 Hurricane Martha just north of Panama on November 21 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | November 21, 1969 |
| Dissipated | November 25, 1969 |
| Category 1 hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 90 mph (150 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 979 mbar (hPa); 28.91 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 5 direct |
| Damage | $30 million (1969 USD) |
| Areas affected | Panama, Costa Rica |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1969 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Martha was the only known tropical cyclone to make landfall in Panama.[1] The eighteenth named storm and twelfth hurricane of the 1969 Atlantic hurricane season, Martha developed in the southwestern Caribbean Sea on November 21. Initially, the storm developed with sustained winds of 50 mph (80 km/h), skipping tropical depression status. It remained stationary and quickly intensified into a hurricane. Martha attained maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (140 km/h) on November 22. Subsequently, Martha weakened and drifted southward. On November 24, Martha made landfall in Veraguas Province, Panama, as a strong tropical storm. The system weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated over land on November 25.
Because the storm weakened prior to landfall, strong winds were not expected or reported in the impacted countries. In Panama, more than 13 inches (330 mm) of precipitation may have fallen in some areas. Agricultural land was flooded in Almirante, Bocas del Toro and streets became inundated in low-lying areas of Puerto Armuelles, Chiriquí. The storm also brought significant rains to Costa Rica. Flooding and mudslides isolated most of the capital city of San José. Numerous streets were inundated in Golfito. Damage in Costa Rica reached $30 million (1969 USD) and five deaths were reported.
- ^ Jeff Masters (November 16, 2009). "The Atlantic hurricane season is effectively over; heavy rains in the Northwest". Weather Underground. Archived from the original on November 19, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2013.