ABUS34 KLAX 250605
PNSLAX
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OXNARD CA
1105 PM PDT TUE SEP 24 1997

1...YEARS WITH MULTIPLE TROPICAL CYCLONES THAT HAVE AFFECTED SOUTHERN 
CALIFORNIA THIS CENTURY...

2...LATEST DATE OF OCCURRENCE FOR TROPICAL CYCLONES IMPACTING SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA...

2...EASTERN PACIFIC TROPICAL CYCLONES THAT HAVE REACHED THE
SOUTHWESTERN STATES AT TROPICAL STORM FORCE...



1...THERE HAVE NOW BEEN 7 YEARS THIS CENTURY IN WHICH MULTIPLE TROPICAL
CYCLONES HAVE IMPACTED SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. SIX OF THE SEVEN WERE
EL NINO YEARS WITH FOUR OF THOSE SIX STRONG EL NINO'S. THE
REMAINING YEAR WAS A LA NINA YEAR.

YEARMONTH(S) OF STORMSCOMMENTS

1921AUG / SEPTLA NINA
1939SEPT (4)EL NINO
1972SEPT / OCTSTRONG EL NINO
1977SEPT / OCTEL NINO
1982SEPT (2)STRONG EL NINO
1983SEPT / OCTSTRONG EL NINO
1997AUG / SEPT (2)STRONG EL NINO

LISTED BELOW ARE A SUMMARY OF THE EFFECTS ON SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
FROM STORMS IN YEARS WITH MULITPLE TROPICAL CYCLONES IMPACTING
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PRIOR TO 1997.

...AUGUST 1921...
THE REMNANTS OF A TROPICAL CYCLONE TRACKED NORTHWARD INTO WESTERN
ARIZONA FROM CENTRAL BAJA CALIFORNIA GENERATING RAINFALL OF UP TO 2
INCHES IN THE DESERTS AND SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 
ON THE 20TH AND 21ST. THIS OCCURRED DURING THE LA NINA OF 1920-21.

...SEPTEMBER 1921...
THE REMNANTS OF A TROPICAL CYCLONE TRACKED NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS
NORTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA INTO SOUTHWEST ARIZONA PRODUCING RAINFALL
OF UP TO 4 INCHES IN THE DESERTS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ON THE
30TH. THIS OCCURRED DURING THE LA NINA OF 1920-21.

...SEPTEMBER 1939...
FOUR STORMS IMPACTED SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THAT MONTH. THE REMNANTS
OF A HURRICANE TRACKED NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN BAJA
CALIFORNIA INTO SOUTHWEST ARIZONA GENERATING RAINFALL OF UP TO 7
INCHES IN THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHERN AND EASTERN DESERTS
OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ON THE 4TH THROUGH 7TH WITH THE HEAVIEST
RAIN ON THE 5TH AND 6TH. BLYTHE RECEIVED MORE RAIN THAN WOULD 
NORMALLY FALL IN ONE YEAR AND IMPERIAL RECEIVED MORE RAIN THAN 
WOULD NORMALLY FALL IN TWO YEARS.

THE REMNANTS OF A SECOND TROPICAL CYCLONE TRACKED NORTHEASTWARD 
ACROSS NORTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA INTO SOUTHWEST ARIZONA. MOISTURE
FROM THIS TROPICAL CYCLONE INTERACTED WITH AN UPPER TROUGH TO THE
NORTH GENERATING RAINFALL OF UP TO 4 INCHES IN THE DESERTS AND
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ON THE 11TH
AND 12TH.

A TROPICAL CYLONE MOVING NORTHWESTWARD...JUST OFF THE WEST COAST OF
MEXICO...MOVED INTO SOUTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA AND DISSIPATED. THE
MOISTURE FROM THIS TROPICAL CYCLONE GENERATED RAINFALL OF UP TO 3
INCHES IN THE DESERTS AND CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS OF
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ON THE 19TH THROUGH 21ST.

NEAR THE END OF THE MONTH...A TROPICAL CYCLONE MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST MOVED ONSHORE AT LONG BEACH AT TROPICAL STORM STORM
STRENGTH WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 50 MPH. THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN
EASTERN PACIFIC TROPICAL CYCLONE TO MOVE ONSHORE INTO SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA AT TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH. RAINFALL OF 5 INCHES IN THE
LOS ANGELES BASIN AND 6 TO 12 INCHES IN THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS
OCCURRED ON THE 25TH. THE HEAVIEST RAIN IN THE DESERTS OCCURRED THE
DAY BEFORE WITH 6.45 INCHES OF RAIN AT INDIO IN A 6-HOUR PERIOD ON
THE 24TH.

ALL THESE STORMS OCCURRED DURING THE EL NINO OF 1938-39.

...SEPTEMBER 1972...
HURRICANE HYACINTH MOVED AS FAR WEST AS 125W BEFORE RECURVING TO
THE NORTHEAST. THE REMNANTS MADE LANDFALL BETWEEN LOS ANGELES AND
SAN DIEGO ON THE 3RD WITH WINDS OF 25 MPH AND RAINFALL OF UP TO ONE
INCH IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
THIS TROPICAL CYCLONE HOLDS THE DISTINCTION OF TRAVELING THE
FARTHEST WEST BEFORE RECURVING AND MAKING LANDFALL IN SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA. THIS OCCURRED DURING THE EL NINO OF 1972-73. 

