Hurricane Nate was a hurricane that caused minor damage in southeastern
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 ...
in mid-September 2011. The fourteenth
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 fourth hurricane of the
2011 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season was the second in a group of three very active Atlantic hurricane seasons, each with 19 named storms. The above-average activity was mostly due to a La Niña that persisted during the previous year. Of t ...
, Nate originated from a frontal
trough
Trough may refer to:
In science
* Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench
* Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure
* Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave
* Trough level (medicine), the l ...
in the Bay of Campeche on September 7. Within a weak steering environment, the storm meandered southwestward while gradually ggt a gt hej off gta and gta but gta on gta of gta strength. Though classified as a tropical storm operationally, data during a post-season review indicated that Nate briefly attained Category 1 hurricane status on the
Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale on September 8. As a result of its slow motion, the storm caused significant upwelling, leading to a marked decrease in
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 convec ...
, and weakening accordingly. On September 11, Nate moved ashore Mexico as a tropical storm, producing several inches of rainfall and damaging several hundred structures. Ten oil rig workers went missing; seven were rescued, but one died of an unknown cause, and three other bodies were later recovered. In
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 ...
, a boy was killed after being struck by lightning.
Meteorological history
On September 5, a frontal
trough
Trough may refer to:
In science
* Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench
* Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure
* Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave
* Trough level (medicine), the l ...
, the same responsible for the
extratropical transition
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
of
Tropical Storm Lee The name Lee has been used for seven tropical cyclones worldwide. In the Atlantic, it replaced the name '' Lenny''.
In the Atlantic:
* Tropical Storm Lee (2005), a short-lived, minimal tropical storm
* Tropical Storm Lee (2011), a strong tropical ...
, passed through the western
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, 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 ...
before stalling in the central Gulf of Mexico and
Bay of Campeche
The Bay of Campeche ( es, Bahía de Campeche), or Campeche Sound, is a bight (geography), bight in the southern area of the Gulf of Mexico, forming the north side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexico, Mexic ...
.
At the tail-end of the trough, increased shower and thunderstorm activity associated with a developing
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 ...
prompted the
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 3 ...
(NHC) to begin monitoring the disturbance for tropical cyclone formation the next day. The low separated from the front early on September 7, but
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 convec ...
was too disorganized for classification at the time. By 1800 UTC, however, a curved band developed in the western semicircle of the circulation.
In accordance with
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 ...
, surface observations from land and
oil rig
{{about, , the mnemonic OIL RIG, Redox
An oil rig is any kind of apparatus constructed for oil drilling.
Kinds of oil rig include:
* Drilling rig, an apparatus for on-land oil drilling
* Drillship, a floating apparatus for offshore oil drilling
* ...
s, and data from a
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 ...
, the disturbance was upgraded to Tropical Storm Nate, positioned roughly 160 mi (260 km) north of
Villahermosa, Mexico
Villahermosa ( , ; "Beautiful Village") is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Tabasco, and serves as the municipal seat (governing county) of the state. Located in Southeast Mexico, Villahermosa is an important city because of ...
.
Within a weak steering environment between a mid-level
ridge
A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...
over northern Mexico and a mid-level ridge over the northern
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 ...
, Nate drifted slowly southwestward initially. Though an abundance of dry air was expected to limit a rapid rate of intensification, 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 mass ...
s and light to moderate
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 ...
allowed for gradual strengthening. Operationally, the system attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) and a
minimum barometric pressure of 994 mb (29.35 inHg) on September 8. However, as part of its post-season routine, the NHC received data from an offshore oil rig in the southeastern quadrant of the system that yielded maximum sustained surface winds of ; as a result, Nate was re-designated as a Category 1 hurricane on the
Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale while centered approximately 80 mi (130 km) north-northwest of
Ciudad del Carmen
Ciudad del Carmen is a city in the southwest of the Mexican state of Campeche. Ciudad del Carmen is located at on the southwest of Carmen Island, which stands in the Laguna de Términos on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. , Ciudad del Carmen ha ...
, Mexico. Following peak intensity, the storm's broad wind field and slow forward motion led to significant ocean
upwelling
Upwelling is an oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense, cooler, and usually nutrient-rich water from deep water towards the ocean surface. It replaces the warmer and usually nutrient-depleted surface water. The nutr ...
