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Tropical Storm Odile (2008)
Encyclopedia
Tropical Storm Odile was a late season tropical storm that formed during the 2008 Pacific hurricane season
and affected parts of southern Mexico
. A tropical depression formed on October 8, and became Tropical Storm Odile 18 hours later. The storm paralleled the south coast of Mexico, with the center located only several miles offshore. After peaking in intensity, increasing southeasterly vertical wind shear
induced a trend of rapid weakening on the storm. Correspondingly, Odile was downgraded to a tropical depression early on 12 October, subsequently degenerating into a remnant low about 55 mi (85 km) south of Manzanillo, Colima
. From thereon, the low proceeded slowly south-southwestward before dissipating on October 13. Since Odile stayed at sea, its effects along coastlines were limited. The most notable damages were caused by flooding along the southern coast of Mexico, mostly in Chiapas
, Oaxaca
, Guerrero
and Michoacán
. The exact amount of damage, however, remains unknown, and no fatalities were reported as a result of the storm.
emerged off the west coast of Africa
on September 23, and merged with the southern end of a decaying frontal system
over the Caribbean Sea
. The combined disturbance gradually split, with the northernmost section eventually become Tropical Storm Marco
. The southernmost end moved into the eastern Pacific
, which then immediately showed signs of organization. The system stalled just south of El Salvador
throughout October 5, where it came under the influence of strong vertical wind shear. The circulation slowly drifted east-northeastward and became absorbed by a neighboring tropical wave, with the broad resultant low re-curving to the west-northwest. In response to relaxing shear aloft, convection
redeveloped around the newly formed center of circulation. It subsequently acquired a sufficiently organized structure and post-analysis found that a tropical depression formed at around 1200 UTC
on October 8. Upon developing, the depression was designated as Sixteen-E about 120 mi (195 km) south-southwest of San Salvador
, El Salvador
, and operationally, advisories were initiated at 2100 UTC — 9 hours after post-analytic estimates of formation.
Despite being in an area with favorable conditions, lack of inner core organization proved difficult for rapid deepening
to occur, and initially, model guidance did not forecast any significant strengthening. Contrary to expectations, satellite imagery
showed a gradual increase in organization later that evening. Bands of convection
deepened in the southern quadrant
, indicating that the storm was steadily strengthening. Located just to the south of a large mid-level ridge
over Mexico
, the system was steered toward the west-northwest, proceeding within a favorable environment. Based on the improved appearance on satellite imagery
, it is estimated the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Odile at 0600 UTC on October 9 about 330 mi (530 km) southeast of Puerto Ángel
, Mexico. Shortly after attaining tropical storm status, Odile began to develop a small area of central dense overcast, and upper-level cirrus
outflow became well-defined within the western semicircle of the storm. Convective banding organized to the south and southwest of the circulation, leading Dvorak T-numbers
to estimate an intensity of at least 50 mile per hour. Based on this estimate, the NHC noted a high chance of further intensification into a minimal hurricane. Odile maintained its intensity, as upper-level outflow of the circulation was reduced to the northeast. Although wind shear initially dislocated the circulation from the main convection, a large burst of convection allowed Odile to intensify slightly further to peak winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) at around 0600 UTC on October 10.
Odile closely paralleled the Mexican coastline. The intensification did not last long, in fact, the convection associated with Odile diminished in the afternoon and its rainbands became rather distorted. Another cluster of convection sprung up that evening, this time with cloud tops colder than -80 °C. The circulation center was well embedded within the convection. As a consequence of the slightly improved organization, Odile had a stronger interaction with the easterlies aloft, therefore increasing forward movement speed. Later that day, an reconnaissance aircraft
passed through Odile and observed a rather weak and disorganized tropical cyclone, resulting in meteorologists at the NHC to change it's forecasts. Early on October 12, Odile made its closest approach to coastline of Mexico, only about 50 mi (80 km) offshore of Guerrero
, Mexico. Increasing southeasterly vertical wind shear took toll on the system. Furthermore, around 0600 UTC, NHC confirmed that Odile weakened into a tropical depression. The last advisory regarding Odile was issued later that day stating that it has subsequently degenerated into a remnant low-pressure area, a swirl of low-level clouds. The remnants of Odile meandered slowly south-southwestward before completely dissipating on October 13.
