Hurricane Barbara (2013)

Hurricane Barbara

Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Barbara at peak intensity on May 29, 2013
Formed	May 28, 2013
Dissipated	May 30, 2013
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 80 mph (130 km/h)
Lowest pressure	983 mbar (hPa); 29.03 inHg
Fatalities	4 direct, 1 indirect
Damage	$1 million (2013 USD)
Areas affected	El Salvador, Guatemala, Southwestern Mexico, Eastern Mexico
Part of the 2013 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Barbara was the easternmost landfalling Pacific hurricane on record. As the first hurricane of the 2013 Pacific hurricane season, Barbara developed from a low-pressure area while located southeast of Mexico on May 28. It headed slowly north-northeastward and strengthened into a tropical storm early on the following day. After recurving to the northeast, Barbara intensified into a Category 1 hurricane on May 29 and made landfall in Chiapas at peak intensity with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a barometric pressure estimated at 983 mbar (hPa; 29.03 inHg). When the hurricane made landfall, it was the second earliest landfalling hurricane in the basin since reliable records began in 1966. Barbara then moved across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and dissipated within the mountainous terrain of Sierra Madre de Chiapas on May 30.

The precursor of Hurricane Barbara brought light to moderate rainfall to El Salvador. Many homes were damaged, roads were flooded, and several trees were downed. One fatality was reported in the country. Landslides caused by rainfall in Guatemala forced 30 people to flee their homes. In Mexico, tropical cyclone warnings and watches were issued in anticipitation of the storm. Many shelters opened in Chiapas, Oaxaca and Guatemala while schools and ports were temporarily closed during the storm. Torrential rains and power outages were reported in the area. In the state of Chiapas alone, 2,000 houses were damaged. About 57,000 people were left homeless. Significant impact to agriculture was also reported, with 10,000 ha (25,000 acres) of crops destroyed. Overall, Barbara caused 5 fatalities and at least $1 million (2013 USD) in damage.