Hurricane Lane was the 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 ...

to make

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 ...

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 ...

since

Hurricane Kenna Hurricane Kenna was the fourth-most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Eastern Pacific basin, and at the time the third-most intense Pacific hurricane to strike the west coast of Mexico. Kenna was the sixteenth tropical depression, thirte ...

of 2002. The thirteenth named storm, ninth hurricane, and sixth major hurricane of the 2006 Pacific hurricane season, Lane developed on September 13 from a tropical wave to the south of Mexico. It moved northwestward, parallel to the coast of Mexico, and steadily intensified in an area conducive to further strengthening. After turning to the northeast, Lane attained peak winds of 125 mph (205 km/h), and made landfall in the

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of Sinaloa at peak strength. It rapidly weakened and dissipated on September 17, and later brought precipitation to southern part of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

. Throughout its path, Lane resulted in four deaths and moderate damage. Damage was heaviest in Sinaloa, where the hurricane made landfall, including reports of severe crop damage. Across Mexico, an estimated 4,320 homes were affected by the hurricane, with about 248,000 people affected. Moderate flooding was reported in Acapulco, resulting in mudslides in some areas. Damage across the country totaled $2.2 billion (2006 MXN), or $206 million (2006

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, or $218 million in 2010 USD).

Meteorological history

A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on August 31, 2006. It moved westward without development, and entered the eastern Pacific Ocean on September 10. An area of convection developed along the wave axis, several hundred miles south of the

Gulf of Tehuantepec Gulf of Tehuantepec () is a large body of water on the Pacific coast of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, southeastern Mexico, at . Many (but not all) Pacific hurricanes form in or near this body of water. A strong, gale-force wind called the Tehu ...

. It moved slowly westward and steadily organized. Convection and banding features organized around a developing center, and the system developed into Tropical Depression Thirteen-E on September 13. The system continued to organize and strengthened into Tropical Storm Lane early on September 14 about 90 miles (145 km) off the coast of Mexico. Based on a potentially developing anticyclone over the storm and a track over warm water temperatures, the Statistical Hurricane Intensity Prediction Scheme model issued a 46 percent probability for

rapid intensification 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 wi ...

of the storm. Lane continued to become better organized, with deep convection developing 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 ...

and well-defined outflow in the western half of the storm. Late on September 14, an

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 ...

began to develop a short distance off the Mexican coastline. Lane continued to strengthen as it turned more to the north-northwest, a motion caused due to the storm moving around the western periphery of a mid-level ridge over Mexico. Based on reports from Reconnaissance Aircraft, Lane was upgraded to hurricane status on September 15, about 40 miles (65 km) west-northwest of

Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco Cabo Corrientes is a cape on the Pacific coast of the Mexican state of Jalisco. It marks the southernmost point of the Bahía de Banderas (Bay of Flags), upon which the port and resort city of Puerto Vallarta stands. The municipality in which ...

. Subsequently, it quickly strengthened, and by six hours afterward, it attained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h), becoming a 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 ...

. Later that day, the 10 mile (16 km) wide eye crossed over the

Islas Marías The Islas Marías ("Mary Islands") are an archipelago of four islands that belong to Mexico. They are located in the Pacific Ocean, some off the coast of the state of Nayarit and about southeast of the tip of Baja California. They are part of t ...

. Early on September 16, Lane strengthened into a 115 mph (185 km/h) hurricane, just 50 miles (85 km) off the coast of Mexico, becoming the sixth

major hurricane Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

of the season. Hurricane Lane continued to organize with its 9-mile (14 km) wide eye, surrounded by very deep convection, and the storm strengthened further to reach peak winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) by midday on September 16. It turned unexpectedly to the northeast, and at 1915 UTC on the September 16, Hurricane Lane made landfall in a sparsely populated region of Sinaloa, 20 miles (32 km) southeast of El Dorado. This made Lane the most intense hurricane to strike Mexico since

in the 2002 season. The combination of the mountainous terrain of Mexico and increasing west-southwesterly

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 ...

caused the storm to rapidly weaken, and the storm dissipated on September 17. The remnants of Lane later moved into

, United States.

Preparations

Due to Lane's projected path near the western coast of Mexico, authorities closed ports to small boats in the cities of Acapulco. Just weeks after Hurricane John took a similar path through the area, several tourists voluntarily left their vacations to fly home. Many residents boarded up buildings and bought hurricane supplies in preparation for the storm. Officials also closed schools across the state of

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 ...

. In all, 40,400 tourists were evacuated from the Mexican coastline. According to the

Secretaría de Gobernación The Mexican Secretariat for Home Affairs ( es, Secretaría de Gobernación, SEGOB, lit=Secretariat for Governance) is the public department concerned with the country's domestic affairs, the presenting of the president's bills to Congress, their ...

, under which the Mexican Civil Protection Service operates, there were 5.5 million homes and 21 million people in 21 states threatened by the system in all of Mexico. As a result, authorities evacuated about 2,000 people to emergency shelters. As Lane came closer to the coastline, all the

seaport 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 H ...

s between Michoacán and Sinaloa were closed, and the ''

Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (Mexico) The Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN) is Mexico's national weather organization. It collects data and issues forecasts, advisories, and warnings for the entire country. History A presidential decree founded El Observatorio Meteorológico y ...