. With cooler sea surface temperatures and low ocean heat content, the coverage of deep convection decreased and Nate weakened to a tropical storm at 0600 UTC on September 9.
![Tropical Storm Nate 091011 0515 UTC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Tropical_Storm_Nate_091011_0515_UTC.jpg)
While accelerating west-northwest and eventually westward in response to an eastward shift in the ridge over Mexico, Nate moved away from cooler ocean temperatures, briefly allowing it to gain strength on September 10. By the next day, however, increasingly dry, low- to mid-level air wrapped into the circulation, causing associated convection to collapse. At 1600 UTC on September 11, the system made landfall near Barra de
Tecolutla, Mexico, with winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). The rugged terrain of Mexico caused Nate to rapidly weaken once inland, and the cyclone degenerated into a remnant low by 0000 UTC on September 12, about 20 mi (30 km) west of
Poza Rica, Mexico. The circulation dissipated six hours later, at 1200 UTC on September 12.
Preparations and impact
Following Nate's declaration as a tropical cyclone, 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 ...
stretching from Chilitepec to
Celestún
Celestún is a town in Yucatán, Mexico. It is located in the northwest corner of the States of Mexico, state, just north of the border with the state of Campeche, on the Gulf of Mexico coast at
.
In 2000, it had a population of just under 6,000 ...
, noting that tropical storm conditions were likely within 12 hours. Early on September 8, a tropical storm watch was issued from Celestún to
Progreso. A day later, a tropical storm watches were issued from
La Cruz to
Tampico
Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fifth ...
and
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 ...
to Punta El Lagarto. A hurricane watch was issued from Tampico to Veracruz, and three hours later, all tropical storm warnings were discontinued. On September 10, the tropical storm watch stretching from Veracruz to Punta El Lagarto was discontinued, and a tropical storm warning was issued from Tampico to Punta El Lagarto. By 1500 UTC, all tropical storm watches were discontinued, and at 2100 UTC, the tropical storm warning area was modified to Tampico to
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 o ...
. At this time, the hurricane watch area was modified to Tampico to Tuxpan, and a hurricane warning was issued from Tampico to Veracruz. The following day, this hurricane warning was changed to a tropical storm warning following Nate's weakening trend. All hurricane watches were discontinued, and during the afternoon hours, all tropical storm warnings were discontinued.
On September 7, the Dos Bocas and Cayo Arcas ports, Mexico's two main
crude oil
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude ...
export
An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is an ...
ports
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
, closed in preparation for the storm. Ten contractors for
Geokinetics
Geokinetics Inc. was founded in 1997 and was based in Houston, Texas. The company is no longer in business. Through its subsidiary, Geokinetics provided seismic surveying services in the Gulf Coast, Mid-Continent, and Rocky Mountain regions of t ...
were forced to abandon their lifeboat after evacuating the Trinity II rig. Seven of the ten men were rescued; however, one later died, and the bodies of the three other men were recovered. The body of the tenth man, who had remained listed as "missing" for several days, was recovered by the Mexican Navy on September 14. Throughout Veracruz, 839 homes were damaged by the storm. In the southern sections of the state, Nate produced several inches of rainfall. A child was killed in Pánuco when a
lightning
Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electric charge, electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the land, ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous ...
-struck tree fell on his home.
See also
*
Tropical cyclones in 2011
During 2011, 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 131 tropical cyclones had formed this year to date. 71 tr ...
*
Other tropical cyclones named Nate
*
List of Category 1 Atlantic hurricanes
Category 1 is the lowest hurricane classification on the Saffir–Simpson scale. When a storm's wind speed is between 64 knots (74 mph; 119 km/h; 33 m/s) and 82 knots (95 mph; 153 km/h; 42 m/s), it ...
*
Hurricane Lorenzo (2007)
Hurricane Lorenzo was a rapidly developing tropical cyclone that struck the Mexican state of Veracruz in late September 2007. The twelfth named storm and fifth hurricane of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season, it formed in the southwestern Gulf ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nate (2011)
Category 1 Atlantic hurricanes
Nate