Hurricane Kathleen
hurricane
FormedSeptember 7, 1976
DissipatedSeptember 11, 1976

Hurricane Kathleen was a tropical cyclone of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season. Though rather weak, only a Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, it was very destructive. Kathleen caused widespread flooding and damage in northern Mexico and parts of the southwestern United States. It also took an unusual path.

Pacific hurricanes with at least US$500 million in damage without adjusting for inflation
Storm Season Damage (USD) Ref.
Otis 2023 $12–16 billion [1]
Manuel 2013 $4.2 billion [2]
Iniki 1992 $3.1 billion [3]
Odile 2014 $1.25 billion [4]
Agatha 2010 $1.1 billion [5]
Hilary 2023 $915 million [6]
Willa 2018 $825 million [7]
Madeline 1998 $750 million [8]
Rosa 1994 $700 million [9]
Paul 1982 $520 million [10][11][12]
Octave 1983 $512.5 million [13][14]


Storm history

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Map key
Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

A tropical depression formed on September 7. Twelve hours later it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Kathleen. After spending the past day moving slowly, it started accelerating northwards. On September 9, it reached hurricane status and brushed a promontory on the Pacific coast of the Baja California. Kathleen was a hurricane for only six hours, and was a tropical storm when it made landfall in Baja California Norte on September 10. With its circulation intact and still a tropical storm, it moved inland. Kathleen weakened to a depression when it crossed the US-Mexico border near El Centro, but its circulation allowed gale-force winds to be recorded in Arizona and California. Tropical Depression Kathleen dissipated on September 11 while over southern Nevada as it continued accelerating. Residual moisture from the hurricane hung around over the southwestern United States. [1]

Unusual path

Tropical cyclones bring gale-force winds to the Southwestern United States only rarely. The rotation of the earth causes most tropical cyclones in the northern hemisphere to move west. In the eastern Pacific, this causes landfalls at any location to be rare. To make landfall, troughs are generally needed to recurve storms. Northward movement also tends to move cyclones into unfavourable areas.

Kathleen's survival to such a northerly location was contributed to by a variety of factors. An El Niño caused warmer waters. Kathleen's rapid forward speed allowed it to keep its strength for a long time over land. The time of its genesis was near the peak of the season. Kathleen is one of only five recorded tropical cyclones in the eastern Pacific Ocean known to have brought gale or hurricane-force winds to the Continental United States.[2]

Impact

In the United States, Kathleen killed at least four people and caused millions of dollars of damage.

Mexico

Kathleen's impact in Mexico is unknown.

File:Kathleen1976filledrainblk.gif
Kathleen's rainfall

Arizona

On September 10 and 11, gales caused considerable damage in Yuma. For a time, the sustained winds exceeded 50 mph, with gusts up to 76 mph. Rains caused severe flash-flooding in Mohave County. One man was killed when the wind blew a palm tree onto his mobile home.[3]

On September 24 and 25, residual moisture from Kathleen caused thunderstorms. Flash-flooding was heavy in the Tucson area. Hailstones as large as golf balls caused additional damage.[4]

California

Aerial photo of damage in Ocotillo, California

California received record rainfall, with 14.76 inches falling at San Gorgonio, and 10.13 inches accumulated on Mount Laguna.[15] Flooding caused catastrophic destruction to Ocotillo. Because Ocotillo is situated atop an alluvial fan, the path of the raging floodwaters was wide and changing, with over half of the town being totally destroyed. The waters piled a layer of sand that was over 3 meters high in some places.[5] Three to six people drowned in the mud and waters in that city.[6] Other parts of Imperial County and Riverside County experienced severe flash flooding.[7]

Flooding disrupted transportation routes in the city. Part of Interstate 8 along the San Diego and Imperial County border was washed out. [8] Three trestles belonging to the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway were destroyed, and five others were damaged. At more than 50 other locations, tracks were buried by mudslides or had the ground under them washed away. After assessing the damage from Kathleen, the Southern Pacific Transportation Company decided in 1977 to abandon most of the SD&AE railway, but in 1978 the Interstate Commerce Commission disallowed this plan and the railway was restored.[9]

