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Hurricane John (1994)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane John formed during the 1994 Pacific hurricane season
and became both the longest-lasting and the farthest-traveling tropical cyclone
ever observed. John formed during the strong El Niño
of 1991 to 1994 and peaked as a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
, the highest categorization for hurricanes.
Over the course of its existence, it followed a 7,165 miles (13,280 km) path from the eastern Pacific to the western Pacific and back to the central Pacific, lasting 31 days in total. Because it existed in both the eastern and western Pacific, John was one of a small number of tropical cyclones to be designated as both a hurricane and a typhoon. Despite lasting for a full month, John barely affected land at all, bringing only minimal effects to the Hawaiian islands
and a United States
military base
on Johnston Atoll
.
' National Hurricane Center
(NHC) later identified the precursor to Hurricane John as a tropical wave
that moved off the coast of Africa
on July 25, 1994. The environment in the Atlantic Ocean
was hostile to tropical development, so the wave continued without developing until reaching the Eastern Pacific on August 8. It slowly organized, and on August 11 was recognized as Tropical Depression Ten-E 300 nautical miles (555.6 km) south-southeast of Acapulco
, Mexico. Conditions were not ideal for development, but it quickly developed banding features and well-defined outflow, and was upgraded to a tropical storm and named Tropical Storm John later that day.
A strong ridge of high pressure over the Northeastern Pacific Ocean forced John westward, where upper level wind shear
kept John a tropical storm. Intensity fluctuated considerably, however, as shear levels varied. More than once, shear cleared away most of the clouds above John and nearly caused it to weaken to a tropical depression. However, after eight days of slow westward movement across the Pacific Ocean
, shear lessened greatly on August 19, and John intensified significantly and was designated as a hurricane at 1700 PDT
. During an eighteen-hour period between August 19 and August 20, John further strengthened from a weak Category 1 hurricane to a major Category 3 hurricane. Around 1100 PDT on August 20, it crossed into the central Pacific, the first of three basin crosses John would make.
After entering the central Pacific, John left the area monitored by the NHC and was instead monitored by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center
(CPHC). As it moved slowly westward, Hurricane John continued to strengthen considerably in an increasingly favorable environment well south of the Hawaiian Islands
; on 22 August John was designated a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
(the highest classification for hurricanes) and later that day (by Hawaii Standard Time
) reached its peak winds of 175 miles per hour (280 km/h). Also on August 22 (by Hawaii Standard Time
), John made its closest approach to the Hawaiian Islands
, 345 miles (500 km) to the south. John had threatened to turn north and affect the islands days before, but the ridge of high pressure that typically shields the islands from hurricanes kept John on its southerly path. Nonetheless, heavy rains and wind from the outer bands of John affected the islands.
With the Hawaiian islands behind it, John began a slow turn to the north, taking near-direct aim at Johnston Atoll
, a small group of islands populated only by a United States
military base. The storm slowly weakened from its peak as a Category 5 hurricane in the face of increasing shear, dropping down to a Category 1 hurricane with 90 miles per hour (145 km/h) maximum winds. On August 25 local time, John made its closest approach to the Johnston Atoll
only 15 miles (24 km) to the north. On Johnston Atoll, sustained winds were reported up to 60 miles per hour (95 km/h), the equivalent of a strong tropical storm, and gusts up to 75 miles per hour (120 km/h) were recorded.
Clearing Johnston Atoll, John turned to the northwest and began strengthening again as shear decreased. On August 27 local time, John reached a secondary peak strength of 135 miles per hour (210 km/h), and shortly thereafter it crossed the International Date Line
at approximately 22° N
and came under the surveillance of the Guam
branch of the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC). By crossing into the western Pacific, John also became a typhoon and was referred to as Typhoon John during its time in the western Pacific. Immediately after crossing the Date Line, John again weakened and its forward motion stalled. By September 1, John had weakened to a tropical storm and was nearly motionless just west of the Date Line. There, John lingered for six days while performing a multi-day counterclockwise loop. On September 7, a trough moved into the area and quickly moved John to the northeast. John crossed the Date Line again on September 8 and reentered the central Pacific.
