EPAC: Tropical Depression Alma (01E)

[Derek Ortt]

there may have been a caribbean storm that already did that, but I am not 100% sure

[Chacor]

It's the first to hit Nicaragua from the Pacific.

[Derek Ortt]

it is going to be a little hard to survive for another 12 hours. Those mountains are very high over Honduras.

That said, Honduras is still deforested thanks to Mitch, so Haitian-like floods are possible. Gamma killed 37 in 2005 despite staying offshore and only bringing 5 inches of rain

[vbhoutex]

Huh? It was the first tropical storm to make landfall on the Pacific coast? I thought Simone of 68 held that record.

I think they are referring to CA as opposed to Mexico which if I remember correctly is considered part of NA.

[Derek Ortt]

if one wants to get technical, Central America is a part of North America. There is no continent of central America

that said, when one generally refers to CA, they do not include Mexico

[Ed Mahmoud]

Can we keep the discussion to the main thread? And it's just you. Nicaragua doesn't make up the whole of Central America.

But the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua is entirely within what is considered Central America.

Edit to remove reference to an S2K poster who really doesn't seem to like me, for some reason.

[RL3AO]

But the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua is entirely withing what is considered Central America.

Heres what I made of it.

ALMA IS THE FIRST TROPICAL STORM...IN THE AVAILABLE RECORDS...TO
MAKE LANDFALL ON THE PACIFIC COAST OF CENTRAL AMERICA.

I take that as a hurricane may have, but a TS hasn't.

IT ALSO MADE LANDFALL FARTHER EAST THAN ANY PREVIOUS EASTERN PACIFIC
TROPICAL CYCLONE...AND WAS THE FIRST TO DO SO ON THE PACIFIC COAST
OF NICARAGUA.

[Ed Mahmoud]

But the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua is entirely withing what is considered Central America.

Heres what I made of it.

ALMA IS THE FIRST TROPICAL STORM...IN THE AVAILABLE RECORDS...TO
MAKE LANDFALL ON THE PACIFIC COAST OF CENTRAL AMERICA.

I take that as a hurricane may have, but a TS hasn't.

IT ALSO MADE LANDFALL FARTHER EAST THAN ANY PREVIOUS EASTERN PACIFIC
TROPICAL CYCLONE...AND WAS THE FIRST TO DO SO ON THE PACIFIC COAST
OF NICARAGUA.

Maybe, but that seems to be parsing, as a hurricane is just a strength classificiation used in this hemisphere for tropical cyclones stronger than a certain strength. But maybe that is what is meant.

[RL3AO]

Maybe, but that seems to be parsing, as a hurricane is just a strength classificiation used in this hemisphere for tropical cyclones stronger than a certain strength. But maybe that is what is meant.

Don't know what else it could be. I'm pretty sure TCs have made landfall on the Pacific side of Central America before.

[Ed Mahmoud]

Maybe, but that seems to be parsing, as a hurricane is just a strength classificiation used in this hemisphere for tropical cyclones stronger than a certain strength. But maybe that is what is meant.

Don't know what else it could be. I'm pretty sure TCs have made landfall on the Pacific side of Central America before.

I guess.


Well, no more discussion of this before someone gets really terse with me.

[RL3AO]

Well, looking back at Andres and Adrian, they both made landfall as depressions. So I think it makes sense now. It was the first TS or higher to make landfall on Pacific side of Cent. America.

[Chacor]

The two are mutually exclusive; the first TS to make landfall in CentAm doesn't mean the first TC to make landfall in Nicaragua; neither does the first TC to make landfall in Nicaragua suggest it was the first TS to make landfall in CentAm.

[NDG]

I went back all the way back to 1949, the only other EPAC tropical cyclone that made a direct hit to the pacific coast of Central America was Adrian '05, but it was downgraded to TD right before landfall. And yes, he was a little farther north than where Alma came ashore, no other EPAC tropical cyclones had ever made a direct hit to the Nicaraguan PACIFIC coast.

[Ed Mahmoud]

I'm surprised, I figured something would have gotten in their before. But I guess the favored path is Northwest or West away from land down there.