declared several tropical storm watches and warnings for the Pacific coast of Mexico spanning from Jalisco
to Oaxaca
. They were extended and discontinued as Odile progressed westward. On October 11 at around 2 AM PDT, a hurricane watch was declared for the Pacific coast of Mexico from Tecpán de Galeana
to Punta San Telmo. Six hours later, the hurricane watch was adjusted and in effect for the coast from Zihuatanejo
to Manzanillo
. They were all discontinued later that day as the chance of Odile becoming a hurricane diminished.
On October 8, blue alerts were declared for 118 municipalities in Chiapas
following the minimal threat of tropical storm-force impact. The civil defense
system in the state of Chiapas
warned that the storm could leave up to 5.9 in (15 cm) of rainfall. Shippings were closed in the Port of Chiapas, leaving over 3,000 boats stranded ashore on October 9. Flooding in Acapulco
forced officials to close schools on October 10. Meanwhile, the state government reported that 232 police were ready to provide assistance to citizens in advance of Odile. Civil defense
officials in the state of Guerrero
ordered about 10,000 people to evacuate their homes. On October 11, a yellow alert were declared for the state of Michoacán
, where the civil defense committee also announced that the shelters were opened for schools in the municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas
and the towns of Playa Azul and Guacamayas. Ports in Lázaro Cárdenas were also closed later that day.
On October 10, about 4.8 in (12.2 cm) of rainfall were accumulated in the city of Acapulco
. The torrential rainfall caused flooding which damaged more than 100 houses, with two of them completely destroyed. Excess floodwater collapsed walls and covered roads with mud that reached as much as 2.3 ft (0.70104 m). Nearly 150 homes were inundated with 13 ft (4 m) of water. The flooding is also responsible for causing strong current that had swept away parked vehicles, downing of at least 16 trees and carrying debris to the main streets of the port. Odile also managed to cause damage toward the plumbing and sewage supplies of Acapulco, resulting no clean water access in about fifty communities of the suburban areas of Acapulco for several days. The water levels of Papagayo River
reached its maximum capacity, damaging electrical supplies. In Michoacán
, strong winds resulted 30 downed trees and the collapse of 5 power poles, leaving 10 minutes without electricity for a large part of the city.
2008 Pacific hurricane season
The 2008 Pacific hurricane season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It officially started May 15, 2008 in the eastern Pacific, started on June 1, 2008 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 2008....
and affected parts of southern 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...
. A tropical depression formed on October 8, and became Tropical Storm Odile 18 hours later. The storm paralleled the south coast of Mexico, with the center located only several miles offshore. After peaking in intensity, increasing southeasterly vertical 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...
induced a trend of rapid weakening on the storm. Correspondingly, Odile was downgraded to a tropical depression early on 12 October, subsequently degenerating into a remnant low about 55 mi (85 km) south of Manzanillo, Colima
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...
. From thereon, the low proceeded slowly south-southwestward before dissipating on October 13. Since Odile stayed at sea, its effects along coastlines were limited. The most notable damages were caused by flooding along the southern coast of Mexico, mostly in Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, 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....
and Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
. The exact amount of damage, however, remains unknown, and no fatalities were reported as a result of the storm.
Meteorological history
A tropical waveTropical 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...
emerged off the west 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 September 23, and merged with the southern end of a decaying frontal system
Weather front
A weather front is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena. In surface weather analyses, fronts are depicted using various colored lines and symbols, depending on the type of front...
over the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
. The combined disturbance gradually split, with the northernmost section eventually become Tropical Storm Marco
Tropical Storm Marco (2008)
Tropical Storm Marco was the smallest known tropical cyclone on record. The thirteenth named storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Marco developed out of a broad area of low pressure over the northwestern Caribbean during late September 2008. Influenced by a tropical wave on October 4,...
. The southernmost end moved into the eastern Pacific
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...
