Hurricane Jimena (2009)

Hurricane Jimena

Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Jimena near peak intensity south of the Baja California Peninsula on August 31
Formed	August 28, 2009
Dissipated	September 8, 2009
(Remnant low after September 4)
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 155 mph (250 km/h)
Lowest pressure	931 mbar (hPa); 27.49 inHg
Fatalities	5 direct, 2 indirect
Damage	$210.9 million (2009 USD)
Areas affected	Baja California Sur, Sonora, Southwestern United States
Part of the 2009 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Jimena /hiˈmɛnʌ/ was the second strongest hurricane of the 2009 Pacific hurricane season and tied with Hurricane Norbert as the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall on western portion of the Baja California Peninsula. Forming from a tropical wave late on August 28, 2009 off Mexico's Pacific coast, the system rapidly intensified into a Category 2 hurricane the next day. Two days after developing, it strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane. After peaking close to Category 5 intensity on September 1, it encountered cold water and began to weaken. When the hurricane made landfall on the Baja California Peninsula on September 3, it was only a Category 2 hurricane. The next day, the cyclone entered the Gulf of California, only to dissipate after turning back east towards Baja California.

When the storm made landfall, Jimena caused $173.9 million USD in damage. The system killed four people across the peninsula. In Baja California Sur, the town of Mulegé was devastated with other areas in the region also receiving major damage. In Sonora, record rainfall fell, with some areas receiving more than 20 in (510 mm). Statewide damage totaled at $37 million USD while five people were killed and two others were listed as missing. The remnants also moved into the Southwestern United States, causing minor damage.

Hurricane Jimena originated from a tropical wave that moved off the western coast of Africa on August 15. The tropical wave traversed the Atlantic Ocean with little or no convective development. On August 25, the National Hurricane Center began monitoring a broad area of low pressure, while the system was located over Central America. The system moved westbound and entered the eastern Pacific Ocean later that day. Initially, there were no signs of additional development. However, shower and thunderstorm activity began to increase and an area of low pressure developed within the wave on August 27. Around 1800 UTC on August 28, the low had become sufficiently organized for the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to designate the system as Tropical Depression Thirteen-E. Upon becoming a tropical cyclone, the depression was situated roughly 220 miles (355 km) south of Acapulco. Tracking westward in response to a mid-level ridge over Mexico, the depression intensified into a tropical storm on 0000 UTC August 29. In real time, however, it was not classified until early on August 29 while located 250 mi (400 km) west of Acapulco.