1978 Pacific hurricane season
Season summary map |
| First storm formed: |
May 30, 1978 |
| Last storm dissipated: |
October 21, 1978 |
| Strongest storm: |
Fico, Hector, and Norman - 140 mph (220 km/h) (1-minute sustained) |
| Total depressions: |
23 |
| Total storms: |
19 |
| Hurricanes: |
14 |
| Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+): |
7 |
| Total fatalities: |
Unknown |
| Total damage: |
Unknown |
Pacific hurricane seasons
1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980 |
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The 1978 Pacific hurricane season officially began May 15, 1978, in the eastern Pacific, June 1, 1978 in the central Pacific, and officially ended 30 November 1978. These dates conventionally delimit the period of time when tropical cyclones form in the eastern north Pacific Ocean.
Activity this year was slightly above average, with eighteen named storms forming. Five of those were tropical storms, thirteen were hurricanes, and six were major hurricanes that reached Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. In the Central Pacific, a tropical depression and a major hurricane formed.
Storms
Hurricane Aletta
Aletta made landfall in western Mexico as a tropical storm on May 31.
Tropical Storm Bud
Bud formed on June 17 and dissipated 3 days later without affecting land.
Hurricane Carlotta
Carlotta was a category 4 hurricane that did not affect land. At the time, it was the third strongest June storm.
Hurricane Daniel
Daniel was a strong category three hurricane which did not affect land. It made 1978 the first season with multiple major hurricanes in June at the time.
Tropical Cyclone Five
Existed between June 30 and July 2.
Tropical Storm Emilia
Emilia was a short lived tropical storm which didn't affect land.
Hurricane Fico
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Main article: Hurricane Fico
Hurricane Fico was the longest-lived hurricane of the season and at the time was the longest-lasting Pacific hurricane on record. It developed from a tropical disturbance off the coast of Mexico on July 9. It moved northwestward and then westward, quickly reaching peak winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) on July 12. Moving nearly due westward, the intensity of Fico fluctuated from Category 1 to Category 4 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale for the following days, and it passed about 170 miles (275 km) south of Hawaii on July 20 with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h). Fico slowly weakened as it turned to the northwest over cooler waters, and became an extratropical cyclone on July 28 to the northeast of Midway Island.
Swells from Fico, combined with swells from a storm in the Southern Hemisphere, produced rough surf throughout the Hawaiian islands. The surf destroyed one house and resulted in considerable damage along the southern coast of the island of Hawaii. No deaths were reported, and damage totaled $200,000 (1978 USD, $619,000 2006 USD).1
Hurricane Gilma
Gilma was a short-lived storm which did not affect land.
Hurricane Hector
Hector was the strongest storm of this year, but didn't affect land.
Tropical Cyclone Ten
Existed on August 8.
Hurricane Iva
Iva's scattered remnants caused rain on the islands of Hawaii and Maui.
Tropical Depression 10A
Existed in the Central Pacific. This system was labeled Tropical Depression 10-A by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
Hurricane John
John was a category 2 storm that didn't affect land.
Hurricane Kristy
Kristy was a category 2 storm that didn't affect land.
Tropical Storm Lane
Lane was a storm that didn't affect land.
Hurricane Miriam
Miriam threatened the Hawaiian Islands as a tropical storm, but veered south. Miriam had no effect on the islands. The storm dissipated September 2.
Hurricane Norman
Norman was powerful Category 4 hurricane. It had no effect on land as a hurricane, but after weakening to a tropical storm, Norman recurved and headed straight for southern California. Norman made landfall as a depression and had dissipated by September 7. Heavy rains fell across the Sierra Nevada range in California, with a maximum amount of 7.01 inches reported at Lodgepole.2
Tropical Cyclone Seventeen
Existed between September 8 and September 9.
Hurricane Olivia
-
Hurricane Olivia was a continuation of Atlantic Hurricane Greta. The depression emerged from Central America and quickly restrengthened into Tropical Storm Olivia. The storm erratically changed course and headed straight north as a hurricane. Olivia made landfall near the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and dissipated on September 23.
Tropical Storm Paul
Paul brushed the southern tip of Baja California and made landfall in western Mexico.
Hurricane Rosa
As a tropical storm, Rosa came close to Baja California Sur but never made landfall.
Hurricane Susan
The only cyclone to develop in the central Pacific did so on October 18. Susan rapidly intensified into a Category 4 hurricane and one of the three strongest storms then known in the central Pacific. Initially heading on a course that aimed directly at the Big Island, Susan instead turned to the southwest and decayed rapidly due to wind shear.
Tropical Storm Sergio
Sergio dissipated before making landfall on the Pacific coast of Baja California.
1978 Storm Names
These names were used for storms forming in the eastern Pacific Ocean this year. This is the first time these names were used. Names not retired from this list were used in the 1982 season. At this time, lists were intended to be repeated every four years instead of six.
This is the first season to use lists with male and female names on it. It is also the first year of modern naming.
- Aletta
- Bud
- Carlotta
- Daniel
- Emilia
- Fico
- Gilma
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- Hector
- Iva
- John
- Kristy
- Lane
- Miriam
- Norman
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- Olivia
- Paul
- Rosa
- Sergio
- Tara (unused)
- Vicente (unused)
- Willa (unused)
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The central Pacific used names and numbers from the western Pacific's typhoon list. One name – Susan – was used.
Retirement
The World Meteorological Organization retired one name in the spring of 1979: Fico. It was replaced with Fabio.
See also
References
External links
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Tropical cyclones of the 1978 Pacific hurricane season
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* Central Pacific system |
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