Hurricane Darby (1992)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Hurricane Darby
Type=hurricane
Year=1992
Basin=Pac
Image location=Hurricane Darby (1992).jpg


Formed=July 2, 1992
Dissipated=July 10, 1992
1-min winds=105
Pressurepressure
Pressure=968 mbar (hPa)
Da

Inflated=
Fatalities=3
Areas=Mexico, California
Hurricane season=1992 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Darby was the fourth named storm of the 1992 Pacific hurricane season. The origins of Darby were from a tropical wave which moved off the coast of Africa on June 19. It traversed the Atlantic, and moved across Mexico, where it re-emerged in the Pacific on June 29 and became a tropical depression on July 2, a tropical storm on July 5, and a hurricane on July 6. The storm remained well offshore, although managed to kill three people.

Meteorological history

Darby's origins can be traced back to a tropical wave which emerged off the African coast on June 19.cite web
author=Britt Max Mayfield
year=1992-08-09
title=Hurricane Darby Preliminary Report — Page 1
publisher=National Hurricane Center
accessdate=2007-08-18
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1992-prelim/darby/prelim01.gif] The wave tracked westward across the Atlantic without further development. It moved across the Caribbean and tracked into Mexico, re-emerging in the Pacific on June 29.cite web
author=Britt Max Mayfield
year=1992-08-09
title=Hurricane Darby Preliminary Report — Page 1
publisher=National Hurricane Center
accessdate=2007-08-18
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1992-prelim/darby/prelim01.gif] The wave began to organized, and became Tropical Depression 5-E on July 2 while moving southwest. The wave continued to organize and on July 4, it was upgraded into Tropical Storm Darby.cite web
author=Britt Max Mayfield
year=1992-08-09
title=Hurricane Darby Preliminary Report — Page 1
publisher=National Hurricane Center
accessdate=2007-08-18
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1992-prelim/darby/prelim01.gif] The tropical storm intensified to hurricane status as it brushed by the southern tip of Baja California. Although the storm remained well offshore, it contained a large circulation which produced tropical storm force winds extending up to 300 miles (480 km) away from the center.cite web|author=Mayfield|title=Hurricane Darby public advisory #14A|year=1992|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-01-12|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1992/darby/public/paep0592.014] As Darby passed by, Socorro Island recorded a minimum pressure of 974 hPa.cite web|author=Mayfield|title=Hurricane Darby public advisory #14A|year=1992|publisher=National Hurricane CCenter|accessdate=2008-01-12|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1992/darby/public/paep0592.014] The storm then reached its peak intensity of 968 hPa before beginning a weakening trend due to colder waters.cite web
author=Britt Max Mayfield
year=1992-08-09
title=Hurricane Darby Preliminary Report — Page 1
publisher=National Hurricane Center
accessdate=2007-08-18
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1992-prelim/darby/prelim01.gif]

Darby, now as a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, was moving to the northwest near 20 mph (32 km/h).cite web|author=Jarrel|title=Hurricane Darby public advisory #15|year=1992|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-01-12|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1992/darby/public/paep0592.015] Darby continued on a northwest track as it moved away from the Baja California on July 6.cite web|author=Pasch|title=Hurricane Darby public advisory #17|year=1992|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-01-12|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1992/darby/public/paep0592.017] As the storm moved over cooler waters, deep convection decreased, and Darby was downgraded to a tropical storm on July 7.cite web
author=Britt Max Mayfield
year=1992-08-09
title=Hurricane Darby Preliminary Report — Page 1
publisher=National Hurricane Center
accessdate=2007-08-18
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1992-prelim/darby/prelim01.gif] Darby, now losing tropical characteristics, was downgraded to a tropical depression on July 9.cite web
author=Britt Max Mayfield
year=1992-08-09
title=Hurricane Darby Preliminary Report — Page 1
publisher=National Hurricane Center
accessdate=2007-08-18
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1992-prelim/darby/prelim01.gif] Darby soon dissipated, and moved into the southwest United States producing light rainfall.cite web
author=Britt Max Mayfield
year=1992-08-09
title=Hurricane Darby Preliminary Report — Page 1
publisher=National Hurricane Center
accessdate=2007-08-18
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1992-prelim/darby/prelim01.gif] By July 10, Darby had lost all of its tropical characteristics. As the remnant low pressure meandered across the southwest United States it moved north, and tracked offshore of California, where it persisted as a remnant low and produced shower activity to parts of California.cite web
author=Britt Max Mayfield
year=1992-08-09
title=Hurricane Darby Preliminary Report — Page 1
publisher=Nationalv Hurricane Center
accessdate=2007-08-18
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1992-prelim/darby/prelim01.gif]

Preparations and Impact

Although Darby remained well offshore, the large size of the hurricane's circulation prompted the government of Mexico to issue tropical storm warnings for the southern tip of Baja California.cite web
author=Britt Max Mayfield
year=1992-08-09
title=Hurricane Darby Preliminary Report — Page 3
publisher=National Hurricane Center
accessdate=2007-08-18
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1992-prelim/darby/prelim03.gif]

The United States Coast Guard reported two separate boating accidents in Los Angeles, which were directly related to Darby. The first was a boat that experienced engine failure off the California coast.cite web
author=Britt Max Mayfield
year=1992-08-09
title=Hurricane Darby Preliminary Report — Page 2
publisher=National Hurricane Center
accessdate=2007-08-18
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1992-prelim/darby/prelim02.gif] The seven people on board abandoned the boat, and were rescued. The second report was a boat that reported to be taking on water off the coast of California, on July 8. A news source also reported that a tuna fishing boat experienced technical difficulties, but this is not official.

The effects from Darby were mostly minor, with three deaths reported from a Mexican newspaper. Also, four fishermen were reported missing. 180 small stores were damaged along the Acapulco city port. Rainfall was mainly light, although some locations picked up five inches (125 mm). In California, Darby's remnants caused cloud cover at Edwards Air Force Base. This caused the landing of the Space Shuttle "Columbia" to be postponed for a day at the conclusion of STS-50, as well as the landing happening at Kennedy Space Center.cite web|url=http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-50/mission-sts-50.html|title=STS-50|publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|accessdate=2008-02-20]

ee also

* 1992 Pacific hurricane season
* List of California hurricanes

References