Hurricane Manuel

Hurricane Manuel (/ˌmæn(j)uˈɛl, ˌmɑːn-/) was the most destructive eastern Pacific tropical cyclone on record. Manuel brought widespread flooding across much of Mexico in September 2013, along with Hurricane Ingrid, which hit the opposite side of the nation the same day as Manuel, the first such occurrence since 1958. The fifteenth named storm and seventh hurricane of the annual hurricane season, Manuel originated from a strong area of low pressure south of Acapulco on September 13. Within favorable conditions aloft, the storm intensified into a tropical storm as it tracked northward. The following day, Manuel curved westward and strengthened to a point just shy of hurricane intensity before making its first landfall at that intensity on September 15. Due to interaction with land, the tropical storm quickly weakened, and its center dissipated over western Mexico on September 16. However, the storm's remnants continued to track northwestward into the Gulf of California, where they reorganized into a tropical cyclone the next day. Manuel regained tropical storm status on September 18 as it began to curve northeastward. Shortly thereafter, Manuel attained Category 1 hurricane intensity, before making its final landfall just west of Culiacán at peak intensity. Over land, Manuel quickly weakened due to interaction with Mexico's high terrain, and the storm dissipated early on September 20. Due to the impending threat of Manuel, several Mexican municipalities were put under disaster alerts. Upon making its first landfall, Manuel caused extreme flooding in southern Mexico. Property and agricultural damage as a result of the system was widespread, and roughly one million people were estimated to have been directly affected. In Guerrero, 97 people perished, including 18 in Acapulco. Seventy-one others died due to a mudslide in La Pintada. In Guerrero alone, around 30,000 homes were damaged and 46 rivers overflowed their banks. There, 20,000 persons were evacuated to shelters. Statewide, repairs to damage from the storm totaled MXN$3 billion ($230 million USD). Other impacts from Manuel spread as far east as the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, where 300 families were displaced. In the region, at least 11,591 homes were destroyed by the floods. Meanwhile, the nation sustained additional impacts from Atlantic Hurricane Ingrid. After its second landfall, additional floods occurred in several towns, and in Sinaloa over 100,000 people were rendered homeless and four people died. As a result of Manuel's impacts, 107 municipalities were declared disaster regions. Damage in Sinaloa totaled MXN$500 million (US$37.9 million). The Mexican Army was dispatched in several locations to aid in post-tropical cyclone relief operations. Following the storm, looting in heavily impacted areas became commonplace, and as such government forces were also dispatched to prevent further looting. Overall, 169 people lost their lives in Mexico, while damage exceeded MXN$55 billion (US$4.2 billion). The origins of Manuel can be traced back to a tropical wave that left the African continent in late August. The wave entered the Caribbean Sea on September 5, although the northern portion of the wave axis later developed into Hurricane Ingrid. On September 10, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) remarked the potential for a low-pressure area to develop off the southwest coast of Mexico during the subsequent few days, provided the system remained offshore. The next day, a low formed while it was nearly stationary, accompanied by scattered convection. Strong wind shear and proximity to land were expected to limit development, although conditions became more favorable on September 12. On that day, the convection became better organized. At 1200 UTC on September 13, the NHC initiated advisories on Tropical Depression Thirteen-E, noting that the system had enough of a well-defined circulation and convection. By that time, wind shear had diminished and warm waters were expected to allow intensification, and the main inhibiting factors for development were proximity to Mexico and association with the intertropical convergence zone. Within a few hours of developing, the depression quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Manuel. By early on September 14, an eye feature developed as rainbands increased. However, Manuel was embedded within a broad weather system that extended from the eastern Pacific across Mexico, which included Hurricane Ingrid in the Bay of Campeche on the Gulf of Mexico coast. The broad system, including Manuel, moved generally northward. By early on September 15, Manuel had developed a central dense overcast, with a 17 mi (28 km) wide eye in the center. Based on the structure and satellite-intensity estimates, the NHC estimated Manuel attained secondary peak winds of 70 mph (115 km/h), just shy of hurricane status. The agency noted the potential for further strengthening into a hurricane, citing the warm waters, moist environment, and low shear. A break in the subtropical ridge to the north allowed the storm to initially continue generally to the north-northeast, soon peaking as a low-end Category 1 hurricane; however, after reaching its peak intensity, Manuel turned back to the northwest while accelerating. On September 15, Manuel made landfall near Aquila in Michoacán as a high-end tropical storm, though operationally, it was believed to have moved ashore near Manzanillo in Colima. Early on September 16, the storm weakened into a tropical depression after the circulation became disrupted, although it continued dropping heavy rainfall. Later that day, the surface center dissipated over western Mexico. The remnants of Manuel tracked northwest around a ridge situated over the southeastern United States, and late on September 16, emerged over open waters. Despite only marginally favorable conditions, convection soon increased over the center. At 1800 UTC on September 17 Manuel regenerated into a tropical depression after redeveloping a well-defined circulation. Furthermore, conditions favored additional strengthening as the system tracked slowly northwestward around a ridge, although the cyclone was expected to move onshore the Baja California Peninsula in a few days. Although the convection was initially ragged, Manuel re-intensified into a tropical storm on September 18. Later that day, an eye developed in the center of the increasingly organizing convection, and at 0000 UTC on September 19, Manuel became a hurricane. It thus became the first eastern North Pacific tropical cyclone since records began in 1949 to make landfall in mainland Mexico, and later redevelop into a hurricane. The storm shifted more to the north, resulting in land interaction earlier than anticipated. Around 1200 UTC on September 19, Manuel made landfall just west of Culiacán as a minimal hurricane. Moving over the high terrain of western Mexico, Manuel quickly weakened into a tropical storm. The storm's circulation dissipated at 0000 UTC on September 20, over the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range. On the afternoon of September 13, a tropical storm warning was issued from Acapulco to Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán. Thirty-six hours later, a hurricane warning was issued from Lázaro Cárdenas to Manzanillo as the system was expected to become a hurricane prior to landfall. Later on September 15, a tropical storm watch was declared north of the hurricane warning. By early the next day, all watches and warnings were no longer in effect. In addition to the aforementioned watches and warnings, an 'orange' alert was issued in southern Michoacán, and 'yellow' (moderate) alert was in place for the rest of Michoacán and Guerrero. Lower levels of alerts were issued in Nayarit, Colima, Jalisco, Oaxaca, and in the southern portion of Sinaloa. Twenty-five families were evacuated in Lázaro Cárdenas, and Arteaga, Michoacán. On September 17, all classes were suspended in Colima. After regenerating into a tropical cyclone in the Gulf of California, a tropical storm watch was issued just north of Mazatlán as well as the southwestern portion of the Baja California Peninsula The next day, a hurricane watch was issued for the area south of Topolobampo. At 2100 UTC on September 18, the hurricane watch was upgraded into a hurricane warning. Meanwhile, a tropical storm warning was designated south of the hurricane warning area to Mazatlan. On the evening of September 19, all watches and warnings were discontinued, as Manuel had moved inland.