Hurricane Smashes Baja California
September 15, 2014
Hurricane Odile (oh-DEEL) pummeled beach resorts along Mexico’s Baja California peninsula with winds of up to 125 miles (200 kilometers) per hour, confining thousands of tourists to their hotels. The government of Mexico put the area on high alert, warning of falling trees, storm surges, flooding, and landslides. Electric power lines and traffic signals are reported down in Los Cabos, a resort community on the southern tip of the peninsula.
A satellite image of Hurricane Odile released by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on September 15, 2014. (NOAA)
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami had predicted that the Odile would make landfall as a category four storm, but it actually lost strength as it reached the Pacific Coast. Nevertheless, Odile is the strongest hurricane to ever hit the peninsula, dumping six months’ worth of rain in an hour. A meteorologist for “The Weather Channel” reported “mind-boggling” readings of 7 to 11 inches (17 to 27 centimeters) of rain in just one hour but noted the monitoring devices may be malfunctioning.
Additional World Book articles:
- The Forecast: Better Weather Prediction Ahead (a special report)
- How the Ocean Affects Climate (a special report)
