Hurricane Fifi-Orlene

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hurricane Fifi-Orlene

Category 2 hurricane (SSHS)
Satellite Picture of Fifi
Formed	September 14, 1974
Dissipated	October 10, 1974
Highest winds	110 mph (175 km/h) (1-minute sustained)
Lowest pressure	971 mbar (hPa; 28.69 inHg)
Fatalities	8,000 – 10,000 direct (all as Fifi)
Damage	$900 million (1974 USD) $4 billion (2006 USD)
Areas affected	Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, southern Mexico (as Fifi), southwestern Mexico (as Orlene)
Part of the 1974 Atlantic hurricane season 1974 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Fifi (or Hurricane Fifi-Orlene) was a catastrophic storm during the 1974 Atlantic hurricane season that made landfall in Belize. Fifi was one of the costliest hurricanes in history, causing $3.7 billion (2005 USD) in damages^{[citation needed]}. It was also one of the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes, killing as many as 10,000 people. Fifi was one of the few storms that crossed from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 Storm history 1.1 Hurricane Fifi 1.2 Hurricane Orlene 2 Impact 2.1 Honduras 2.2 Mexico 2.3 Retirement 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Storm history

[edit] Hurricane Fifi

A tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on September 8 became a tropical depression in the eastern Caribbean Sea on September 14. It moved westward, slowly strengthening to a tropical storm on the 16th. Conditions became favorable for further development, and Fifi became a hurricane on the 17th.

Fifi reached a peak of 110 mph (175 km/h) winds, just before skimming the northern coast of Honduras on the September 18 and 19.^[1] The hurricane made landfall as a Category 2 storm in Belize on the 19th, and continued through Guatemala and Mexico as a tropical system. After weakening to a depression, Fifi emerged into the Pacific Ocean, becoming the first crossover storm since Hurricane Irene-Olivia in 1971.

[edit] Hurricane Orlene

The remnants of Fifi encountered a depression and interacted with it. This triggered the development of another system. After it was named Orlene, it paralleled the coast of Mexico before reaching hurricane intensity on September 23. It made landfall near its secondary peak strength on September 23 southeast of Culiacan and dissipated shortly after that.^[2]

[edit] Impact

[edit] Honduras

Fifi, considered a Category 3 hurricane at the time but finally classified as a Category 2 hurricane, skirted the north coast of Honduras, causing massive flooding from the inflow of southerly winds. It was reported that 24"/610 mm of rain fell in 36 hours across northeast Honduras. ^[3] The rains collected in rivers, which caused enormous amounts of physical and economic damage to poor villages, small towns, and commercial banana plantations when it skimmed Honduras. Most of the country's fishing fleet was destroyed. Roughly half of food crops, including up to 95% of the banana crop, was wiped out. Fourteen bridges were washed away. The cities of Choloma, Omoa, and Tujillo and the island of Roatan were virtually destroyed. The Ulua river valley became a lake about 20 miles wide for several days following Fifi. About 20% of railroad lines survived the cyclone. ^[3] Although estimates of the number killed range from 3,000 to 10,000, a figure of 8,000 dead is generally accepted. Most deaths appear to have been caused by flash flooding from the rainfall that accompanied the hurricane.

Deadliest Atlantic hurricanes
Rank	Hurricane	Season	Fatalities
1	"Great Hurricane"	1780	22,000
2	Mitch	1998	11,000 – 18,000
3	"Galveston"	1900	8,000 – 12,000
4	Fifi	1974	8,000 – 10,000
5	"Dominican Republic"	1930	2,000 – 8,000
6	Flora	1963	7,186 – 8,000
7	"Pointe-a-Pitre"	1776	6,000+
8	"Newfoundland	1775	4,000 – 4,163
9	"Okeechobee"	1928	4,075+
10	"San Ciriaco"	1899	3,433+
Main article: List of deadliest Atlantic hurricanes

Hurricane Fifi is usually considered the fourth deadliest hurricane in history, though uncertainty about the number of deaths caused by Fifi and the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 could place it as the third deadliest ever. Fifi caused a total of $900 million (1974 USD, $3.7 billion 2005 USD) in damage.^[4][5]

[edit] Mexico

The Orlene part of Hurricane Fifi-Orlene caused no reported casualties.^[6] Nothing was reported from ships either, although it is likely to have happened.^[6] Rainfall of over 11 inches was reported in Acapulco, however.[1]

[edit] Retirement

See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricanes

The name "Fifi" was retired following this storm.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] See also

• List of notable Atlantic hurricanes
• List of notable Pacific hurricanes

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Fifi track
• Orlene path