Characteristics of Tropical Cyclones Making Landfall on the Pacific Coast of Mexico: 1970-2014

Abstract

This study evaluates impacts from tropical cyclone (TC) landfalls on populated areas located along the Pacific Ocean coast of Mexico. The period of interest is from 1970 through 2014 and an international disaster database is used to identify the impact from landfalling tropical cyclones. We examined the top 25 TCs based on rainfall accumulation, as well as the top 10 TC-related disasters based on surveys with at least 100 people affected. Strong winds and heavy rainfall, are associated with property damage and loss of lives. Our results indicate that excessive rainfall accumulations and daily rates, over highly populated areas, are essential elements associated with the occurrence of disasters. A sample of case studies that occurred during the whole period are documented as they affected areas with different population densities in the southern and northwestern coasts. The documentation includes observations from hurricane Pauline in 1997 as well as forecast products from hurricanes Jimena in 2009, Manuel in 2013, and Odile in 2014.