Homeowners in Palm Desert received considerable damage from the storm. Many flood control structures throughout the area failed to work.[10] The control structures in the area were rebuilt, and they withstood the next series of flash floods caused by Hurricane Doreen's remnants in 1977.[11]

Agriculture was disrupted throughout the area. The area covered by the Salton Sea increased. Parts of California were declared a disaster area.[12] Damage estimates ranged from 40 to 160 million dollars.[13]


Wyoming

The cyclone is credited with the first known sighting of a white Ibis in the state's history.[16]

See also

Template:Tcportal

References

  1. ^ Unisys Path accessed January 31, 2006
  2. ^ The San Diego Hurricane of 2 October 1858 accessed January 31, 2006
  3. ^ Top Arizona Hurricane/Tropical Storm Events accessed January 31, 2006
  4. ^ ibid.
  5. ^ NOAA's Hurricane Story Ideas accessed January 31, 2006
  6. ^ A History of Significant Local Weather Events accessed January 31, 2006
  7. ^ Alluvial Fans: Hazards and Management Federal Emergency Management Agency, February 1989 Report. URL accessed January 31, 2006
  8. ^ Hurricane Kathleen Website accessed January 31, 2006
  9. ^ 1977 Southern Pacific Bulletin accessed January 31, 2006
  10. ^ Safeco v. Guyton accessed January 31, 2006
  11. ^ Bunch v. Coachella Valley Water District accessed January 31, 2006
  12. ^ FEMA Disaster 521 accessed January 31, 2006
  13. ^ An Overview of Los Angeles Climate accessed January 31, 2006
  1. ^ Reinhart, Brad; Reinhart, Amanda (7 March 2024). "Hurricane Otis – Tropical Cyclone Report (EP182023)" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. University Park, Florida, United States: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. pp. 1–39. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  2. ^ Jakubowski, Steve; Krovvidi, Adityam; Podlaha, Adam; Bowen, Steve. "September 2013 Global Catasrophe Recap" (PDF). Aon Benfield. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  3. ^ Costliest U.S. Tropical Cyclones Tables Update (PDF) (Report). National Hurricane Center. January 12, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  4. ^ Albarrán, Elizabeth (December 10, 2014). "Aseguradores pagaron 16,600 mdp por daños del huracán Odile" [Insurers Paid 16,600 MDP for Hurricane Odile Damages]. El Economista (in Spanish). Archived from the original on October 21, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  5. ^ Beven, Jack (January 10, 2011). Tropical Storm Agatha (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. National Hurricane Center. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  6. ^ "KCC estimates privately insured loss for Hurricane Hilary at $600m". Reinsurance News. August 29, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  7. ^ Navarro, Myriam; Santos, Javier (November 11, 2018). "Ascienden a $10 mil millones los daños que causó 'Willa' en Nayarit" [The damages caused by 'Willa' in Nayarit amount to $10 billion]. La Jornada (in Spanish). Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  8. ^ "South Texas Floods: October 17–22, 1998" (PDF). United States Department of Commerce. 1999. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2007.
  9. ^ "Floods in Southeast Texas, October 1994" (PDF). United States Geological Survey. January 1995. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2008.
  10. ^ "Guatemala - Disaster Statistics". Prevention Web. 2008. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
  11. ^ "5 Day Toll in El Salvador, 630 Killed, Crops, Destroyed". Anchorage Daily Times. September 23, 1982. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
  12. ^ "El Salvador Death Toll hits 565 as more bodies found". Ocala Star-Banner. September 22, 1982. Archived from the original on June 2, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
  13. ^ "Tropical Storm Octave 1983". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on May 10, 2012. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
  14. ^ Rotzull, Brenda (October 7, 1983). "Domestic News". United Press International.  – via Lexis Nexis (subscription required)
  15. ^ National Weather Service Forecast Office San Diego, California. A History of Significant Local Weather Events. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
  16. ^ University of New Mexico Library. [elibrary.unm.edu/sora/wb/v14n04/p0207-p0208.pdf A White Ibis Near Sheridan, Wyoming] Retrieved on 2007-03-03.

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