Hurricane Lily (1971)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Hurricane Lily on August 30 around the time it reached hurricane intensity. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | August 28, 1971 |
| Dissipated | August 31, 1971 |
| Category 1 hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 85 mph (140 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 980 mbar (hPa); 28.94 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 12–14 direct |
| Damage | Unknown |
| Areas affected | Mexico |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1971 Pacific hurricane season | |
Hurricane Lily was a short-lived Category 1 hurricane of August 1971 that devastated the city of Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. Forming from an area of cloudiness associated with former Atlantic Tropical Storm Chloe, the storm slowly intensified, building to peak intensity just before landfall northwest of Manzanillo, Colima on August 31. The hurricane quickly weakened and became extratropical. After leaving land, the extratropical remnants of Lily dissipated on September 1. The storm's movement close to land affected shipping due to the limited warning, which was partially set back due to difficulties in clarifying the hurricane's position on radar from reconnaissance aircraft.
The hurricane was Puerto Vallarta's worst in two decades and the second hurricane of the season to heavily impact Mexico after Hurricane Bridget. The storm caused the Cuale River to overflow its banks, inundating the downtown section of Puerto Vallarta with water that was up to 8 feet (2.4 m) deep in some sections. The Mexican army flew in aid after trucks were blocked by flooded roads. The hurricane claimed three lives on the mainland and nine lives when a boat capsized.
Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
Unknown
Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depressionOn August 25, Tropical Storm Chloe made landfall on British Honduras (present day Belize) as a tropical depression. After dissipating, the remnants of the storm crossed into the Pacific Ocean, where they contributed to an area of shower activity that persisted over the Gulf of Tehuantepec. On August 28, the tropical activity organized around a circulation which quickly developed into a tropical depression the same day.[1][2] The depression was upgraded to a tropical storm on August 29 based on satellite presentation that depicted significant cirrus outflow and a comma–shaped cloud mass spanning 2° of latitude in diameter and was subsequently named Lily.[2]
Following its upgrade to tropical storm intensity, Lily began developing a spiral cloud structure and heavy anticyclonic outflow on August 30 and was upgraded to a hurricane the same day. During its intensification, United States Air Force reconnaissance tried to fly into the hurricane, but penetration was rendered impossible due to the cumulonimbus clouds in the spiral bands, causing the aircraft to rely on radar readings, which showed an eye 40 miles (64 km) in diameter. Following the flight, the hurricane turned to the north-northwestward towards the Mexican coast. On August 31, a ship called the Turrialba reported a 980-millibar (29 inHg) sea–level pressure while in the eye of the hurricane. Shortly after the report, the hurricane peaked in intensity with winds of 85 mph (137 km/h) just prior to landfall 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Manzanillo.[2] The cyclone quickly weakened overland, and after only six hours over land, its winds weakened to only 30 mph (48 km/h), a decline of 55 mph (89 km/h) and the cyclone became extratropical. The now–extratropical Lily continued to cross the Mexican coast, and shortly after emerging over water on September 1, the cyclone dissipated.[3]
