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Tropical Storm Lowell (2008)
Encyclopedia
Tropical Storm Lowell was a moderate tropical storm that developed during the 2008 Pacific hurricane season
. The fourteenth tropical cyclone and thirteen named storm of the season formed out of a western side of a trough
on September 6. It quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Lowell, peaking as a moderate tropical storm. It pass directly over Socorro Island
and began a weakening trend. It weakened into depression before landfall in Baja California Sur
and dissipated before striking Sonora
. It later joined with a frontal boundary and Ike
and caused severe damage as far inland as Chicago
. In all, the storm had caused 6 deaths and 15.5 million damage (USD).
. The southern portion of the wave separated and continued to move westward across the Caribbean and crossed Central America during August 27 and August 28.Later a trough
with a weak low pressure area
developed over southern Mexico, The area of low pressure was found embedded within a large area of scattered moderate and isolated strong convection
. The initial low failed to develop for the but new low formed on western side of the trough
. A larger cyclonic circulation associated with the trough and induced a gradual increase in deep convection. The low level convection center was temporarily displaced from the convection, and a smaller embedded circulation developed and was eventually detached from the larger circulation. It is estimated that a tropical depression formed at 1200 UTC 6 September when it was centered about 310 mi (498.9 km) south of Manzanillo
, Mexico.
As convective banding
formed, the depression gradually intensified and was upgraded a Tropical Storm Lowell six hours later. A deep-layer anticyclone
over Mexico
steered Lowell northwestward until September 8. However, strong upper-level winds on the south side of the anticyclone produced strong northeasterly to easterly wind shear
over the tropical cyclone
for several days. Due to the shear, the low level convection became exposed and sheared. despite this, Lowell slowly strengthened and reached a peak intensity of 50 mph (85 km/h), it then passed near Socorro Island
without any known damages. The shear had lessened over the system, but with stable and dry air, the storm begin to weaken. Lowell moved towards north and northeast due to a subtropical ridge northwest of the system. It downgraded to a tropical depression at 0600 UTC 10 September as it was moving north-northeastward about 259 mi (416.8 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California
. Thunderstorm activity near the center had increased slightly on 10 September. The circulation began to slowly spin down as it made landfall around Cabo San Lucas, Mexico at 0900 UTC 11 September. As it made landfall the mid to upper level winds left the low level center exposed form the thunderstorm activity. Lowell degenerated into an elongated surface trough that extended across the southern Gulf of California
. It followed a squall line and a frontal boundary and quickly dissipated. The remnant low produced rain across Northwestern Mexico, it later joined Hurricane Ike
and caused damage further inland.
and ended on September 11 0900 UTC. Heavy rainfall from the remnants of Lowell caused streams and canals to overflow in the Mexican states of Sonora
and Sinaloa
, leaving more than 26,500 people homeless. The cities of Navojoa
, Benito Juárez
, Huatabampo
, and Etchojoa
were most affected. The government of Sonora has estimated the damage in that state at 200 million pesos (about 15.5 million US dollars). In its impact route to Baja California Sur
, Tropical Storm Lowell causing heavy rains and strong waves, forcing the closure of the port of Cabo San Lucas and the suspension of at least two cruises from Los Angeles, California
with more than 2 thousand passengers each. Impact in Baja California Sur, Tropical Storm Lowell causing heavy rains and strong waves, forcing the closure of the port of Cabo San Lucas and the suspension of at least two cruises from Los Angeles, California, with more than 2 thousand passengers each. In its advance, the weather with winds up to 95 kilometers per hour, wreaking havoc on the coast of the Pacific, from Sonora
to Nayarit
, where they established the green alert (phase approach) by the heavy rains and tidal waves. The director of civil protection in Baja California Sur, Jose Gajón of the Toba
, said that Lowell has a radius of 800 km so that the whole body is on alert green.
