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Hurricane Juliette (2001)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Juliette was a long lasting Category 4 hurricane in the 2001 Pacific hurricane season
. It caused 12 deaths and $400 million (2001 USD; $ USD) in damage when it hit Baja California
in late September.
Tropical Depression Nine
hit Nicaragua
on September 21. It moved quickly across Central America
, losing its circulation but maintaining intense convection while crossing. Upon reaching the eastern Pacific Ocean
, it reorganized and became Tropical Depression Eleven-E on September 21. Though it was located only 100 miles off the coast of Guatemala
, its small size allowed it to strengthen into Tropical Storm Juliette later on the 21st.
Juliette paralleled the Mexican
coastline, steadily organizing under a state of low vertical shear and warm water temperatures. On September 23, it was upgraded to a hurricane, and Juliette rapidly intensified to reach Category 4 status just 18 hours later. A small pinhole eye aided in the rapid strengthening, but an eyewall replacement cycle
weakened Juliette to a 110 mph hurricane late on September 24. As its outer eyewall contracted, Juliette again rapidly intensified to a peak of 145 mph on the 25th. At its peak, Reconnaissance Aircraft
reported a minimum central pressure of 923 mbar
, the third lowest measured pressure in Eastern Pacific history behind Hurricanes Ava
and Kenna
; other hurricanes such as Hurricane Linda
have had lower pressures estimated from satellite imagery however.
A strong trough of low pressure brought Hurricane Juliette northward, where cooler water temperatures and another eyewall replacement cycle caused the hurricane to weaken. Juliette slowed its forward motion as it continued north-northwestward, and weakened to a tropical storm on September 28. A small area of warm waters near the Baja California
peninsula allowed the storm to re-strengthen into a hurricane on the 29th. Increased vertical shear again weakened Juliette, and the storm hit Baja California near Cabo San Lucas
as a 45 mph tropical storm. Officially, Juliette dissipated on the 30th, but the low level circulation remained as it crossed the peninsula, and it restrengthened into a 35 mph tropical depression in the Gulf of California. Under weak steering currents, it drifted westward, where, after hitting northeastern Baja California, it finally dissipated on October 3.
for areas between Salina Cruz
and Acapulco
and a tropical storm watch
for areas west of Acapulco to Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán
. Later that day, the warning was updated to include areas through Zihuatanejo
and a watch through Manzanillo, Colima
. Once Juliette turned westward and no longer posed a threat to the country, all watches and warnings were discontinued by the afternoon of September 22. However, due to the system's slow, erratic track on September 23, a hurricane watch
and tropical storm warning was issued for areas between Lázaro Cárdenas and Cabo Corrientes
. These advisories remained in place through the afternoon of September 25, by which time Juliette had picked up forward momentum and tracked northwestward. By September 26, the hurricane threatened land once more, prompting watches and warnings for the Baja California Peninsula
. Initially, only a tropical storm watch was issued for the southern tip of Baja California Sur
but, as the storm neared the peninsula, more extensive advisories were declared. By the morning of September 27, a hurricane warning covered much of both coasts of Baja California Sur as the storm was forecast to track directly through the state. The following day, a tropical storm warning was issued for areas between Mazatlán
and Yavaros in Sonora
but, this was discontinued later that day. As the storm stalled offshore and weakened, all hurricane warnings were replaced with tropical storm warnings which were later canceled once Juliette weakened to a tropical depression.
, heavy rains triggered flash floods that washed out two bridges and destroyed 20 homes. As rains continued to fall over the following days, mountainsides gave way, producing landslides which killed seven people. Strong winds also uprooted trees and downed power lines in several states. Additionally, two fishermen were listed as missing after venturing out into 5 m (16.4 ft) swells
produced by Juliette. Throughout Michoacán
, an estimated 1,000 people were left homeless by the hurricane.
The extreme rainfall led to widespread flooding and mudslides across the state. Along the southern tip of the peninsula, roughly 3,000 people were stranded after their town was isolated by flood waters. About 800 more people had to be evacuated due to the state of their homes. Damage from the floods were widespread in the area, with more than 9,000 people reported damage to their property from the storm. At least two people were killed across the peninsula in storm-related incidents.
Throughout Mexico, damage from Hurricane Juliet was estimated at $400 million (2001 USD; $ USD).
. Rainfall in the United States
peaked at 0.9 inches in Patagonia, Arizona
.
At its peak, Juliette attained a minimum pressure of 923 mbar (hPa; 27.26 inHg), ranking it as the fifth strongest Pacific hurricane
on record, along with Olivia in 1994. However, in subsequent years, five other storms have surpassed it and the storm now ranks as the tenth strongest in the basin. In addition, it holds the record for having the lowest barometric pressure of any Category 4 hurricane in the region, a record shared with Olivia.
Despite the significant damage wrought by the hurricane, the World Meteorological Organization
did not retire the name Juliette following its usage. As such, it was re-used in 2007 and is on the list of names for the 2013 season.