...OCTOBER 1972...
HURRICANE JOANNE RECURVED MAKING LANDFALL IN NORTHERN BAJA
CALIFORNIA AND MAINTAINING TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH INTO ARIZONA AND
GENERATING RAINFALL UP TO 2 INCHES IN THE SOUTHEAST DESERTS OF
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ON THE 6TH. THIS OCCURRED DURING THE STRONG EL 
NINO OF 1972-73. 

...AUGUST 1977...
HURRICANE DOREEN TRACKED NORTH NORTHWESTWARD ALONG THE WEST COAST OF
BAJA CALIFORNIA...DISSIPATING OVER THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COASTAL
WATERS. MOST AREAS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FROM LOS ANGELES SOUTH
RECEIVED AT LEAST 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL WITH UP TO 8 INCHES IN THE
MOUNTAINS. FLOODING WAS WIDESPREAD WITH EXTENSIVE CROP DAMAGE.
THIS OCCURRED DURING THE EL NINO OF 1977-78.

...OCTOBER 1977...
HURRICANE HEATHER RECURVED WITH THE REMNANTS TRACKING ACROSS
NORTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA INTO ARIZONA. THERE WAS RAINFALL UP TO 2 
INCHES IN THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 
ON THE 6TH AND 7TH. THIS OCCURRED DURING THE EL NINO OF 1977-78.

...SEPTEMBER 1982...
THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE NORMAN TRACKED NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS
NORTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA INTO ARIZONA WITH SCATTERED RAINFALL
AMOUNTS UP TO 1 INCH IN THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS OF 
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ON THE 17TH AND 18TH. THIS OCCURRED DURING THE 
STRONG EL NINO OF 1982-83.

...SEPTEMBER 1982...
THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE OLIVIA RECURVED NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH RAINFALL UP TO 4 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS
OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ON THE 24TH THROUGH 26TH. THIS OCCURRED DURING 
THE STRONG EL NINO OF 1982-82. 

...SEPTEMBER 1983...
NORTHWARD MOVING HURRICANE MANUEL DISSIPATED OFF THE WEST COAST OF
NORTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA WITH UP TO 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN THE
SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ON THE 20TH
AND 21ST. THIS OCCURRED DURING THE STRONG EL NINO OF 1982-82.  

...OCTOBER 1983...
THE REMNANTS OF NORTHWARD MOVING HURRICANE PRISCELLA TRACKED ACROSS
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH ONLY SCATTERED LIGHT RAINFALL ON THE 7TH.
THIS OCCURRED DURING THE STRONG EL NINO OF 1982-82. 



2...THE LATEST DATE A TROPICAL CYCLONE HAS IMPACTED SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 
IS OCTOBER 7TH WHICH HAS HAPPENED TWICE. THE FIRST WAS IN 1982 WITH 
THE REMAINS OF HURRICANE HEATHER WITH THE SECOND THE FOLLOWING YEAR
WITH THE REMAINS OF HURRICANE PRISCELLA.



3...ONLY THREE TROPICAL CYCLONES HAVE REACHED THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED
STATES AT TROPICAL STORM FORCE...ONE IN COASTAL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
AND THE OTHER TWO IN ARIZONA. NONE HAVE REACHED THE SOUTHWESTERN
STATES AT HURRICANE FORCE. LISTED BELOW IS A SUMMARY OF THE EFFECTS
OF THESE STORMS ON SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

...SEPTEMBER 1939...
NEAR THE END OF THE MONTH...A TROPICAL CYCLONE MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST MOVED ONSHORE AT LONG BEACH AT TROPICAL STORM STORM
STRENGTH WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 50 MPH. THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN
EASTERN PACIFIC TROPICAL CYCLONE TO MOVE ONSHORE INTO SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA AT TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH. RAINFALL OF 5 INCHES IN THE
LOS ANGELES BASIN AND 6 TO 12 INCHES IN THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS
OCCURRED ON THE 25TH. THE HEAVIEST RAIN IN THE DESERTS OCCURRED THE
DAY BEFORE WITH 6.45 INCHES OF RAIN AT INDIO IN A 6-HOUR PERIOD ON
THE 24TH. THIS OCCURRED DURING THE EL NINO OF 1938-39.

...OCTOBER 1972...
HURRICANE JOANNE RECURVED MAKING LANDFALL IN NORTHERN BAJA
CALIFORNIA...MAINTAINING TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH INTO ARIZONA...AND
GENERATING RAINFALL UP TO 2 INCHES IN THE SOUTHEAST DESERTS OF
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ON THE 6TH. THIS WAS THE FIRST TROPICAL CYCLONE
TO REACH ARIZONA AT TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH. THIS OCCURRED DURING THE 
STRONG EL NINO OF 1972-73. 

...SEPTEMBER 1976...
NORTH NORTHWESTWARD MOVING HURRICANE KATHLEEN MADE LANDFALL IN
NORTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA WITH THE REMNANTS MOVING INTO SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA. HURRICANE KATHLEEN BROUGHT TO THE SOUTHWEST THE HIGHEST
SUSTAINED WINDS EVER ASSOCIATED WITH AN EASTERN PACIFIC TROPICAL
CYCLONE WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 57 MPH AT YUMA ON THE 10TH. SIX TO
12 INCHES OF RAINFALL WAS OBSERVED IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ON THE 10TH AND 11TH. MOST OF
OCOTILLO CALIFORNIA WAS DESTROYED BY FLOODING AND THREE PERSONS
DROWNED. THIS OCCURRED DURING THE EL NINO OF 1976-77. 

MARTIN