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Hurricane Jimena (2003)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Jimena was the tenth named storm and second hurricane of the 2003 Pacific hurricane season
. Jimena formed on August 28 in the far Eastern Pacific Ocean as a tropical depression and moved westward where it rapidly became a hurricane the following day. The storm moved westward into the Central Pacific Ocean
where it became a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. After reaching its peak strength as a Category 2 hurricane, the storm began to weaken due to increasing wind shear
. Jimena brushed past the Hawaiian Islands
before becoming a tropical depression on September 3. The weakening storm then crossed the international dateline before dissipating on September 5.
Jimena was the first Pacific hurricane
to threaten Hawaii
since Hurricane Daniel of the 2000 Pacific hurricane season
. However, the storm weakened as it passed south of the islands and the effects from Jimena were minimal; there were no reported fatalities or injuries from the storm.
.
Jimena continued to intensify as it moved westward. On August 29, satellite imagery showed a well defined eye
developing in the storm as the storm winds increased to 60 mph (97 km/h). Jimena then was upgraded to hurricane status later that day. At 1500 UTC, visible satellite
imagery showed the storm having a small cloud filled eye and developing banding features south of the storm's center as Jimena continued to move west northwest. As the hurricane neared the Central Pacific Basin, it winds reached a peak intensity of 105 mph (165 km/h) and the barometric pressure fell to 970 millibars on August 30. At 0600 UTC, the National Hurricane Center issued its last advisory on Jimena as the storm crossed into the Central Pacific Hurricane Center
's area of responsibility.
On August 31, Jimena encountered strong southerly wind shear
, causing it to quickly weaken back to a tropical storm by September 1. Jimena then turned west-southwest where the center of the storm passed 105 miles (165 km) south of Hawaii
at 1500 UTC. Jimena continued to weaken as wind shear increased and the storm weakened to a tropical depression on September 3. After weakening back to a depression, Jimena crossed the International Date Line
on September 5 at 0600 UTC, where it was tracked briefly by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
. However, strong wind shear resulted in the low level circulation to be exposed from the center and at 1727 UTC, the low level had nearly dissipated. At 1800 UTC, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued their final advisory on Jimena as the storm dissipated 715 miles (1151 km) southeast of Wake Island
.
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Forecasters at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center
began issuing a Hurricane Watch for the Big Island
of Hawaii
on August 31 at 0000 UTC; the following day the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) issued a tropical storm warning at 0300 UTC and a flash flood watch. The watches and warnings prompted residents to board up windows and stock up on emergency supplies. The storm's approach also closed down beaches and prompted officials to cancel outdoor activates as a precaution and the American Red Cross
opened shelters and provided emergency services. The preparations for Hurricane Jimena cost the American Red Cross $5,000 (2003 USD).
As Jimena passed south of Hawaii as a weakening tropical storm, it brought high winds and heavy rainfall to the island
. High wind gusts of 53–58 mph (85–93 km/h) were reported in South Point
and Kahoolawe
. In Honolulu
, a weather station reported winds of 36 mph (58 km/h) while a station in Kauai
reported winds of 22 mph (35 km/h). The storm dropped 6–10 inches of rain across the Big Island. In Glenwood, Hawaii, the storm dropped 8.43 inches (800 mm) of rain. The rainfall from Jimena helped reduce drought conditions across the Big Island. Coastal sections of the Hawaiian Islands reported high surf ranging from 11 to 15 feet (3–5 meters) high.
High winds from Jimena knocked down trees and damaged power lines, leaving 1,300 residents without electricity. Heavy rainfall from the storm also caused minor flooding on the eastern side of the Big Island
. Offshore, high surf and strong currents brought by the storm resulted in 350 swimmers being rescued by the United States Coast Guard
, residents, and state and local police and fire departments. Overall there were no fatalities or injuries from Hurricane Jimena. The name Jimena was not retired by the World Meteorological Organization
in the spring of 2004 and is on the list of Pacific hurricane names for the 2009 season
.
2003 Pacific hurricane season
The 2003 Pacific hurricane season produced an unusually large number of tropical cyclones which affected Mexico. The most notable cyclones the year were Hurricanes Ignacio and Marty, which killed 2 and 12 people in Mexico, respectively, and were collectively responsible for about...
. Jimena formed on August 28 in the far Eastern Pacific Ocean as a tropical depression and moved westward where it rapidly became a hurricane the following day. The storm moved westward into the Central Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
where it became a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. After reaching its peak strength as a Category 2 hurricane, the storm began to weaken due to increasing wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
. Jimena brushed past the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
before becoming a tropical depression on September 3. The weakening storm then crossed the international dateline before dissipating on September 5.
