Hurricane Henriette (2007)

**Hurricane Henriette** was the deadliest tropical cyclone of the 2007 Pacific hurricane season. The storm, which caused nine fatalities, formed from an area of cloud on August 30, 2007, and became a tropical storm the next day. The storm moved along the Mexican Pacific coast, and it rained very heavily. The city that had the most problems was Acapulco, Guerrero, where six people were killed by landslides, and over 100&nbsp;families had to leave after the La Sabana River flooded. Henriette then turned north and headed towards the Baja California peninsula, and became a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Henriette made its first landfall east of Cabo San Lucas when it was at its strongest, causing the death of one woman because of rough seas.

Hurricane Henriette then moved over the Sea of Cortez, and made its second landfall near Guaymas, Sonora. After causing heavy rains in Sonora, the storm weakened over the Sierra Madre Occidental and what was left went on to cause flooding in New Mexico and Texas. The damaged caused cost about $275&nbsp;million (2007&nbsp;MXN, $25&nbsp;million 2007&nbsp;USD). It hit Mexico on the same day Hurricane Felix hit Nicaragua, one of only two times when an Atlantic hurricane and a Pacific hurricane have made landfall on the same day.

## Meteorological history
Henriette originated from a tropical wave on the west coast of Africa on August 20, 2007. The wave produced some convection while in the Caribbean Sea but reached Central America on August 28 before any significant development could occur.  Early on August 30, the area of low pressure, now 400&nbsp;miles (640&nbsp;km) south-southeast of Acapulco, Mexico, started to gain clusters of strong convection. By the afternoon of August 30 the system continued to show strong convection and had developed a broad but well defined area of low to mid level cyclonic turning. By 0600&nbsp;UTC that day the system became a tropical depression about  southeast of Acapulco and was designated as Tropical Depression Eleven-E. The cyclone initially headed toward the west-northwest around a subtropical ridge that was centered over the western Gulf of Mexico. The depression moved north west, parallel with the west coast of Mexico due to being steered by the mid/upper-level ridge.

It continued to move along the Mexican coast bringing heavy rains. With continued strong convection, Henriette maintained its strengthening and was predicted to reach hurricane strength. However, despite the low wind shear and apparent warm waters. Henriette did not strengthen as expected. This is believed to be due to its proximity to land and cold waters being brought up due to Henriette's slow movement.  The convection and strengthening continued and maintained itself as it moved away from Jalisco. Henriette turned westward and away from the Pacific coast of Mexico late on September 1 as the subtropical ridge built westward over northern Mexico. The hurricane reached its peak intensity of 85&nbsp;mph (135&nbsp; km/h) that morning while centered about 75&nbsp;miles (120&nbsp;km)south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas. It was over land for only about six hours before emerging into the Sea of Cortez. The brief interaction with land caused a slight weakening, but Henriette remained a Category&nbsp;1&nbsp;hurricane for most of that day. The next day it made final landfall near Guaymas in the state of Sonora. Henriette weakened quickly over land and dissipated over the mountains of northwestern Mexico early on September 6.

## Preparations
The formation of Henriette was not anticipated well in NHC Tropical Weather Outlooks.  The incipient system was first mentioned only about 31&nbsp;hours before it became a tropical depression, and the potential for the formation of a depression was explicitly stated only about 13&nbsp;hours before it happened. On September 4, the port of Mazatlán, Sinaloa had to be shut down to all navigation due to the hurricane. The port authority reported that Henriette produced waves more than 4&nbsp;meters (13&nbsp;ft) in height. The Carnival Pride cruise scheduled to arrive at the port had to be diverted out to sea as a result of the port's closure. In the city itself, school was suspended for two days, and officials stated about 600&nbsp;famiilies might have to be evacuated. Further north, the port of Topolobampo, Sinaloa was also closed due to Henriette's threat, and 20&nbsp;families were evacuated from their homes in an ejido.

In La Paz, the Municipal Direction of Civil defense said13&nbsp;temporary shelters would be opened and anticipated the evacuation of more than 2000&nbsp;people that lived in high-risk zones. In some areas, the local police recommended to the population, mostly those living in areas of high risk, that they should take care not to leave their homes unless necessary and to find evacuation routes and temporary shelters. Both Manuel Márquez de León International Airport in La Paz and Los Cabos International Airport in San José del Cabo were shut down, stranding 7,500–8,500 tourists. Henriette also forced the ports in Los Cabos to close completely, and the port in La Paz to close to small craft.

## Impact
Henriette struck hardest in the resort town of Acapulco. Though the storm never passed closer than  to the town, heavy rains along the coast saturated the ground, leading to mudslides. Six people were reported dead as a result of rockslides in two suburban neighborhoods of the city and in the port itself. Three were killed by a huge rock hitting their house, and the other three were killed when their dwellings partially collapsed. In addition, flooding from the overflowing of the River La Sabana, led to the evacuation of at least one hundred families from around the river by the Consejo Estatal de Proteccion Civil. In Michoacán, Henriette damaged 10,000 square meters (107,000&nbsp;sq. ft) of beach near Ixtapilla, destroying approximately 5,000 Olive Ridley turtle nests, - 10% of the endangered species's nests in the state.

In Sonora, the hurricane destroyed 450&nbsp;homes and damaged another 5,000&nbsp;dwellings in Etchojoa and Huatabampo, which both have large Mayo Indian populations. The storm flooded nearby agricultural fields, stopping wheat production, forcing local government to fumigate the region to try to prevent a dengue fever outbreak. In the Yaqui River valley, two people were killed, and another 70&nbsp;homes were destroyed by Henriette's winds. Throughout the state, 24,000&nbsp;families were left homeless.

One woman died due to high surf near Cabo San Lucas on the Baja California peninsula. Two fishermen were reported killed off the Sonora coast.
The road connecting Guaymas to Ciudad Obregón was closed due to damage from the overflow of the brook Cocoraque which stranded around 600&nbsp;cars. Lázaro Cárdenas was affected when the Acalpican River broke its banks. At least 50&nbsp;houses in the community of *El&nbsp;Habillal*, were flooded by water levels of up to . The residents had to leave their houses and be relocated in provisional housing.  The remnants of Henriette caused flash floods and surface water 8–12&nbsp;inches (20–30&nbsp;cm) deep which covered roads with depths up to 1.5&nbsp;inches (4&nbsp;cm) in the U.S. States of New Mexico and Texas. Hail also accumulated on roadways. Damage in Mexico totalled about $275&nbsp;million (2007&nbsp;MXN, $25&nbsp;million 2007&nbsp;USD).

## Related pages
* 2007 Pacific hurricane season

## References
## Other websites
* National Hurricane Center
* Tropical Cyclone Report