The 1976 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 1976 in the eastern Pacific, and June 1, 1976 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1976. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 31 days remaining, as the final day of November. ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The scope of this article is confined to all tropical cyclones in the Pacific Ocean east of 140 degrees west longitude, and all storms from 180W (the international date line) to 140W. The International Date Line around 190° The International Date Line is an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, which offsets the hours that are added or subtracted as one travels east or west through successive time zones. ...

The 1976 season had several notable and devastating storms, including Hurricane Madeline, which had the second most intense landfall in recorded history, and Hurricane Liza, which killed over 600 in Baja California Sur. Baja California Sur is one of the 31 States of Mexico, occupying the part of the Baja California Peninsula south of the 28th parallel. ...

Hurricane Liza
First storm formed:	June 3, 1976
Last storm dissipated:	Oct. 30, 1976
Strongest Storm:	Pressure: Annette-925 millibars (27.32 inches) Wind Speed: Madeline 125 knots (144 mph) June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ... October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... A millibar (mb) is 1/1000th of a bar, a unit for measurement of pressure. ...
Named Storms:	15
Major storms (Cat. 3+)	5
Total damages (in USD):	unknown
Total fatalites:	600+
Pacific hurricane seasons 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a scale classifying hurricanes by the intensity of their sustained winds, developed in 1969 by civil engineer Herbert Saffir and National Hurricane Center director Bob Simpson. ... The United States dollar, or American dollar, is the official currency of the United States. ... The following is a list of Pacific hurricane seasons. ... Tropical Storm Ava formed on the 26th of May 1977 and moved northward. ...

Storms

This season had a slightly below average number of cyclones, with fourteen, plus one in the central Pacific. The number of hurricanes was average, with nine. The season had an above-average number of major hurricanes, with five reaching category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. There were four landfalls, including three by consecutive storms. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a scale classifying hurricanes by the intensity of their sustained winds, developed in 1969 by civil engineer Herbert Saffir and National Hurricane Center director Bob Simpson. ...

Hurricane Annette

On June 3, a tropical depression formed. Three days later, it became a tropical storm and was given the name Annette. It intensified rapidly, reaching Category 4 strength three days later, and its pressure plunged to 925 millibars. Its west-northwest path was well away from any land. Annette dissipated on June 14.

Hurricane Bonny

A tropical depression formed on June 26. It intensified into a weak hurricane the next day and headed westward. It then began to weaken. Bonny dissipated June 29, having never threatened land.

Tropical Storm Celeste

After a calm of two weeks, a tropical depression formed on July 14. The next day, it reached tropical storm strength. Celeste took a westward track and had no effect on any land area. The storm dropped to a depression on the 17th and dissipated two days later.

Hurricane Diana

On the 16th of July, the fourth depression of the season formed. It reached tropical storm strength later that day. The storm continued intensifying, briefly reaching Category 2 strength before weakening as it headed out to sea. Diana dissipated on July 23.

Tropical Storm Estelle

Estelle was a minimal tropical storm. It quickly formed just after becoming a depression on July 27. It headed northwest and dissipated on the 29th. It never threatened land. It remnants were absorbed by Fernanda. Oddly enough, the disturbance that became Fernanda originally became separated from the disturbance that became Estelle.

Tropical Storm Fernanda

An active second half of July continued when, on on July 28, a depression formed from part of a disturbance that gave earlier had given rise to Estelle. Soon, the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Fernanda. After absorbing the remnants of Estelle, Fernanda then rapidly became a depression again. The depression was tracked to a point south of the Hawaiian Islands, and finally dissipated on August 2.

Tropical Storm Gwen

On August 5 a tropical depression formed. Within a day, it was upgraded to tropical storm status and named Gwen. Gwen tracked westward and then slowed down, was downgraded to a depression, and became nearly stationary on July 11.

Hurricane Hyacinth then approached within 500 miles, and the depression accelerated to the north and re-intensified to a tropical storm on August 12. It then slowly de-intensified as it absorbed the remnants of Hurricane Hyacinth. The combined tropical depression was tracked to a point north of Kauai, and dissipated on August 17. The only effect Gwen had on any land was to disrupt the trade winds enough to cause rainfall on Kauai. Kauai from space (NASA image) Kaua‘i (usually called Kauai outside the Hawaiian Islands) is the oldest and fourth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands, having an area of 1,446 km² . Known also as the Garden Isle, Kaua‘i lies 105 miles (170 kilometers) across the Kaua‘i Channel...

Hurricane Hyacinth

Tropical Depression 8 formed on August 6. Twelve hours later, it became a tropical storm and was named Hyacinth. Three days later it became a hurricane. Hyacinth rapidly intensified, reaching Category 3 intensity on August 10. It then began weakening and interacting with Tropical Storm Gwen. Hyacinth weakened to a depression and merged with the remains of Gwen on August 14.

Hurricane Iva

The day after forming on the 24th, a tropical depression reached tropical storm intensity. Iva headed west-northwest and intensified to Category 4 on August 29. Iva then weakened and dissipated on September 2. The hurricane never threatened land.

Tropical Storm Joanna

Joanne was a tropical depression for most of its life. It tracked west, and turned to the northwest. Five days after, the depression became Tropical Storm Joanna. Two days later, Joanna dropped down to a depression. The depression dissipated on September 8. Joanna never threatened land.

