2002 Eastern Pacific hurricane season
Hurricane Elida 2002
Hurricane Elida rose from a tropical depression to Category 5 strength in about two days in July 2002. It remained offshore from Mexico, with its small eye and changing eyewalls visible in satellite observations.
Drag to pan. Pinch or Ctrl/⌘ + scroll to zoom. Keyboard: plus or minus to zoom, arrow keys to pan, and 0 to show the full track.
161 mph
Jul 25, 2002 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Two days to Category 5
Elida developed from a tropical wave that crossed Central America and organized over the eastern Pacific. Forecasters identified a depression on July 23; six hours later, it was a tropical storm. Warm water and low wind shear supported continued growth, and a small eye formed as the storm became a hurricane.
On July 25, Elida reached maximum one-minute winds of 140 kt and a minimum central pressure of 921 hPa. At about the same time, the MERIS instrument aboard Europe's Envisat satellite recorded its first hurricane image, capturing Elida near peak strength.
Eyewall changes and cooler water
Elida weakened as concentric eyewalls developed and it moved over cooler water. It turned northwest and then north through a weakness in the subtropical ridge, falling to tropical-storm strength on July 27. Its remnant low dissipated west of Los Angeles on July 31.
Although the center never reached land, Elida generated high waves along Mexico's Pacific coast. The hurricane's main development and decline occurred over the ocean, away from populated coastlines.
Further reading
NOAA IBTrACS v04r01 historical track archive
Wikipedia, 2002 Pacific hurricane season
Official report (PDF) — National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report.
QUICK ANSWERS
Elida in brief
What was Hurricane Elida's highest wind speed?
161 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Jul 25, 2002, 06:00 AM UTC.
What category was Hurricane Elida?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Jul 25, 2002, 06:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Hurricane Elida's lowest pressure?
921 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Jul 25, 2002, 06:00 AM UTC.
When did Hurricane Elida occur?
The archived track runs from Jul 23, 2002, 06:00 AM UTC to Jul 31, 2002, 06:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Jul 23, 2002, 06:00 AM UTC to Jul 30, 2002, 03:00 PM UTC.
Where did Hurricane Elida form?
In the Eastern Pacific basin, in the 2002 season. Its first archived position is 11.6°N, 96.7°W on Jul 23, 2002, 06:00 AM UTC.
Did Hurricane Elida make landfall?
No archived position places Hurricane Elida's center over land, but positions are six-hourly and a brief landfall can fall between them.
METHODOLOGY
Data sources and limitations
The map and summary are generated from NOAA's IBTrACS v04r01 archive. Wind and category use US-agency records; minimum pressure is calculated during the tropical stage, with the archive's pressure source retained. Category 5 refers to the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale; local agencies may use different classifications. Coastlines use Natural Earth's 1:10m land data.
Track distance adds great-circle distances between consecutive observations, excluding gaps over 12 hours. This track has no gaps over 12 hours. The line shows the storm's center, not its size, rainfall or flood extent. Converted wind speeds are rounded to the nearest whole unit.
Archive retrieved
NOAA IBTrACS archive and Field documentation
Sources & methodology