 Tropical Storm Alma approaching Nicaragua on May 29 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 29, 2008 |
| Dissipated | May 30, 2008 |
| Tropical storm | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 65 mph (100 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 994 mbar (hPa); 29.35 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 4 direct, 7 indirect |
| Damage | $35 million (2008 USD) |
| Areas affected | Central America |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2008 Pacific hurricane season | |
Tropical Storm Alma was the easternmost forming Pacific tropical cyclone on record. It formed within the monsoon trough just off the coast of Costa Rica on May 29. Initially forecast to remain a weak tropical storm, the cyclone rapidly strengthened and developed an eye, before making landfall on May 29 in Nicaragua, near León, with peak winds of 65 mph (105 km/h). Alma degenerated into a remnant low on May 30, before merging with another approaching tropical wave in the Gulf of Honduras shortly afterward, which became Tropical Storm Arthur on the next day. Alma was the first tropical storm on record to strike the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. In Costa Rica, heavy rainfall caused flooding and landslides, killing two and causing $35 million (USD) in damage. Three people were killed in Nicaragua, one from drowning and two others from electrocution. Five others died in Honduras from an aviation accident likely related to the storm and one other was swept away in floodwaters.