1992 Pacific hurricane season Totally Explained

Everything about The 1992 Pacific Hurricane Season totally explained

The 1992 Pacific hurricane season was the most active Pacific season on record. The most notable storm was Hurricane Iniki, which caused billions of dollars of damage to the Hawaiian Islands. Hurricanes Lester, Virgil, Winifred, and Orlene also made landfall and killed several people, but were significantly less destructive. Hurricane Darby and Tropical Storm Agatha brought rains and more destruction to Mexico, without making landfall. Hurricane Tina was the longest-lasting pacific hurricane at the time. Also of note are Hurricane Ekeka and Tropical Storm Hali, which formed in late January and March, respectively.

Season Summary

The season officially started on May 15, 1992 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1, 1992 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1992. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The season wildly exceeded these bounds, however, as climatological effects including an El Niño caused Hurricane Ekeka to form on January 26.
This season, there were twenty-four named storms in the eastern Pacific. Of these, fourteen became hurricanes and eight became major hurricanes by reaching Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. In the central Pacific, three named storms formed, of which two were major hurricanes. Several storms moved in from the east. The eleven total tropical cyclones entering or forming in the central Pacific is a record level. Despite this activity, there were only five landfalls.
Additionally there were three named storms in the central Pacific (west of longitude 140° West). Two of these became hurricanes.

Storms

Hurricane Ekeka

An extratropical low sat just north of the equator in the vicinity of Christmas Island and Fanning Atoll. Despite the fact that it was late January, the low began to acquire tropical features. On January 28, it had developed enough convection to be considered a tropical depression. It intensified fairly quickly and was named Ekeka (Hawaiian for Edgar) that same day. The system continued to strengthen and became a hurricane on January 30. Ekeka peaked as a Category 3 major hurricane on February 2 while located barely north of 10°N. As Ekeka moved towards the dateline, a trough developed. The resulting wind shear rapidly decayed the system, and the cyclone was a minimal tropical storm when it crossed the international date line on February 4. The system was downgraded to a depression that same day. The depression passed through the Marshall Islands before the Joint Typhoon Warning Center laid the system to rest on February 8.

Tropical Storm Hali

The history set by Hurricane Ekeka repeated itself when, on March 28, a low-latitude area of thunderstorms organized into Tropical Depression Two-C. The next day, it intensified into a tropical storm and was named Hali, which is Hawaiian for Holly. The reached its peak intensity on March 29. Almost immediately thereafter, wind shear blew the top off the system and caused it to fall apart. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center declared the system dissipated on March 30.
Tropical Storm Hali had no impact on land. However, it's also a meteorological enigma. Hali is the only known eastern Pacific tropical cyclone to develop in the month of March. It is thus the strongest March storm. Agatha approached close enough to the coast of Mexico that watches and warnings were issued. Gale-force winds were not reported, and there was no deaths and no damage. The only other impact was isolated instances of flash-flooding due to rain.

Hurricane Celia

Celia's origin as a tropical wave on June 8th off the coast of Africa. The system moved toward Central America and crossed over into the East Pacific basin around the 19th. The NHC declared the wave as a tropical depression on June 22 farther east than usual due to the low vertical wind shear. The NHC declared it as a tropical storm on the 23rd and was given the name Celia. Soon afterwards Celia started strengthening and soon became a hurricane. Celia started deepening rapidly starting around June 26th and soon became a Category 4 major hurricane with winds of 125 knots and a minimal pressure of 935 mbar. Celia maintained Category 4 intensity for about 24 hours and then start gradually weakening. Celia fell below hurricane status on July 2nd and to tropical depression status the next day. Thereafter, all that was left of Celia was a swirl of low-convection clouds and was impossible to recognize on July 4th.
During Darby's formation, flooding from the cyclone's rainbands killed three people in Acapulco, Guerrero and 180 shops were damaged. Four fishermen were reported missing, fate unknown. Manzanillo, Colima, reported sustained winds just above tropical-storm force. The hurricane's remnants brought mainly light rain to the U.S. state of California. Cloud cover als delayed the landing of the Space Shuttle Columbia for one day. South-facing beaches of that state were pounded with waves up to 7 feet (2.3 meters) in height. A monetary value for damage isn't available.
Darby also caused a few shipping accidents. A pleasure craft, the Oasis, had an engine failure and was abandoned. The seven people aboard were rescued, but the boat was sunk. A smaller sailboat, the Hosanna, had difficulties but was towed to a safe location by a cutter from the United States Coast Guard. A fishing boat at an unspecified location also experienced difficulties.

Hurricane Estelle

The origin of Hurricane Estelle is unclear. The National Hurricane Center indicates that it may have formed from a tropical wave that began on June 23 off the African coast. The wave began to move at low latitudes and passed the northern part of South America. On July 2, deep convection began to join with the wave as it crossed into the eastern Pacific Ocean on July 7. Reports indicate that the wave strengthened into Tropical Depression Five on July 9. 18 hours later, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Estelle in unusually strong wind shear. The shear began to weaken and an eye began to form in Estelle on July 11. These eye formations caused the NHC to upgrade Estelle to a hurricane.

Hurricane Javier

Category 1, minimum pressure of 985 mb. Formed July 30, dissipated August 12.

Tropical Storm Kay

Minimum pressure of 1000 mb. Formed August 18, dissipated August 22.

Hurricane Lester

Lester was the first actual landfall of the Eastern Pacific season. The hurricane first made landfall in Baja California Peninsula on the 23rd, striking mainland Mexico late that day. Accelerating northeast, Lester entered the U.S. state of Arizona as a tropical storm and New Mexico as a tropical depression before ejecting out into the Plains.
No deaths were reported. Lester left over 5000 people homeless. Several tiny settlements west of Hermosillo, Sonora, and on a highway to San Diego, California, were destroyed. A ship called the Gladiator rolled over 33 degrees to both starboard and port, spilling a considerable amount of cargo.

Tropical Storm Madeline

Far in the open ocean, a tropical wave organized into Tropical Depression 14-E on August 27. Banding and convection increased, and the depression became a tropical storm the next day. Development continued, and Madeline peaked with a minimum pressure of 999 mb, and winds of 45 knots, on August 29. As the system progressed westward, it entered a region of strong wind shear and had dissipated on August 31. The system never came near land.

Tropical Storm Newton

Minimum pressure of 999 mb. Formed August 27, dissipated August 31.

Hurricane Orlene

Category 4, minimum pressure of 934 mb. Formed September 2, dissipated September 14. As a depression, Orlene made landfall on the Big Island of Hawaii. It caused downpours and washed out roads.

Hurricane Iniki

On September 5, a tropical wave organized into Tropical Depression Eighteen-E. After crossing 140°W, the system strengthened into a tropical storm on September 8 and was named Iniki (Hawaiian for Enid ) In a favorable environment, Iniki intensified into a hurricane on September 9 and a major hurricane the day after. Iniki reached Category 4 intensity early on September 11.
Meanwhile, a series of troughs broke down a ridge over the Hawaiian Islands. This recurved Iniki and accelerated the system northward. Iniki's eye passed directly over Kauai on September 11, the first hurricane to make landfall in Hawaii since Hurricane Dot in 1959. Iniki weakened to a tropical storm and went extratropical on September 13 and was promptly absorbed by a front.

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