Hurricane Celeste (1972)

Hurricane Celeste

Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
This ATS 1 weather satellite image of Hurricane Celeste was taken on August 18, 1972
Formed	August 6, 1972
Dissipated	August 22, 1972
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 130 mph (215 km/h)
Lowest pressure	940 mbar (hPa); 27.76 inHg
Fatalities	None
Damage	$3.5 million (1972 USD)
Areas affected	Hawaii, Johnston Atoll
Part of the 1972 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Celeste of August 1972 was the first known tropical cyclone to strike Johnston Atoll as a hurricane. Forming from a disturbance in the East Pacific on August 6, the storm began a general westward movement it would take throughout most of its life. The storm intensified steadily, becoming a Category 1 hurricane on August 10. It kept steady at this intensity until it reached the Central Pacific. Upon entering the Central Pacific, intensification began anew, and by August 14, the hurricane reached a peak intensity of 130 mph (210 km/h). After maintaining this intensity for twelve hours, the hurricane began to weaken while passing south of Hawaii. The weakening phase was similar to its intensification in that the storm lost intensity slowly. Celeste then made a turn to the northwest and dropped below hurricane intensity on August 21. The storm then entered an area of vertical wind shear, causing it to dissipate soon after.

Celeste was responsible for damage to shipping and for causing high waves to hit Hawai'i. The biggest impact from the hurricane, however, was on Johnston Atoll. There, the hurricane caused damage to a meteorology station on the island as well as damaging several military installations, including those related to Program 437, an anti-satellite weapons system. Additionally, there was a threat of contamination on the island from stored Agent Orange and other herbicides brought from Vietnam by the Defense Department for eventual destruction at sea by the Dutch-owned incinerator ship MT Vulcanus. An inspection of the island following the hurricane indicated that there was no contamination, but the 1,800,000 gallons of herbicides sat in steel barrels on salt beaches for nearly 5 years. Overall, damage from the hurricane totalled $3.5 million.

The precursor to Celeste was a tropical disturbance that had stalled roughly 520 miles (840 km) south of La Paz, Mexico on August 4, though the disturbance was tracked starting two days before. The disturbance slowly intensified into a tropical storm on August 6 and was given the name Celeste. The next day, a ship called the Star Track reported winds of 25 mph (40 km/h) and an atmospheric pressure of 1,006 millibars (29.7 inHg) at a point 105 miles (169 km) south of the center of the storm. At this point, the storm began a general westward motion it would continue on for most of its life due to high-pressure areas north of its track. While traversing the East Pacific, the storm kept a consistent intensity until late on August 9, when it started intensifying again, becoming a hurricane the next day. On August 12, the hurricane passed 140°W longitude and entered the Central Pacific just as it reached Category 2 strength.