 This weather satellite image of Tropical Storm Kathleen was taken on September 9, 1976 at 0415 UTC | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 7, 1976 |
| Dissipated | September 11, 1976 |
| Category 1 hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 80 mph (130 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 986 mbar (hPa); 29.12 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 10 direct, 2 indirect |
| Damage | $160 million (1976 USD) |
| Areas affected | Baja California Peninsula, Southern California, Arizona, Nevada |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season | |
Hurricane Kathleen was a Category 1 Pacific hurricane that had a destructive impact in California. On September 7, 1976, a tropical depression formed; two days later it accelerated north towards the Baja California Peninsula. Kathleen brushed the Pacific coast of the peninsula as a hurricane on September 9 and made landfall as a fast-moving tropical storm the next day. With its circulation intact and still a tropical storm, Kathleen headed north into the United States and affected California and Arizona. Kathleen finally dissipated late on September 11.
Damage in the United States was considerable. California received record rainfall, with over a foot of rain falling in some areas. Flooding caused catastrophic destruction to Ocotillo, and six people drowned.[1] Flooding extended west; railway tracks were destroyed in Palm Desert and high winds and severe flooding were recorded in Arizona. Overall, the damage total was $160 million (1976 USD, about $760 million in 2023) and 12 deaths were attributed to the storm.
- ^ Duginski, Paul (August 22, 2019). "Could a hurricane lash Los Angeles? 80 years ago, this deadly storm came close". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 28, 2019.