Hurricane Diana

This article is about the Atlantic hurricane of 1990. For other storms of the same name, see Hurricane Diana (disambiguation).

Template:Infobox hurricane nopic Hurricane Diana was the fourth named storm of the 1990 season. It began in the Caribbean Sea and made landfall over the Yucatan Peninsula as a tropical storm. It entered the Bay of Campeche and strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane as it slammed into Veracruz, Mexico.

Storm history

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale

Map key

Saffir–Simpson scale

  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown

Storm type

Tropical cyclone

Subtropical cyclone

Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

The tropical wave that eventually became Hurricane Diana moved off the coast of Africa on July 27. It moved across the unfavorable Atlantic without development until it reached the Caribbean Sea. Over the western Caribbean, upper level winds became much more favorable as an anticyclone built over the system, and water temperatures were warm enough for development. The wave became a tropical depression on August 4 and a tropical storm on the 5th as it moved northwestward. It hit south of Cozumel, Mexico on the night of the 5th as a 65 mph tropical storm, and weakened while crossing the Yucatan.

When a trough of low pressure over the Gulf of Mexico weakened, steering currents forced Diana westward, where conditions remained favorable. The storm entered the Gulf on August 6, and became a hurricane on the 7th. Just before landfall on the night of the 7th, Diana reached her peak of 95 mph (150 km/h) winds, and hit near Tampico, Mexico at that intensity. It moved across Mexico, maintaining a weak yet discernable circulation until dissipating over the Gulf of California on the 9th.

Impact

Diana caused very heavy rain and flooding over eastern Mexico, and killed an estimated 96 people, with an additional 100 missing. Property and crop damage are likely high, but no official numbers exist.

This Hurricane Diana is not to be confused with the 1955 season's Hurricane Diane, which struck North Carolina, and whose name was also retired.

The name Diana was retired in the spring of 1991 and was replaced with Dolly in the 1996 season.

See also

• List of notable tropical cyclones