Hurricane Kathleen

On September 7, a tropical depression formed. Twelve hours later it was upgraded to tropical storm Kathleen. On the ninth it started accelerating north towards the Baja California Peninsula. It brushed the Pacific coast of the peninsula as a hurricane on the 9th and made landfall as a fast-moving tropical storm on the 10th. Baja California (highlighted) Alternative use: Baja California (state) Baja California or Lower California is a peninsula in the west of Mexico. ...

The remnants of Kathleen headed north into the United State and affected California and Arizona. Yuma, Arizona reported sustained winds of 57 miles per hour, and almost a foot of rain fell into the mountains of Southern California on the 10th and 11th. Flooding caused by heavy rains destroyed the town of Ocotillo, California, and three people drowned. Kathleen finally dissipated late on the 11th. State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... State nickname: The Grand Canyon State, The Copper State Other U.S. States Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Governor Janet Napolitano (D) Official languages English Only State Area 295,254 km² (6th)  - Land 294,312 km²  - Water 942 km² (0. ... Yuma is a city located in Yuma county, Arizona, United States. ... Ocotillo is a census-designated place located in Imperial County, California. ...

Hurricane Kate

The only hurricane to form in the central Pacific arose from a disturbance that drifted in from the east. Tropical Depression 22 formed on September 22. The depression became Tropical Storm Kate the next day. Kate headed almost due northwest. Early on the 24th, the storm became a hurricane. This prompted a hurricane watch being issued for the Big Island on the 28th. The watch continued until Kate was downgraded to a storm on September 29. It passed 200 miles northwest of the island and was destroyed by wind shear on October 2. There was only minor damage reported to the northern and eastern shores of Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii due to heavy surf. A ship called the Hawaiian Princess was caught by gales caused by Kate but escaped. Warnings and watches are two levels of alert issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of Tropical Storm or Hurricane intensity. ... Wind shear is a difference in wind speed and/or direction between two points in the atmosphere. ... The Island of Oahu. ... Image of Maui taken by NASA. Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at 727 square miles (1883 km²). Native Hawaiian tradition gives the origin of the islands name in the legend of Hawaiʻiloa, the Polynesian navigator attributed with discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. ... Image of Hawai‘i (island) taken by NASA. The Island of Hawai‘i is one of the eight main islands that make up the state of Hawai‘i. ...

Hurricane Liza

Liza was the worst storm of the season. A depression formed on September 25 and headed west. It then became a tropical storm and hooked around to the north. On the 4th it reached Category 2 intensity, and became a major hurricane the next day. On September 6, it reached a central pressure of 948 millibars and Category 4 intensity.

Liza brushed by La Paz and brought heavy rains to that region. Rain caused a flash flood that turned the usually dry El Cajoncito Creek into a raging torrent. The waters breached a dike and swept away at least 600 people, and possibly more. In the village of La Ribera near East Cape, Liza's storm surge swept inland and destroyed crops while its winds peeled off roofs. The Bay of La Paz, as seen from the International Space Station La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur, Mexico, is a small city on the shores of the Gulf of California. ... A flash flood (also a freshet) is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas, rivers and streams that is caused by the intense rainfall associated with a thunderstorm, or multiple training thunderstorms. ... Dyke (normal International spelling) or Dike (normal American spelling) can mean several things: A dyke / dike is a long wall built to keep out the sea or enclose land. ...

The storm headed north into the Gulf of California. It made landfall near Guaymas and tore into the states of Sonora and Sinaloa. Liza dissipated in the mountains of Northern Mexico on October 2. The Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez or Sea of Cortés; locally known in the Spanish language as Mar de Cortés or, much less frequently, Golfo de California) is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland. ... Guaymas is a port city in Sonora, Mexico. ... This article is about the Mexican state of Sonora. ... Sinaloa is the name of a city, a municipality and a state in Mexico. ...

Liza is the second deadliest Eastern Pacific storm. Only an unnamed Category 5 hurricane that slammed ashore in 1959 killed more.

Hurricane Madeline on October 7

Hurricane Madeline

The parade of landfalls continued with Madeline. A tropical storm first identified on September 29 dropped down to a depression for five days before regaining gale-force winds on October 4. It reached hurricane strength on October 6 and started recurving to the north. Madeline rapidly intensified to a fantastic central pressure of 941mb with winds of 144 miles per hour. Madeline made landfall in Guerrero on October 8. Guerrero is a state in the United Mexican States. ...

Hurricane Madeline is the second most intense of Pacific hurricane at landfall. Only the unnamed 1959 Mexico Hurricane was more intense.

Tropical Storm Naomi

After almost two weeks of quiet, a tropical depression formed on October 25. It quickly strengthened into a tropical storm. Naomi took an unusual northeasterly track. Naomi made landfall on October 29, and quickly dissipated on the 30th.

1976 storm names

The following names were used for named storms that formed in the eastern Pacific in 1976. This is the last time that this list was used. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.

The central Pacific used names and numbers from the western Pacific typhoon name list. Kate was the only name required.

Retirement

Kathleen was replaced by Kate. Despite the deaths, Liza was not retired. However, this was the last year that this list was used as modern naming began in 1978. Liza has not been used since.

See also

• 1976 Atlantic hurricane season
• 1976 Pacific typhoon season

The 1976 Atlantic hurricane season was an ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. ...

References

• Central Pacific Hurricane Center archive accessed September 26, 2005
• Unisys Weather Archive accessed September 26, 2005
• USA Today: California's tropical storms accessed September 26, 2005

External links

• Central Pacific Hurricane Center archive
• 1976 Unisys Hurricane Archive