Classes were suspended in Sinaloa
, bad weather caused by the weather associated with a low pressure system, caused the closure of boating in the bay Altata and the port of Topolobampo
. Flood victims evacuated. The Secretary of Administration and Finance, Óscar Lara, said that permits were granted exemption from payment of toll motorway Culiacán-Las Brisas for vehicles, by flooding in the villages of the municipality of Navolato. In the city of Los Mochis
, the mayor, Esteban Valenzuela, said the rain caused the suspension of classes in schools. In Nayarit
, the excess water in the marshes and estuaries affect fishermen suffer low catches of shrimp. The State Civil Protection Unit in Sonora blue alert issued for 16 municipalities of the entity and the green alert for 13 locations in the south to the vicinity of Lowell. Recount Damage In Chihuahua, the rains over the past 15 days left six people dead, more than a thousand communities, 15 thousand hectares of crops flooded, 50 solitary and 43 other villages without drinking water. The secretary of Public Security, Javier Cardona Torres, said that after the declaration of emergency Parral and Valle de Allende, these municipalities will help the Natural Disaster Fund. Also released this instance support for municipalities Aldama Coyame, Ojinaga
, San Francisco de Conchos
, Camargo
, La Cruz and Julimes
.
In Durango and Coahuila
, after the opening of the floodgates of dams Lázaro Cárdenas
and Francisco Zarco, Civil Protection authorities evacuated thousands of residents in the communities of Abasolo
and Rodeo in Durango
, while the Comarca Lagunera
, Coahuila
, was working in strengthening of the river Nazas board.
passed through the region. The heaviest rain, which fell from Kansas to northern Illinois
and Indiana
. Wichita, Kansas
, measured a daily record 10.31 inches of rain on 12 September and broke the 24-hour rainfall record of 7.99 inches that had been held since 1911. Chicago, Illinois, reported 6.64 inches at O’Hare International Airport, the highest one-day total since records began in 1871. This amount broke the previous daily record of 6.49 inches set in 1987. Numerous people were rescued from stranded vehicles as rainfall flooded city streets.
2008 Pacific hurricane season
The 2008 Pacific hurricane season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It officially started May 15, 2008 in the eastern Pacific, started on June 1, 2008 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 2008....
. The fourteenth tropical cyclone and thirteen named storm of the season formed out of a western side of a trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
on September 6. It quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Lowell, peaking as a moderate tropical storm. It pass directly over Socorro Island
Socorro Island
Socorro Island is a small volcanic island in the Revillagigedo Islands, a Mexican possession lying some 600 kilometers off the country's western coast at 18°48'N, 110°59'W. The size is 16.5 by 11.5 km, with an area of 132 km².- Geology :...
and began a weakening trend. It weakened into depression before landfall in 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...
and dissipated before striking 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....
. It later joined with a frontal boundary and Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
and caused severe damage as far inland as Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. In all, the storm had caused 6 deaths and 15.5 million damage (USD).
Meteorological history
The origin of Lowell began from a tropical wave that moved off Africa. The northern portion of the wave would form into Hurricane Hanna in the AtlanticHurricane Hanna (2008)
Hurricane Hanna was the deadliest storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm was the eighth tropical cyclone and fourth hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. It formed east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands on August 28...
. The southern portion of the wave separated and continued to move westward across the Caribbean and crossed Central America during August 27 and August 28.Later a trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
with a weak low pressure area
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
developed over southern Mexico, The area of low pressure was found embedded within a large area of scattered moderate and isolated strong convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
. The initial low failed to develop for the but new low formed on western side of the trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
. A larger cyclonic circulation associated with the trough and induced a gradual increase in deep convection. The low level convection center was temporarily displaced from the convection, and a smaller embedded circulation developed and was eventually detached from the larger circulation. It is estimated that a tropical depression formed at 1200 UTC 6 September when it was centered about 310 mi (498.9 km) south of Manzanillo
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...
, Mexico.
