Hurricane Ella (1970)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Ella was the second of two major hurricanes to threaten Texas during the 1970 Atlantic hurricane season
. The sixth tropical storm and third hurricane of the season, Ella developed on September 8 in the western Caribbean Sea. It moved across the Yucatán Peninsula as a tropical depression before rapidly intensifying into a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. Initially the hurricane was forecast to hit southern Texas, which prompted evacuations and hurricane warnings. This occurred about a month after Hurricane Celia
caused significant damage across the region. Hurricane Ella ultimately turned to the west and maintained a track that spared Texas from significant impact. On September 12, it moved ashore in northeastern Mexico in the state of Tamaulipas
with winds of 125 mph (201.2 km/h). The hurricane left one death due to a destroyed house. Ella weakened while moving inland and dissipated on September 13.
that extended from the San Andres archipelago to Florida in early September. A tropical depression developed from the system on September 8 near Swan Island
off the north coast of Honduras. Moving northwestward, the depression failed to strengthen much before striking the Yucatán Peninsula
on September 10, just south of Cozumel
. As it emerged into the Gulf of Mexico, the depression began to intensify significantly. A few hours later, the Hurricane Hunters
observed a tropical storm, which prompted the system being named
"Ella". Around that time, the storm started a general curve toward the west, due to a ridge
to its north. With an anticyclone
aloft providing favorable conditions, Ella rapidly intensified into a hurricane less than 12 hours after emerging from the Yucatán Peninsula.
Initially there was uncertainty in its future track, and the hurricane posed a threat to Texas; however, Ella turned to the west as its intensification rate slowed. About 24 hours before its final landfall
, its center became trackable on radar from Brownsville, Texas
. As the ridge to the north weakened, Ella slowed its forward motion markedly and quickly strengthened. In the 12 hours before moving ashore, the winds increased from 100 mph (160.9 km/h) to 125 mph (201.2 km/h), making Ella a major hurricane (Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
). On September 12, the hurricane made landfall near La Pesca, Tamaulipas
, about 150 mi (220 km) south of the Mexico/United States border, with a barometric pressure
of 967 mbar (28.6 inHg). This made Ella one of eleven major hurricanes to strike the Atlantic coast of Mexico in the period between 1970 and 2008. It rapidly weakened over land, dissipating early on September 13 over western Nuevo León
.
When Hurricane Ella was still moving to the west-northwest, the Weather Bureau
issued a hurricane watch
for the entire Texas coastline. This was later upgraded to a hurricane warning from Brownsville to Port Isabel
, with gale warning
s extending northward to Port Aransas
. Officials issued a mandatory evacuation for low-lying areas around Brownsville, as well as in South Padre Island
and Port Isabel. An American Red Cross
shelter opened to provide shelter. All residents in mobile homes were also told to leave their homes in the Brownsville area. People in the affected area took extra precautions due to the heavy damage left by Hurricane Celia
only weeks before.
The hurricane increased surf along the Texas coast, with wave heights of 7 ft (2.1 m) observed. As a result, small craft were recommended to remain at port. Ultimately there was no reported storm surge
in Texas, although the waves crested high along the beaches. Precipitation was light in Texas, peaking at 0.88 in (22.4 mm) at McAllen
. Observations in northeastern Mexico were sparse, although wind gusts from Ella reached 150 mph (241.4 km/h). The Brownsville Weather Bureau office noted the potential for 15 in (381 mm) of rainfall to occur in Mexico along the hurricane's path, and heavy rainfall occurred in portions of northeastern Mexico. There, the rainfall disrupted post-storm rescue work. The rains prevented the transportation of relief goods, including food and medicine, by helicopters. The hurricane destroyed several houses, and there was one death after a girl was stuck in her destroyed house. Due to the hurricane, the Purification and the San Fernando River
s crested above flood stage.
1970 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1970 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1970, and lasted until November 30, 1970. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...
. The sixth tropical storm and third hurricane of the season, Ella developed on September 8 in the western Caribbean Sea. It moved across the Yucatán Peninsula as a tropical depression before rapidly intensifying into a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. Initially the hurricane was forecast to hit southern Texas, which prompted evacuations and hurricane warnings. This occurred about a month after Hurricane Celia
Hurricane Celia
Hurricane Celia was the third named tropical cyclone, the second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 1970 Atlantic hurricane season. Celia began as a tropical wave which formed off the eastern coast of Africa on July 23. The wave reached the eastern Caribbean Sea on July 28 and began to...
caused significant damage across the region. Hurricane Ella ultimately turned to the west and maintained a track that spared Texas from significant impact. On September 12, it moved ashore in northeastern Mexico in the state of Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
with winds of 125 mph (201.2 km/h). The hurricane left one death due to a destroyed house. Ella weakened while moving inland and dissipated on September 13.
Meteorological history
The origins of Hurricane Ella were from a well-defined troughTrough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
that extended from the San Andres archipelago to Florida in early September. A tropical depression developed from the system on September 8 near Swan Island
Swan Islands, Honduras
The Swan Islands, or Islas Santanilla, are a chain of three islands located in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, approximately ninety miles off the coastline of Honduras, with a land area of .-Detailed location and features:...
off the north coast of Honduras. Moving northwestward, the depression failed to strengthen much before striking the Yucatán Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
on September 10, just south of Cozumel
Cozumel
Cozumel is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen, and close to the Yucatan Channel. Cozumel is one of the ten municipalities of the state of Quintana Roo...
