1983 Pacific hurricane season
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| First storm formed: | May 21, 1983 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | December 7, 1983 |
| Strongest storm: | Kiko and Raymond - 125 knots |
| Total storms: | 21 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 8 |
| Total damage: | 66 million |
| Total fatalities: | 23-128 |
| Pacific hurricane seasons 1981, 1982, 1983 1984, 1985 |
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The 1983 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 1983 in the eastern Pacific, and June 1, 1983 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1983. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.
This season, there were a record-setting 21 named storms this year. Of those storms, twelve became hurricanes. Eight hurricanes reached Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. No named storms formed in the central Pacific; however, there were two tropical depressions. A strong El Niño contributed to this level of activity. That same El Niño influenced a relatively quiet season in the Atlantic.
The most notable storms were hurricane Tico, Tropical Storm Octave, and Hurricane Winnie. Hurricane Tico left thousands homeless in Mazatlan; Tropical Storm Octave killed several people in one of Arizona's worst disasters; and Hurricane Winnie was a rare December cyclone.
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[edit] Storms
[edit] Hurricane Adolph
Adolph brushed the coast and dissipated close to Mazatlan.
No damage or deaths were reported.
At the time, Adolph was the strongest May storm and the earliest hurricane. Both records have since been broken.
[edit] Hurricane Gil
Gil threatened the Hawaiian Islands as a tropical storm. It caused heavy rains and pounding surf but little damage and only "minor difficulties". It may have killed one person. A catamaran, ironically named Hurricane, went missing after leaving Long Beach. Gil may have sunk it. As the vessel had no radio equipment, it is impossible to be sure as no one knew where the vessel was.
[edit] Hurricane Manuel
The remnants of hurricane Manuel brought rain to California on September 20 and 21.
[edit] Tropical Storm Narda
Narda threatened Hawaii but veered south when far from the islands. There are no known casualties.
[edit] Tropical Storm Octave
While a tropical cyclone, Octave never threatened land. However, its remnants moved into Arizona where they were a partial cause of intense flooding over a ten-day period from September 28 to October 7. Damage was extreme. Fourteen people were killed and 975 people were injured. Octave left 10,000 Arizonans homeless. The estimated damage was $370 million (units unknown). Of note: The 28-mile long Santa Fe Railway 'Prescott Branch' that served the City of Prescott, AZ was washed out in multiple locations between Chino Valley and downtown Prescott due to Octave floodwaters. Railroad service was never reinstituted and the line was formally abandoned in 1984, leaving Prescott as Arizona's largest city ever to lose its rail service.
[edit] Hurricane Priscilla
Priscilla's remnants moved northward across California, bringing light rain October 7.
[edit] Hurricane Raymond
Raymond threatened the Hawaiian Islands enough for a hurricane watch to be issued. Instead, it turned north. It then veered south and passed near Molokai as a depression. Raymond brought beneficial rains. There were no casualties and only minor damage. However, a fishing vessel did issue a Mayday for help because of the storm.
[edit] Hurricane Tico
Tico was a powerful major hurricane. It came ashore close to Mazatlan. Winds gusted to 125 mph, and rain was heavy. Tico's remnants kept moving northeast. They passed into Texas and Oklahoma, where they caused torrential rains.
Flooding left 25000 people homeless. At least nine people were killed, with 105 missing. Several boats were destroyed. The total cost of damage was 66 million (1983 USD) dollars of damage.
[edit] Hurricane Winnie
Hurricane Winnie was an out of season storm that formed December 4, the latest hurricane in this basin. Winnie was a hurricane only briefly as it remained stationary. Winnie dissipated before making landfall.
It is not known why this storm was named Winnie. While that name is given to this storm in the "best track" file, the official name list for this year has "Wallis" instead of "Winnie".
[edit] 1983 storm names
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the eastern Pacific in 1983. All the names on the list were used this year. No names were retired, so it was used again in the 1989 season. This is the first time these names had been used since the modern naming system began. No central Pacific names were used; the first name used would have been Keli.
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[edit] See also
- List of notable tropical cyclones
- 1983 Atlantic hurricane season
- 1983 Pacific typhoon season
- 1982-83 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season
- 1983-84 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season
- 1980-1984 North Indian cyclone seasons
[edit] References
- Arizona's tropical cyclones accessed November 15, 2005
- USA Today West Mexico Hurricanes accessed November 15, 2005
- USA Today California's tropical storms accessed November 15, 2005
- Unisys Weather archive accessed November 15, 2005
- CPHC archive accessed November 15, 2005