2001 Pacific hurricane season
The 2001 Pacific hurricane season was an event in tropical cyclone meteorology. The most notable storm that year was Hurricane Juliette, which caused devastating floods in Baja California, leading to 12 fatalities and $400 million worth of damage...
. It caused 12 deaths and $400 million (2001 USD; $ USD) in damage when it hit Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
in late September.
Meteorological history
Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
Tropical Depression Nine
Tropical Depression Nine (2001)
Tropical Depression Nine was the ninth tropical depression of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season. It formed off the Nicaraguan coast on September 19 and made landfall three hours later. The system quickly dissipated the next morning causing no reports of damage or deaths...
hit Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
on September 21. It moved quickly across Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, losing its circulation but maintaining intense convection while crossing. Upon reaching the eastern 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...
, it reorganized and became Tropical Depression Eleven-E on September 21. Though it was located only 100 miles off the coast of Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, its small size allowed it to strengthen into Tropical Storm Juliette later on the 21st.
Juliette paralleled the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
coastline, steadily organizing under a state of low vertical shear and warm water temperatures. On September 23, it was upgraded to a hurricane, and Juliette rapidly intensified to reach Category 4 status just 18 hours later. A small pinhole eye aided in the rapid strengthening, but an eyewall replacement cycle
Eyewall replacement cycle
Eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones, generally with winds greater than 185 km/h , or major hurricanes...
weakened Juliette to a 110 mph hurricane late on September 24. As its outer eyewall contracted, Juliette again rapidly intensified to a peak of 145 mph on the 25th. At its peak, Reconnaissance Aircraft
Reconnaissance aircraft
A reconnaissance aircraft is a manned military aircraft designed, or adapted, to carry out aerial reconnaissance.-History:The majority of World War I aircraft were reconnaissance designs...
reported a minimum central pressure of 923 mbar
Bar (unit)
The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. Other units derived from the bar are the megabar , kilobar , decibar , centibar , and millibar...
, the third lowest measured pressure in Eastern Pacific history behind Hurricanes Ava
1973 Pacific hurricane season
The 1973 Pacific hurricane season was an event in tropical cyclone meteorology. The most important system this year was Hurricane Ava, which was the most intense Pacific hurricane known at the time. Several other much weaker tropical cyclones came close to, or made landfall on, the Pacific coast of...
and Kenna
Hurricane Kenna
Hurricane Kenna was the second-most intense Pacific hurricane to strike the west coast of Mexico in recorded history. Kenna was the sixteenth tropical depression, thirteenth tropical storm, seventh hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and third Category 5 hurricane of the 2002 Pacific hurricane season...
; other hurricanes such as Hurricane Linda
Hurricane Linda (1997)
Hurricane Linda was the strongest eastern Pacific hurricane on record. Forming from a tropical wave on September 9, 1997, Linda steadily intensified and reached hurricane status within 36 hours of developing. It rapidly intensified, reaching winds of and an estimated central pressure...
have had lower pressures estimated from satellite imagery however.
A strong trough of low pressure brought Hurricane Juliette northward, where cooler water temperatures and another eyewall replacement cycle caused the hurricane to weaken. Juliette slowed its forward motion as it continued north-northwestward, and weakened to a tropical storm on September 28. A small area of warm waters near the Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
peninsula allowed the storm to re-strengthen into a hurricane on the 29th. Increased vertical shear again weakened Juliette, and the storm hit Baja California near Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas , commonly called Cabo, is a city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in the municipality of Los Cabos in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,463 people...
as a 45 mph tropical storm. Officially, Juliette dissipated on the 30th, but the low level circulation remained as it crossed the peninsula, and it restrengthened into a 35 mph tropical depression in the Gulf of California. Under weak steering currents, it drifted westward, where, after hitting northeastern Baja California, it finally dissipated on October 3.
Preparations
Not long after Juliette was designated as a tropical storm on September 21, the Government of Mexico issued a tropical storm warningTropical cyclone warnings and watches
Warnings and watches are two levels of alert issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local population and civil authorities to make appropriate...
for areas between Salina Cruz
Salina Cruz
Salina Cruz is a major seaport on the Pacific coast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is the state's third-largest city and is municipal seat of the municipality of the same name.It is part of the Tehuantepec District in the west of the Istmo Region....
and Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
and a tropical storm watch
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches
Warnings and watches are two levels of alert issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local population and civil authorities to make appropriate...
for areas west of Acapulco to Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán
Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán
Lázaro Cárdenas is a port city that with its surrounding municipality is located in the southern part of the Mexican state of Michoacán. It was formerly known as Los Llanitos, but changed its name as a tribute to Lázaro Cárdenas del Río, a Michoacán-born politician who was president of Mexico from...
. Later that day, the warning was updated to include areas through Zihuatanejo
Zihuatanejo
Zihuatanejo or Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, is the fourth-largest city in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Politically the city belongs to the municipality of Zihuatanejo de Azueta in the western part of Guerrero, but both are commonly referred to as Zihuatanejo...
and a watch through Manzanillo, Colima
Manzanillo, Colima
The name Manzanillo refers to the city as well as its surrounding municipality in the Mexican state of Colima. The city, located on the Pacific Ocean, contains Mexico's busiest port. Manzanillo was the third port created by the Spanish in the Pacific during the New Spain period...