, which then immediately showed signs of organization. The system stalled just south of El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
throughout October 5, where it came under the influence of strong vertical wind shear. The circulation slowly drifted east-northeastward and became absorbed by a neighboring tropical wave, with the broad resultant low re-curving to the west-northwest. In response to relaxing shear aloft, convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
redeveloped around the newly formed center of circulation. It subsequently acquired a sufficiently organized structure and post-analysis found that a tropical depression formed at around 1200 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 October 8. Upon developing, the depression was designated as Sixteen-E about 120 mi (195 km) south-southwest of San Salvador
San Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, and operationally, advisories were initiated at 2100 UTC — 9 hours after post-analytic estimates of formation.
Despite being in an area with favorable conditions, lack of inner core organization proved difficult for rapid deepening
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
to occur, and initially, model guidance did not forecast any significant strengthening. Contrary to expectations, satellite imagery
Satellite imagery
Satellite imagery consists of photographs of Earth or other planets made by means of artificial satellites.- History :The first images from space were taken on sub-orbital flights. The U.S-launched V-2 flight on October 24, 1946 took one image every 1.5 seconds...
showed a gradual increase in organization later that evening. Bands of convection
Rainband
A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar imagery, this precipitation elongation is referred to as...
deepened in the southern quadrant
Quadrant
Quadrant may refer to:* A sector equal to one quarter of a circle, or half a semicircle, see Circular sector* The sectors of a two-dimensional cartesian coordinate system, see Cartesian coordinate system#Quadrants and octants...
, indicating that the storm was steadily strengthening. Located just to the south of a large mid-level ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
over 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...
, the system was steered toward the west-northwest, proceeding within a favorable environment. Based on the improved appearance on satellite imagery
Satellite imagery
Satellite imagery consists of photographs of Earth or other planets made by means of artificial satellites.- History :The first images from space were taken on sub-orbital flights. The U.S-launched V-2 flight on October 24, 1946 took one image every 1.5 seconds...
, it is estimated the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Odile at 0600 UTC on October 9 about 330 mi (530 km) southeast of Puerto Ángel
Puerto Ángel
Puerto Ángel is a small coastal town in the Mexican state of Oaxaca located in the municipality of San Pedro Pochutla. It, along with San Agustinillo and Playa Zipolite are known as the "Riviera Oaxaqueña. It is located 9 km south of city of Pochutla fifty km west of Huatulco and eighty km...
, Mexico. Shortly after attaining tropical storm status, Odile began to develop a small area of central dense overcast, and upper-level cirrus
Cirrus cloud
Cirrus clouds are atmospheric clouds generally characterized by thin, wispy strands, giving them their name from the Latin word cirrus meaning a ringlet or curling lock of hair...
outflow became well-defined within the western semicircle of the storm. Convective banding organized to the south and southwest of the circulation, leading Dvorak T-numbers
Dvorak technique
The Dvorak technique is a widely used system to subjectively estimate tropical cyclone intensity based solely on visible and infrared satellite images. Several agencies issue Dvorak intensity numbers for cyclones of sufficient intensity...
to estimate an intensity of at least 50 mile per hour. Based on this estimate, the NHC noted a high chance of further intensification into a minimal hurricane. Odile maintained its intensity, as upper-level outflow of the circulation was reduced to the northeast. Although wind shear initially dislocated the circulation from the main convection, a large burst of convection allowed Odile to intensify slightly further to peak winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) at around 0600 UTC on October 10.
Odile closely paralleled the Mexican coastline. The intensification did not last long, in fact, the convection associated with Odile diminished in the afternoon and its rainbands became rather distorted. Another cluster of convection sprung up that evening, this time with cloud tops colder than -80 °C. The circulation center was well embedded within the convection. As a consequence of the slightly improved organization, Odile had a stronger interaction with the easterlies aloft, therefore increasing forward movement speed. Later that day, an reconnaissance aircraft
Hurricane Hunters
The Hurricane Hunters are aircraft that fly into tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic Ocean and Northeastern Pacific Ocean for the specific purpose of directly measuring weather data in and around those storms. In the United States, the Air Force, Navy, and NOAA units have all participated in...
passed through Odile and observed a rather weak and disorganized tropical cyclone, resulting in meteorologists at the NHC to change it's forecasts. Early on October 12, Odile made its closest approach to coastline of Mexico, only about 50 mi (80 km) offshore 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....