[Hurricanehink]

Some cool tidbits there. Now that Nicaragua is out of the way, its time for landfall in Panama.

there may have been a caribbean storm that already did that, but I am not 100% sure

Martha in 1969 did it.

[RL3AO]

I didn't see it posted, but two have died (1 direct, 1 indirect) in Nicaragua.

I'm guessing someone who can read spanish can confirm.

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/tormenta/Alma/deja/muerto/cientos/evacuados/paso/Centroamerica/elpepuint/20080530elpepuint_9/Tes
http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/nacionales/17054

[JonathanBelles]

Translation of the first article:

At least a person has died in Nicaragua by the step of the TS Alma, accompanied by winds of 100 kilometers per hour and torrential rains. Besides, in Costa Rica, the weather phenomenon has caused the evacuation of 800 people, up to some 42,000 without electricity, and caused cave-ins in highways and floods.

In Costa Rica, according to data of the National Commission of Emergencies (CNE), shelters for the attention of victims have been enabled, while some 250 people have been evacuees of their dwellings in the community of Parrita, province of Puntarenas (Peaceful central).

It is the first time in the history that a phenomenon of this type is formed set against the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. All in all, eight cave-ins in highways have been registered at least and a pair of ways closed, as well as 17 communities affected in the provinces of Guanacaste and Puntarenas, both in the Pacific, where there are various rivers with grown or overflowed.

In the Peninsula of Nicoya, situated between Guanacaste and Puntarenas, has been reported of falls of posts of the laid out electric one and of trees on the cables due to the strong winds that have whipped the zone, what has caused that 42,000 people remained without electricity. The displacement of Alma has obliged to declare on alert up to now to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador.

[Sanibel]

You don't want that energy to get a foot in the Caribbean.

[JonathanBelles]

000
WTPZ31 KNHC 300546
TCPEP1
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM ALMA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 6A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP012008
1100 PM PDT THU MAY 29 2008

...ALMA WEAKENING OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF HONDURAS...
...HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING POTENTIAL CONTINUE...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE PACIFIC COASTS OF
NICARAGUA...HONDURAS...AND EL SALVADOR. THIS WARNING WILL LIKELY BE
DISCONTINUED ON FRIDAY MORNING.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 1100 PM PDT...0600Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ALMA WAS
LOCATED INLAND OVER SOUTHERN HONDURAS NEAR LATITUDE 13.9 NORTH...
LONGITUDE 87.3 WEST OR ABOUT 10 MILES...15 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF
TEGUCIGALPA HONDURAS.

ALMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/HR. A GRADUAL
TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 36
HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF ALMA OR ITS REMNANT
CIRCULATION WILL BE MOVING OVER WESTERN HONDURAS ON FRIDAY AND COULD
REACH GUATEMALA OR BELIZE LATE FRIDAY OR EARLY SATURDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED AND ARE NOW ESTIMATED TO BE
NEAR 40 MPH...65 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. CONTINUED WEAKENING IS
EXPECTED AS THE STORM MOVES OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL
AMERICA...AND ALMA WILL LIKELY WEAKEN TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION
DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THE TROPICAL CYCLONE IS EXPECTED TO
DISSIPATE BY SATURDAY OVER NORTHERN CENTRAL AMERICA.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES...
55 KM FROM THE CENTER.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1002 MB...29.59 INCHES.

ALMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 10 TO 15
INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AMERICA FROM COSTA RICA
NORTHWESTWARD THROUGH PORTIONS OF NICARAGUA...HONDURAS...EL
SALVADOR...GUATEMALA AND BELIZE. ISOLATED MAXIMUM STORM TOTAL
AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN AREAS OF HIGHER TERRAIN.
THESE RAINS COULD PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD
SLIDES.

REPEATING THE 1100 PM PDT POSITION...13.9 N...87.3 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 9 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1002 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 200 AM PDT.

$$
FORECASTER BEVEN

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

MLC appears to have formed near 16.8 north/86.3 west based on night time satellite, while the main LLC is near 14.1/86.8 and moving north-northwest at around 340-350 degree's. Interesting none the less. I expect that it could shift slightly more north in track over the next few Advisories. Who knows...