. Once Juliette turned westward and no longer posed a threat to the country, all watches and warnings were discontinued by the afternoon of September 22. However, due to the system's slow, erratic track on September 23, a hurricane watch
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches
Warnings and watches are two levels of alert issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local population and civil authorities to make appropriate...
and tropical storm warning was issued for areas between Lázaro Cárdenas and Cabo Corrientes
Cabo Corrientes
Cabo Corrientes is a cape on the Pacific coast of the Mexican state of Jalisco. It marks the southernmost point of the Bahía de Banderas, upon which the port and resort city of Puerto Vallarta stands. The municipality in which the cape lies is also called Cabo Corrientes.Cabo Corrientes is a...
. These advisories remained in place through the afternoon of September 25, by which time Juliette had picked up forward momentum and tracked northwestward. By September 26, the hurricane threatened land once more, prompting watches and warnings for the Baja California Peninsula
Baja California Peninsula
The Baja California peninsula , is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico. Its land mass separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. The Peninsula extends from Mexicali, Baja California in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur in the south.The total area of the Baja California...
. Initially, only a tropical storm watch was issued for the southern tip of Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur , is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state on October 8, 1974, the area was known as the South Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises...
but, as the storm neared the peninsula, more extensive advisories were declared. By the morning of September 27, a hurricane warning covered much of both coasts of Baja California Sur as the storm was forecast to track directly through the state. The following day, a tropical storm warning was issued for areas between Mazatlán
Mazatlán
Mazatlán is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa; the surrounding municipio for which the city serves as the municipal seat is Mazatlán Municipality. It is located at on the Pacific coast, across from the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula.Mazatlán is a Nahuatl word meaning...
and Yavaros in Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
but, this was discontinued later that day. As the storm stalled offshore and weakened, all hurricane warnings were replaced with tropical storm warnings which were later canceled once Juliette weakened to a tropical depression.
Impact
Southern Mexico
Along coastal areas around Acapulco, the storm brought heavy rainfall and strong winds. Offshore, one fisherman was killed by the storm after he set sail directly into it. In GuerreroGuerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
, heavy rains triggered flash floods that washed out two bridges and destroyed 20 homes. As rains continued to fall over the following days, mountainsides gave way, producing landslides which killed seven people. Strong winds also uprooted trees and downed power lines in several states. Additionally, two fishermen were listed as missing after venturing out into 5 m (16.4 ft) swells
Swell (ocean)
A swell, in the context of an ocean, sea or lake, is a series surface gravity waves that is not generated by the local wind. Swell waves often have a long wavelength but this varies with the size of the water body, e.g. rarely more than 150 m in the Mediterranean, and from event to event, with...
produced by Juliette. Throughout Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
, an estimated 1,000 people were left homeless by the hurricane.
Baja California
As Hurricane Juliette stalled just off the coast of Baja California Sur, it produced prolonged heavy rainfall in the region. A large swath of the state, along the eastern coast, received more than 10 in (254 mm) of rain and areas along the southern tip reported more than 20 in (508 mm). A maximum of 39.8 in (1,010.9 mm) fell in Caudaño, the highest known total ever recorded from a tropical cyclone in the sate.The extreme rainfall led to widespread flooding and mudslides across the state. Along the southern tip of the peninsula, roughly 3,000 people were stranded after their town was isolated by flood waters. About 800 more people had to be evacuated due to the state of their homes. Damage from the floods were widespread in the area, with more than 9,000 people reported damage to their property from the storm. At least two people were killed across the peninsula in storm-related incidents.
Throughout Mexico, damage from Hurricane Juliet was estimated at $400 million (2001 USD; $ USD).
Northern Mexico and the United States
Late in Juliette's life and in its aftermath, the remnants brought strong thunderstorm activity to the American Southwest, knocking down trees and power lines in southern CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Rainfall in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
peaked at 0.9 inches in Patagonia, Arizona
Patagonia, Arizona
Patagonia is a town in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. As of 2010 Patagonia had a population of 913. Patagonia was formerly a supply center for nearby mines and ranches. Currently, it is a tourist destination, retirement community and arts & crafts center. The Nature Conservancy's...
.
Aftermath and records
Following the significant damage across southern states, Mexican authorities and the army deployed transport and rescue aircraft along with medical teams and emergency supplies. As reports of damage began come out of Baja California Sur, the state governor declared the entire area a disaster zone.At its peak, Juliette attained a minimum pressure of 923 mbar (hPa; 27.26 inHg), ranking it as the fifth strongest 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...
on record, along with Olivia in 1994. However, in subsequent years, five other storms have surpassed it and the storm now ranks as the tenth strongest in the basin. In addition, it holds the record for having the lowest barometric pressure of any Category 4 hurricane in the region, a record shared with Olivia.
Despite the significant damage wrought by the hurricane, 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...
did not retire the name Juliette following its usage. As such, it was re-used in 2007 and is on the list of names for the 2013 season.