Hurricane Olivia (1975)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Olivia was considered the worst hurricane to hit Mazatlán
, Sinaloa
since 1943
, in addition to being the strongest landfalling
and costliest hurricane of the 1975 Pacific hurricane season
. Olivia formed on October 22 to the south of Mexico, quickly intensifying into a tropical storm. The storm moved northwestward initially, followed by a northeast turn. On October 23, Olivia attained hurricane status, and the next day reached Category 3 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson scale
just before moving ashore Mazatlán in northwest Mexico. Olivia destroyed 7,000 houses in the region, leaving 30,000 people homeless, and damage totaled $20 million (1975 USD
, $ USD). The hurricane killed 30 people, 20 of them from drowning in shrimp boats.
, the system formed into a tropical depression early on October 22 about 430 mi (690 km) southwest of Manzanillo, Colima
. The depression quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Olivia as it tracked northwestward, although further strengthening was slowed. The circulation became much better defined on October 23 and after Olivia turned northeastward, it attained hurricane status that evening.
After reaching hurricane status, Olivia accelerated to the north-northeast. Several ships crossed its path, encountering strong winds and rough waves. On October 24, a Hurricane Hunters
flight observed an elliptical eye
and winds of 91 mph (146 km/h). Further intensification occurred, and around 0500 UTC
on October 25 Olivia made landfall
on Mazatlán
, Sinaloa
with peak winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and gusts to 140 mph (225.3 km/h); this made Olivia a major hurricane, or a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale
. It quickly dissipated after moving ashore.
, 340 mi (550 km) south of the landfall location. Winds in Mazatlán reached 138 mph (222.1 km/h).
The combination of strong winds and heavy rainfall destroyed about 7,000 homes in Mazatlán and 14 nearby villages, with 10,000 houses damaged to some degree. Many of the destroyed homes were poorly built, and the hurricane's passage left 30,000 people homeless; the storm victims were housed in schools, churches, and other buildings not damaged during the storm. Most buildings in the city were affected, with storm debris covering streets. Across the region, the hurricane cut power and water services, and also disrupted the transportation infrastructure by damaging highways and railroads. The airport was also heavily damaged, with flights suspended into the city. Most windows at the airport were blown-out, and 14 small planes were overturned. The strong winds also downed trees, while heavy rainfall resulted in flooding.
Olivia was considered the worst storm in Mazatlán since a hurricane in 1943
, and following the storm, the city was declared a disaster zone. Near the coastline and in tourist areas, damage reached $4 million (1975 USD
, $ USD). Across its path, Olivia killed 30 people and left 500 injured, 17 of them severe. Offshore, 20 of the deaths occurred when three shrimp boats were wrecked. The winds damaged a wall at a prison, killing two prisoners and allowing others to escape. Overall damage totaled $20 million (1975 USD, $ USD).
Olivia is one of only three major hurricanes on record to strike Mazatlán, the others being the 1943 hurricane, as well as another in 1957
; in addition Hurricane Tico
in 1983 came close to striking the city. Reconstruction began immediately, and the Secretariat of National Defense quickly deployed food and water to the storm victims. By a day after the storm's passage, the Mexican Navy sent two ships worth of relief supplies to Mazatlán, including water, medicine, and rescue equipment. Three days after the storm passed through the region, relief workers began cleaning up the storm debris.
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...
, Sinaloa
Sinaloa
Sinaloa officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 18 municipalities and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales....
since 1943
1943 Mazatlán hurricane
The 1943 Mazatlán hurricane was a powerful tropical cyclone that struck the Pacific coast of Mexico in October 1943. First observed off the coast of Sinaloa, the hurricane made landfall just south of Mazatlán on October 9 with a pressure of 959 mbar and maximum sustained winds of at least...
, in addition to being the strongest landfalling
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
and costliest hurricane of the 1975 Pacific hurricane season
1975 Pacific hurricane season
The 1975 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 1975 in the eastern Pacific, and June 1, 1975 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1975. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeast Pacific Ocean.The 1975...
. Olivia formed on October 22 to the south of Mexico, quickly intensifying into a tropical storm. The storm moved northwestward initially, followed by a northeast turn. On October 23, Olivia attained hurricane status, and the next day reached Category 3 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
just before moving ashore Mazatlán in northwest Mexico. Olivia destroyed 7,000 houses in the region, leaving 30,000 people homeless, and damage totaled $20 million (1975 USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
, $ USD). The hurricane killed 30 people, 20 of them from drowning in shrimp boats.
