Hurricane Sandra (2015)
| Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Sandra as a major hurricane on November 25
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| Formed | November 23, 2015 |
|---|---|
| Dissipated | November 29, 2015 |
| (Remnant low after November 28) | |
| Highest winds |
1-minute sustained: 150 mph (240 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 934 mbar (hPa); 27.58 inHg |
| Fatalities | 4 total |
| Damage | Minimal |
| Areas affected | |
| Part of the 2015 Pacific hurricane season | |
Hurricane Sandra was the latest-forming major hurricane in the northeastern Pacific basin, the strongest November Pacific hurricane on record, and the record eleventh major hurricane of the 2015 season. Originating from a tropical wave, Sandra was first classified as a tropical depression on November 23 well south of Mexico. Environmental conditions, including high sea surface temperatures and low wind shear, were highly conducive to intensification and the storm quickly organized. A small central dense overcast developed atop the storm and Sandra reached hurricane status early on November 25 after the consolidation of an eye. Sandra reached its peak intensity as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale with winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and a pressure of 934 mbar (hPa; 27.58 inHg) early on November 26. This made Sandra the strongest November hurricane on record in the Northeastern Pacific. Thereafter, increasing shear degraded the hurricane's structure and weakening ensued. Rapid weakening took place on November 27 and Sandra's circulation became devoid of convection as it diminished to a tropical storm that evening. The cyclone degenerated into a remnant low soon thereafter and ultimately dissipated just off the coast of Sinaloa, Mexico, on November 29.
As the precursor to Sandra traversed Central America, it produced unseasonably heavy rainfall that triggered flooding and landslides. Four people died in various incidents related to the system: three in El Salvador and one in Honduras. Initially expecting a landfalling storm, officials in Northwestern Mexico prepared equipment for power outages, closed schools, and evacuated 180 residents. Sandra's effects largely consisted of light to moderate rainfall; some traffic accidents and landslides resulted from this, though the overall impacts were limited.
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