How Many Hurricanes Have Hit California
Hurricane season is well underway along the East and Gulf coasts of the U.S., but it’s one of the few weather events that Californians can blissfully ignore despite their similar perch in a warm climate along an ocean shoreline. While the Golden State can occasionally get hit by moisture-laden remnants of a tropical storm or hurricane in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, getting a direct strike from a storm is exceedingly rare there – records indicate perhaps once a century.
One must go back to the dawn of the 20th century on Sept. 24, 1939, to find the last and only tropical storm to make an official landfall in California. A hurricane approached the Los Angeles area but lost hurricane strength just before making landfall at San Pedro as a tropical storm. The tropical storm’s winds were not the main issue, but its torrential rainfall; causing the greatest September rainfall on record across Southern California. Los Angeles received 5.42 inches of rain in just 24 hours – nearly a third of their annual rainfall average, according to NOAA records. Indio received nearly 7 inches of rain in three hours and a total of 9.24 inches in six hours. Nearly a foot of rain fell at Mount Wilson.
The California Hurricane of 1858
The only other tropical system to strike California since records have been kept was in early October 1858. Meteorology researchers, piecing together what few weather records were available at the time and matching with stories in local newspapers, believe the San Diego area was likely hit with winds that would today be deemed a Category 1 hurricane — the only tropical system ever considered to have struck the U.S. West Coast at hurricane strength.
Why no hurricanes in California?
Hurricanes have three strikes against forming off the U.S West Coast: Cold water, cold currents, and unfavorable winds. Tropical systems get their fuel from warm ocean waters that need to be at least 80 degrees to power significant storms. Those temperatures exist farther south in the Pacific, not along the West Coast. Normally, the California Current is the dominant feature. It brings cold water north to south down the coast. Ocean temperatures are in the 50s off the Pacific Northwest coast and gradually warm to the mid-upper 60s off Southern California – still way too cold for hurricane development.
Here is how a California hurricane could happen
There are theoretically two ways to get a strong tropical system as far north as SoCal. Either the water is exceptionally warm, or the steering currents are moving the storm so fast that it can survive for a while over quickly cooling water. Or maybe a combination of both. For the waters to become warm enough, you’d need two events to happen in tandem. First, it would help to occur during a moderate to strong El Niño year which gives a warming boost to water temperatures across the Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean. That was the case in the 1858 and 1939 storms, Norcross said. Second, you need that cooling California current to take a detour.
Hurricane Hilary in 2023
Hurricane Hilary made waves last week as it churned off the west coast of Mexico and tracked north toward Southern California. The tropical cyclone rapidly intensified, which is an increase in maximum sustained winds at least 30 knots (35 mph) in a 24-hour period, peaking at major, Category 4 hurricane status on Friday. While Hilary did not make landfall in southern California, it did make landfall over the northern Baja California Peninsula in Mexico as a tropical storm on Sunday according to the NHC, and maintained tropical storm status as it crossed into Southern California on Sunday.
How rare is a hurricane on the West Coast?
When was the last time a tropical storm hit Southern California? The last time a tropical storm made landfall in California was 84 years ago — before there was a system of naming storms. The 1939 storm, called El Cordonazo, became the first and only tropical storm to make landfall in the state in the 20th century, according to the National Weather Service. NWS says the storm, which was at one point a hurricane, originated off the southern coast of Central America before moving north and eventually coming ashore at San Pedro, California. Resulting floods from the storm killed at least 45 people across the Southern California region and caused $2 million in damage to structures and crops, the weather service reports. Another 48 people were also killed at sea. Cities across the Southern California region experienced torrential rains because of the tropical storm — Los Angeles, for example, saw 5.24″ in just 24 hours.
Has California ever had a hurricane?
Other powerful storms have hit Southern California, including a hurricane in 1858 that hit San Diego with 75 mph winds — what would now be considered a Category 1. The hurricane, which caused extensive wind damage, is considered the only actual hurricane to hit the West Coast, according to National Weather Service.
Where and when will Hurricane Hilary make landfall?
Hilary was downgraded Sunday to a tropical storm after peaking at a Category 4 hurricane as it approached land. Hilary made landfall in the northern section of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula late Sunday morning and several hours later, the center had moved into Southern California. As of 11 p.m. ET Sunday, Hilary was centered about 105 miles northwest of San Diego, California. It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, and was moving north-northwest at 28 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The NHC said that heavy rains were already affecting portions of Baja California and the Southwestern U.S. on Saturday. The NHC warned that “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding” was “likely” for both regions.
How can Californians prepare for Hilary?
According to the National Weather Service, all people living along the coast are at risk of being affected by a hurricane or a tropical storm brewing in their region. The best thing those residents can do is prepare ahead of time. That preparation includes developing an evacuation and communication plan, stocking up on disaster supplies, preparing your home by cutting down vulnerable trees, and staying up to date on weather forecasts and warnings. Homeowners may want to consider installing a generator and storm shutters, and check your home’s insurance status.
FAQs
1. How many hurricanes have hit California?
California has been hit by only one tropical storm in the 20th century, which occurred in 1939. There was also a hurricane in 1858 that hit San Diego with 75 mph winds.
2. What are the reasons for the rarity of hurricanes in California?
California’s cold water, cold currents, and unfavorable winds make it rare for hurricanes to form off the U.S West Coast. The California Current brings cold water down the coast, and the ocean temperatures are generally too cold for hurricane development.
3. How can Californians prepare for hurricanes?
Residents living along the coast should develop an evacuation and communication plan, stock up on disaster supplies, prepare their homes, and stay up to date on weather forecasts and warnings.
4. When was the last time a tropical storm hit Southern California?
The last time a tropical storm made landfall in California was 84 years ago in 1939, which became the first and only tropical storm to make landfall in the state in the 20th century.
5. What was the impact of the 1939 tropical storm in California?
The 1939 tropical storm resulted in torrential rains, causing floods that killed at least 45 people across the Southern California region and caused $2 million in damage to structures and crops.
6. What was the impact of Hurricane Linda in 1997?
Hurricane Linda in 1997 became the strongest storm recorded in the region, with 180 mph winds and 218 mph gusts. It caused heavy rain and thunderstorms in the area, although it did not make landfall in California.