Hurricane Naomi (1968)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Hurricane Naomi
Type=hurricane
Year=1968
Basin=Pac
Image location=Naomi 1968 Rapid Intensification.jpg

rapid intensification on September 11, 1968 while off the coast of Mexico. This picture was taken shortly after the system was given a name.
Formed= September 9, 1968
Dissipated=September 13, 1968
Pressure=992cite web|author=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|year=1968|title=JTWC Report: Hurricane Naomi|accessdate=2008-01-27|url=http://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1968atcr/pdf/cep/17.pdf]
1-min winds=75
Da

Inflated=
Fatalities=None
Areas=Mexico, Texas
Hurricane season=1968 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Naomi was a short-lived Category 1 hurricane that made landfall in Mexico's Pacific coast during the 1968 Pacific hurricane season. After rapidly intensifying before its landfall in Sinaloa, Naomi caused rainfall throughout northern Mexico and the U.S. state of Texas in association with a frontal system, with the highest measurement occurring in Corpus Christi. While a Texas worker was injured when the roof of the plant he was working in collapsed due to the rainfall, the hurricane caused no reported fatalities. Naomi was the seventeenth tropical depression, fourteenth tropical storm and the fourth hurricane of the 1968 Pacific hurricane season. Its precipitation on the Mexican Altiplano briefly threatened the unfinished Lázaro Cárdenas dam on the Nazas River. If the dam failed, the twin cities of Gómez Palacio, Durango, and Torreón, Coahuila, would have been inundated. On the other hand, releasing water from the dam would have saved Torreón by submerging Gómez Palacio with the dam's runoff. From help with satellite imagery, the authorities decided to keep the dam closed—risking its possible failure—saving both towns.

Meteorological history

The disturbance that developed into Hurricane Naomi was reported in the Intertropical Convergence Zone on September 8 at 12°N, 98°W. At that time, a ship called the "Avisfaith" reported winds to the south-southwest of force 7 on the Beaufort Scale convert|30|mi|km|abbr=on south of this position, the equivalent of a strong tropical depression on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. On September 9, six more ships reported winds of convert|35|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on from the system, which was at 13°N, 101°W at the time,cite web|author=William J. Denney|year=1969|title=Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season of 1968|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2008-01-27|url=http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/097/mwr-097-03-0207.pdf] and the system was given depression status on the same day.cite web|author=National Hurricane Center|year=2008|title=East Pacific Best Track Data 1949-2007|accessdate=2008-01-27|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tracks1949to2007_epa.txt] Later that day, satellite pictures clearly showed the vortex and center of the developing cyclone, and on September 10, the first report of tropical storm force winds were reported south of the low by the ship "Builder", which showed winds of convert|40|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on. The depression continued to develop at a rapid pace, with large feeder bands which helped to absorb moisture to strengthen the cyclone extending from the center, which was becoming better defined. One of the feeder bands developed near Manzanillo, Colima, which reported winds of convert|45|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on from the band prior to daybreak. Towards the end of the day, the "Allison Lykes" reported convert|60|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on winds from the cyclone and, early on September 11, sufficient evidence that the depression had reached tropical storm status resulted in the cyclone being upgraded and named "Naomi".cite web|author=William J. Denney|year=1969|title=Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season of 1968|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2008-01-27|url=http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/097/mwr-097-03-0207.pdf]

For the next twelve hours, Naomi continued to rapidly intensify, with feeder bands flowing into a tightening spiral structure in the center of the storm. Ship reports around this time showed winds of convert|60|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on to convert|65|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on. Towards midnight, a computerized mosaic showed a clear eye and Naomi was upgraded to hurricane strength early on September 12 while at 19.8°N, 106.8°W based on the mosaic, an intensity that was verified by the "Meisei Maru", which reported winds of convert|75|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on at 6:00 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). After being upgraded, the hurricane moved to the north at a pace of convert|9|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on before making a slow northeastward turn. The turn had the hurricane passing convert|30|mi|km|abbr=on – convert|40|mi|km|abbr=on west of Mazatlán, Sinaloa. The hurricane then began to accelerate, landfalling on Sinaloa near Punta Piaxtla at 3:00 GMT on September 13.cite web|author=William J. Denney|year=1969|title=Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season of 1968|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2008-01-27|url=http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/097/mwr-097-03-0207.pdf] Shortly after landfall, the Sierra Madre took a toll on the hurricane, causing it to dissipate later that daycite web|author=National Hurricane Center|year=2008|title=East Pacific Best Track Data 1949-2007|accessdate=2008-01-27|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tracks1949to2007_epa.txt] while midway between Chihuahua, Chih., and Piedras Negras, Coah.,cite web|author=Storm Advisory.org|year=2008|title=Storm Archives
accessdate=2008-01-30|url=http://stormadvisory.org/map/pacific/east?1968s14] with the remnants moving over Texas.cite web|year=1968|title=Rains Spread Northward, Legacy of Hurricane Naomi|publisher="Big Spring Daily Herald"|accessdate=2007-01-27|url=http://thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] In total, the hurricane travelled convert|1100|mi|km|abbr=on while active.cite web|author=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|year=1968|title=JTWC Report: Hurricane Naomi|accessdate=2008-01-27|url=http://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1968atcr/pdf/cep/17.pdf]

