1967 Pacific hurricane season

A busier year than the mid-1960s

The archive tracks 19 systems from 7 June to 3 November, 17 of which reached tropical storm strength. Accumulated cyclone energy reached 114.7, and much of it came from Sarah's long track across the central and western Pacific. Sarah was also the longest-tracked storm, at 360 recorded hours.

The eastern Pacific used the fourth of the four name sets introduced in 1960 for the first time, so every name was new. The name list also included Hilary, a system that post-storm analysis downgraded to a depression, and the season had a May depression and four likely central Pacific depressions that forecasters did not monitor at the time. None of these appear among the site's 17 tropical storms.

A summer of storms at sea

June brought Agatha, Bridget and Hurricane Carlotta, the first hurricane, which peaked at 75 kt on 24 June and weakened south of Baja California. July added four more storms. Denise formed south of Mexico from squalls first seen on satellite photos, crossed into the central Pacific and faded southwest of Hawaii on 18 July. Eleanor, Francene and Georgette all stayed at sea.

Tropical Storm Ilsa reached 60 kt in mid-August, just short of hurricane strength, and Hurricane Jewel formed the day Ilsa dissipated and peaked on 19 August. Neither touched land.

Katrina and Olivia hit Baja California

Hurricane Katrina formed on 30 August and became a hurricane about 30 hours after it was named. It came ashore on the Baja California Peninsula that night with winds of about 85 mph, ran up the Gulf of California and made a second landfall at its head before dissipating over Arizona. Katrina damaged parts of San Felipe, sank 60 ships, left 2,500 people homeless and killed five people in Mexico.

Hurricane Olivia formed on 6 October and crossed Baja California as a tropical storm with 50 mph winds. It became a hurricane over the Gulf of California on 13 October, strengthened fast in its small core and reached 110 kt on 14 October. Olivia struck the eastern side of the Baja California Peninsula at that 125 mph intensity, one of only two major hurricanes known to do so, and was the first major hurricane named in the eastern Pacific. It reports 61 deaths and no damage figure, since the coast Olivia hit had few people.

Sarah crosses the date line

Sarah was the only storm to form in the central Pacific that year. Forecasters found it southeast of Hawaii on 9 September. It became a hurricane briefly on 11 September, weakened, then strengthened again as it crossed into the western Pacific. There it deepened fast and reached 130 kt on 16 September. The only measured pressure came from the western Pacific; the best track gives 932 mb, and the archive's lowest value is 930 mb. Sarah became extratropical on 22 September.

The site counts Sarah among this season's major hurricanes because its merged track begins in the central Pacific. Eastern Pacific tallies name only Olivia as a major hurricane, since Sarah reached major strength after crossing into the western Pacific.

Autumn stragglers

Hurricane Lily peaked on 6 September and dissipated on 11 September, though satellites tracked its surface swirl near 30°N until 20 September. Monica and Nanette formed on the same day in mid-September. Hurricane Priscilla held hurricane strength for two days in mid-October before curving west, and Tropical Storm Ramona closed the season, weakening and restrengthening before it dissipated on 3 November.