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Hurricane Tara (1961)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Tara, also known as Cyclone Tara, was one of the deadliest Pacific hurricane
s on record. The final tropical cyclone
of the 1961 Pacific hurricane season, Tara formed on November 10 about 230 mi (365 km) off the coast of Mexico. It strengthened to reach maximum sustained wind
s of 85 mph (140 km/h) before making landfall
in the Mexican state of Guerrero
near Zihuatanejo
. Hurricane Tara dissipated on November 12, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds to locations inundated by 10 days of precipitation. Damage was light in the major port city of Acapulco
, though further west along the coast, the effects of Tara were much worse. The city of Nuxco in Tecpán de Galeana
municipality
received the most damage and deaths from the hurricane. Throughout Mexico, at least 436 fatalities were reported, and damage exceeded $16 million (1961 USD
, $115 million 2009 USD).
remained nearly stationary off the coast of Acapulco
, Mexico
. It did not have significant convection, although it organized enough to be considered a tropical cyclone
at 0000 UTC
on November 10, about 230 mi (365 km) off the coast of Mexico. By the afternoon of the 10th, it was a tropical depression moving northeastward toward the coastline. Tara intensified, reaching hurricane status and its peak intensity of 85 mph (140 km/h) late on November 11. Early on November 12, Hurricane Tara made landfall
near Zihuatanejo
, Guerrero
, between Acapulco and Manzanillo
, near where Hurricane Iva moved ashore five months earlier. Continuing inland, it was last observed at 1200 UTC on November 12. At the time, it was known as Cyclone Tara, as the term cyclone was the more common equivalent for hurricane
in the region.
, the hurricane killed 116 people, and dozens more were killed in other close villages. Elsewhere in Guerrero, the coastal highway between Acapulco and Zihuatanejo received heavy damage, which later hampered relief efforts; the highway was a priority for storm repairs, with crews working continuously for several days to restore the vital link. Many deaths were reported in coastal towns of Guerrero, although exact death tolls were initially unknown, with many of the towns covered in mud. People received little warning of the hurricane, and many people died while sleeping. In addition, thousands were left homeless by the storm. According to radio reports, a hurricane-related waterspout
wrecked the city of Nuxco
, although the damage was later described as flooding from a lagoon; 225 deaths were reported in Nuxco. Food supplies were depleted in some coastal communities, forcing residents to rely on coconuts that were downed during the hurricane. Overall crop damage in Mexico was unofficially estimated at $16 million (1961 USD, $115 million 2009 USD).
By two days after the storm, the government of Mexico sent two airplanes to Acapulco, where the food, clothing, and medicine were distributed by truck, train, or helicopter to the affected areas. The Mexican government arranged plans to drop food and medical aid into isolated villages, although food supplies were initially insufficient for the great number of people affected by the storm. Five army units and three helicopters were sent to the region to assist in the aftermath, although planes encountered difficulties in landing due to flooded runways. Army soldiers were responsible for rescue operations, while paratroopers were sent to the most affected areas to distribute aid. Despite fears of the spread of disease in the aftermath, prompt work by medical officials prevented any epidemics due to the storm.
The exact death toll was unknown, but believed to be several hundred. About two days after the storm, the official death toll was more than 80. By three days after the storm, the toll rose to 190, and by four days after it made landfall, the official total was 290 deaths; officials estimated the toll could have exceeded 500. Due to downed communications, reports of storm fatalities were slow to spread, though news became more rapid as links were repaired. On November 19, a week after the storm struck, the Mexican Army set the death toll at 436 deaths, with 300 missing; the death toll was the same total reported by the United States Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance in 1993. Overall, Hurricane Tara was the deadliest disaster in 1961, as well as the third deadliest Mexico Pacific hurricane
on record, after a hurricane in 1959
and Hurricane Liza
in 1976.
Pacific hurricane
A Pacific hurricane or tropical storm is a tropical cyclone that develops in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. For organizational purposes, the northern Pacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern, , central , and western...
s on record. The final 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...
of the 1961 Pacific hurricane season, Tara formed on November 10 about 230 mi (365 km) off the coast of Mexico. It strengthened to reach maximum sustained wind
Maximum sustained wind
The maximum sustained winds associated with a tropical cyclone are a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, they are found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unlike gusts, the value of these winds are...
s of 85 mph (140 km/h) before making landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
in the Mexican state of Guerrero
Guerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
near Zihuatanejo
Zihuatanejo
Zihuatanejo or Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, is the fourth-largest city in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Politically the city belongs to the municipality of Zihuatanejo de Azueta in the western part of Guerrero, but both are commonly referred to as Zihuatanejo...
. Hurricane Tara dissipated on November 12, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds to locations inundated by 10 days of precipitation. Damage was light in the major port city 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...
, though further west along the coast, the effects of Tara were much worse. The city of Nuxco in Tecpán de Galeana
Tecpán de Galeana (municipality)
Tecpán de Galeana is one of the 81 municipalities of Guerrero, in south-western Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Tecpán de Galeana. The municipality covers an area of 2,537.8 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 52,848....
municipality
Municipalities of Guerrero
The Mexican state of Guerrero is divided into 81 municipalities :...
received the most damage and deaths from the hurricane. Throughout Mexico, at least 436 fatalities were reported, and damage exceeded $16 million (1961 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....
, $115 million 2009 USD).
