Portal:Tropical cyclones/Featured article/Hurricane Kenna



Hurricane Kenna was the third most-intense Pacific hurricane to strike the coast of Mexico. Kenna was the sixteenth tropical depression, thirteenth tropical storm, seventh hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and third Category 5 hurricane of the 2002 Pacific hurricane season. After forming on October 22 to the south of Mexico from a tropical wave, forecasters consistently predicted the storm to strengthen much less than it actually did. Moving into an area of favorable upper-level conditions and warm sea surface temperatures, Kenna quickly strengthened to reach peak winds of 165 mph (265 km/h) on October 25 while located about 255 miles (410 km) southwest of Puerto Vallarta. Weakening as it turned to the northeast, the hurricane struck near San Blas with winds of 140 mph (225 km/h) before dissipating on October 26 over the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains.

The name "Kenna" was retired from the list of Pacific hurricane names due to its effects on Mexico, which included $101 million in damage (2002 USD) $113 million (2006 USD) and four deaths. The worst of the hurricane's effects occurred between San Blas in Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, where over 100 people were injured and thousands of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. 95% of the buildings in San Blas were damaged, and hundreds of buildings were destroyed along coastal areas of Puerto Vallarta.

Recently featured: Hurricane Isabel &mdash; Hurricane Iwa &mdash; Tropical Storm Bilis – Hurricane Pauline – Effects of Hurricane Isabel in Maryland and Washington, D.C. – Browse