, Mexico. Increasing southeasterly vertical wind shear took toll on the system. Furthermore, around 0600 UTC, NHC confirmed that Odile weakened into a tropical depression. The last advisory regarding Odile was issued later that day stating that it has subsequently degenerated into a remnant low-pressure area, a swirl of low-level clouds. The remnants of Odile meandered slowly south-southwestward before completely dissipating on October 13.
Preparations and impact
Throughout Odile's existence, the National Weather Service of MexicoServicio Meteorológico Nacional
The Servicio Meteorológico Nacional is Mexico's national weather organization. It collects data and issues forecasts, advisories, and warnings for the entire country.-History:...
declared several tropical storm watches and warnings for the Pacific coast of Mexico spanning from Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
to Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
. They were extended and discontinued as Odile progressed westward. On October 11 at around 2 AM PDT, a hurricane watch was declared for the Pacific coast of Mexico from Tecpán de Galeana
Tecpán 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....
to Punta San Telmo. Six hours later, the hurricane watch was adjusted and in effect for the coast from 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...
to 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...
. They were all discontinued later that day as the chance of Odile becoming a hurricane diminished.
On October 8, blue alerts were declared for 118 municipalities in Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
following the minimal threat of tropical storm-force impact. The civil defense
Civil defense
Civil defense, civil defence or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state from military attack. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, or emergency evacuation, and recovery...
system in the state of Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
warned that the storm could leave up to 5.9 in (15 cm) of rainfall. Shippings were closed in the Port of Chiapas, leaving over 3,000 boats stranded ashore on October 9. Flooding in 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...
forced officials to close schools on October 10. Meanwhile, the state government reported that 232 police were ready to provide assistance to citizens in advance of Odile. Civil defense
Civil defense
Civil defense, civil defence or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state from military attack. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, or emergency evacuation, and recovery...
officials in the 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....
ordered about 10,000 people to evacuate their homes. On October 11, a yellow alert were declared for the state of Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
, where the civil defense committee also announced that the shelters were opened for schools in the municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas
Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán
Lázaro Cárdenas is a port city that with its surrounding municipality is located in the southern part of the Mexican state of Michoacán. It was formerly known as Los Llanitos, but changed its name as a tribute to Lázaro Cárdenas del Río, a Michoacán-born politician who was president of Mexico from...
and the towns of Playa Azul and Guacamayas. Ports in Lázaro Cárdenas were also closed later that day.
On October 10, about 4.8 in (12.2 cm) of rainfall were accumulated in the 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...
. The torrential rainfall caused flooding which damaged more than 100 houses, with two of them completely destroyed. Excess floodwater collapsed walls and covered roads with mud that reached as much as 2.3 ft (0.70104 m). Nearly 150 homes were inundated with 13 ft (4 m) of water. The flooding is also responsible for causing strong current that had swept away parked vehicles, downing of at least 16 trees and carrying debris to the main streets of the port. Odile also managed to cause damage toward the plumbing and sewage supplies of Acapulco, resulting no clean water access in about fifty communities of the suburban areas of Acapulco for several days. The water levels of Papagayo River
Papagayo River
-References:*Atlas of Mexico, 1975 .*The Prentice Hall American World Atlas, 1984.*Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993....
reached its maximum capacity, damaging electrical supplies. In Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
, strong winds resulted 30 downed trees and the collapse of 5 power poles, leaving 10 minutes without electricity for a large part of the city.
See also
- 2008 Pacific hurricane season2008 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 2008 Pacific hurricane season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It officially started May 15, 2008 in the eastern Pacific, started on June 1, 2008 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 2008....
- Timeline of the 2008 Pacific hurricane seasonTimeline of the 2008 Pacific hurricane seasonBelow is the Timeline of the 2008 Pacific hurricane season, documenting all the storm formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, as well as dissipation. The 2008 Pacific hurricane season officially began on May 15, 2008, and will last until November 30. For...
- Other storms of the same nameHurricane OdileThe name Odile has been used for two tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.* 1984's Hurricane Odile* 1990's Hurricane Odile* Tropical Storm Odile...