. As it emerged into the Gulf of Mexico, the depression began to intensify significantly. A few hours later, the Hurricane Hunters
Hurricane Hunters
The Hurricane Hunters are aircraft that fly into tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic Ocean and Northeastern Pacific Ocean for the specific purpose of directly measuring weather data in and around those storms. In the United States, the Air Force, Navy, and NOAA units have all participated in...
observed a tropical storm, which prompted the system being named
Tropical cyclone naming
Tropical cyclones have officially been named since 1945 and are named for a variety of reasons, which include to facilitate communications between forecasters and the public when forecasts, watches, and warnings are issued. Names also reduce confusion about what storm is being described, as more...
"Ella". Around that time, the storm started a general curve toward the west, due to a ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
to its north. With an anticyclone
Anticyclone
An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon defined by the United States' National Weather Service's glossary as "[a] large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere"...
aloft providing favorable conditions, Ella rapidly intensified into a hurricane less than 12 hours after emerging from the Yucatán Peninsula.
Initially there was uncertainty in its future track, and the hurricane posed a threat to Texas; however, Ella turned to the west as its intensification rate slowed. About 24 hours before its final landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
, its center became trackable on radar from Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
. As the ridge to the north weakened, Ella slowed its forward motion markedly and quickly strengthened. In the 12 hours before moving ashore, the winds increased from 100 mph (160.9 km/h) to 125 mph (201.2 km/h), making Ella a major hurricane (Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
). On September 12, the hurricane made landfall near La Pesca, Tamaulipas
La Pesca, Tamaulipas
La Pesca is a small town in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It is located on the Gulf of Mexico, at the mouth of the Río Soto La Marina, between the Laguna Madre to the north and the Laguna Morales to the south....
, about 150 mi (220 km) south of the Mexico/United States border, with a barometric pressure
Atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure is the force per unit area exerted into a surface by the weight of air above that surface in the atmosphere of Earth . In most circumstances atmospheric pressure is closely approximated by the hydrostatic pressure caused by the weight of air above the measurement point...
of 967 mbar (28.6 inHg). This made Ella one of eleven major hurricanes to strike the Atlantic coast of Mexico in the period between 1970 and 2008. It rapidly weakened over land, dissipating early on September 13 over western Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
.
Preparations and impact
As the tropical depression that became Ella moved over the Yucatán Peninsula, it produced wind gusts of 55 mph (88.5 km/h) and a pressure of 1004 mbar (29.6 inHg).When Hurricane Ella was still moving to the west-northwest, the Weather Bureau
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
issued a hurricane watch
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches
Warnings and watches are two levels of alert issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local population and civil authorities to make appropriate...
for the entire Texas coastline. This was later upgraded to a hurricane warning from Brownsville to Port Isabel
Port Isabel, Texas
Port Isabel is a city in Cameron County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas...
, with gale warning
Gale warning
A gale warning is a warning issued by weather services in maritime locations about the existence of winds of gale force or above or the imminent occurrence of gales at sea...
s extending northward to Port Aransas
Port Aransas, Texas
Port Aransas is a city in Nueces County, Texas. The population was 3,370 at the 2000 census.-Early history:Karankawa Indians played a key role in the early development of the Texas Gulf Coast. The Karankawa Indians inhabited the Gulf Coast of Texas from Galveston Bay all the way to Corpus Christi Bay...
. Officials issued a mandatory evacuation for low-lying areas around Brownsville, as well as in South Padre Island
South Padre Island
South Padre Island is a barrier island in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located in Cameron County and is a popular vacation destination because the resort city South Padre Island is located on the island. The island itself is considered to have been settled by Padre Jose Nicolas Balli, who had a...
and Port Isabel. An American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
shelter opened to provide shelter. All residents in mobile homes were also told to leave their homes in the Brownsville area. People in the affected area took extra precautions due to the heavy damage left by Hurricane Celia
Hurricane Celia
Hurricane Celia was the third named tropical cyclone, the second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 1970 Atlantic hurricane season. Celia began as a tropical wave which formed off the eastern coast of Africa on July 23. The wave reached the eastern Caribbean Sea on July 28 and began to...
only weeks before.
The hurricane increased surf along the Texas coast, with wave heights of 7 ft (2.1 m) observed. As a result, small craft were recommended to remain at port. Ultimately there was no reported storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
in Texas, although the waves crested high along the beaches. Precipitation was light in Texas, peaking at 0.88 in (22.4 mm) at McAllen
McAllen, Texas
McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. It is located at the southern tip of Texas in an area known as the Rio Grande Valley and is part of the . Its southern boundary is located about five miles from the U.S.–Mexico border and the Mexican city of Reynosa, the Rio...
. Observations in northeastern Mexico were sparse, although wind gusts from Ella reached 150 mph (241.4 km/h). The Brownsville Weather Bureau office noted the potential for 15 in (381 mm) of rainfall to occur in Mexico along the hurricane's path, and heavy rainfall occurred in portions of northeastern Mexico. There, the rainfall disrupted post-storm rescue work. The rains prevented the transportation of relief goods, including food and medicine, by helicopters. The hurricane destroyed several houses, and there was one death after a girl was stuck in her destroyed house. Due to the hurricane, the Purification and the San Fernando River
San Fernando River
-References:*Atlas of Mexico, 1975 .*The Prentice Hall American World Atlas, 1984.*Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993....
s crested above flood stage.