Meteorological history
On November 9, a weak circulationAtmospheric circulation
Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale movement of air, and the means by which thermal energy is distributed on the surface of the Earth....
remained nearly stationary off the coast 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
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. It did not have significant convection, although it organized enough to be considered a 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...
at 0000 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
on November 10, about 230 mi (365 km) off the coast of Mexico. By the afternoon of the 10th, it was a tropical depression moving northeastward toward the coastline. Tara intensified, reaching hurricane status and its peak intensity of 85 mph (140 km/h) late on November 11. Early on November 12, Hurricane Tara made landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
near Zihuatanejo
Zihuatanejo
Zihuatanejo or Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, is the fourth-largest city in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Politically the city belongs to the municipality of Zihuatanejo de Azueta in the western part of Guerrero, but both are commonly referred to as Zihuatanejo...
, Guerrero
Guerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
, between Acapulco and Manzanillo
Manzanillo, Colima
The name Manzanillo refers to the city as well as its surrounding municipality in the Mexican state of Colima. The city, located on the Pacific Ocean, contains Mexico's busiest port. Manzanillo was the third port created by the Spanish in the Pacific during the New Spain period...
, near where Hurricane Iva moved ashore five months earlier. Continuing inland, it was last observed at 1200 UTC on November 12. At the time, it was known as Cyclone Tara, as the term cyclone was the more common equivalent for hurricane
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...
in the region.
Impact and aftermath
Hurricane Tara caused severe damage in southern Guerrero where it moved ashore, wrecking at least 10 communities. Heavy rainfall from Tara exacerbated flooding in the area, which was caused by ten days of precipitation preceding the hurricane; the heavy rainfall contaminated drinking water. Strong waves killed a surfer in the Acapulco area. In the city, low-lying areas were inundated with water, causing in excess of $1 million in damage (1961 USD). In nearby Tecpán de GaleanaTecpán de Galeana
Tecpán de Galeana is a city and seat of the municipality of Tecpán de Galeana, in the state of Guerrero, south-western Mexico....
, the hurricane killed 116 people, and dozens more were killed in other close villages. Elsewhere in Guerrero, the coastal highway between Acapulco and Zihuatanejo received heavy damage, which later hampered relief efforts; the highway was a priority for storm repairs, with crews working continuously for several days to restore the vital link. Many deaths were reported in coastal towns of Guerrero, although exact death tolls were initially unknown, with many of the towns covered in mud. People received little warning of the hurricane, and many people died while sleeping. In addition, thousands were left homeless by the storm. According to radio reports, a hurricane-related waterspout
Waterspout
A waterspout is an intense columnar vortex that occurs over a body of water and is connected to a cumuliform cloud. In the common form, it is a non-supercell tornado over water. While it is often weaker than most of its land counterparts, stronger versions spawned by mesocyclones do occur...
wrecked the city of Nuxco
Tecpán de Galeana (municipality)
Tecpán de Galeana is one of the 81 municipalities of Guerrero, in south-western Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Tecpán de Galeana. The municipality covers an area of 2,537.8 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 52,848....
, although the damage was later described as flooding from a lagoon; 225 deaths were reported in Nuxco. Food supplies were depleted in some coastal communities, forcing residents to rely on coconuts that were downed during the hurricane. Overall crop damage in Mexico was unofficially estimated at $16 million (1961 USD, $115 million 2009 USD).
By two days after the storm, the government of Mexico sent two airplanes to Acapulco, where the food, clothing, and medicine were distributed by truck, train, or helicopter to the affected areas. The Mexican government arranged plans to drop food and medical aid into isolated villages, although food supplies were initially insufficient for the great number of people affected by the storm. Five army units and three helicopters were sent to the region to assist in the aftermath, although planes encountered difficulties in landing due to flooded runways. Army soldiers were responsible for rescue operations, while paratroopers were sent to the most affected areas to distribute aid. Despite fears of the spread of disease in the aftermath, prompt work by medical officials prevented any epidemics due to the storm.
The exact death toll was unknown, but believed to be several hundred. About two days after the storm, the official death toll was more than 80. By three days after the storm, the toll rose to 190, and by four days after it made landfall, the official total was 290 deaths; officials estimated the toll could have exceeded 500. Due to downed communications, reports of storm fatalities were slow to spread, though news became more rapid as links were repaired. On November 19, a week after the storm struck, the Mexican Army set the death toll at 436 deaths, with 300 missing; the death toll was the same total reported by the United States Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance in 1993. Overall, Hurricane Tara was the deadliest disaster in 1961, as well as the third deadliest Mexico Pacific hurricane
Pacific hurricane
A Pacific hurricane or tropical storm is a tropical cyclone that develops in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. For organizational purposes, the northern Pacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern, , central , and western...
on record, after a hurricane in 1959
1959 Mexico Hurricane
The 1959 Mexico Hurricane was a devastating tropical cyclone that was one of the worst ever Pacific hurricanes. It impacted the Pacific coast of Mexico in October 1959. It killed at least 1,000 people, and perhaps double that, a record that still stands, and caused at least 280 million...
and Hurricane Liza
Hurricane Liza (1976)
Hurricane Liza was one of the deadliest East Pacific tropical cyclones on record. The seventeenth tropical cyclone, thirteenth named storm, and the eight hurricane of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season, Liza developed from an area of disturbed weather to the southwest of Mexico on September 25...
in 1976.
See also
- Other tropical cyclones of the same nameHurricane TaraThe name Tara has been used for three tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.* Hurricane Tara * 1968's Tropical Storm Tara* 1982's Tropical Storm Tara...