After reentering the central Pacific, John briefly reached a tertiary peak strength of 90 miles per hour (145 km/h), a strong Category 1 hurricane, well to the north of Midway Island
. However, the trough was rapidly pulling apart John's structure, and the cold waters of the northern central Pacific were not conducive to a tropical cyclone. On September 10, the 120th advisory was released on the system, finally declaring John to have become extratropical approximately 1000 miles (1600 km) south of Unalaska Island
.
(JTWC) had particular difficulty in forecasting and even estimating the strength of John. John weakened considerably after entering the Western North Pacific, and, before estimates were later revised, four consecutive advisories were issued that declared John a tropical depression. Each of these advisories called for imminent dissipation. As John persisted and did not dissipate as the JTWC had predicted, it was upgraded to a minimal tropical storm in the next advisory. At the same time, however, two separate ship reports indicated that John had sustained winds of at least 55 knots (100 km/h, 65 mph), far stronger than the advisory strength of 35 knots (65 km/h, 40 mph). John would go on to restrengthen into a strong Category 1 hurricane after reentering the Central North Pacific, defying all JTWC predictions. After later reanalysis, the JTWC raised the estimated wind speeds of John for every advisory from 1200 UTC September 1 to its final advisory exactly a week later by at least 5 knots (9 km/h, 6 mph) and as much as 25 knots (46 km/h, 29 mph).
and worldwide, surpassing both Hurricane Tina's previous record in the Pacific of 24 days in the 1992 season
and Hurricane San Ciriaco
's previous world record of 28 days in the 1899 Atlantic season
. In addition, despite its slow movement throughout much of its path, John was the farthest-traveling tropical cyclone in both Pacific Ocean and worldwide, with a distance traveled of 7,165 miles (13,280 km), out-distancing previous record holders Hurricane Fico
in the Pacific of 4,700 miles (8,700 km) in the 1978 season
and Hurricane Faith worldwide of 6,850 miles (12,700 km) in the 1966 Atlantic season
.
Pressure readings from John's peak are not consistently available as the CPHC did not monitor pressures at the time, but Air Force Reserve aircraft did measure a surface pressure of 929 mbar
(hPa
), making John one of the most intense hurricanes recorded in the central Pacific; Hurricane Gilma
recorded a lower pressure in the central Pacific earlier in the 1994 season, but with lower wind speeds. (Intensity is measured by minimum central pressure, which correlates with but is not directly linked to wind speeds.) John was also only the third Category 5 hurricane recorded in the central Pacific (the first was Hurricane Patsy
in 1959
and the second, Hurricane Gilma earlier in 1994), and possessed the highest recorded wind speed in a central Pacific hurricane, 175 mph (280 km/h). Since 1994, only one Category 5 hurricane, Hurricane Ioke
, has formed in or entered into the Central Pacific; Ioke, like Gilma, had a lower central pressure but lower wind speeds than John. However, John's pressure record is incomplete; the 929 mbar reading was only measured when the winds were 160 mph; there is no pressure reading when it had winds of 175 mph, so it could have been stronger than Gilma or Ioke.
Additionally, John was only the fifth tropical cyclone to enter the central Pacific from the western Pacific. Hurricane Patsy
and Tropical Storms Virginia, Carmen and Skip in 1959
, 1968
, 1980
and 1985
, respectively, had done so previously.
and Johnston Atoll
, but only lightly. While John passed over 345 miles (550 km) to the south of Hawaii, the islands did experience strengthened trade winds and rough surf along the southeast- and south-facing shores, and, as John moved westward, on west-facing shores as well. The waves, ranging from 6 to 10 ft (1.8 to 3 m) in height, flooded beach parks in Kailua-Kona
. Additionally, heavy rains on the Big Island of Hawaii
caused minor, localized flooding and some short-term road closures. No deaths, injuries or significant damages were reported in Hawaii.