Impact, records, and naming

A dispatch from the Associated Press to Mexico City reported that 20,000 citizens from villages in Durango, Sinaloa, Nayarit, and Jalisco evacuated due to the threat of flooding and high winds from Naomi. The damage from Naomi in Mexico was moderate, although no monetary figures have ever been released. The Associated Press dispatch also reported that Naomi was responsible for knocking out communications over a large area in Mazatlán as well as downing power lines and damaging houses.cite web|author=William J. Denney|year=1969|title=Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season of 1968|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2008-01-27|url=http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/097/mwr-097-03-0207.pdf] The hurricane also caused damage to Highway 15 between Mazatlán and Tepic. Although the highway reopened soon afterward, some areas that were struck by the hurricane were still rough.cite web|year=1968|title=Work Starts to Rebuild Hwy. 15 to Mexico City|publisher="Independence Press–Telegram"|accessdate=2007-01-27|url=http://thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] Naomi's most notable impact in Mexico involved the Lázaro Cárdenas Dam on the Nazas River, which was not complete by the time the hurricane hit.cite web|year=1969|title=Benefits From Space: Dam Threatened|publisher="San Antonio Light"|accessdate=2007-01-27|url=http://thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] The dam, upriver from Gómez Palacio and Torreón, was feared to break down from the water being built up behind it, influenced by the hurricane.cite web|year=1969|title=Benefits From Space: Dam Threatened|publisher="San Antonio Light"|accessdate=2007-01-27|url=http://thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] The two options were to either open the dam, saving Torreón by inundating Gómez Palacio,cite web|year=1968|title=Mexican Cities Saved By Weather Satellite|publisher="Albuquerque Journal"|accessdate=2007-01-27|url=http://thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] or risk inundating both towns by keeping the dam closed. The decision was made harder by the fact that, if the dam was released and no rain fell to refill the basin behind the dam, the farms would have insufficient water for agricultural growth.cite web|year=1968|title=Mexican Cities Saved By Weather Satellite|publisher="Albuquerque Journal"|accessdate=2007-01-27|url=http://thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] Photography from the Environmental Science Services Administration's Automatic Picture Transmission based on the ESSA-6 weather satellite showed that the clouds from Naomi responsible for the rain had almost moved over the area near the dam. Based on the images, the authorities decided to gamble on the dam to successfully hold up, and it managed to hold back the waters without breaking.cite web|year=1969|title=Benefits From Space: Dam Threatened|publisher="San Antonio Light"|accessdate=2007-01-27|url=http://thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
]

In Texas, the remnants of Naomi coupled with a frontal system resulted in prolonged rains over the state. The hardest hit city was Corpus Christi, which reported over 8 inches (200 mm) of rain in relation to the disturbance as well as funnel clouds to the south and west of the city, resulting in many roads being stopped to traffic.cite web|year=1968|title=Rain During September Was Above Normal|publisher="Corpus Christi Times"|accessdate=2007-01-27|url=http://thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] Accumulated rainfall caused the roof of a tortilla plant to collapse, slightly injuring a worker.cite web|year=1968|title=Rains Spread Northward, Legacy of Hurricane Naomi|publisher="Big Spring Daily Herald"|accessdate=2007-01-27|url=http://thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] Although the range of heavy rains was large, only minor rains were reported in Andrews, Crane, Monahans, Kermit, Wink, Stanton, and Pecos.cite web|year=1968|title=General Rain Falls Over Permian Basin|publisher="Odessa American"|accessdate=2007-01-27|url=http://thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] Despite the totals, the rain proved beneficial as well, helping saturate areas of grassland in need of water.cite web|year=1968|title=Rains Spread Northward, Legacy of Hurricane Naomi|publisher="Big Spring Daily Herald"|accessdate=2007-01-27|url=http://thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
]

This was the second time an East Pacific storm was named Naomi and the only time that a storm named Naomi in the basin reached hurricane strength.cite web|author=National Hurricane Center|year=2008|title=East Pacific Best Track Data 1949-2007|accessdate=2008-01-27|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tracks1949to2007_epa.txt] Because the effects from the hurricane were minor, the name was not retired after this hurricane and was re-used in the 1976 season. However, a name change in 1978 dropped the name Naomi, and the name has not been used since.

ee also

*Other tropical cyclones named Naomi
*List of Pacific hurricanes
*Malpasset—A French dam that broke in 1959 due to circumstances similar to those that affected the Lazaro Cardenas Dam, killing 421.

References