Jimena was the first Pacific hurricane
Pacific hurricane
A Pacific hurricane or tropical storm is a tropical cyclone that develops in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. For organizational purposes, the northern Pacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern, , central , and western...
to threaten Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
since Hurricane Daniel of the 2000 Pacific hurricane season
2000 Pacific hurricane season
The 2000 Pacific hurricane season was an event in tropical cyclone meteorology. There were few notable storms this year. Tropical Storms Miriam, Norman, and Rosa all made landfall in Mexico with minimal impact. Hurricane Daniel briefly threatened the U.S. state of Hawaii while weakening...
. However, the storm weakened as it passed south of the islands and the effects from Jimena were minimal; there were no reported fatalities or injuries from the storm.
Meteorological history
An area of disturbed weather formed on August 26, 2003 and drifted westward. The disturbed weather then began to organize and the system became a tropical depression on August 28. Moving westward over waters greater than 82°F (28°C), Tropical Depression Ten-E rapidly strengthened into a tropical storm and was named Jimena by the National Hurricane CenterNational Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
.
Jimena continued to intensify as it moved westward. On August 29, satellite imagery showed a well defined eye
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
developing in the storm as the storm winds increased to 60 mph (97 km/h). Jimena then was upgraded to hurricane status later that day. At 1500 UTC, visible satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
imagery showed the storm having a small cloud filled eye and developing banding features south of the storm's center as Jimena continued to move west northwest. As the hurricane neared the Central Pacific Basin, it winds reached a peak intensity of 105 mph (165 km/h) and the barometric pressure fell to 970 millibars on August 30. At 0600 UTC, the National Hurricane Center issued its last advisory on Jimena as the storm crossed into the Central Pacific Hurricane Center
Central Pacific Hurricane Center
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center of the United States National Weather Service is the official body responsible for tracking and issuing tropical cyclone warnings, watches, advisories, discussions, and statements for the Central North Pacific Basin...
's area of responsibility.
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
, causing it to quickly weaken back to a tropical storm by September 1. Jimena then turned west-southwest where the center of the storm passed 105 miles (165 km) south of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
at 1500 UTC. Jimena continued to weaken as wind shear increased and the storm weakened to a tropical depression on September 3. After weakening back to a depression, Jimena crossed the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
on September 5 at 0600 UTC, where it was tracked briefly by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
. However, strong wind shear resulted in the low level circulation to be exposed from the center and at 1727 UTC, the low level had nearly dissipated. At 1800 UTC, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued their final advisory on Jimena as the storm dissipated 715 miles (1151 km) southeast of Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
.
Preparations and Impact
Central Pacific Hurricane Center
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center of the United States National Weather Service is the official body responsible for tracking and issuing tropical cyclone warnings, watches, advisories, discussions, and statements for the Central North Pacific Basin...
began issuing a Hurricane Watch for the Big Island
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
on August 31 at 0000 UTC; the following day the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) issued a tropical storm warning at 0300 UTC and a flash flood watch. The watches and warnings prompted residents to board up windows and stock up on emergency supplies. The storm's approach also closed down beaches and prompted officials to cancel outdoor activates as a precaution and the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
opened shelters and provided emergency services. The preparations for Hurricane Jimena cost the American Red Cross $5,000 (2003 USD).
As Jimena passed south of Hawaii as a weakening tropical storm, it brought high winds and heavy rainfall to the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
. High wind gusts of 53–58 mph (85–93 km/h) were reported in South Point
Ka Lae
Ka Lae , also known as South Point, is the southernmost point of the Big Island of Hawaii and of the 50 United States. The Ka Lae area is registered as a National Historic Landmark District under the name South Point Complex...
and Kahoolawe
Kahoolawe
Kahoolawe is the smallest of the eight main volcanic islands in the Hawaiian Islands. Kahoolawe is located about seven miles southwest of Maui and also southeast of Lanai, and it is long by wide, with a total land area of . The highest point on Kahoolawe is the crater of Lua Makika at the...
. In Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, a weather station reported winds of 36 mph (58 km/h) while a station in Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
reported winds of 22 mph (35 km/h). The storm dropped 6–10 inches of rain across the Big Island. In Glenwood, Hawaii, the storm dropped 8.43 inches (800 mm) of rain. The rainfall from Jimena helped reduce drought conditions across the Big Island. Coastal sections of the Hawaiian Islands reported high surf ranging from 11 to 15 feet (3–5 meters) high.
High winds from Jimena knocked down trees and damaged power lines, leaving 1,300 residents without electricity. Heavy rainfall from the storm also caused minor flooding on the eastern side of the Big Island
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. Offshore, high surf and strong currents brought by the storm resulted in 350 swimmers being rescued by the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, residents, and state and local police and fire departments. Overall there were no fatalities or injuries from Hurricane Jimena. The name Jimena was not retired by the World Meteorological Organization
World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
in the spring of 2004 and is on the list of Pacific hurricane names for the 2009 season
2009 Pacific hurricane season
The 2009 Pacific hurricane season was an active event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation, due to a moderate El Niño, unlike the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, which was relatively quiet. The season officially started on May 15 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1 for the central...
.