Hurricane Liza (1976)

Hurricane Liza

Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Liza at peak intensity on September 30.
Formed	September 25, 1976
Dissipated	October 2, 1976
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 140 mph (220 km/h)
Lowest pressure	948 mbar (hPa); 27.99 inHg
Fatalities	1,263
Damage	$100.3 million (1976 USD)
Areas affected	Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Sonora, New Mexico, Texas
Part of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Liza is considered the worst natural disaster in the history of Baja California Sur. The seventeenth tropical cyclone, thirteenth named storm, and eighth hurricane of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season, Liza developed from an area of disturbed weather southwest of the Mexican coast on September 25. Slowly intensifying, the system attained tropical storm strength the following day. In favorable conditions, Liza continued to intensify, reaching hurricane strength on September 28 after developing an eye. The hurricane peaked in intensity as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale on September 30, with winds of 140 mph (225 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 948 mbar (hPa; 28.00 inHg). Liza weakened as it moved northward into the Gulf of California. Shortly thereafter, the hurricane made its second landfall north of Los Mochis, Sinaloa with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h), making it one of 13 storms to make landfall as major hurricanes in the basin. Inland, the hurricane rapidly weakened and dissipated on October 2.

Prior to the arrival of Liza, residents along the Gulf of California coastline were evacuated, although some refused to leave their homes. Radio stations warned all nearby ships to remain at harbor. Liza brought heavy rainfall to the area, which caused significant flash flooding. Following a dam burst by the El Cajoncito Creek along the outskirts of La Paz, hundreds of people were swept away by flood waters. In La Paz, the capital of the state, 412 people died and 20,000 were left homeless. Nearly one-third of the homes in the town were destroyed. Throughout the state, a variety of death tolls were reported, but officials estimated that 1,000 people had perished. In the states of Sinaloa and Sonora, Liza caused moderate damage and left 30,000 to 54,000 homeless, along with 155 more casualties. Along the Gulf of California, 108 people were presumed dead after 12 boats were lost. The remnants of the storm later affected the United States, bringing moderate rainfall