&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:LilyAug3119712125UTCESSA9.gif) Hurricane Lily on August 30 around the time it reached hurricane intensity. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | August 28, 1971 |
| Dissipated | August 31, 1971 |
| Category 1 hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 85 mph (140 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 980 mbar (hPa); 28.94 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 12–14 direct |
| Damage | Unknown |
| Areas affected | Mexico |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1971 Pacific hurricane season | |
Hurricane Lily was a short-lived Category 1 hurricane of August 1971 that devastated the city of Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. Forming from an area of cloudiness associated with former Atlantic Tropical Storm Chloe, the storm slowly intensified, building to peak intensity just before landfall northwest of Manzanillo, Colima on August 31. The hurricane quickly weakened and became extratropical. After leaving land, the extratropical remnants of Lily dissipated on September 1. The storm's movement close to land affected shipping due to the limited warning, which was partially set back due to difficulties in clarifying the hurricane's position on radar from reconnaissance aircraft.
The hurricane was Puerto Vallarta's worst in two decades and the second hurricane of the season to heavily impact Mexico after Hurricane Bridget. The storm caused the Cuale River to overflow its banks, inundating the downtown section of Puerto Vallarta with water that was up to 8 feet (2.4 m) deep in some sections. The Mexican army flew in aid after trucks were blocked by flooded roads. The hurricane claimed three lives on the mainland and nine lives when a boat capsized.