Hurricane Katia was a strong
Atlantic hurricane which became the most intense storm to hit the
Bay of Campeche since
Karl Karl may refer to:
People
* Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name
* Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne
* Karl Marx, German philosopher and political writer
* Karl of Austria, last Austria ...
in
2010. The eleventh
named storm
Tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones are named by various warning centers to simplify communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings. The names are intended to reduce confusion in the ...
and sixth
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 ...
of the exceptionally active
2017 Atlantic hurricane season, Katia originated on September 5, out of a broad
low-pressure area
In meteorology, a low-pressure area, low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclement weather (such as cloudy, windy, with possible ...
that formed in the Bay of Campeche. Located in an area of weak steering currents, Katia meandered around in the region, eventually intensifying into a hurricane on September 6. The nascent storm eventually peaked as a 105 mph (165 km/h) Category 2 hurricane on the
Saffir–Simpson scale
The Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS) classifies hurricanes—which in the Western Hemisphere are tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms—into five categories distinguished b ...
while it began to move southwestward. However, land interaction began to weaken the hurricane as it approached the
Gulf Coast of Mexico. Early on September 9, Katia made
landfall
Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
near
Tecolutla
Tecolutla is a town and municipality located on the Tecolutla River on the eastern coast of the state of Veracruz in Mexico. It has the closest beaches to Mexico City, and much of its economy is based on tourism, as it is only a four- or five-hour ...
at minimal hurricane intensity. The storm quickly dissipated several hours later, although its mid-level circulation remained intact and later spawned what would become
Hurricane Otis
Hurricane Otis was a compact but very powerful tropical cyclone which made a devastating landfall in October 2023 near Acapulco as a List of Category 5 Pacific hurricanes, Category 5 hurricane. Otis was the first Pacific hurricane to make landfa ...
in the Eastern Pacific.
At least 53 municipalities in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
were affected by Katia. Heavy rainfall left flooding and numerous mudslides, with 65 mudslides in the city of
Xalapa
Xalapa or Jalapa (, ), officially Xalapa-Enríquez (), is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which ...
alone. Although damage estimates were unknown, preliminary reports indicated that 370 homes were flooded. Three deaths were confirmed to have been related to the hurricane, with two from mudslides and one from being swept away in floodwaters. Approximately 77,000 people were left without power at the height of the storm. Coincidentally, the storm struck Mexico just days after
a major earthquake struck the country, worsening the aftermath and recovery. Hurricane Katia marked the first instance of three simultaneously active hurricanes since 2010. Katia's peak marked the second known time in Atlantic history and the first time since
1893
Events
January–March
* January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America.
* Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson.
* January 6 – Th ...
that three simultaneously active storms were at least of Category 2 strength.
Meteorological history
On August 24, a
tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa. Although a concentrated area of deep
convection
Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the conve ...
accompanied the wave, thunderstorm activity soon diminished, and the wave progressed westward across the Atlantic and
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 ...
with little development for more than a week. The system subsequently interacted with a mid-level
trough over the eastern
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...
on September 3,
and the
National Hurricane Center (NHC) began monitoring it for potential
tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis is the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropical cyclogenesis occurs are distinctly different from those through which temperate cyclogenesis occurs. Tr ...
, despite largely unfavorable environmental conditions. Situated over the
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula (, also , ; es, Península de Yucatán ) is a large peninsula in southeastern Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north ...
and adjacent
Bay of Campeche, the system produced disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity. Over subsequent days, conditions became more conducive for development. A well-defined surface circulation formed on September 5, and thus, the system became a tropical depression at 12:00 UTC about 40 mi (65 km) east of the
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
–
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
state line.
The NHC initiated advisories on Tropical Depression Thirteen at 21:00 UTC, after ASCAT data indicated a well-defined circulation and winds of .
![Hurricane triple threat september 2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Hurricane_triple_threat_september_2017.jpg)
Located in an area of weak steering currents, the depression drifted slowly eastward. With gradually decreasing
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 horizont ...
and warm
sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature (SST), or ocean surface temperature, is the ocean temperature close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air mas ...
s, the system intensified into Tropical Storm Katia on September 6, as the convection became better organized. An
aircraft reconnaissance flight into the storm later on September 6 found a partial
eyewall
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather at the center of tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area, typically in diameter. It is surrounded by the ''eyewall'', a ring of towering thunderstorms where the most severe weat ...
and surface winds of ; on that basis, the NHC upgraded Katia to hurricane status. The convection organized into a
central dense overcast
The central dense overcast, or CDO, of a tropical cyclone or strong subtropical cyclone is the large central area of thunderstorms surrounding its circulation center, caused by the formation of its eyewall. It can be round, angular, oval, or irr ...
as the system stalled. With Irma and Jose also being hurricanes at the same time as Katia, it was the first occurrence of three simultaneous hurricanes in the Atlantic basin since
Igor
Igor may refer to:
People
* Igor (given name), an East Slavic given name and a list of people with the name
* Mighty Igor (1931–2002), former American professional wrestler
* Igor Volkoff, a professional wrestler from NWA All-Star Wrestling
* ...