Although John passed within 25 km (15.5 mi) of Johnston Atoll
, it had weakened greatly to a Category 1 system by closest approach. Prior to the storm's arrival, waves between 20 and 30 ft (6.1 and 9.1 m) were reported on the island. Additionally, in the Northern Hemisphere
, the strongest winds and heaviest rain lie to the north of a tropical cyclone, so the atoll, which lay to the south of the storm's path, was spared the brunt of the storm. Nonetheless, the 1,100-man personnel for the United States
military base on Johnston Island had been evacuated to Honolulu as a precaution while John approached. Damage to structures was considerable, but the size of the island and relative functionality of the base led to low damage; monetary losses were estimated at close to $15 million (1994 USD
).
Despite John's record-setting endurance, the name John was not retired following the storm due to the low impact it caused. It was reused in 2000 and 2006, and remains on the list for use in 2012.
1994 Pacific hurricane season
The 1994 Pacific hurricane season officially started on May 15, 1994 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1, 1994 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1994. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean...
and became both the longest-lasting and the farthest-traveling tropical cyclone
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
ever observed. John formed during the strong El Niño
El Niño-Southern Oscillation
El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is a quasiperiodic climate pattern that occurs across the tropical Pacific Ocean roughly every five years...
of 1991 to 1994 and peaked as a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
, the highest categorization for hurricanes.
Over the course of its existence, it followed a 7,165 miles (13,280 km) path from the eastern Pacific to the western Pacific and back to the central Pacific, lasting 31 days in total. Because it existed in both the eastern and western Pacific, John was one of a small number of tropical cyclones to be designated as both a hurricane and a typhoon. Despite lasting for a full month, John barely affected land at all, bringing only minimal effects to the Hawaiian islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
and a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military base
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
on Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean about west of Hawaii. There are four islands located on the coral reef platform, two natural islands, Johnston Island and Sand Island, which have been expanded by coral dredging, as well as North Island and East Island , an additional two...
.
Meteorological history
The United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' National Hurricane Center
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
(NHC) later identified the precursor to Hurricane John as a tropical wave
Tropical wave
Tropical waves, easterly waves, or tropical easterly waves, also known as African easterly waves in the Atlantic region, are a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which move from east to west across the tropics causing areas of...
that moved off the coast of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
on July 25, 1994. The environment in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
was hostile to tropical development, so the wave continued without developing until reaching the Eastern Pacific on August 8. It slowly organized, and on August 11 was recognized as Tropical Depression Ten-E 300 nautical miles (555.6 km) south-southeast of Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
, Mexico. Conditions were not ideal for development, but it quickly developed banding features and well-defined outflow, and was upgraded to a tropical storm and named Tropical Storm John later that day.
A strong ridge of high pressure over the Northeastern Pacific Ocean forced John westward, where upper level wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
kept John a tropical storm. Intensity fluctuated considerably, however, as shear levels varied. More than once, shear cleared away most of the clouds above John and nearly caused it to weaken to a tropical depression. However, after eight days of slow westward movement across the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, shear lessened greatly on August 19, and John intensified significantly and was designated as a hurricane at 1700 PDT
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
. During an eighteen-hour period between August 19 and August 20, John further strengthened from a weak Category 1 hurricane to a major Category 3 hurricane. Around 1100 PDT on August 20, it crossed into the central Pacific, the first of three basin crosses John would make.
After entering the central Pacific, John left the area monitored by the NHC and was instead monitored by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center
Central Pacific Hurricane Center
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center of the United States National Weather Service is the official body responsible for tracking and issuing tropical cyclone warnings, watches, advisories, discussions, and statements for the Central North Pacific Basin...
