Hurricane Fico

Hurricane Fico

Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Fico on July 20 with winds of 135 mph (217 km/h)
Formed	July 9, 1978
Dissipated	July 28, 1978
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 140 mph (220 km/h)
Lowest pressure	≤ 955 mbar (hPa); 28.2 inHg
Fatalities	None reported
Damage	$200,000 (1978 USD)
Areas affected	Hawaii, Aleutian Islands
Part of the 1978 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Fico was the longest-lived hurricane of the 1978 Pacific hurricane season and became the longest-lasting Pacific hurricane on record, a record broken by Hurricane Tina fourteen years later. The sixth tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and third major hurricane, Fico developed from a tropical disturbance off the coast of Mexico on July 9. It moved northwestward and then westward, quickly reaching peak winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) on July 12. Moving nearly due westward, the intensity of Fico fluctuated from Category 1 to Category 4 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale for the following days, and it passed about 170 miles (275 km) south of Hawaii on July 20 with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h). Fico slowly weakened as it turned to the northwest over cooler waters, and became an extratropical cyclone on July 28 to the northeast of Midway Island.

Swells from Fico, combined with swells from a storm in the Southern Hemisphere, produced rough surf throughout the Hawaiian islands. The surf destroyed one house and resulted in considerable damage along the southern coast of the island of Hawaii. No deaths were reported, and damage totaled $200,000 (1978 USD, $619,000 2006 USD).

A tropical disturbance persisted 520 miles (835 km) south of Acapulco on July 3. It moved steadily westward and organized over warm water temperatures of 81 °F (27 °C). A circulation developed within the system, and on July 9 it organized into Tropical Depression Seven while located about 580 miles (930 km) southwest of Acapulco. The depression turned to the west-northwest, and after briefly weakening it organized more to attain tropical storm status on July 10 while located about 745 miles (1,200 km) south of the southern tip of Peninsula.

Tropical Storm Fico turned to the northwest after reaching tropical storm status, and entered an area of increasingly warm water temperatures. It quickly strengthened, and 18 hours after becoming a tropical storm Fico strengthened into a hurricane. As the hurricane turned to the west-northwest, a well-defined eye developed in the center of the hurricane, and Fico continued to quickly intensify. Fico attained Category 4 strength about 24 hours after it first became a hurricane, and on July 12 it reached peak winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) while located 640 miles (1,030 km) southwest of Cabo San Lucas. Throughout its duration, the eye of the hurricane was around 35 miles (56 km) in diameter.