1959 Mexico hurricane

Infobox Hurricane
Type=hurricane
Formed=October 23, 1959
Dissipated=October 29, 1959
1-min winds=140
Pressure=≤958
Fatalities=1000-2000 (deadliest East Pacific hurricane)
Damagespre=≥
Da

Inflated=1
Year=1959
Areas=Colima and Jalisco, much of western Mexico
Hurricane season=1959 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 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

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.cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tracks1949to2007_epa.txt|title=Eastern North Pacific Tracks File 1949-2007|publisher=National Hurricane Center|date=2008-03-04|accessdate=2008-03-11]

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. 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.cite web|url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/metadataEPAC.html|title=EPAC HURDAT Metadata|accessdate=2008-03-11]

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.

The hurricane had devastating effects on the places it hit. It killed at least 1,000 people directly,cite book|title=Natural Hazards of North America|format=Map|work=Supplement to National Geographic magazine|month=April|year=1998|publisher=National Geographic Society] and perhaps as many as 1,500cite web|url=http://www.ejournal.unam.mx/atmosfera/Vol16-4/ATM16401.pdf|author=E. Jáuregui|title=Climatology of landfalling hurricanes and tropical storms in Mexico|year=2003|work=Atmósfera|pages=201|accessdate=2007-12-28|format=PDF|archivedate=2006-06-14|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060614065451/http://www.ejournal.unam.mx/atmosfera/Vol16-4/ATM16401.pdf] or 1,800. It was Mexico's worst natural disaster in recent times.cite news|date=1959-10-30|accessdate=2008-05-09|title=Scorpions Add To Storm Havoc|publisher=San Mateo Times|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
|format=PDF] Most of the destruction was in Colima and Jalisco.cite news|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
|accessdate=2008-05-19|title=Mexico Fights Threat of Epidemic After Hurricane That Killed 2,000|publisher=Ogden Standard-Examiner|date=1959-11-02|page=8|format=PDF] A preliminary estimate of property damage was $280 million (1959 USD).cite news|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
|title=Deaths Near 1500 in Mexico storm|date=1959-11-03|publisher=Pacific Stars and Stripes|page=31|accessdate=2008-05-19]

The storm sank three merchant ships, and two other vessels.cite news|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
|publisher=Titusville Herald|title=Toll of Over 1,000 Now Feared in Mexico Hurricane and Floods|format=PDF|accessdate=2008-05-09|date=1959-10-30] On one ship, the "Sinaloa",cite news|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
|title=Mexico Hurricane Kills 800|date=1959-10-31|page=29|publisher=Pacific Stars and Stripes|accessdate=2008-05-17] 21 of 38 hands went down.cite news|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
|author=Charles H. Guptill|date=1959-10-30|title=Hurricane Kills 1000 in Mexico|publisher=Lowell Sun|format=PDF|accessdate=2008-05-09] On another, the "El Caribe", all hands were lost. As many as 150 total boats were sunk.

A quarter of the homes in Cihuatlán were totally destroyed, leaving many homeless. In Manzanillo, 40 percent of all homes were destroyed, and four ships in the harbour were sunk.cite news|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
|author=Associated Press|title=Mexico Hit by Killer Hurricane|publisher=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune|date=1959-10-29|accessdate=2008-03-18|format=PDF] 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. 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.

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. 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. In some places, the mud was convert|10|ft|m deep.cite news|date=1959-11-01|accessdate=2008-05-09|title=1,452 Dead in Hurricane|publisher=San Antonio Express and News|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] Water supplies were badly polluted, both by debris and dead bodies.

In the aftermath, air rescue operations were conducted, but the destruction of roads in the area hindered convoys carrying aid.cite news|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
|publisher=Helena Independent Record|format=PDF|title=Toll in Mexico Hurricane Now at 300|author=Jimmie S. Payne|accessdate=2008-05-09] Planes also made supply drops, but rescue operations were hindered by broken roads and rails. Survivors were vaccinated against typhoid and tetanus. Part of Manzanillo was placed under quarantine.

Records

This hurricane holds several records: it is the strongest landfall of any known East Pacific hurricane.cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2002kenna.shtml|author=James Franklin|publisher=National Hurricane Center|date=2002-12-26|title=Tropical Cyclone Report Hurricane Kenna|accessdate=2008-05-09] Of the five tropical cyclones to make landfall in Mexico at Category 5 intensity,cite web|url=http://www.ejournal.unam.mx/atmosfera/Vol16-4/ATM16401.pdf|author=E. Jáuregui|title=Climatology of landfalling hurricanes and tropical storms in Mexico|year=2003|work=Atmósfera|pages=198|accessdate=2008-05-17|format=PDF|archivedate=2006-06-14|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060614065451/http://www.ejournal.unam.mx/atmosfera/Vol16-4/ATM16401.pdf] cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-AL042007_Dean.pdf|page=8|title=Tropical Cyclone Report Hurricane Dean|author=James Franklin|date=2008-01-31|format=PDF|accessdate=2008-05-17|publisher=National Hurricane Center] this one was only one to do so on the Pacific coast. The other four are Janet, Anita, Gilbert, and Dean. Also, It is the only Pacific hurricane to make landfall as a Category 5. Reaching Category 5 intensity on October 27, it holds the record for the latest time any Pacific hurricane has done that in a season.cite web|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tracks1949to2007_epa.txt|date=2008-03-21|title=Eastern North Pacific Tracks File 1949-2007|accessdate=2008-05-09|publisher=National Hurricane Center] 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), although records before 1949 remain incomplete.

The cyclone was the deadliest east Pacific hurricane. Its death totals are higher than any other known Pacific hurricane,cite book|title=Storm|author=Addison Whipple|publisher=Time Life Books|page=103|year=1982|id=ISBN0-8094-4312-0] including Hurricanes Paulcite web|url=http://ams.allenpress.com/archive/1520-0493/111/5/pdf/i1520-0493-111-5-1080.pdf|publisher=American Meteorological Society|work=Monthly Weather Review|author=E.B. Gunther, R.L. Cross, & R.A. Wagoner|month=May|year=1983|accessdate=2007-12-13|title=Eastern North Pacific Tropical Cyclones of 1982|pages=1080, 1097-8|format=PDF] and Liza,cite web|work=Monthly Weather Review|publisher=American Meteorological Society|pages=508|month=April|year=1977|author=Emil B. Gunther|url=http://ams.allenpress.com/archive/1520-0493/105/4/pdf/i1520-0493-105-4-508.pdf|title=Eastern North Pacific Tropical Cyclones of 1976|format=PDF|accessdate=2007-12-24] cite book|author=Mary E. Clifford|title=News Dictionary 1976|publisher=Facts On File|year=1977|id=ISBN 0-87196-103-2] the only other known systems to come close to, or exceed, 1000 deaths.

ee also

*List of tropical cyclones
*List of Category 5 Pacific hurricanes

References

External links

* [http://www.weather.unisys.com/hurricane/e_pacific/1959/15/track.gifStorm path]