Hurricane Rosa (2018)

Hurricane Rosa

Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)

Hurricane Rosa at peak intensity southwest of Baja California Sur on

September 28

Formed September 25, 2018

Dissipated October 3, 2018

(Remnant low after October 2)

Highest winds 1-minute sustained: 150 mph (240 km/h)

Lowest 936 mbar (hPa); 27.64 inHg

pressure

Fatalities 1 direct, 2 indirect

Damage $50.5 million (2018 USD)

Areas affected Baja California Peninsula,

Northwestern Mexico, Southwestern United States

 Part of the 2018 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Rosa brought widespread flooding to northwestern Mexico and the

Southwestern United States in late September 2018, and was the first tropical
cyclone to make landfall in Baja California since Nora in 1997. The seventeenth
named storm, tenth hurricane, and seventh major hurricane of the 2018 Pacific
hurricane season; Rosa originated from an Atlantic tropical wave that crossed
the West African coast on September 6. The wave proceeded westward across
the Atlantic, traversing Central America before entering the Gulf of
Tehuantepec on September 22. There, the weather system acquired cyclonic
features and became a tropical storm on September 25. Within a favorable
atmosphere, Rosa entered a period of rapid intensification on September 27,
peaking as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph
(240 km/h) a day later. Over the next few days, Rosa turned north and then
northeast while steadily weakening, making landfall in Baja California as a
tropical depression on October 2. After crossing over into the Gulf of California,
the remnant system split apart and merged with an upper-level low off the coast
of California by October 3.
Rosa prompted the issuance of tropical storm watches and warnings along the
coast of Baja California, as well as various flood watches and warnings
throughout the Southwestern United States. The impact of Rosa was relatively
minor, as a combination of wind shear and cooler seas had weakened the storm
significantly by the time it made landfall. Widespread flooding throughout
northwestern Mexico, mainly in Sonora and Baja California, led to one drowning
and minor damage. In Arizona, rainfall peaked at 6.89 in (175 mm) and
caused flash floods that killed two people. Flood damage from Rosa and its
remnants totaled $50 million (2018 USD) in the Southwestern United States and
$530,000 in Baja California.

Contents

 1Meteorological history
 2Preparations and impact
o 2.1Mexico
o 2.2United States
 3See also
 4References
 5External links

Meteorological history
Map plotting the track and intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale

Hurricane Rosa originated from a vigorous tropical wave that departed from the

west coast of Africa on September 6. The wave traveled across the tropical
Atlantic with minimal associated weather and became difficult to track after
interacting with a mid-level trough in the Caribbean Sea.[1] The National
Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a Tropical Weather Outlook on September 19,
anticipating that an area of low pressure would form in the Gulf of
Tehuantepec over the weekend.[2] The wave crossed Central America and
entered the gulf on September 22, where it produced a surface circulation
with convective activity aloft.[1] Though broad in structure, the system
consolidated as it proceeded slightly north of west.[3][4] It was officially classified
as Tropical Depression Twenty-E on September 25, at 06:00 UTC, located
350 mi (560 km) south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico.[1]
At the time of its formation, the depression was located within a
favorable tropospheric environment of warm sea surface temperatures and
minimal vertical wind shear, featuring a well-defined center of circulation under
an expanding area of strong convection.[5] The depression maintained a trend of
steady strengthening over the 24 hours: it was upgraded to Tropical Storm
Rosa six hours after being classified,[1] and became the tenth hurricane of
the season a day later, at 12:00 UTC on September 26.[1][6] The NHC remarked
that Rosa's structure was well developed at the middle levels of the
troposphere, with distinct rainbands wrapped around the southern semicircle of
the cyclone.[7] The hurricane leveled in intensity for eighteen hours before
proceeding into another phase of rapid intensification;[1] it reached major
hurricane status at 18:00 UTC on September 27, peaking in intensity
with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and a minimum central
pressure of 936 mbar (27.6 inHg). This made Rosa the seventh Category 4
hurricane of the year's season.[1][8]
After Rosa reached its peak, the hurricane's eyewall – an inner ring of clouds
around the eye – began to warm considerably, signaling the start of an eyewall
replacement cycle.[9] Rosa turned to the northwest on the afternoon of
September 28 in response to an approaching mid- to upper-level trough, which
would continue to influence the remainder of the hurricane's development.
[10]
 Now tracking over cooler seas, Rosa steadily weakened down to Category
2  by 00:00 UTC, September 29, while undergoing its eyewall replacement.
[11]
 Once the replacement cycle was completed, the storm briefly restrengthened
because of its much-improved structure, with expanding outflow to the northeast
of the eye.[1][12] However, Rosa began to experience impinging wind shear from
the developing trough, causing a misalignment between the upper and lower
levels of the hurricane,[13] as well as coinciding with a final weakening phase.[1][13]
Rosa turned to the north on September 29, ahead of the trough.[12] The
unrelenting wind shear – combined with progressively cooler seas and drier air
– quickly eroded Rosa's core, disrupting the eye and convection over the
southern half of the hurricane.[14][15] At 12:00 UTC on September 30, the
diminishing hurricane dropped to Category 1 while being steered towards the
northeast between the trough and a subtropical ridge.[1][16] Rosa lost its hurricane
status twelve hours later, proceeding towards the Baja California Peninsula as a
tropical storm.[1] It further weakened to a tropical depression on October 2, after
the convection became displaced from the elongating center.[17] At 11:00 UTC on
October 2, Rosa made landfall about 70 mi (110 km) southeast of Punta San
Antonio in Baja California,[1] becoming the first tropical cyclone to move over the
state since Nora of 1997.[18][19] During its approach towards the Gulf of California,
Rosa exhibited an increasingly unwound and diffuse structure, prompting the
NHC to declassify it as a tropical cyclone at 15:00 UTC.[20] Shortly after,
forecasters at the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) noted that the low- and
mid-level circulations of Rosa's remnant had decoupled; the mid-level remnants
proceeded into northeast Arizona, while the lower segment traced behind it over
the Gulf of California.[21] On October 3, in their final advisory on the system, the
WPC reported that the remnants had been absorbed into a deepening non-
tropical low off the coast of California.[22]

