Hurricane Blas (2022)
![]() Blas displaying an eye while intensifying off the Mexican coast on June 16 | |
Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | June 14, 2022 |
Post-tropical | June 19, 2022 |
Dissipated | June 24, 2022 |
Category 1 hurricane | |
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Highest winds | 85 mph (140 km/h) |
Lowest pressure | 978 mbar (hPa); 28.88 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 4 |
Damage | Minimal |
Areas affected | Southwestern Mexico, Revillagigedo Islands |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2022 Pacific hurricane season |
Hurricane Blas was a Category 1 hurricane that brought winds and flooding to several Mexican states in June 2022. The second named storm and second hurricane of the 2022 Pacific hurricane season, Blas developed from a low-pressure area off the coast of southwestern Mexico. It became a tropical depression on June 14. and strengthened into a tropical storm later that same day. Blas became a hurricane the next day, while paralleling the coast. The system reached its peak intensity on June 17, at 15:00 UTC, with maximum sustained winds of 80 knots (90 mph; 150 km/h) and a central pressure of 976 mbar (28.82 inHg). Later, Blas turned to the west and weakened, becoming a tropical depression on June 20, before transitioning into a post-tropical cyclone on that same day.
Damage from the hurricane was minor as it remained offshore.[1] All totaled, Blas was responsible for the deaths of four people in Mexico.[2]
Meteorological history
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Blas_2022_track.png/275px-Blas_2022_track.png)
Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
Unknown
![triangle](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/ArrowUp.svg/18px-ArrowUp.svg.png)
On June 7, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) began tracking a disturbance with potential for potential tropical development south of the Gulf of Tehuantepec.[3] Late on June 10, a broad low-pressure area formed off the coast of southwestern Mexico, producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms in an environment conducive for gradual development.[4] By 09:00 UTC on June 14, the low had become a tropical depression while it was situated about 395 mi (636 km) south-southeast of Manzanillo, Colima.[5] Six hours later, the depression strengthened into a tropical storm, and was assigned the name Blas.[6] The storm's convective organization continued to improve through the day according to satellite imagery,[7] maintaining a well-defined structure and developing prominent convective banding features,[8] as a circular central dense overcast overcast became embedded on the system.[9] On June 15, Blas began to rapidly intensify as it developed an inner core, and at 15:00 UTC that day, it became a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale.[10] Blas then developed a mid-level eye on the western portions of the cyclone,[11] then maintained its intensity due to very cold cloud tops near the center and a strong upper-level outflow in three of the storm's quadrants.[12]
Blas strengthened slightly on June 17, with its maximum sustained winds increasing to near 90 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum central barometric pressure of 976 mbar (28.82 inHg).[13] Soon after, the cyclone began to weaken as it moved westward.[14] At 03:00 UTC on June 18, Blas weakened to a tropical storm due to the mid-level center being sheared off to the southwestern side of the storm combined with colder sea surface temperatures as it moved north-west, with no deep convection near the surface center.[15] The storm continued to weaken that day, with satellite images showing a partially exposed low-level center with convection confined to the southeastern quadrant of its circulation.[16][17]
Despite persistent wind-shear and transiting over cool waters with temperatures below 79 °F (26 °C), Blas maintained limited convection on the eastern half into June 19.[18] By 21:00 UTC that day, only a few broken convective bands remain to the north and northeast of the storm's center,[19] and by 03:00 UTC on June 20, satellite imagery indicated that it had lost almost all of its organized deep convection.[20] With little or no convection remaining in association with Blas, along with their being no longer tropical-storm force winds in the circulation, the NHC downgraded the storm to a tropical depression six hours later.[21] By 15:00 UTC that same day, Blas transitioned to a post-tropical cyclone about 350 mi (565 km) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.[22] The remnant low later dissipated over the northern Pacific on June 24.[23]
Preparations and impact
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Blas_2022-06-17_2040Z.jpg/150px-Blas_2022-06-17_2040Z.jpg)
On June 16, state authorities in Oaxaca placed 60 municipalities, all still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Agatha, on alert as Blas neared.[24] Ports were also closed.[25] In the state of Guerrero, schools were closed across 21 municipalities, including: Costa Chica, Costa Grande, and Acapulco; classes were also suspended in Michoacán.[2] Blas was responsible for four deaths.[2] Two bodies were found at a beach in Acapulco with the cause of death unknown, but presumed to be storm-related. One Acapulco resident sustained injuries after a wall collapsed in her home.[26] In the state of Puebla, two people were killed by a landslide in Eloxochitlán.[2]
Blas caused only minor damage in Guerrero according to local authorities.[1] At Acapulco, winds and rains from Blas caused beach erosion of over 980 ft (300 m) in length from El Morro beach.[27] In Tecpán de Galeana, several acres (hectares) of banana crops were destroyed by strong winds.[28] Two streams overflowed in Acapulco, flooding eight neighborhoods. Flooding was also reported in Manzanillo and Villa de Álvarez in Colima.[2] Power outages were reported in Zihuatanejo and in Atoyac.[29][30]
