Hurricane Watch

Hurricane Patricia Fizzles Out

by Jacob Gallagher
Staff Writer

Hurricane Patricia, now well known for being the strongest landfalling hurricane to date, dissipated on October 24th.

The storm, which was charted to slam into the Mexican coast in the final weeks of October, made landfall with winds of over 200mph. This makes it the strongest hurricane ever recorded, as well as one of the fastest intensifying.

People all over the north-eastern coast of Mexico prepared for the worst, expecting a devastating natural event to do considerable damage.

Several meteorologists warned that Patricia could be “the most devastating storm to ever hit Mexico” (NBC).

During the evening of October 23rd, Hurricane Patricia made landfall near Cuixmala, still sustaining incredibly high winds, with automated weather trackers reporting a max speed of 200mph.

Within 24 hours of hitting the coast, however, Hurricane Patricia was downgraded from a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to a remnant.

Hurricane Patricia was not only one of the quickest intensifying tropical storms to date, but one of the fastest weakening storms as well (Weather Network).

Some infrastructural damage was done due to flash-floods, 40 foot waves and mudslides. Stories of destroyed roads, buildings and other structural damage are to be expected. Despite this, and the strength of Hurricane Patricia, the death toll of rests, thankfully, at zero (BBC).