,
Julia
Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e.g ...
, and
Karl Karl may refer to:
People
* Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name
* Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne
* Karl Marx, German philosopher and political writer
* Karl of Austria, last Austria ...
in
2010.
On September 7, a developing
ridge over the northern Gulf of Mexico caused Katia to turn west-southwestwards as it continued to slowly strengthen. The cyclone intensified into a Category 2 hurricane on the
Saffir-Simpson scale at 12:00 UTC on September 8; this marked only the second time on record – the other being
1893
Events
January–March
* January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America.
* Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson.
* January 6 – Th ...
– that three hurricanes of at least Category 2 intensity existed simultaneously in the Atlantic basin.
Six hours later, Katia reached peak intensity with
maximum sustained wind
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 ...
s of 105 mph (165 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 972 mbar (hPa; 28.70 inHg).
Thereafter, while Katia approached the coast of
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
, its circulation began to interact with land, causing it to quickly weaken. Around 03:00 UTC on September 9, Katia made landfall in
Tecolutla
Tecolutla is a town and municipality located on the Tecolutla River on the eastern coast of the state of Veracruz in Mexico. It has the closest beaches to Mexico City, and much of its economy is based on tourism, as it is only a four- or five-hour ...
with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). Crossing the rugged terrain of eastern Mexico, the system rapidly weakened and dissipated around 18:00 UTC.
Katia's remnants traveled across Central America and later emerged over the Pacific Ocean, where they contributed to the development of Tropical Depression Fifteen-E. This new system later strengthened into
Hurricane Otis
Hurricane Otis was a compact but very powerful tropical cyclone which made a devastating landfall in October 2023 near Acapulco as a List of Category 5 Pacific hurricanes, Category 5 hurricane. Otis was the first Pacific hurricane to make landfa ...
about a week later.
Preparations and impact
![Katia landfall AVN](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Katia_landfall_AVN.gif)
In preparation for the storm,
tropical cyclone warnings and watches
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 ...
were issued in the state of
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
. At 21:00 UTC on September 6, a hurricane watch was issued from
Tuxpan
Tuxpan (or Túxpam, fully Túxpam de Rodríguez Cano) is both a municipality and city located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The population of the city was 78,523 and of the municipality was 134,394 inhabitants, according to the INEGI census ...
to the
Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Station
Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Plant (LVNPP) is located on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, in Alto Lucero, Veracruz, Mexico. It is the only nuclear power plant in Mexico and produces about 4.5% of the country's electrical energy. It consists of ...
, before being extended northward to
Cabo Rojo at 03:00 UTC on the next day. The hurricane watch was upgraded to a hurricane warning at 09:00 UTC on September 7, while a tropical storm warning was issued from Cabo Rojo to
Pánuco River
The Pánuco River ( es, Río Pánuco, ), also known as the ''Río de Canoas'', is a river in Mexico fed by several tributaries including the Moctezuma River and emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. The river is approximately long and passes throu ...
and from Laguna Verde to the city of
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
. The warnings were downgraded and discontinued as Katia moved inland and dissipated, with all warning canceled by 12:00 UTC on September 9.
Over 4,000 residents were evacuated from the states of Veracruz and
Puebla. The
Servicio Meteorológico Nacional warned residents and tourists not to visit
Popocatépetl
Popocatépetl (; Nahuatl: ) is an active stratovolcano located in the states of Puebla, Morelos, and Mexico in central Mexico. It lies in the eastern half of the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt. At it is the second highest peak in Mexico, after C ...
and
Pico de Orizaba
Pico de Orizaba, also known as Citlaltépetl (from Nahuatl = star, and = mountain), is an inactive stratovolcano, the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America, after Denali of Alaska in the United States and Mount ...
due to the possibility of
lahars. The Protección Civil issued a red alert – the highest level – for northern and central Veracruz, as well as northern and eastern Puebla. An orange alert was declared for southern
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
and central and southern Puebla. The agency decreed a yellow alert for southern Veracruz, eastern
Hidalgo
Hidalgo may refer to:
People
* Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility
* Hidalgo (surname)
Places
Mexico
* Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico
* Hidalgo, Coahuila, a town in the north Mexican state of Coahuila
* Hidalgo, Nuevo Le ...
