Hurricane Patricia. Photo credit: National Weather Service
Hurricane Damage, Pacific Hurricane Patricia strongly impacted not only North America but also the record books. Perhaps the most dangerous of her many notable traits was the brevity of the warning that she was going to churn into such a monster. Explosive intensification due to prime environmental conditions didn’t occur until two days after she was named a tropical depression. In 24 hours, she aggrandized from a tropical storm into a Category 5 hurricane. The barometric pressure of her core dropped lower than ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere: 879 mb. This eclipsed Hurricane Linda’s 1997 eastern Pacific Basin record of 902 mb.
Her deeply low-pressured core contributed to her developing the strongest maximum sustained winds ever recorded on Earth: 200 mph The previous record holder was 1980’s Hurricane Allen at 190 mph. It also shattered Linda’s 1997 eastern Pacific Basin record of 185 mph. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the highest recorded sustained winds were 215 mph during Typhoon Nancy but it is popularly presumed the speeds weren’t accurately measured.
Patricia made landfall near Cuixmala, Jalisco in a diminished state but still a Category 5. The 1959 Mexico hurricane was once said to have been the only Category 5 to make landfall in Mexico but it was later reanalyzed as having been a Category 4. Within 24 hours of moving ashore, Patricia weakened into a tropical depression due to the rugged, mountainous terrain of central Mexico. She then pushed northeast and caused intense flooding in Texas. Over a five day span, 21″ of rain dropped on Corsicana, TX and 9’’ soaked Houston. Central America, Texas and Mexico’s damage assessments totaled $283.2 million which, relative to the hurricane’s intensity, was meager due to her damage swath having been predominantly over rural terrain. Eight lives were directly taken by Patricia and five indirectly. Adequate preventative measures have been cited as a primary factor in the reduction of the potentially much greater death toll.
Written by Meteorologist Geoff Linsley