Hurricane Olivia was a powerful and destructive Category 4 hurricane, that brought damaging floods to

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

and

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

during September 1982. Olivia was the twenty-fourth tropical cyclone, eighteenth named storm, ninth hurricane, and fourth major hurricane of the active

1982 Pacific hurricane season The 1982 Pacific hurricane season, with 23 named storms, ranks as the fourth-most active Pacific hurricane season on record, tied with 2018. It was at that time the most active season in the basin until it was later surpassed by the 1985 season. I ...

. The storm was first noted as a tropical depression from a ship report off the southern coast of

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

. Olivia then steadily intensified before becoming a Category 4 hurricane, and reaching its peak intensity with 1-minute sustained winds of around 145 mph (230 km/h), at 18:00 UTC on September 21. The hurricane then rapidly weakened as it passed west of mainland

, before being last noted to the west of

on September 25, as a surface trough. Moisture from Olivia was pulled across the

Western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the We ...

and Southwestern

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by a strong southwesterly flow. This resulted in several inches of rainfall, which caused damaging flash flooding and mudslides, namely in

. Large amounts of crops were destroyed by the storm in

. Overall, damage from Olivia is estimated to be around $475 million (1982

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), with 3 fatalities.

Meteorological history

The origins of Hurricane Olivia can be traced back to a weather report from the

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...

, ''Port Latta Maru'', roughly 400 miles (650 km) southwest-southwest of

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 ...

. This reported stated that a tropical cyclone had formed in the area, around 18:00 UTC on September 18. The system moved gradually to the north-northwest while strengthening over warm waters. By 6:00 UTC on September 19, the cyclone was upgraded into a tropical storm, and was provided the name ''Olivia''. Olivia steadily strengthened while shifting to the northwest, over slightly warmer sea surface temperatures. At 6:00 UTC the next day, Olivia was upgraded into a Category 1 hurricane. Just a few hours later, the hurricane turned to the west-northwest, beneath the southern periphery of an upper-level high located over southern

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

. Olivia continued to rapidly intensify, reaching its peak intensity as a Category 4 hurricane at 18:00 UTC on September 21, with 1-minute sustained winds of around 145 mph (230 km/h). At this time the storm also presented a well-defined eye. The hurricane then maintained its intensity for about 12 hours, before weakening ensued. Olivia weakened over the next couple of days, while turning to the north-west along the western periphery of the upper-level high. The system was downgraded into a tropical storm at 18:00 UTC on September 23, while moving over cooler waters. Around this time, moisture from the storm was being carried across the

and Southwestern

, by a strong southwesterly flow. This was also largely due to a whip-like effect by an upper-level

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 ...

offshore

. Olivia weakened into a tropical depression while located about 500 miles (805 km) southwest of

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

. The system was last noted as a dissipating surface low on September 25, while located roughly 250 miles (400 km) west-southwest of San Diego.

Preparations, impact, and aftermath

California

A dam burst in the Sierra Madre Mountains, causing 6 inches (152.4 mm) of water to enter into Bishop Creek. Up to 1,400 residents were evacuated from their homes into the nearby town of

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

. Tourists were trapped along the eastern slope of a mountain in the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primar ...

range during the storm. An additional 200 people were stranded at Kings Canyon National Park, after a 15-mile (25 km) stretch of

California State Route 180 State Route 180 (SR 180) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs through the heart of the San Joaquin Valley from State Route 33 in Mendota through Fresno, and then east towards the Sierra Nevada to Kings Canyon National ...

was washed out. A bridge along

U.S. Route 395 U.S. Route 395 (US 395) is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canada–US border near Laurier, where the road ...

in Big Pine was damaged. Lodging and businesses along the highway were evacuated due to floods. In the

Inland Empire The Inland Empire (IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County to the west. It includes the citie ...

, moisture from Olivia caused minimal damage. Numerous utility poles caught fire in the region. Slick roads caused a car accident in Yucaipa, causing one minor injury. In Malibu, stormy weather caused a plane to crash into hills at the

Malibu Creek State Park Malibu Creek State Park is a state park of California, United States, preserving the Malibu Creek canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains. The park was established in 1974. Opened to the public in 1976, the park is also a component of Santa Monic ...

, killing three people. Olivia also caused stormy weather in

San Bernardino County San Bernardino County (), officially the County of San Bernardino, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 2,181, ...

. In

Calimesa Calimesa (portmanteau of ''California'' and ''Mesa'', Spanish language, Spanish for "mesa, table") is a city in Riverside County, California, Riverside County, California, United States in the Greater Los Angeles area. The population was 7,879 at ...