Authorities in Nayarit said that at least 100 people had been displaced by flooding in that state in the aftermath of the hurricane.[31] Governor Miguel Ángel Navarro Quintero pledged that actions would be taken to rebuild the houses destroyed by the storm.[32] Soon after Blas passed, the National Guard was activated to help in the cleanup and removal of debris in Michoacán and Guerrero.[33]
See also
[edit]- Weather of 2022
- Tropical cyclones in 2022
- Other storms named Blas
- List of Category 1 Pacific hurricanes
- Hurricane Cosme (2013)
- Hurricane Linda (2015)
- Tropical Storm Ileana (2018)
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Huracán Blas deja daños menores en el sur de México" [Hurricane Blas leaves minor damage in southern Mexico]. France 24. Agence France-Presse. June 16, 2022. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "Blas deja 4 muertos y daños en 3 entidades" [Blas leaves 4 dead and damages 3 entities]. La Razón (in Spanish). June 17, 2022. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Pasch, Richard (June 7, 2022). Five Day Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ Reinhart, Brad (June 10, 2022). Two Day Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ Cangialosi, John (June 14, 2022). Tropical Depression Two-E Advisory Number 1 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ Blake, Eric; Bucci, Lisa (June 14, 2022). Tropical Storm Blas Advisory Number 2 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ Bucci, Lisa; Blake, Eric (June 14, 2022). Tropical Storm Blas Discussion Number 3 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ Pasch, Richard; Hogsett, Wallace (June 14, 2022). Tropical Storm Blas Discussion Number 4 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ Beven, Jack (June 15, 2022). Tropical Storm Blas Discussion Number 5 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ Pepin, Philippe (June 15, 2022). Hurricane Blas Discussion Number 6 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ Papin, Philippe (June 15, 2022). Hurricane Blas Discussion Number 7 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ Pasch, Richard; Bucci, Lisa (June 15, 2022). Hurricane Blas Discussion Number 8 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ Cangialosi, John (June 17, 2022). Hurricane Blas Advisory Number 14 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Cangialosi, John (June 17, 2022). Hurricane Blas Discussion Number 15 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Blake, Eric (June 17, 2022). Tropical Storm Blas Discussion Number 16 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Cangialosi, John (June 18, 2022). Tropical Storm Blas Discussion Number 18 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ Cangialosi, John (June 18, 2022). Tropical Storm Blas Discussion Number 19 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ Zelinsky, Rachel (June 19, 2022). Tropical Storm Blas Discussion Number 21 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ Cangialosi, John (June 19, 2022). Tropical Storm Blas Discussion Number 23 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ Blake, Jack (June 19, 2022). Tropical Storm Blas Discussion Number 24 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ Pasch, Richard (June 20, 2022). Tropical Depression Blas Discussion Number 25 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
- ^ Reinhart, Brad (June 20, 2022). Post-Tropical Cyclone Blas Advisory Number 26 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
- ^ "Product Loops 5 Days". College Park, Maryland: Ocean Prediction Center. June 24, 2022. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
- ^ "Blas ya es huracán; prenden alerta en cinco estados" [Blas is already a hurricane; they turn on alert in five states]. La Razón (in Spanish). Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ^ "Hurricane Blas prompts port closure in southern Mexico". CNBC. June 17, 2022. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Fernández, Alina. "Paso del huracán "Blas" por Guerrero deja dos personas muertas y una herida" [Hurricane "Blas" passing through Guerrero leaves two people dead and one injured]. Latinus. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "Lluvias y alto oleaje del huracán Blas se comen playa de Acapulco" [Rains and high waves of Hurricane Blas eat Acapulco beach]. Quadratín Guerrero (in Mexican Spanish). June 20, 2022. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
- ^ "Destrozan rachas de viento por Blas cultivos de plátano en Tecpan" [Blas gusts of wind destroy banana crops in Tecpan]. Quadratín Guerrero (in Mexican Spanish). June 16, 2022. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
- ^ Blancas, Luis; Magaña, Francisco; Guerrero, Alejandro (June 17, 2022). "Diversos daños deja Blas a su paso por Guerrero; se prevén más lluvias hoy" [Various damages leave Blas on his way through Guerrero; more rain is expected today]. El Sur Guerrero (in Mexican Spanish). Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- ^ "Apagones de hasta 12 horas en Zihuatanejo por el huracán Blas" [Blackouts of up to 12 hours in Zihuatanejo due to Hurricane Blas]. Quadratín Guerrero (in Mexican Spanish). June 16, 2022. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- ^ "Blas deja colonias afectadas durante su paso en Nayarit" ['Blas' leaves at least 35 colonies affected during its passage in Nayarit] (in Mexican Spanish). Telediario. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
- ^ "Reconstruirán viviendas dañadas por tormentas en Tepic, anunció el Gobernador Navarro" [They will rebuild houses damaged by storms in Tepic, announced Governor Navarro] (in Spanish). NTV. June 19, 2022. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
- ^ "GN apoya a población de Michoacán y Guerrero ante afectaciones por huracán "Blas"" [GN supports population of Michoacán and Guerrero against affectations by hurricane Blas] (in Spanish). La Razón. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
External links
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- The National Hurricane Center's advisory archive on Hurricane Blas