, northern
Oaxaca
Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...
, and
Tlaxcala
Tlaxcala (; , ; from nah, Tlaxcallān ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tlaxcala ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tlaxcala), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 60 municipaliti ...
. A green alert was posted for
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
, the
State of Mexico, and eastern
San Luis Potosí. Additionally, a blue alert – the lowest level – was issued for
Morelos and
Querétaro.
Katia made landfall near
Tecolutla
Tecolutla is a town and municipality located on the Tecolutla River on the eastern coast of the state of Veracruz in Mexico. It has the closest beaches to Mexico City, and much of its economy is based on tourism, as it is only a four- or five-hour ...
in Veracruz as a minimal hurricane on September 9.
The cyclone brought floods, mudslides, and strong winds to areas recently devastated by Mexico's most damaging
earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
in over 100 years. The highest 24-hour rainfall total in relation to the hurricane was in Canseco, Veracruz.
Several roads were closed due to inundation, while early reports indicated that about 370 homes were flooded. Katia caused damage in at least 53 of Mexico's municipalities, though damage in each community was generally minimal.
About of precipitation fell in
Xalapa
Xalapa or Jalapa (, ), officially Xalapa-Enríquez (), is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which ...
, equivalent to nearly two months of rainfall.
Heavy rainfall resulted in 65 mudslides in 20 neighborhoods of the city and flooded 65 homes.
Two fatalities were reported due to the mudslides. The storm toppled 22 trees and a number of branches in the city.
Another death occurred after a man was swept away by floodwaters in
Jalcomulco
Jalcomulco is a municipality in Veracruz, Mexico, founded in 1825. It is located in central zone of the State of Veracruz, about , from State Capital, Xalapa and , from Mexico City. It has a land area of 58.40 km2.
The municipality of Jalc ...
. About 77,000 residents were left without power at the height of the storm. The infrastructural damage were counted to be
MX$7.2 million (US$407,000), while the insurance loss were estimated at MX$50.5 million (US$2.85 million).
Following the storm, it was requested of the
Interior Secretariat to declare a state of emergency in 40 municipalities, granting the authority to use federal funds for disaster relief. The request was approved.
The
federal government, in coordination with the
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army ( es, Ejército Mexicano) is the combined land and air branch and is the largest part of the Mexican Armed Forces; it is also known as the National Defense Army.
The Army is under the authority of the Secretariat of National ...
, distributed approximately 30,000 litres of water and food for about 25,000 people, particularly in the vicinity of Xalapa. The Secretario de Desarrollo Agropecuario, Rural y Pesca (SEDARPA) distributed MX$2.13 million (US$120,000) to those farmers who were affected by the hurricane. As part of the relief effort, several student organizations at
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
started
penny war
A penny war is a fundraising competition where two or more groups collect coins and bills in an effort to score points based on the amount and denomination collected.
Each group has a bucket for collecting the money; typically groups collect coin ...
fundraisers for victims of Hurricane Katia, as well as hurricanes
Irma and
Maria
Maria may refer to:
People
* Mary, mother of Jesus
* Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages
Place names Extraterrestrial
* 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877
* Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
.
See also
*
Weather of 2017
The following is a list of weather events that occurred in 2017.
Summary by weather type
Winter storms and cold waves
Winter weather in 2017 kicked off with a winter storm from January 4-8. This winter storm causes six fatalities. Around a ...
*
Tropical cyclones in 2017
During 2017, tropical cyclones formed within seven different tropical cyclone basins, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the year, a total of 146 tropical cyclones had formed. 88 tropical cyclones h ...
*
List of Category 2 Atlantic hurricanes
*
Hurricane Stan
Hurricane Stan was a relatively weak but deadly tropical cyclone that affected areas of Central America and Mexico in early October 2005. The eighteenth named storm and eleventh hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, Stan formed from ...
(2005)
*
Hurricane Nate (2011)
Hurricane Nate was a hurricane that caused minor damage in southeastern Mexico in mid-September 2011. The fourteenth tropical cyclone naming, named storm and fourth hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Nate originated from a fron ...
References
External links
The NHC'S advisory archive for Hurricane Katia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Katia (2017)
2017 Atlantic hurricane season
Category 2 Atlantic hurricanes
Atlantic hurricanes in Mexico
September 2017 events in Mexico
Katia
Katia is a feminine given name. It is a variant of Katya.
Notable people with this name
Actresses and models
* Katia Dandoulaki, Greek actress
*Katia Margaritoglou, Greek fashion model and beauty contestant
*Katia Winter (born 1983), Swedis ...