WikiPortallus: 1992 Pacific hurricane season.html

The 1992 Pacific hurricane season was the most active Pacific season on record. The most notable storm was Hurricane Iniki, which caused billions of dollars of damage to the Hawaiian Islands. Hurricanes Lester, Virgil, Winifred, and Orlene also made landfall and killed several people, but were significantly less destructive. Hurricane Darby and Tropical Storm Agatha brought rains and more destruction to Mexico, without making landfall. Hurricane Tina was the longest-lasting pacific hurricane at the time. Also of note are Hurricane Ekeka and Tropical Storm Hali, which formed in late January and March, respectively.

Season Summary

The season officially started on May 15, 1992 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1, 1992 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1992. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The season wildly exceeded these bounds, however, as climatological effects including an El Niño caused Hurricane Ekeka to form on January 26.

This season, there were twenty-four named storms in the eastern Pacific. Of these, fourteen became hurricanes and eight became major hurricanes by reaching Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. In the central Pacific, three named storms formed, of which two were major hurricanes. Several storms moved in from the east. The eleven total tropical cyclones entering or forming in the central Pacific is a record level. Despite this activity, there were only five landfalls.

Additionally there were three named storms in the central Pacific (west of longitude 140° West). Two of these became hurricanes.

Storms

Hurricane Ekeka

The first storm of the season, Hurricane Ekeka formed from an extratropical low north of the equator formed January 28. It became a Category 3 before wind shear weakened the cyclone and eventually dissipated the low as it neared the Marshall Islands February 2.

Tropical Storm Hali

The history set by Hurricane Ekeka repeated itself when, on March 28, a low-latitude area of thunderstorms organized into Tropical Depression Two-C. The next day, it intensified into a tropical storm and was named Hali, which is Hawaiian for Holly.¹ The reached its peak intensity on March 29. Almost immediately thereafter, wind shear blew the top off the system and caused it to fall apart. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center declared the system dissipated on March 30.

Tropical Storm Hali had no impact on land. However, it is also a meteorological enigma. Hali is the only known eastern Pacific tropical cyclone to develop in the month of March. It is thus the strongest March storm.²

Tropical Storm Agatha

A tropical wave that entered the Pacific in late May organized into Tropical Depression One-E on June 1. It moved north for the next two days. The depression strengthened into a tropical storm on June 2. After peaking the same day, Agatha slowed down and started drifting west. It steadily weakened, falling to a depression on June 5. Agatha had dissipated by the next day.³ Agatha approached close enough to the coast of Mexico that watches and warnings were issued. Gale-force winds were not reported, and there was no deaths and no damage. The only other impact was isolated instances of flash-flooding due to rain.³

Tropical Depression Two-E

A tropical depression formed near 114W on June 16. The storm moved west for a short time, reaching a peak intensity 1009 mbar and maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (56 km/h). It dissipated on June 19.⁴

Tropical Storm Blas

A tropical wave crossed over Dakar, Africa on June 4 and crossed the Cape Verde Islands by the day after. The wave continued westward and on June 10, passed the Windward Islands. The wave went through Central America during the period of June 14 and June 16. The system entered the Eastern Pacific basin without gaining much convection. Over waters marginally suitable for cyclogenesis, a tropical wave organized into the second depression of the season on June 22. It briefly reached tropical storm strength on June 23. It then moved over cooler waters and dissipated the next day. Blas did not have any impact on land masses.⁵

Hurricane Celia

Celia's origin as a tropical wave on June 8 off the coast of Africa.⁶ The system moved toward Central America and crossed over into the East Pacific basin around the 19th. The NHC declared the wave as a tropical depression on June 22 farther east than usual due to the low vertical wind shear. The NHC declared it as a tropical storm on the 23rd and was given the name Celia. Soon afterward, Celia started strengthening and soon became a hurricane. Celia started deepening rapidly starting around June 26 and soon became a Category 4 major hurricane with winds of 125 knots (232 km/h) and a minimal pressure of 935 mbar.⁷ Celia maintained Category 4 intensity for about 24 hours and then started to gradually weaken. Celia fell below hurricane status on July 2 and to tropical depression status the next day. Thereafter, all that was left of Celia was a swirl of low-convection clouds and was impossible to recognize on July 4.⁷