(CPHC). As it moved slowly westward, Hurricane John continued to strengthen considerably in an increasingly favorable environment well south of the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
; on 22 August John was designated a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
(the highest classification for hurricanes) and later that day (by Hawaii Standard Time
Hawaii-Aleutian time zone
The Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone observes Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time , by subtracting ten hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 150th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory....
) reached its peak winds of 175 miles per hour (280 km/h). Also on August 22 (by Hawaii Standard Time
Hawaii-Aleutian time zone
The Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone observes Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time , by subtracting ten hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 150th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory....
), John made its closest approach to the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
, 345 miles (500 km) to the south. John had threatened to turn north and affect the islands days before, but the ridge of high pressure that typically shields the islands from hurricanes kept John on its southerly path. Nonetheless, heavy rains and wind from the outer bands of John affected the islands.
With the Hawaiian islands behind it, John began a slow turn to the north, taking near-direct aim at Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean about west of Hawaii. There are four islands located on the coral reef platform, two natural islands, Johnston Island and Sand Island, which have been expanded by coral dredging, as well as North Island and East Island , an additional two...
, a small group of islands populated only by a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military base. The storm slowly weakened from its peak as a Category 5 hurricane in the face of increasing shear, dropping down to a Category 1 hurricane with 90 miles per hour (145 km/h) maximum winds. On August 25 local time, John made its closest approach to the Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean about west of Hawaii. There are four islands located on the coral reef platform, two natural islands, Johnston Island and Sand Island, which have been expanded by coral dredging, as well as North Island and East Island , an additional two...
only 15 miles (24 km) to the north. On Johnston Atoll, sustained winds were reported up to 60 miles per hour (95 km/h), the equivalent of a strong tropical storm, and gusts up to 75 miles per hour (120 km/h) were recorded.
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
at approximately 22° N
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
and came under the surveillance of the Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
branch of the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC). By crossing into the western Pacific, John also became a typhoon and was referred to as Typhoon John during its time in the western Pacific. Immediately after crossing the Date Line, John again weakened and its forward motion stalled. By September 1, John had weakened to a tropical storm and was nearly motionless just west of the Date Line. There, John lingered for six days while performing a multi-day counterclockwise loop. On September 7, a trough moved into the area and quickly moved John to the northeast. John crossed the Date Line again on September 8 and reentered the central Pacific.
After reentering the central Pacific, John briefly reached a tertiary peak strength of 90 miles per hour (145 km/h), a strong Category 1 hurricane, well to the north of Midway Island
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
. However, the trough was rapidly pulling apart John's structure, and the cold waters of the northern central Pacific were not conducive to a tropical cyclone. On September 10, the 120th advisory was released on the system, finally declaring John to have become extratropical approximately 1000 miles (1600 km) south of Unalaska Island
Unalaska Island
Unalaska is an island in the Fox Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in the U.S. state of Alaska, at . The island has a land area of . The city of Unalaska, Alaska, covers part of the island and all of neighboring Amaknak Island where the Port of Dutch Harbor is located...
.
Forecasting difficulties
During John's time in Western North Pacific, the Joint Typhoon Warning CenterJoint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) had particular difficulty in forecasting and even estimating the strength of John. John weakened considerably after entering the Western North Pacific, and, before estimates were later revised, four consecutive advisories were issued that declared John a tropical depression. Each of these advisories called for imminent dissipation. As John persisted and did not dissipate as the JTWC had predicted, it was upgraded to a minimal tropical storm in the next advisory. At the same time, however, two separate ship reports indicated that John had sustained winds of at least 55 knots (100 km/h, 65 mph), far stronger than the advisory strength of 35 knots (65 km/h, 40 mph). John would go on to restrengthen into a strong Category 1 hurricane after reentering the Central North Pacific, defying all JTWC predictions. After later reanalysis, the JTWC raised the estimated wind speeds of John for every advisory from 1200 UTC September 1 to its final advisory exactly a week later by at least 5 knots (9 km/h, 6 mph) and as much as 25 knots (46 km/h, 29 mph).
