Leaves 7 Dead, 50 Hurt, 1000 Homeless". Long Beach Independent. International News Service. October 11, 1943. p. 11. Retrieved September 8, 2024.(subscription required)
  29. ^ a b "Hurricane Hits Mazatlan; Communications Are Down". Brownsville Herald. United Press. October 10, 1943. p. 1. Retrieved September 8, 2024.(subscription required)
  30. ^ "Mexican President, Doctors, Nurses, Reach Mazatlan On First Train to Get Through Since Oct. 8 Hurricane". Nogales International. October 22, 1943. p. 1. Retrieved September 10, 2024.(subscription required)
  31. ^ a b United Press International (October 20, 1943). "Rush Aid to Victims of Hurricane at Mazatlan, Mexico". Yuma Sun. Retrieved September 10, 2024.(subscription required)
  32. ^ "Mazatlan Hit By Tornado". Santa Fe New Mexican. Associated Press. October 11, 1943. p. 6. Retrieved September 8, 2024.(subscription required)
  33. ^ "Mexico Seeks Storm Relief". United Press International. October 14, 1943. Retrieved September 10, 2024.(subscription required)
  34. ^ "President Inspects Storm Destruction". El Paso Herald Post. United Press International. October 21, 1943. p. 14. Retrieved September 10, 2024.(subscription required)
  35. ^ "Racial Discrimination in California Fading". Tucson Daily Citizen. United Press International. December 8, 1943. p. 12. Retrieved September 10, 2024.(subscription required)
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