Hurricane Liza (1976)
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| Category 4 hurricane (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Hurricane Liza at peak intensity on September 30. |
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| Formed | September 25, 1976 | |
| Dissipated | October 2, 1976 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | ≤948 mbar (hPa) | |
| Damage | Not available | |
| Fatalities | 600-950 total | |
| Areas affected |
Northern Mexico | |
| Part of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season |
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Hurricane Liza of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season was a devastating tropical cyclone that killed over 600 people in northern Mexico.
Contents |
[edit] Storm history
A tropical depression formed on September 25 and headed west. It turned to the north and strengthened into a tropical storm. Moving at a glacial pace, Liza slowly strengthened into a hurricane on September 28. Its speed of motion and its rate of intensification increased, and Liza became a major hurricane on September 29 and a Category 4 late that day. Its minimum measured central pressure was 948 millibars.
Liza veered slightly to the west and brushed past the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. The hurricane headed north into the Gulf of California. It made landfall as a major hurricane near Guaymas and tore into the states of Sonora and Sinaloa. Liza dissipated in the mountains of Northern Mexico early on October 2.
By being one of seven Pacific hurricanes to make landfall as a Category 4 or stronger, Liza is also one of the strongest landfalls by a Pacific hurricane.
[edit] Impact
| Deadliest Pacific hurricanes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Hurricane | Season | Fatalities |
| 1 | "Mexico" | 1959 | 1800+ |
| 2 | Paul | 1982 | 1000+ |
| 3 | Liza | 1976 | 630–990 |
| 4 | Tara | 1961 | 430–500 |
| 5 | Pauline | 1997 | 230–400 |
| Main article: List of notable Pacific hurricanes | |||
Liza brought heavy rains. Near La Paz, Baja California Sur, rains caused flash flooding. The El Cajoncito Creek on the outskirts of the city grew into a raging torrent. Waters burst a dike. A five-foot wall of water raged through a poor section of the city, washing away and burying in mud over 600 people. Around 350 other people were reported missing. The dam had been described as "poorly built and a permanent menace".
The flood left a deep layer of mud. The large number of dead resulted in some of them being burned to prevent disease. The Mexican government eventually launched an investigation into the dam failure.
In the states of Sinaloa and Sonora, Liza winds peeled of roofs while its storm surge washed ashore. Numerous crops were destroyed. The total cost of damage in Baja California Sur was around 5 million dollars, and unknown elsewhere.
[edit] Lack of retirement
For unknown reasons, Liza's name was not retired. However, 1976 was the last time that this name was used because modern naming of tropical cyclones began in 1978. As the very similar name of Lisa is currently in use in the Atlantic, the name Liza being used again in the near future seems unlikely.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ↑ Clifford, Mary E. News Dictionary 1976. Facts On File. 1977. ISBN 0-87196-103-2
- ↑ Mexicans Burying Hurricane Dead New York Times. October 3, 1976.
- ↑ Mexico to Study Dike's Rupture New York Times. October 7, 1976
