&sq=&lang=&file=File:Ileana_2018-08-05_1725Z.jpg) Tropical Storm Ileana near peak intensity off the western coast of Mexico on August 5 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | August 4, 2018 |
| Dissipated | August 7, 2018 |
| Tropical storm | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 65 mph (100 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 998 mbar (hPa); 29.47 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 8 |
| Damage | $737,000 (2018 USD) |
| Areas affected | Western Mexico |
| IBTrACS / [1] | |
Part of the 2018 Pacific hurricane season | |
Tropical Storm Ileana was a small tropical cyclone that affected western Mexico in early August 2018,[1] causing deadly flooding. The eleventh tropical cyclone and ninth named storm of the 2018 Pacific hurricane season, Ileana originated from a tropical wave that the National Hurricane Center began monitoring on July 26 as the wave left the west coast of Africa. The wave traveled across the Atlantic Ocean with no thunderstorm activity, before crossing into the Eastern Pacific Ocean early on August 4. Rapidly developing, the disturbance organized into a tropical depression on the evening of the same day. Initially, the depression was well-defined, but it soon degraded due to northerly wind shear. Despite the unfavorable conditions, the system began to strengthen on August 5, becoming Tropical Storm Ileana. A day later, on August 6, Ileana began to develop an eyewall structure as it reached its peak intensity with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a pressure of 998 mbar (29.47 inHg). The storm gradually became intertwined with the nearby Hurricane John; over the next day, the circulation of John disrupted Ileana before ultimately absorbing it on August 7.
Ileana prompted the issuance of multiple watches and warnings along the coast of Baja California Sur and the Pacific coast of Mexico. The system paralleled the Pacific coast for much of its existence. Ileana caused a total of eight deaths in Mexico; four people were killed in Guerrero and another four died in Chiapas. Flooding also ensued in the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Mexico.