Hurricane Juliette was a long-lasting Category 4

hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

in the

2001 Pacific hurricane season The 2001 Pacific hurricane season was a relatively near-average Pacific hurricane season which produced sixteen named storms, though most were rather weak and short-lived including one unnamed tropical storm which was operationally recognized a ...

. It caused 12 deaths and $400 million (2001 USD; $ USD) in damage when it hit

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in late September.Diapositiva 1
/ref> Juliette developed from a tropical wave that had previously produced a tropical depression. The wave moved from the Atlantic to the Eastern Pacific, where it started gaining strength. Soon, it became a tropical storm and was named ''Juliette''. It then became a hurricane two days later, after struggling to do so. Rapidly intensifiying, Juliette reached Category 4 status. However, an

eyewall replacement cycle In meteorology, eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones, generally with winds greater than , or major hurricanes ( Category 3 or above). When tropical cyclones reach this int ...

caused Juliette to significantly weaken down to a Category 2 hurricane. It eventually completed the cycle, and Juliette was able to reintensify to its peak intensity of 145 mph and 923 milibars. Another eyewall replacement cycle then ensued, causing Juliette to have 3 eyewalls at once, an extremely rare occurrence. Eventually, Juliette weakened to a tropical storm, but Juliette's circulation was still well-defined. Warm waters allowed it to re-intensify to a hurricane, but this was short lived as Juliette meandered near Baja California and its center became difficult to locate. It made landfall on Baja California as a tropical storm. Its circulation reached the Gulf of California, where it restrengthened slightly. Juliette, drifting westwards, made landfall on Baja California and dissipated on October 3.

Meteorological history

The tropical wave that later produced Juliette first produced Tropical Depression Nine in the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. Forming in the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

, the depression dissipated over

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on September 20, a day after formation. By early on September 21, the remnants of Nine had re-organized in Pacific, and was then upgraded into a tropical depression. Six hours later, the depression was upgraded into a tropical storm. However, the storm was not named ''Juliette'' until later that day, when the storm was operationally believed to have formed (which came after reports from a Hurricane Hunter aircraft). In an environment of light

wind shear Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...

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s predicted the new system to reach hurricane intensity within two days. Within off the coast of

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, the system moved generally west-northwest over the next five days, paralleling the

Mexican Riviera The Mexican Riviera refers collectively to twenty cities and lagoons lying on the western coast of Mexico. Although there are long distances between these cities, they are often collectively referred to as the ''Mexican Riviera'' because of the ...

. While a major decrease in thunderstorm activity initially inhibited intensification it became better organized on September 22. By the afternoon of September 23, Juliette had become a hurricane, with

maximum sustained winds The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unl ...

reaching 75 mph (120 km/h). Upon becoming a hurricane, infrared imagery suggested that the hurricane had developed a pinhole eye. Forecasters were also expecting Juliette to reach major hurricane status, Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Steadily moving west, the storm underwent

rapid deepening In meteorology, rapid intensification is a situation where a tropical cyclone intensifies dramatically in a short period of time. The United States National Hurricane Center defines rapid intensification as an increase in the maximum sustained ...

. By 1800 UTC September 23, Juliette had reached Category 2 status, with winds of 100 mph (145 km/h). Shortly thereafter, the hurricane intensified directly into a Category 4 storm, bypassing the Category 3 stage, an unusual occurrence for a

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

. In all, Juliette had intensified 60 mph (130 km/h) in 18 hours. After reaching its initial peak as a low-end Category 4 hurricane,

microwave Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from about one meter to one millimeter corresponding to frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz respectively. Different sources define different frequency ran ...

and Hurricane Hunter data indicated that Juliette underwent an

. Subsequently, Juliette weakened into a Category 3 hurricane on September 24 and then into a high-end Category 2 system with 110 mph (160 km/h) winds; however, by September 25, Juliette had completed the cycle and quickly regained major hurricane status. The hurricane developed very cold cloud top temperatures. along with a classic structure of an intense hurricane and a very well-defined eye. A large hurricane, Juliette reached its peak intensity of 145 mph (230 km/h) and on the same day. Around that time,

Reconnaissance Aircraft A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using photography), signals intelligence, as ...

reported a minimum central pressure of 923

mbar The bar is a metric unit of pressure, but not part of the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as exactly equal to 100,000 Pa (100 kPa), or slightly less than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea leve ...