Records
Its 31-day existence made John the longest-lasting tropical cyclone recorded in both the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and worldwide, surpassing both Hurricane Tina's previous record in the Pacific of 24 days in the 1992 season
1992 Pacific hurricane season
The 1992 Pacific hurricane season was the most active Pacific hurricane season on record. The most notable storm was Hurricane Iniki, which caused billions of dollars of damage to the Hawaiian Islands. Hurricanes Lester, Virgil, Winifred, and Orlene also made landfall and killed several people, but...
and Hurricane San Ciriaco
1899 Hurricane San Ciriaco
1899 San Ciriaco hurricane, also known as the 1899 Puerto Rico Hurricane, was the longest-lived Atlantic hurricane and the eleventh deadliest tropical cyclone in the basin. It was an intense and long-lived Atlantic Cape Verde-type hurricane which crossed Puerto Rico over the two day period August 8...
's previous world record of 28 days in the 1899 Atlantic season
1899 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1899 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and the first half of fall in 1899. The season was average, with 9 tropical storms, of which 5 became hurricanes and only two became major hurricanes....
. In addition, despite its slow movement throughout much of its path, John was the farthest-traveling tropical cyclone in both Pacific Ocean and worldwide, with a distance traveled of 7,165 miles (13,280 km), out-distancing previous record holders Hurricane Fico
Hurricane Fico
Hurricane Fico was the longest-lived hurricane of the 1978 Pacific hurricane season and at the time was the longest-lasting Pacific hurricane on record, the record being held today by Hurricane John of 1994. The sixth tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and third major hurricane, Fico developed from...
in the Pacific of 4,700 miles (8,700 km) in the 1978 season
1978 Pacific hurricane season
The 1978 Pacific hurricane season officially began May 15, 1978, in the eastern Pacific, June 1, 1978 in the central Pacific, and officially ended 30 November 1978. These dates conventionally delimit the period of time when tropical cyclones form in the eastern north Pacific Ocean.Activity this...
and Hurricane Faith worldwide of 6,850 miles (12,700 km) in the 1966 Atlantic season
1966 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1966 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1966, and lasted until November 30, 1966. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The 1966 season was near normal with eleven tropical storms...
.
Pressure readings from John's peak are not consistently available as the CPHC did not monitor pressures at the time, but Air Force Reserve aircraft did measure a surface pressure of 929 mbar
Bar (unit)
The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. Other units derived from the bar are the megabar , kilobar , decibar , centibar , and millibar...
(hPa
Pascal (unit)
The pascal is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is a measure of force per unit area, defined as one newton per square metre...
), making John one of the most intense hurricanes recorded in the central Pacific; Hurricane Gilma
Hurricane Gilma (1994)
Hurricane Gilma was one the most intense Pacific hurricanes on record and the second of three Category 5 hurricanes during the active 1994 Pacific hurricane season. Developing from a westward tracking tropical wave over the open waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean on July 21, the pre-Gilma...
recorded a lower pressure in the central Pacific earlier in the 1994 season, but with lower wind speeds. (Intensity is measured by minimum central pressure, which correlates with but is not directly linked to wind speeds.) John was also only the third Category 5 hurricane recorded in the central Pacific (the first was Hurricane Patsy
Hurricane Patsy (1959)
Hurricane Patsy was a tropical cyclone of both the 1959 Pacific typhoon season and the 1959 Pacific hurricane season...
in 1959
1959 Pacific hurricane season
The 1959 Pacific hurricane season featured the first two Category 5 hurricanes ever recorded in the Eastern and Central Pacific basins.During the season, 15 storms developed, 5 of those became hurricanes, and 3 of those became major hurricanes. The strongest of the storms was Hurricane Patsy, which...
and the second, Hurricane Gilma earlier in 1994), and possessed the highest recorded wind speed in a central Pacific hurricane, 175 mph (280 km/h). Since 1994, only one Category 5 hurricane, Hurricane Ioke
Hurricane Ioke
Hurricane Ioke was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Central Pacific...
