Timeline of the 1995 Pacific hurricane season

Timeline of the
1995 Pacific hurricane season
A map of the Pacific Ocean depicting the track of the 11 tropical cyclones in 1995.
Season summary map
Season boundaries
First system formedMay 21, 1995
Last system dissipatedSeptember 26, 1995
Strongest system
NameJuliette
Maximum winds150 mph (240 km/h)
(1-minute sustained)
Lowest pressure930 mbar (hPa; 27.46 inHg)
Longest lasting system
NameBarbara
Duration10.50 days
Storm articles
Other years
1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997

The 1995 Pacific hurricane season consisted of the events that occurred in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation over the Pacific Ocean north of the equator and east of the International Date Line. The official bounds of each Pacific hurricane season are dates that conventionally delineate the period each year during which tropical cyclones tend to form in the basin according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), beginning on May 15 in the Eastern Pacific proper (east of 140°W) and June 1 in the Central Pacific (140°W to the International Date Line), and ending on November 30 in both areas. However, tropical cyclogenesis is possible at any time of year.[1] Activity during the season was below average;[nb 1] only eleven tropical depressions developed, of which ten strengthened into named tropical storms. Seven became hurricanes, of which three further intensified into major hurricanes.[nb 2][2] Hurricane Barbara was the only tropical cyclone to exist in the Central Pacific in 1995, entering the region as a weak system near dissipation.[3] The first system, Tropical Depression One-E, formed on May 21; the final, Hurricane Juliette, dissipated on September 26, making this season the first since the beginning of the satellite era in which no tropical cyclones were active after September.[2][4]

The vast majority of damage and casualties during the season resulted from Hurricane Ismael in mid-September. It was initially expected to move slowly to the west or northwest, which would have kept it over open ocean. Instead, it accelerated northward and struck northwestern Mexico, catching many in its path unprepared.[5] High seas damaged or destroyed fifty-two fishing boats, killing fifty-seven fishermen.[6] On land, strong winds and severe flooding caused heavy damage and killed fifty-nine people in the Mexican state of Sinaloa.[7] The name Ismael was later retired on account of the hurricane's disastrous effects.[8] Two other hurricanes, Flossie and Henriette, adversely affected land. Flossie in August remained off the coast of Mexico but passed close enough to cause gusty winds and flooding rains; seven people died.[9] An eighth death occurred after Flossie helped generate severe thunderstorms and flash floods in Arizona.[10] In early September, Henriette made landfall at peak intensity on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula before continuing westward out to sea; it caused moderate damage, but no known fatalities.[11]

Prior to 2015, two time zones were utilized in the Eastern Pacific basin: Pacific east of 140°W, and Hawaii−Aleutian from 140°W to the International Date Line.[12][13] For convenience, each event is listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) first, using the 24-hour clock (where 00:00 = midnight UTC),[14] with the respective local time included in parentheses. Figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest five units (knots, miles, or kilometers) and averaged over one minute, following National Hurricane Center practice. Direct wind observations are rounded to the nearest whole number. Atmospheric pressures are listed to the nearest millibar and nearest hundredth of an inch of mercury. This timeline documents the formation of tropical cyclones as well as the strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. It also includes information that was not released while the storm was active, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center is included.

  1. ^ a b c "Tropical Cyclone Climatology". Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on April 1, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  2. ^ a b National Hurricane Center; Hurricane Research Division; Central Pacific Hurricane Center (April 26, 2024). "The Northeast and North Central Pacific hurricane database 1949–2023". United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. A guide on how to read the database is available here. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ Hablutzel, Benjamin C.; Rosendal, Hans E.; Trapp, Glenn H.; Hoag, Jonathan D. (April 1996). 1995 Tropical Cyclones, Central North Pacific (PDF) (NOAA Technical Memorandum NWSTM PR-42). Honolulu, Hawaii: National Weather Service. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  4. ^ Rappaport, Edward N.; Avila, Lixion A.; Lawrence, Miles B.; Mayfield, Max; Pasch, Richard J. (May 1, 1998). "Eastern North Pacific Hurricane Season of 1995". Monthly Weather Review. 126 (5). American Meteorological Society: 1152–1162. Bibcode:1998MWRv..126.1152R. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1998)126<1152:ENPHSO>2.0.CO;2. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024.
  5. ^ Mayfield, Max (November 19, 1995). Preliminary Report: Hurricane Ismael (PDF) (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  6. ^ Bitrán Bitrán, Daniel (October 2001). Caracterásticas del Impacto Socioeconómico de los Principales Desastres Ocurridos en México en el Período 1980–99 (PDF) (Report) (in Spanish). Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 18, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  7. ^ El Presidente de la Comisión Nacional (July 30, 1996). La Recomendación 64/96, del 30 de julio de 1996 por Huracan Ismael (Report) (in Spanish). Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  8. ^ "Which Hurricane Names Have Been Retired?". Miami, Florida: Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Archived from the original on July 16, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  9. ^ Rappaport, Edward N. (December 4, 1995). Preliminary Report: Hurricane Flossie (PDF) (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  10. ^ "Rain, Wind Lash Tucson; Flood Kills Motorist". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Associated Press. August 12, 1995. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  11. ^ Lawrence, Miles B. (November 28, 1995). Preliminary Report: Hurricane Henriette (PDF) (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  12. ^ "NHC Tropical Cyclone Text Product Descriptions". Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on July 10, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  13. ^ "Update on NHC Products and Services for 2015" (PDF). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. March 26, 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  14. ^ "Understanding the Date/Time Stamps". Silver Spring, Maryland: National Weather Service. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2024.


Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).