Hurricane Darby

A tropical wave organized into tropical depression Five-E on July 2. It strengthened and was named Darby the next day. Steering currents became very strong, and Darby accelerated as it paralleled the coast of Mexico. It strengthened into a hurricane on July 5 and also substantially increased in size. It peaked as a strong Category 3 on July 6. Darby began to substantially weaken thereafter as it passed over cooler waters. The hurricane weakened into a storm and then a depression on July 8 and July 9, respectively. Tropical Depression Darby lost tropical characteristics the next day. Moisture from the hurricane eventually spread over parts of the Continental United States.⁸

During Darby's formation, flooding from the cyclone's rainbands killed three people in Acapulco, Guerrero and 180 shops were damaged. Four fishermen were reported missing, fate unknown. Manzanillo, Colima, reported sustained winds just above tropical-storm force. The hurricane's remnants brought mainly light rain to the U.S. state of California. Cloud cover als delayed the landing of the Space Shuttle Columbia for one day. South-facing beaches of that state were pounded with waves up to 7 feet (2.3 m) in height. A monetary value for damage is not available.⁹

Darby also caused a few shipping accidents. A pleasure craft, the Oasis, had an engine failure and was abandoned. The seven people aboard were rescued, but the boat was sunk. A smaller sailboat, the Hosanna, had difficulties but was towed to a safe location by a cutter from the United States Coast Guard. A fishing boat at an unspecified location also experienced difficulties.¹⁰

Hurricane Estelle

The origin of Hurricane Estelle is unclear. The National Hurricane Center indicates that it may have formed from a tropical wave that began on June 23 off the African coast.¹¹ The wave began to move at low latitudes and passed the northern part of South America. On July 2, deep convection began to join with the wave as it crossed into the eastern Pacific Ocean on July 7. Reports indicate that the wave strengthened into Tropical Depression Five on July 9. 18 hours later, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Estelle in unusually strong wind shear. The shear began to weaken and an eye began to form in Estelle on July 11. These eye formations caused the NHC to upgrade Estelle to a hurricane.¹¹

From early July 11 to late July 15, Estelle moved at about 7 - 15 mph (24 km/h) to the northwest. During this period, Estelle reached 130 mph (210 km/h) winds and became a Category 4 hurricane. Estelle to weaken gradually and on July 17, Estelle had completely lost its characteristics.¹¹ Estelle did not affect land in its lifetime, thus no damage was reported.

Hurricane Frank

Frank was a long lived major hurricane. A tropical wave became Tropical Depression Seven-E on July 13. It strengthened into a tropical storm and was named Frank on July 14. It became a hurricane the next day. After peaking as a Category 4 storm it entered cold water on July 18 and weakened to a tropical storm on July 21 and degenerated to a low on July 23. Frank's remnants became an open wave that same day.

Hurricane Georgette

A tropical wave left Africa on July 3 and organized into a Tropical depression on July 14. Ir became a tropical storm the nest day and was named Georgette by the NHC. Georgette became a hurricane 18 hours later. On th 18th Georgette reached a peak. Cold water caused it dissipate on July 16 without effecting land.

Tropical Storm Howard

On July 26, the same day Frank dissipated a tropical depression formed and became a weak tropical storm the next day. Howard dissipated several days later without affecting land.

Tropical Storm Isis

Isis formed on July 28 as a depression and became a tropical storm the next day. Isis peaked as a strong tropical storm with 65 mph winds or 55 knots on July 30.Due to strong upper level wind shear it weakened to a depression on th first and disspated the same they. Isis dergrated to an open on August 1. It never impacted anybody.

Hurricane Javier

Javier formed from a tropical wave that left Africa on July 17. It organized into Tropical Depression Eleven-E on July 30. It because a tropical storm 96 hours later and was named Javier. After peaking as a minimal hurricane Javier diispated on August 12 after being a tropical storm for nearly 300 hours.

Tropical Depression Twelve-E

Twelve-E hap a peak pressure of 1008 mb. Formed August 10, dissipated August 12. ¹²

Tropical Storm Kay

A depression formed on August 18. It became a tropical storm shortly after forming and was nemd Kay. Kay was a short lived system. Its peak intensity was only 50 mph or 24 knots or 50 kmp. However, Kay was a vey small tropical storm. It dissipated on August 22. Kay never impacted anyone.

