California’s Tropical Encounters: Hurricane season is well underway along the East and Gulf coasts of the United States, but it is one of the few weather events that Californians can disregard, despite their similar location in a warm climate along an ocean shore.
While the Golden State can occasionally be struck by the moisture-laden remnants of a tropical storm or hurricane in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, a direct impact from a storm is extremely rare – perhaps once every century, according to historical records.
California’s Tropical Encounters
Here are some of the most notable tropical cyclones that have impacted Southern California throughout recorded history:
The 1858 San Diego cyclone. This is the only tropical cyclone known to have ever caused hurricane-like damage in California. Independent scholar Michael Chenoweth and NOAA researcher Christopher Landsea used newspaper reports, daily weather observations by U.S. Army surgeons, ship observations, and U.S. Coast Survey notebooks to reconstruct the storm in a 2004 paper published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Late in September, the storm formed in the eastern Pacific Ocean and intensified into a Category 1 hurricane with winds of approximately 85 miles per hour (74 knots). By the second day of October, its atypical north-northeasterly course had guided it just off the coast of San Diego, where cooler waters and significant wind shear had weakened it slightly. Fortunately, just prior to reaching landfall, the storm turned west-northwest and dissipated near Santa Catalina Island. Despite the near-miss, San Diego’s instrument records indicate the region encountered hurricane or near-hurricane force winds of approximately 75 mph (65 knots), heavy rainfall, and significant property damage. Up to 7 inches (18 centimetres) of precipitation was also reported in San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Visalia at various locations. However, there were few reports of strong gusts in the Los Angeles area. Based on historical records and modelling results, the researchers reported that such a storm can be anticipated in the San Diego region approximately once every 200 years, most likely during an El Nino event.
– The Tropical Cyclones of the 1938-1939 El Nino. Southern Californians may have believed they were in Kansas in September 1939, just weeks after “The Wizard of Oz” premiered in theatres, when the first of four tropical cyclones struck the region during the El Nino of 1938-39. The first two storms, which were hurricane remnants, tracked northeastward across northern Baja California and southwest Arizona, bringing torrential rainfall to parts of Southern California: up to 7 inches (18 centimetres) for the first storm and up to 4 inches (10 centimetres) for the second. A third storm dissipated in southern Baja California, but brought up to 3 inches (8 centimetres) of precipitation to the Southland. Then, on September 25, an unnamed storm with winds near 50 mph (43 knots) made landfall near San Pedro, becoming the only tropical cyclone in recorded history to make landfall in Southern California as a tropical storm. The storm also delivered up to 5 inches (13 centimetres) of rain to the Los Angeles basin and up to 12 inches (30 centimetres) to the surrounding mountains. At least 45 persons perished, primarily at sea, due to the storm’s heavy flooding. From Malibu to Huntington Beach, low-lying coastal regions were flooded, and thousands of people were stranded in their residences. In some areas, the street was flooded up to 3 feet (1 metre) deep. The waves destroyed ten residences in Belmont Shore. Significant agricultural damage was sustained. The Point Mugu pier was obliterated. There were substantial communications disruptions throughout the region. The abrupt onset of the storm, which left many people unprepared, prompted the United States Weather Bureau to establish a Southern California forecast office in 1940.
– Catherine. In the middle of September 1976, during an El Nino year, Hurricane Kathleen made landfall in northern Baja California before moving into California and Arizona with tropical storm force. In Yuma, Arizona, sustained winds of 57 mph (91 kilometres per hour) were recorded. The storm delivered 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimetres) of precipitation to the central and southern mountains of Southern California. Seventy to eighty percent of Ocotillo, California was devastated by catastrophic damage. The storm was responsible for twelve fatalities in the United States. The Associated Press reported that hundreds of homes in the United States were destroyed or damaged by Kathleen, which was characterised as a once-in-160-years event.
The name Linda. In September 1997, also an El Nino year, Hurricane Linda, the fiercest eastern Pacific hurricane on record, narrowly missed Southern California. This Category 5 hurricane had sustained winds of 185 mph (161 knots) at one point. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Centre warned for a few days that the storm would likely strike Southern California as a tropical storm. Thankfully, the typhoon turned west, away from the land. Nevertheless, Linda brought substantial rainfall to portions of Southern California, as well as 18-foot (5.5-meter) waves and caused several million dollars in property damage.
– Nora. Hurricane Nora crossed into California and Arizona from Baja California as a tropical storm in September 1997, bringing heavy rainfall to portions of southeast California and Arizona. The typhoon caused damage worth hundreds of millions of dollars, particularly to agriculture.
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- According to NOAA records, Los Angeles received 5.42 inches of rain in just 24 hours, which is nearly a third of their annual average rainfall. Indio received nearly 7 inches of precipitation in three hours and 9.24 inches in total over the course of six hours. Nearly one foot of precipitation fell on Mount Wilson.
- September 1939 weather map depicting a low off the southern California coast. In the 20th century, that was the first and only tropical cyclone to strike Southern California.
- The ensuing floods resulted in 45 deaths in Southern California and 48 deaths at sea. NOAA reports that the tropical cyclone left the eastern Coachella Valley under 2 feet of water and caused an estimated $2 million in damage to structures and crops along the California coast.
- NOAA reports that the name “The Lash of St. Francis” was given to the storm before tropical systems were given names.
- NOAA’s report on the storm stated, “Californians were generally unprepared and were warned of their susceptibility to tropical storms.” “In response, the weather bureau established a forecast office for southern California, which began operations in February 1940.”
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- Worse, it was the fourth tropical remnant system to strike southern California in that month alone!
