Hurricane Norma (1981)

Hurricane Norma

Category 3 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Norma on October 10, 1981
Formed	October 8, 1981
Dissipated	October 12, 1981
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 125 mph (205 km/h)
Fatalities	1 direct, 5 indirect
Damage	$74 million (1981 USD)
Areas affected	Mexico, Texas
Part of the 1981 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Norma was the one of two hurricanes to make landfall during the 1981 Pacific hurricane season. It developed on October 8, strengthening into a tropical storm and later a hurricane. Norma moved slowly to the northwest and strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. The storm recurved and accelerated to the northeast on October 11 and weakened to a Category 2. The next day, Norma made landfall near Mazatlán on October 12 and soon dissipated. The hurricane's remnants continued northeastward and entered the United States, crossing into central Texas before being absorbed by a frontal system on October 14. Norma caused $24 million in crop damage and one death in Mexico, as well as up to 10 in (250 mm). In Texas, the storm produced flooding rains that killed five people, $50 million in damage and caused many tornadoes. Rainfall was also reported as far inland as Kansas.

Early on October 8, a tropical depression had developed far from land. Initially, the storm moved west-northwest, but it turned to the northwest six hours after forming. Over sea surface temperatures of 82 °F (28 °C), the storm intensified into Tropical Storm Norma at 0600 UTC . By midday on October 9, the winds had reached 50 mph (85 km/h) and on 1800 UTC October 9, the Eastern Pacific Hurricane Center upgraded the storm into a hurricane and a well-defined eye became visible via satellite imagery.

Upon reaching hurricane strength, Norma began to undergo a period rapid intensification; it reached Category 2 intensity on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale six hours later. Later that day, the storm reached major hurricane status, a storm with winds of 111 mph (179 km/h) or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. . The storm reached its peak of 125 mph (205 km/h) at 1800 UTC on October 10. Passing east of Socorro Island, the storm turned north and shortly thereafter north-northeast due to southwesterly flow over northwestern Mexico.