Hurricane Lester

Lester was the first actual landfall of the Eastern Pacific season. The hurricane first made landfall in Baja California Peninsula on the 23rd, striking mainland Mexico late that day. Accelerating northeast, Lester entered the U.S. state of Arizona as a tropical storm and New Mexico as a tropical depression before ejecting out into the Plains.¹³

No deaths were reported. Lester left over 5000 people homeless. Several tiny settlements west of Hermosillo, Sonora, and on a highway to San Diego, California, were destroyed. A ship called the Gladiator rolled over 33 degrees to both starboard and port, spilling a considerable amount of cargo.

Tropical Storm Madeline

Far in the open ocean, a tropical wave organized into Tropical Depression 14-E on August 27. Banding and convection increased, and the depression became a tropical storm the next day. Development continued, and Madeline peaked with a minimum pressure of 999 mb, and winds of 45 knots (83 km/h), on August 29. As the system progressed westward, it entered a region of strong wind shear and had dissipated on August 31. The system never came near land.¹⁴

Tropical Storm Newton

Newton was short-lived storm. It formed form a tropical wave on August 27. It became a tropical storm and was named Newton 18 hours later. Newton never impacted land masses. It dissipated on August 13. the track of Newton was normal for Easter pacific cyclones.

Hurricane Orlene

Orlene was a Category 4, minimum pressure of 934 mb. Formed September 2, dissipated September 14. As a depression, Orlene made landfall on the Big Island of Hawaii. It caused downpours and washed out roads. Some areas a got 4 inches of rain.

Hurricane Iniki

On September 5, a tropical wave organized into Tropical Depression Eighteen-E. After crossing 140°W, the system strengthened into a tropical storm on September 8 and was named Iniki (Hawaiian for Enid ¹⁵) In a favorable environment, Iniki intensified into a hurricane on September 9 and a major hurricane the day after. Iniki reached Category 4 intensity early on September 11.

Meanwhile, a series of troughs broke down a ridge over the Hawaiian Islands. This recurved Iniki and accelerated the system northward. Iniki's eye passed directly over Kauai on September 11, the first hurricane to make landfall in Hawaii since Hurricane Dot in 1959. Iniki weakened to a tropical storm and went extratropical on September 13 and was promptly absorbed by a front.¹⁵

At the time, Hurricane Iniki was the costliest Pacific hurricane in recorded history. Damage was heavy on Kauai, with many buildings being unroofed. A total of 1241 houses were completely destroyed. The total cost of damage was 2 billion dollars. Six people died and more than 100 people were injured.¹⁵

Hurricane Paine

A tropical wave left Africa on August 25. It enter the Carribeen on September 2 and enter they Gulf of Mexico on September 6. Two days later it reached the Pacific Ocean. After that, the wave organized into tropical Depression Twenty-E on September 11, the same day that Hurricane Iinki hit Hawaii as a Cateogory 4 hurricane. It became a tropical storm the same day and was named Paine. Paine slowly strengthened and reached a peak of 75 mph or 65 knots. The minimum pressure was 987 mb at its peak intensity.

Then Paine slowly weakened and was absorbed into Rosalyn on September 16. It never impact land masses.

Hurricane Roslyn

Category 2, minimum pressure of 975 mb. Formed September 13, dissipated September 25.

Hurricane Seymour

Category 1, minimum pressure of 980 mb. Formed September 17, dissipated September 27.

Hurricane Tina

Tina was the strongest storm of the season and threatened land for a time. It formed from a tropical wave on September 17. It moved glacially towards the west and strengthened into a hurricane. A breakdown in a ridge and to the north and a trough then recurved Tina to the northeast and towards land, still moving slowly and gradually slowing down.

The trough broke down and was replaced by a strong ridge. Tina then changed direction again and headed out to sea. It intensified into a Category 4 storm with a central pressure of 932 millibars. Tina then slowly weakened as it turned to the north. The stubborn Tropical Depression Tina dissipated on 11 October, shortly after entering the central Pacific.

Due to its erratic track and slow motion, Tina was alive from September 17 to October 11— a span of 24 days. This is the record for the eastern Pacific Ocean, smashing the east/central record of 20 days held by Hurricane Fico in the 1978 season and surpassing Typhoon Rita's west Pacific 1972 record. It was itself surpassed just two years later by Hurricane John.

Hurricane Virgil

Virgil made landfall in western Mexico as a Category 3 storm after weakening from peaking as a Category 4 hurricane. Virgil paralleled the coast and headed back out to sea as a depression and dissipated.