Preparations and impact

Mexico

Hurricane Rosa approaching the Baja California Peninsula on September 29

The Government of Mexico issued a tropical storm watch on September 29 for

the Pacific Coast of the Baja California Peninsula from Punta Abreojos to Cabo
San Quintín. The watches on the west coast of Baja California were changed to
tropical storm warnings, and watches were issued for the east coast of Baja
California from Bahía de los Angeles to San Felipe on the next day. All the
watches and warnings were discontinued after Rosa weakened to a tropical
depression.[1] The State Unit of Civil Protection of Sonora issued a yellow alert
(imminent severe weather) for 11 municipalities and a green alert (possible
severe weather) for 19 municipalities on September 30.[23] A red alert was issued
for San Felipe on October 1 as Rosa approached Baja California.[24] On the
same day, schools were closed in several communities throughout Baja
California as well as in the neighboring state of Sonora.[25] The Marine Plan, an
evacuation and rescue plan, was activated in the states of Baja California, Baja
California Sur, Sonora, and Sinaloa.[26]
Because of its significant weakening before landfall, Rosa had a relatively minor
impact in Mexico.[1] Rainfall was heaviest in Baja California, peaking at 6.54 in
(166 mm) in Percebu and at 5.39 in (137 mm) in San Felipe.[27] Floods in San
Felipe collapsed part of a highway and opened up a sinkhole in the city's port.[28]
[24]
 The port suffered MX$10 million (US$530,000) in losses following a five-day
shutdown of its operations.[29] In Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, rainstorms
triggered power outages and floods swept away vehicles.[30] In Puerto Peñasco,
Sonora, dozens of homes and businesses suffered from flooding after an
estimated 4 in (100 mm) of rain fell. Many of the town's roads were closed, and
four bridges became impassable.[31] A woman drowned in Caborca, Sonora, after
being swept away by floodwaters.[32]
Farther south, in the state of Colima, floodwaters swept through the city
of Manzanillo, causing sinkholes, rupturing underground pipes, and inundating
buildings. Landslides in and around the city blocked roads and buried three
vehicles in mud.[33] Throughout the state of Michoacán, the combined effects
from Rosa and nearby Tropical Storm Sergio destroyed 86,000 acres
(35,000 ha) of crops.[34] After Rosa's passage, states of emergency were issued
for the cities of Ensenada, Mexicali,[25] and Puerto Peñasco.[31]
United States

Rainfall totals for the second round of rain generated by Rosa's remnants, which lasted from October
1–2.

Exiting the Gulf of California, the remnants of Rosa tracked northward,

spawning showers and thunderstorms in the Four Corners region.[35] Damage
from flooding in the Southwestern United States totaled about $50 million
(USD).[36] Flood watches and warnings were issued on September 30
for Southern California, Arizona, southwest Colorado, Utah, central Nevada,
and a small portion of southeast Idaho.[37] On October 1, an interaction between
Rosa's remnants and a Pacific low produced severe thunderstorms in San
Bernardino County.[38] Surging floodwaters carried rocks onto portions of U.S.
Route 95 and coated parts of state routes 62 and 127 in mud and debris.[32][38]
[39]
 Effects from the severe weather extended into Nevada, where flash floods
inundated buildings and deposited rubble along Pioche's Main Street.[40]
By the time of Rosa's absorption on October 3, a total of 6.89 in (175 mm) of
rain was recorded at Towers Mountain, Arizona, located about 85 mi (137 km)
north of Phoenix; other areas throughout the state reported up to 5.5 in
(140 mm) of rain.[22] The remnants of Rosa caused flash floods throughout the
communities of Guadalupe, Glendale, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Deer Valley,
and Sun City[41] and knocked out power in Yuma.[32] As rainfall exceeded 2 in
(50 mm), the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the
Phoenix area. Though over two dozen roads, as well as schools and
businesses, had been closed, 80 car accidents occurred during the torrential
rains.[42] Outside the Phoenix area, weather-related traffic accidents resulted in
the deaths of a 26-year-old woman just north of Cameron and a 34-year-old
man in Kingman.[43][44]
At Menagers Dam near Sells, Arizona, rainfall from Rosa brought the water
level within 1 foot (0.30 m) of maximum capacity on October 2, raising concerns
about the dam's structural integrity.[45] Saying dam failure was imminent, the
National Weather Service in Tucson urged residents of Ali Chuk to evacuate
immediately.[46] Later that day, 162 people were evacuated from Ali Chuk, as well
as 32 from Kohatk and 23 from the Menagers Dam community.[45] Engineers
were recruited to carry out assessments of the dam,[47] and authorities continued
to monitor the water level for two weeks before allowing residents to return to
their homes on October 17.[48]

See also
 Tropical cyclones portal

 Other tropical cyclones named Rosa

 List of Category 4 Pacific hurricanes
 Lists of tropical cyclones by area:
o List of Baja California hurricanes
 List of Arizona hurricanes
 List of California hurricanes
 List of New Mexico hurricanes
 Hurricane Nora (1997) – Made landfall in Baja California as a
Category 1 hurricane, and affected Arizona as a tropical storm
 Hurricane Raymond (1989) – Category 4 hurricane that took a similar
path, affected Baja California Sur as a tropical storm
 Hurricane Javier (2004) – Category 4 hurricane that took a similar
path, affected Baja California Sur as a tropical depression

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