Shortly after its peak, a strong trough of low pressure brought Hurricane Juliette northward where the cyclone moved over cooler water temperatures. While Juliette initially maintained well-defined banding features and an impressive upper-level outflow, another eyewall replacement cycle took its toll on the storm; this time three centric eyewalls formed compared to the normal two, a very rare occurrence. Moving much farther east than anticipated, an eye was no longer visible on

satellite imagery Satellite images (also Earth observation imagery, spaceborne photography, or simply satellite photo) are images of Earth collected by imaging satellites operated by governments and businesses around the world. Satellite imaging companies sell ima ...

by September 27. Juliette slowed its forward motion as it continued north-northwestward and weakened to a tropical storm on September 28. Even though thunderstorm activity decreased markedly, Tropical Storm Juliette maintained a well-defined

atmospheric circulation Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale movement of air and together with ocean circulation is the means by which thermal energy is redistributed on the surface of the Earth. The Earth's atmospheric circulation varies from year to year, but t ...

and a large area of

gale A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ). A small area of warm waters near the Baja California Peninsula allowed the storm to re-strengthen into a hurricane early on September 29 as convection increased. At this time,

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suggested two distinct possibilities of the storm's path. Some suggested Hurricane Juliette might move inland while others expected the hurricane to parallel the peninsula. Meandering offshore, the center soon became difficult to locate. The low-level circulation became exposed from the deep convection as increased vertical shear again took its toll on Juliette, and the storm hit Baja California near

Cabo San Lucas Cabo San Lucas (, "Saint Luke Cape"), or simply just Cabo, is a resort city at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As at the 2020 Census, the population of the city was 202,694 inhabitan ...

as a minimal tropical storm at 0000 UTC September 30. Although scientists noted the possibility of slight re-intensification over the

Gulf of California The Gulf of California ( es, Golfo de California), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Bermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja Ca ...

, Juliette's low level circulation remained as it crossed the peninsula, and it restrengthened in the northern Gulf of California as the circulation became better defined. Lacking deep convection, it drifted westward, where, after making a landfall in northeastern Baja California, it finally dissipated early on October 3.

Preparations

Not long after Juliette was designated as a tropical storm on September 21, the

Government of Mexico The Federal government of Mexico (alternately known as the Government of the Republic or ' or ') is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by its constitution to share sovereignty over the republi ...

issued a

tropical storm warning Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local popul ...

for areas between

Salina Cruz Salina Cruz is a major seaport on the Pacific coast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is the state's third-largest city and is the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. It is part of the Tehuantepec District in the west of the I ...

and

Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...

and a

tropical storm watch Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local popul ...

for areas west of Acapulco to

Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán Lázaro Cárdenas () is a port city in Michoacán bordered to the east by Guerrero. Lázaro Cárdenas is located in the southern part of the Mexican state of Michoacán. It was formerly known as Los Llanitos, but changed its name as a tribute to L ...

. Later that day, the warning was updated to include areas through

Zihuatanejo Zihuatanejo (), or Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, is the fourth-largest city in the Mexican state of Guerrero. It was known by 18th century English mariners as Chequetan or Seguataneo. Politically the city belongs to the municipalities of Mexico, municipali ...

and a watch through

Manzanillo, Colima Manzanillo () is a city and seat of Manzanillo Municipality, in the Mexican state of Colima. The city, located on the Pacific Ocean, contains Mexico's busiest port, responsible for handling Pacific cargo for the Mexico City area. It is the large ...

. Once Juliette turned westward and no longer posed a threat to the country, all watches and warnings were discontinued by the afternoon of September 22. However, due to the system's slow, erratic track on September 23, a

hurricane watch Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local popul ...

and tropical storm warning was issued for areas between Lázaro Cárdenas and Cabo Corrientes. These advisories remained in place through the afternoon of September 25, by which time Juliette had picked up forward momentum and tracked northwestward. By September 26, the hurricane threatened land once more, prompting watches and warnings for the Baja California Peninsula. Initially, only a tropical storm watch was issued for the southern tip of

Baja California Sur Baja California Sur (; 'South Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur), is the least populated state and the 31st admitted state of the 32 federal ent ...

but, as the storm neared the peninsula, more extensive advisories were declared. By the morning of September 27, a hurricane warning covered much of both coasts of Baja California Sur as the storm was forecast to track directly through the state. The following day, a tropical storm warning was issued for areas between

Mazatlán Mazatlán () is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding ''municipio'', known as the Mazatlán Municipality. It is located at on the Pacific coast, across from the southernmost tip of ...

and

Yavaros Yavaros is a fishing ports of Sonora state in Mexico and is one of six ports within the state. The population of Yavaros is 4,058. It is located within Huatabampo Municipality Huatabampo Municipality is a municipality in Sonora in north-western Me ...

