Tropical Storm Chris (2024)

Tropical Storm Chris
Tropical Storm Chris near peak intensity as it approached the coast of Veracruz early on July 1
Meteorological history
FormedJune 30, 2024
DissipatedJuly 1, 2024
Tropical storm
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds45 mph (75 km/h)
Lowest pressure1005 mbar (hPa); 29.68 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities6 (5 direct, 1 indirect)
Damage>$1 million (2024 USD)
Areas affectedMexico[1][2][3][4]
Part of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season

Tropical Storm Chris was a weak and very short-lived tropical cyclone that brought heavy rainfall and flooding to parts of Mexico in early July 2024. The third named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season,[5] Chris developed from a tropical wave that was first noted by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) on June 24. The wave struggled to organize as it moved westward across the Caribbean Sea and crossed the Yucatán Peninsula on June 30. Upon entering the Bay of Campeche, the wave coalesced into a tropical depression on June 30. Located within a favorable environment for strengthening, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Chris about six hours later. Shortly thereafter, Chris moved ashore near Alto Lucero, Veracruz. Chris rapidly weakened over the mountainous terrain of East Mexico and dissipated on July 1.

Chris prompted yellow alerts for northern and central Veracruz, later bringing heavy rainfall to parts of Mexico that had already been saturated by Tropical Storm Alberto earlier in June. Rainfall totals reached up to 11.5 in (292 mm) in Acatlán. Flooding occurred in parts of Veracruz, Tamaulipas, Hidalgo, and the State of Mexico, forcing the evacuation of dozens of households. A man was killed in San Salvador, Hidalgo, after a dwelling was buried by a mudslide. In addition, four police officers drowned in Tepetlán, Veracruz, during damage surveys after their vehicle was swept away by a river, and an elderly woman was fatally electrocuted in Tampico, Tamaulipas. In the aftermath of Chris, Plan DN-III-E, a disaster rescue and relief plan, was implemented in the State of Mexico to clear flooding from Lake Texcoco. Pumping equipment was also used to clear standing water from highways without drainage and victims of storm damage in Chiapas were provided with food and supplies. Damage from Chris is estimated to be in the millions of dollars.[4]

  1. ^ Contreras, Enya M. (July 3, 2024). "Mueren cuatro policías arrastrados por un río tras paso de la tormenta tropical "Chris" en Veracruz". El Imparcial. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  2. ^ "Reportan un muerto y 200 personas evacuadas por 'Chris' en Hidalgo". El Universal (in Spanish). Expreso. July 2, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Jornada1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Tomáš Čejka; Antonio Elizondo; Ondřej Hotový; Michal Lörinc. Global Catastrophe Recap First Half 2024 (PDF). AON Benfield (Report). Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  5. ^ John Keefe (July 1, 2024). "Tropical Storm Chris Makes Landfall in Eastern Mexico". The Mew York Times. New York City, New York. Retrieved July 10, 2024.