Meteorological history
The origins of Olivia were from an extended area of convection, or thunderstorm activity, that persisted southwest of Mexico in late October. Following the development of a circulationAtmospheric circulation
Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale movement of air, and the means by which thermal energy is distributed on the surface of the Earth....
, the system formed into a tropical depression early on October 22 about 430 mi (690 km) southwest of 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...
. The depression quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Olivia as it tracked northwestward, although further strengthening was slowed. The circulation became much better defined on October 23 and after Olivia turned northeastward, it attained hurricane status that evening.
After reaching hurricane status, Olivia accelerated to the north-northeast. Several ships crossed its path, encountering strong winds and rough waves. On October 24, a Hurricane Hunters
Hurricane Hunters
The Hurricane Hunters are aircraft that fly into tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic Ocean and Northeastern Pacific Ocean for the specific purpose of directly measuring weather data in and around those storms. In the United States, the Air Force, Navy, and NOAA units have all participated in...
flight observed an elliptical 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...
and winds of 91 mph (146 km/h). Further intensification occurred, and around 0500 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
on October 25 Olivia made landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
on 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...
, Sinaloa
Sinaloa
Sinaloa officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 18 municipalities and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales....
with peak winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and gusts to 140 mph (225.3 km/h); this made Olivia a major hurricane, or a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
. It quickly dissipated after moving ashore.
Preparations and Impact
Prior to Olivia making landfall, the Mexican military evacuated about 50,000 people from low-lying areas. Accurate forecasts from satellite and ship data were credited with preventing a significant death toll, although the population did not know of the storm's approach until a day before landfall. Officials advised ships to return to port for safety, and the threat of the storm canceled a baseball game. As Olivia moved ashore, it produced locally heavy rainfall, peaking at 7.28 in (184.9 mm) in Pueblo Nuevo, Durango. The heaviest rains occurred in a narrow region where the hurricane made landfall, although precipitation of around 1 in (25 mm) reached as far south as MichoacánMichoacán
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...
, 340 mi (550 km) south of the landfall location. Winds in Mazatlán reached 138 mph (222.1 km/h).
The combination of strong winds and heavy rainfall destroyed about 7,000 homes in Mazatlán and 14 nearby villages, with 10,000 houses damaged to some degree. Many of the destroyed homes were poorly built, and the hurricane's passage left 30,000 people homeless; the storm victims were housed in schools, churches, and other buildings not damaged during the storm. Most buildings in the city were affected, with storm debris covering streets. Across the region, the hurricane cut power and water services, and also disrupted the transportation infrastructure by damaging highways and railroads. The airport was also heavily damaged, with flights suspended into the city. Most windows at the airport were blown-out, and 14 small planes were overturned. The strong winds also downed trees, while heavy rainfall resulted in flooding.
Olivia was considered the worst storm in Mazatlán since a hurricane in 1943
1943 Mazatlán hurricane
The 1943 Mazatlán hurricane was a powerful tropical cyclone that struck the Pacific coast of Mexico in October 1943. First observed off the coast of Sinaloa, the hurricane made landfall just south of Mazatlán on October 9 with a pressure of 959 mbar and maximum sustained winds of at least...
, and following the storm, the city was declared a disaster zone. Near the coastline and in tourist areas, damage reached $4 million (1975 USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
, $ USD). Across its path, Olivia killed 30 people and left 500 injured, 17 of them severe. Offshore, 20 of the deaths occurred when three shrimp boats were wrecked. The winds damaged a wall at a prison, killing two prisoners and allowing others to escape. Overall damage totaled $20 million (1975 USD, $ USD).
Olivia is one of only three major hurricanes on record to strike Mazatlán, the others being the 1943 hurricane, as well as another in 1957
1957 Pacific hurricane season
The 1957 Pacific hurricane season was a moderately active year in which 13 tropical cyclones formed. The hurricane season ran through the summer and fall months which conventionally delimit the period during which most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The first tropical...
; in addition Hurricane Tico
Hurricane Tico (1983)
Hurricane Tico was among the deadliest and costliest Pacific hurricanes on record. Forming on October 11, the cyclone steadily intensified off the Pacific coast of Mexico. Three days after forming, Tico reached hurricane intensity. Early on October 19, Tico peaked as a Category 4 hurricane on...
in 1983 came close to striking the city. Reconstruction began immediately, and the Secretariat of National Defense quickly deployed food and water to the storm victims. By a day after the storm's passage, the Mexican Navy sent two ships worth of relief supplies to Mazatlán, including water, medicine, and rescue equipment. Three days after the storm passed through the region, relief workers began cleaning up the storm debris.
See also
- Other tropical cyclones of the same name