Because Virgil made landfall in a sparsely populated area, damage from storm surge was minimal. The chief effect was heavy rain and flooding, peaking at over 10 inches (25 cm) in one location. One person was reported missing in the state of Colima, and three people were injured in Guerrero. More than 1000 homes were damaged in Guerrero, Michoacán, and Colima, as was 7,400 acres (30 km²) of farmland. A flood on the Atoyac River washed away 500 homes in Guerrero, which prompted the evacuation of 2500 people. A passenger train north of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, was derailed when it encountered washed-out roadbeds.

Hurricane Winifred

Winifred was the final hurricane of the season. After reaching Category 3 status, Winifred recurved and hit western Mexico at Category 2 strength. The hurricane quickly dissipated by October 10.

Three people were killed by floods. Damage was concentrated in Colima and Michoacán. Electricity and water systems was knocked out in Colima. There was also damage to hotels, restaurants, and houses. Total damage in Colima was estimated at 16 million pesos (5 million USD) by that state's governor. Flooding along the coastal highway connecting Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, with Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo in Guerrero was extensive. Roughly 840 square kilometres (320 mi²) of farmland was damaged.

Tropical Storm Xavier

Tropical Storm Yolanda

Yolanda had a minimum pressure of 993 mb. It formed October 15, dissipated October 22. Yolanda dissipated in the Central Pacific and at that time was the latest basin crosser, but Tropical Storm Lowell in the 2002 Pacific hurricane season and Hurricane Paka in the 1997 Pacific hurricane season was later.

Tropical Storm Zeke

Zeke had a minimum pressure of 1000 mb. It formed October 25, dissipated October 30. Zeke did not impact land. No deaths or damages were reported. It confirmed the record for most storm in a season.

Tropical Depression Three-C

Although the 1991–1992 El Nino season had ended in the Central Pacific, sea surface temperatures in the basin remained high into November. Due to the high temperatures, cloudiness and showers persisted south of Hawaii. Around November 22, a disturbance formed within a cloud mass south of the Hawaiian Islands. The system then developed a closed circulation, being upgraded to Tropical Depression Three-C on November 22. The depression did not strengthen further, dissipating 24 hours later about 670 miles (1,080 km) south of the Hawaiian Islands.¹⁶

Accumulated Cyclone Energy Rating (ACE)

The table below shows the ACE for each storm in the season. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. ACE is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 34 knots (39 mph, 63 km/h) or tropical storm strength. The figures in parenthesis are for storms in the Central Pacific basin west of 140°W; those not in parenthesis are for the Eastern Pacific basin. This season had the highest ACE of any season on record, with an overall value of 295.492. The 1990 season also had a high ACE, at about 250 that year, but only about 4 of that was fron the central Pacific. 33.34 of this seasons total ace came from the central Pacific; excluding it, the overall ace was 262.152. The 1990 season had 6 less storms than this year, but because 16 of the 21 storms that year became hurricanes (the record for any season), and the fact that the major hurricanes in 1990, like Hernan and Trudy, were stronger than this year's ones, the 1990 season's ACE was only 12 lower than this season, so this season had a higher ACE than 1990, but the average ACE per storm that year was higher than this year.

The cumulative ACE for the Eastern Pacific this season fell within the official "Near Normal" grading, even though the number of tropical storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes was well above the long term average.

Storm names

The following names were used for named storms that formed in the northeast Pacific in 1992. No eastern Pacific names were retired, so it was used again in the 1998 season. This is the same list used for the 1986 season. Storms were named Seymour, Tina, Virgil, Winifred, Xavier, Yolanda, and Zeke for the first time in 1992. Yolanda and Zeke were the first time that Y and Z names had been used to name storms.

All names on the list were used this year. This is the second time that a northeast Pacific hurricane season had exhausted its list. The 1983 season also used every name on its list, but the list only went to the W name at the time. The 1985 season's list was lengthened while it was going on to prevent exhaustion.

Three names from the central Pacific list were used - Ekeka, Hali, and Iniki. This was the first usage for all of these names.

Retirement

One name was retired from the Central Pacific list after the 1992 season: Iniki. It was replaced with Iolana. Later, in 2006, a name change for various Central Pacific names took place and a second name was removed: Hali. It was replaced by Hene.¹⁷

1992 Pacific hurricane season.html

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