&sq=&lang=&file=File:Katia_2017-09-08_1930Z.jpg) Hurricane Katia at peak intensity prior to landfall in Mexico on September 8 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 5, 2017 |
| Dissipated | September 9, 2017 |
| Category 2 hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 105 mph (165 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 972 mbar (hPa); 28.70 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 3 direct |
| Damage | $3.26 million (2017 USD) |
| Areas affected | Eastern Mexico |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Katia was a strong tropical cyclone which became the most intense storm to hit the Bay of Campeche since Karl in 2010. The eleventh named storm and sixth hurricane of the exceptionally active 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, Katia originated on September 5, out of a broad low-pressure area that formed in the Bay of Campeche. Located in an area of weak steering currents, Katia meandered around in the region, eventually intensifying into a hurricane on September 6. The nascent storm eventually peaked as a 105 mph (165 km/h) Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale while it began to move southwestward. However, land interaction began to weaken the hurricane as it approached the Gulf Coast of Mexico. Early on September 9, Katia made landfall near Tecolutla at minimal hurricane intensity. The storm quickly dissipated several hours later, although its mid-level circulation remained intact and later spawned what would become Hurricane Otis in the Eastern Pacific.
At least 53 municipalities in Mexico were affected by Katia. Heavy rainfall left flooding and numerous mudslides, with 65 mudslides in the city of Xalapa alone. Although damage estimates were unknown, preliminary reports indicated that 370 homes were flooded. Three deaths were confirmed to have been related to the hurricane, with two from mudslides and one from being swept away in floodwaters. Approximately 77,000 people were left without power at the height of the storm. Coincidentally, the storm struck Mexico just days after a major earthquake struck the country, worsening the aftermath and recovery. Hurricane Katia marked the first instance of three simultaneously active hurricanes since 2010. Katia's peak marked the second known time in Atlantic history and the first time since 1893 that three simultaneously active storms were at least of Category 2 strength.