, a telephone pole was struck by lightning. Roughly 1,150 customers of

Southern California Edison Southern California Edison (or SCE Corp), the largest subsidiary of Edison International, is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California. It provides 15 million people with electricity across a service territory of ap ...

lost electricity. The power outage affected companies such as

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, the KDIG radio station, and a hotel. Power outages also trapped one person in an elevator in

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. Following the floods, California Governor

Jerry Brown Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of S ...

declared a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

for the Big Pine area. This was done to allow federal loans and other assistance to be provided for the region. Search and rescue workers were able to save 20 campers and residents who were stranded along Big Pine Creek. The flood in Big Pine was found to be caused by a dam collapse. An investigation was opened into the cause of the incident, but no explanation was discovered. Olivia caused millions of dollars worth of agricultural damage in California. In the state, half of the raisin crop, a quarter of the wine crop, and a tenth of the tomato crop were damaged. According to the California Farm Bureau Federation, up to $110 million (1982

) worth of almonds, beans, grapes, and melons could have been lost. Losses of the tomato crop were estimated to be between $30–40 million (1982 USD), while damage to raisin and wine crops reached $150 million (1982 USD). The California Farm Bureau Federation stated agricultural damages in the state could reach $450 million (1982 USD). The

Monthly Weather Review The ''Monthly Weather Review'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Meteorological Society. It covers research related to analysis and prediction of observed and modeled circulations of the atmosphere, including techniqu ...

estimated crop damage to be around $325 million (1982 USD).

Utah

Ahead of the storm, a Flash flood watch was put in effect for parts of

on September 27. Flash flooding in Springdale swept mud and rocks through parts of the community. Rockslides forced the evacuation of campgrounds at

Zion National Park Zion National Park is an American national park located in southwestern Utah near the town of Springdale. Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park has a unique geography and a variety of ...

. Several basements were flooded in

Lehi Lehi (; he, לח"י – לוחמי חרות ישראל ''Lohamei Herut Israel – Lehi'', "Fighters for the Freedom of Israel – Lehi"), often known pejoratively as the Stern Gang,"This group was known to its friends as LEHI and to its enemie ...

. In

Alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...

, flooding isolated four houses. A mudslide was reported at the

American Fork Canyon American Fork Canyon is a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, United States. The canyon is famous for the Timpanogos Cave National Monument, which resides on its south side. It is named after the American Fork River, which runs through the ...

. Slick roads were reported at the Uinta and Wasatch National Forests, while a main road between several canyons was impassible. Widespread floods occurred across the

Salt Lake City metropolitan area The Salt Lake City metropolitan area is the metropolitan area centered on the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau currently define the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical ...

. In

Sandy Sandy may refer to: People and fictional characters *Sandy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Sandy (surname), a list of people * Sandy (singer), Brazilian singer and actress Sandy Leah Lima (born 1983) * (Sandy) ...

, over 200 residences were inundated by floodwaters. Access to natural gas was shut off for a large number of homes in the area. Numerous bridges in the region were covered by water. The

Jordan River The Jordan River or River Jordan ( ar, نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn'', he, נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''; syc, ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ''Nahrāʾ Yurdnan''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Shariea ...

became swollen following heavy rainfall in

Salt Lake County Salt Lake County is located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 1,185,238, making it the most populous county in Utah. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. The cou ...

. Officials ordered off-duty crews and volunteers to sandbag streams and the Jordan River, to prevent further flooding. In

Murray Murray may refer to: Businesses * Murray (bicycle company), an American manufacturer of low-cost bicycles * Murrays, an Australian bus company * Murray International Trust, a Scottish investment trust * D. & W. Murray Limited, an Australian who ...

, roughly 75 families were evacuated to churches and

United States National Guard The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force when activated for federal missions.U.S. Route 89 U.S. Route 89 (US 89) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway with two sections, and one former section. The southern section runs for from Flagstaff, Arizona, to the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The northern section ...

, which was flooded by mountain run-off to the north of Ogden. Water from Spring Lake flooded a road in a nearby community of the same name. More than 1,000 residences were flooded within Salt Lake County. Sanitary sewers in Murray were clogged and water lines in Springdale burst. Utah Governor Scott Matheson issued a state of emergency for parts of the state. He also ordered 200 National Guard troops to

. The

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

offered assistance to elderly people, while also conducting damage assessments. In

, the city searched for volunteers to help assist in cleanup efforts. The Red Cross provided shovels, mops, disinfectant, cots, and cooking utensils to requested areas. Cleanup crews removed debris following the floods, with corporate, municipal, and county crews repairing structures damaged by flooding. Following the destructive floods in Springdale, local officials created a flood control fund, worth $5,000 (1982

). Springdale was later declared an area of disaster by state government. Flooding caused $500,000 (1982

) in damage in Washington County. Olivia was the wettest-tropical cyclone in Utah on record, dropping a peak precipitation amount of 7.41 inches (188.21 mm), in Cottonwood Weir. Damages in Utah were estimated to be between $13–25 million (1982 USD).

Elsewhere

Rainfall produced by Olivia was reported in

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

. In

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

, and

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...

, moisture from Olivia caused snowfall in the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico ...

. This prompted a travel alert to be issued for portions of the region. Precipitation from the storm was also recorded in Southwestern

References

External links

*The Weather Prediction Center'
report on Hurricane Olivia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olivia (1982) Tropical cyclones in 1982 Hurricanes in California 1982 Pacific hurricane season

Meteorological history

Preparations, impact, and aftermath

California

Utah

Elsewhere

See also

References

External links