'' (National Meteorological Service, in Spanish) warned the general population about the threat of flooding and landslides. When the hurricane made landfall, the government of the state of Sinaloa issued a state of emergency for the

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Ahome Ahome () is a municipality on the coast of the Gulf of California in the northwestern part of the Mexican state of Sinaloa; it is adjacent to the southern border of Sonora state. It reported 388,344 inhabitants in the 2005 census. Ahome (populatio ...

Guasave Guasave () is a city and the seat of the homonymous municipality in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. It is located in the northwestern part of Mexico, southeast of the city of Los Mochis. It stands at . In the 2010 census, the city reported a popu ...

, Angostura,

Salvador Alvarado Salvador Alvarado Rubio (September 16, 1880 – June 10, 1924) served in the Mexican military during the Mexican Revolution and as a statesman. He was a general of the Constitutionalist Army under the orders of Venustiano Carranza. Alvarado was t ...

Culiacán Culiacán, officially Culiacán Rosales, is a city in northwestern Mexico, the capital and largest city of both the Culiacán Municipality and the state of Sinaloa. The city was founded on 29 September 1531, by the Spanish conquerors Lázar ...

Navolato Navolato is a city in Navolato Municipality in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. It is located on the central coast part of the state bordering the Gulf of California. The municipality reported 135,603 inhabitants in the 2010 census, while the cit ...

, Elota, San Ignacio and

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 ...

. The arrival of the hurricane forced the closure of several flights at the

General Rafael Buelna International Airport A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED On ...

, Sinaloa. Prior to entering the area, the U.S. National Weather Service issued a Flood Watch for large portions of

due to the remnants of Lane.

Impact

In Acapulco, the storm produced strong waves and heavy rain, leaving coastal streets with up to 16 inches (405 mm) of water. The heavy rainfall flooded 200 houses and caused a mudslide, resulting in the death of a seven-year-old boy. Flooding also occurred at the airport in Acapulco, though service was not interrupted. Offshore, strong waves capsized a boat, leaving one person missing. Heavy rainfall in the port of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, overflowed a canal, forcing over 500 people to evacuate their homes. 500 acres (2 km²) of crops were destroyed by Lane in Michoacán. Road and airport damage in Colima totaled to about $30 million (2006 MXN, $2.7 million 2006 USD). In Cajón de Peña, Jalisco, rainfall totaled to 7.36 inches (187 mm). One man died in Pueblos Unidos after being knocked over by strong winds. Throughout Jalisco, 109 people had to evacuate their homes due to landslides and heavy rainfall. In El Dorado, Sinaloa, near where the storm made landfall, the hurricane washed out away roads and destroyed many flimsy homes. Strong winds knocked down electricity towers, trees, and traffic signs, leaving many without power. In

, to the southeast of where Lane moved ashore, the hurricane produced strong winds and heavy rains, causing street flooding and power outages. The threat of the hurricane forced the cancellation of an Grito de Dolores, Independence Day Parade. Between Mazatlán and the state capital,

, the hurricane destroyed a bridge, leaving dozens of trucks stranded. In Culiacán, one person died when he drove his car into a river, while several streets were flooded from the storm. Throughout Sinaloa, several damaged roads left many communities cut off from the rest of the country. Lane caused severe agricultural damage in the state, possibly reaching as high as $600 million (2006 MXN, $55 million 2006 USD). The hurricane also damaged water treatment facilities and distribution systems in multiple communities, prompting the Secretariat of Health to declare a sanitary alert in Sinaloa. Damage in Sinaloa totaled to around $1.2 billion (2006 MXN), $109.3 million (2006 USD). Throughout Mexico, Hurricane Lane killed four people. An estimated 4,320 homes were affected by the hurricane, with about 248,000 people affected. Water systems were damaged in nine municipalities, leaving thousands temporarily without water. A total of 19,200 miles (30,000 km) of roads and highways were damaged to some degree, including some destroyed bridges. In all, the hurricane caused about $2.2 billion (2006 MXN, $203 million 2006 USD) in damage in the country. In the United States, the remnants of Lane brought precipitation to southern

Aftermath

By the day after Hurricane Lane made landfall, most of the evacuated people returned to their homes to begin the cleanup process. Some tourists who remained in the area for the storm continued their vacations, while others tried to leave the area. The federal government declared a state of emergency for nine municipalities in Sinaloa, allowing emergency funds to give relief support to the affected population. Helicopters were used to distribute foods and locate cut-off residents. The government set up three temporary shelters in

for 360 people and three shelters in

for about 1,000 affected residents. To prevent the spread of Dengue fever, officials sent Epidemiology, epidemiologists to 67 communities, with 18 mobile units and 15 Nebulizer units. By a month after the storm, all roads and highways affected by the hurricane were open for transportation.

References

External links