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

but, this was discontinued later that day. As the storm stalled offshore and weakened, all hurricane warnings were replaced with tropical storm warnings which were later canceled once Juliette weakened to a tropical depression. Forecasters also noted the possibility of moisture spreading into the Southwestern portion of the United States.

Impact

Southern Mexico

Along coastal areas around Acapulco, the storm brought heavy rainfall and strong winds. Offshore, one fisherman was killed by the storm after he set sail directly into it. In

Guerrero Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acapulcocopied from article, GuerreroAs of 2020, Guerrero the pop ...

, heavy rains triggered flash floods that washed out two bridges and destroyed 20 homes. As rains continued to fall over the following days, mountainsides gave way, producing landslides which killed seven people. Strong winds also uprooted trees and downed power lines in several states. Additionally, two fishermen were listed as missing after venturing out into swells produced by Juliette. Throughout

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...

, an estimated 1,000 people were left homeless by the hurricane.

Baja California Peninsula

As Hurricane Juliette stalled just off the coast of Baja California Sur, it produced prolonged heavy rainfall in the region. A large swath of the state, along the eastern coast, received more than of rain and areas along the southern tip reported more than . A maximum of fell in Caudaño, the highest known total ever recorded from a tropical cyclone in the state. The extreme rainfall led to widespread flooding and mudslides across the state. Along the southern tip of the peninsula, roughly 3,000 people were stranded after their town was isolated by flood waters. About 800 more people had to be evacuated due to the state of their homes. Damage from the floods were widespread in the area, with more than 9,000 people reported damage to their property from the storm. At least two people were killed across the peninsula in storm-related incidents. Damage from Hurricane Juliette was estimated at $400 million (2001 USD; $ USD).

Southwestern United States

Late in Juliette's life and in its aftermath, the remnants brought strong thunderstorm activity to the American Southwest, knocking down trees and power lines in southern

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Rainfall in the

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peaked at 0.9 inches in

Patagonia, Arizona Patagonia is a town in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 913. It developed in the mid-19th century as a trading and supply center for nearby mines and ranches. In the 21st century, it is a t ...

Aftermath and records

Following the significant damage across southern states, Mexican authorities and the army deployed transport and rescue aircraft along with medical teams and emergency supplies. As reports of damage began to come out of Baja California Sur, the state governor declared the entire area a disaster zone. At its peak, Juliette attained a minimum pressure of 923 mbar (hPa; 27.26 inHg), ranking it as the fifth-strongest

Pacific hurricane A Pacific hurricane is a mature tropical cyclone that develops within the northeastern and central Pacific Ocean to the east of 180°W, north of the equator. For tropical cyclone warning purposes, the northern Pacific is divided into three regio ...

on record, along with

Olivia Olivia may refer to: People * Olivia (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Olivia (singer) (Olivia Longott, born 1981), American singer * Olívia (basketball) (Carlos Henrique Rodrigues do Nascimento, born 19 ...

in 1994. However, in subsequent years, five other storms have surpassed it and the storm now ranks as the tenth-strongest in the basin. At the time, it held the record for having the lowest barometric pressure of any Category 4 hurricane in the region, a record shared with Olivia; it has since been surpassed by Odile in

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with a minimum pressure of 918 mbar (hPa; 27.23 inHg) .

References

External links

NHC Report

Juliette Best Track

Juliette effects in Cabo San Lucas

Early Effects

Michoacán EffectsAfter Effects
{{2001 Pacific hurricane season buttons Juliette 2001 in Mexico Juliette (2001) Juliette (2001) Juliette (2001) Juliette (2001) 2001 natural disasters in the United States Juliette Juliette (2001) Juliette (2001) September 2001 events in Oceania October 2001 events in Oceania Juliette