As convective banding
Rainband
A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar imagery, this precipitation elongation is referred to as...
formed, the depression gradually intensified and was upgraded a Tropical Storm Lowell six hours later. A deep-layer anticyclone
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
over Mexico
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...
steered Lowell northwestward until September 8. However, strong upper-level winds on the south side of the anticyclone produced strong northeasterly to easterly 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...
over the tropical cyclone
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
for several days. Due to the shear, the low level convection became exposed and sheared. despite this, Lowell slowly strengthened and reached a peak intensity of 50 mph (85 km/h), it then passed near Socorro Island
Socorro Island
Socorro Island is a small volcanic island in the Revillagigedo Islands, a Mexican possession lying some 600 kilometers off the country's western coast at 18°48'N, 110°59'W. The size is 16.5 by 11.5 km, with an area of 132 km².- Geology :...
without any known damages. The shear had lessened over the system, but with stable and dry air, the storm begin to weaken. Lowell moved towards north and northeast due to a subtropical ridge northwest of the system. It downgraded to a tropical depression at 0600 UTC 10 September as it was moving north-northeastward about 259 mi (416.8 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of 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...
. Thunderstorm activity near the center had increased slightly on 10 September. The circulation began to slowly spin down as it made landfall around Cabo San Lucas, Mexico at 0900 UTC 11 September. As it made landfall the mid to upper level winds left the low level center exposed form the thunderstorm activity. Lowell degenerated into an elongated surface trough that extended across the southern Gulf of California
Gulf of California
The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland...
. It followed a squall line and a frontal boundary and quickly dissipated. The remnant low produced rain across Northwestern Mexico, it later joined Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
and caused damage further inland.
Mexico
On September 9, 2100 UTC a Tropical Storm Watch was issued from Bahia Magdalena to Cabo San LucasCabo 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...
and ended on September 11 0900 UTC. Heavy rainfall from the remnants of Lowell caused streams and canals to overflow in the Mexican states of 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....
and 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....
, leaving more than 26,500 people homeless. The cities of Navojoa
Navojoa
Navojoa is the fifth-largest city in the northern Mexican state of Sonora and is situated in the southern part of Sonora, south of the state's border with the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the administrative seat of a large municipality, located in the Mayo River Valley.-History:The city name...
, Benito Juárez
Benito Juárez
Benito Juárez born Benito Pablo Juárez García, was a Mexican lawyer and politician of Zapotec origin from Oaxaca who served five terms as president of Mexico: 1858–1861 as interim, 1861–1865, 1865–1867, 1867–1871 and 1871–1872...
, Huatabampo
Huatabampo
Huatabampo is a city and municipality in the state of Sonora, in northwestern Mexico. It is situated on the Gulf of California, near the mouth of the Mayo River. It is located at latitude . Huatabampo is 34 km southwest of Navojoa via Sonora State Highway 56 and Sonora State Highway 149...
, and Etchojoa
Etchojoa
Etchojoa is both a municipality and the name of the town that acts as the seat of that municipality. Founded in 1613, Etchojoa is located in the southwest of the Mexican state of Sonora. It is situated at . The total municipal area is 1,220.23 km². Etchojoa had a population of 56,129 in 2000,...
were most affected. The government of Sonora has estimated the damage in that state at 200 million pesos (about 15.5 million US dollars). In its impact route to 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...
, Tropical Storm Lowell causing heavy rains and strong waves, forcing the closure of the port of Cabo San Lucas and the suspension of at least two cruises from Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
with more than 2 thousand passengers each. Impact in Baja California Sur, Tropical Storm Lowell causing heavy rains and strong waves, forcing the closure of the port of Cabo San Lucas and the suspension of at least two cruises from Los Angeles, California, with more than 2 thousand passengers each. In its advance, the weather with winds up to 95 kilometers per hour, wreaking havoc on the coast of the Pacific, from 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....
to Nayarit
Nayarit
Nayarit officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its capital city is Tepic.It is located in Western Mexico...
, where they established the green alert (phase approach) by the heavy rains and tidal waves. The director of civil protection in Baja California Sur, Jose Gajón of the Toba
Toba
Toba may refer to:In Geography:* Lake Toba, a lake in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, and site of the volcanic Toba eruption 75,000 years ago** Toba catastrophe theory, according to which modern human evolution was affected by the Toba eruption...
, said that Lowell has a radius of 800 km so that the whole body is on alert green.
Classes were suspended in 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....
, bad weather caused by the weather associated with a low pressure system, caused the closure of boating in the bay Altata and the port of Topolobampo
Topolobampo
Topolobampo is a port on the Gulf of California in northwestern Sinaloa, Mexico. It is the fourth-largest town in the municipality of Ahome , reporting a 2005 census population of 6,032 inhabitants....