, has formed in or entered into the Central Pacific; Ioke, like Gilma, had a lower central pressure but lower wind speeds than John. However, John's pressure record is incomplete; the 929 mbar reading was only measured when the winds were 160 mph; there is no pressure reading when it had winds of 175 mph, so it could have been stronger than Gilma or Ioke.
Additionally, John was only the fifth tropical cyclone to enter the central Pacific from the western Pacific. Hurricane Patsy
Hurricane Patsy (1959)
Hurricane Patsy was a tropical cyclone of both the 1959 Pacific typhoon season and the 1959 Pacific hurricane season...
and Tropical Storms Virginia, Carmen and Skip in 1959
1959 Pacific hurricane season
The 1959 Pacific hurricane season featured the first two Category 5 hurricanes ever recorded in the Eastern and Central Pacific basins.During the season, 15 storms developed, 5 of those became hurricanes, and 3 of those became major hurricanes. The strongest of the storms was Hurricane Patsy, which...
, 1968
1968 Pacific hurricane season
The 1968 Pacific hurricane season ties the record for having the most active August in terms of tropical storms. It officially started on May 15, 1968 in the eastern Pacific and June 1 in the central Pacific and lasted until November 30, 1968...
, 1980
1980 Pacific hurricane season
The 1980 Pacific hurricane season was an ongoing event in tropical cyclone meteorology. This season may be described through a series of negatives: no one was killed; no damage was inflicted; and no tropical cyclones made landfall...
and 1985
1985 Pacific hurricane season
The 1985 Pacific hurricane season was an event in tropical cyclone meteorology. It officially started on May 15, 1985 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1, 1985 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1985...
, respectively, had done so previously.
Impact
John affected both the Hawaiian IslandsHawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
and Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean about west of Hawaii. There are four islands located on the coral reef platform, two natural islands, Johnston Island and Sand Island, which have been expanded by coral dredging, as well as North Island and East Island , an additional two...
, but only lightly. While John passed over 345 miles (550 km) to the south of Hawaii, the islands did experience strengthened trade winds and rough surf along the southeast- and south-facing shores, and, as John moved westward, on west-facing shores as well. The waves, ranging from 6 to 10 ft (1.8 to 3 m) in height, flooded beach parks in Kailua-Kona
Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i
Kailua is a census-designated place in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, in the North Kona District of the Island of Hawaii. The population was 11,975 at the 2010 census. It is the center of commerce and of the tourist industry on West Hawaii...
. Additionally, heavy rains on the Big Island of Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
caused minor, localized flooding and some short-term road closures. No deaths, injuries or significant damages were reported in Hawaii.
Although John passed within 25 km (15.5 mi) of Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean about west of Hawaii. There are four islands located on the coral reef platform, two natural islands, Johnston Island and Sand Island, which have been expanded by coral dredging, as well as North Island and East Island , an additional two...
, it had weakened greatly to a Category 1 system by closest approach. Prior to the storm's arrival, waves between 20 and 30 ft (6.1 and 9.1 m) were reported on the island. Additionally, in the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
, the strongest winds and heaviest rain lie to the north of a tropical cyclone, so the atoll, which lay to the south of the storm's path, was spared the brunt of the storm. Nonetheless, the 1,100-man personnel for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military base on Johnston Island had been evacuated to Honolulu as a precaution while John approached. Damage to structures was considerable, but the size of the island and relative functionality of the base led to low damage; monetary losses were estimated at close to $15 million (1994 USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
).
Despite John's record-setting endurance, the name John was not retired following the storm due to the low impact it caused. It was reused in 2000 and 2006, and remains on the list for use in 2012.
See also
- List of tropical cyclones
- List of Category 5 Pacific hurricanes