. Flood victims evacuated. The Secretary of Administration and Finance, Óscar Lara, said that permits were granted exemption from payment of toll motorway Culiacán-Las Brisas for vehicles, by flooding in the villages of the municipality of Navolato. In the city of Los Mochis
Los Mochis
Los Mochis is a coastal city in northern Sinaloa, Mexico. It serves as the municipal seat of the municipality of Ahome. As of the 2010 census, the population was 256,613, which was 61 percent of the municipality's population....
, the mayor, Esteban Valenzuela, said the rain caused the suspension of classes in schools. In Nayarit
Nayarit
Nayarit officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its capital city is Tepic.It is located in Western Mexico...
, the excess water in the marshes and estuaries affect fishermen suffer low catches of shrimp. The State Civil Protection Unit in Sonora blue alert issued for 16 municipalities of the entity and the green alert for 13 locations in the south to the vicinity of Lowell. Recount Damage In Chihuahua, the rains over the past 15 days left six people dead, more than a thousand communities, 15 thousand hectares of crops flooded, 50 solitary and 43 other villages without drinking water. The secretary of Public Security, Javier Cardona Torres, said that after the declaration of emergency Parral and Valle de Allende, these municipalities will help the Natural Disaster Fund. Also released this instance support for municipalities Aldama Coyame, Ojinaga
Ojinaga
Ojinaga Municipality is one of the 67 municipalities of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Ojinaga, a rural bordertown on the U.S.-Mexico border...
, San Francisco de Conchos
San Francisco de Conchos
San Francisco de Conchos is a town and seat of the municipality of San Francisco de Conchos, in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. As of 2005, the town had a total population of 596....
, Camargo
Camargo
Camargo may refer to one of these places:Places Bolivia:* Camargo, Chuquisaca Brazil:* Camargo, Rio Grande do Sul Mexico:* Camargo, Chihuahua* Camargo, Tamaulipas Spain:...
, La Cruz and Julimes
Julimes
Julimes is a town and seat of the municipality of Julimes, in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. As of 2005, the town had a total population of 1,756.The community is adjacent the east bank of a north-flowing section of the Rio Conchos....
.
In Durango and Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
, after the opening of the floodgates of dams Lázaro Cárdenas
Lázaro Cárdenas
Lázaro Cárdenas del Río was President of Mexico from 1934 to 1940.-Early life:Lázaro Cárdenas was born on May 21, 1895 in a lower-middle class family in the village of Jiquilpan, Michoacán. He supported his family from age 16 after the death of his father...
and Francisco Zarco, Civil Protection authorities evacuated thousands of residents in the communities of Abasolo
Abasolo, Durango
Abasolo is a small town that is part of the municipality of Rodeo in the Mexican state of Durango. Its correct name would be Abasolo, Rodeo, Dgo...
and Rodeo in Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
, while the Comarca Lagunera
Comarca Lagunera
The Comarca Lagunera is the 9th largest metropolitan area in Mexico, and is located between two states, Coahuila and Durango.-Geography:The Comarca Lagunera is formed by 15 municipios; 5 in Coahuila The Comarca Lagunera is the 9th largest metropolitan area in Mexico, and is located between two...
, Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
, was working in strengthening of the river Nazas board.
United States
The remnants of Lowell later merged with a frontal boundary over the central United States and caused heavy rainfall and flooding one to two days before the remnants of Hurricane IkeHurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
passed through the region. The heaviest rain, which fell from Kansas to northern Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, measured a daily record 10.31 inches of rain on 12 September and broke the 24-hour rainfall record of 7.99 inches that had been held since 1911. Chicago, Illinois, reported 6.64 inches at O’Hare International Airport, the highest one-day total since records began in 1871. This amount broke the previous daily record of 6.49 inches set in 1987. Numerous people were rescued from stranded vehicles as rainfall flooded city streets.
See also
- Timeline of 2008 Pacific hurricane season
- Hurricane IkeHurricane IkeHurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
- Other storms of the same name
External links
- The NHC's advisory archive on Tropical Storm Lowell.