Hurricane Adolph (2001)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Hurricane Adolph (2001)
Type=hurricane
Year=2001
Basin=Pac
Image location=Hurricane Adolph 29May2001.jpg


Formed= May 25, 2001
Dissipated=June 1, 2001
Pressure=940
1-min winds=125
Da

Inflated=None
Fatalities=None
Areas=Mexico
Hurricane season=2001 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Adolph was the first depression, tropical storm, hurricane, and major hurricane of the 2001 Pacific hurricane season. When this storm formed, it became only the second time that two consecutive East Pacific hurricane seasons (2000-01) had named storms develop in May since hurricane records began in the basin (1983-84 was the first). After rapidly intensifying, Adolph became the most powerful storm in terms of wind speed this season, along with Hurricane Juliette.cite web|author=Franklin, Avila, Beven, Lawrence, Pasch, and Stewart|year=2001|title=2001 Pacific Hurricane Season Summary|accessdate=2007-02-14|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/tws/MIATWSEP_nov.html] Despite only briefly threatening land, the name was later removed from use.

Adolph was noteworthy for being the first and so far the only East Pacific hurricane in May to reach Category 4 strength since record keeping began in the East Pacific and for the reasons behind the name's eventual removal.cite web|author=Gary Padgett|year=2001|title=Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary for May 01|accessdate=2007-02-11|url=http://www.typhoon2000.ph/garyp_mgtcs/may01.txt]

Meteorological history

On May 7, a tropical wave left the coast of Africa. The wave moved across the Atlantic Ocean with showing little signs of development until May 18, when a low pressure center began organizing along the wave over Costa Rica and Panama. The low entered the Pacific Ocean on May 22, and Dvorak classifications began two days later. At first the system was disorganized, but convection quickly concentrated near the center, and on May 25 the disturbance developed into Tropical Depression 1-E while located about convert|250|mi|km south-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico.cite web|author=Stacy R. Stewart|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Tropical Cyclone Report|accessdate=2007-02-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2001adolph.html]

The newly numbered depression moved very slowly due to weak steering currents aloft,cite web|author=Avila|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Discussion #4|accessdate=2007-02-13|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/dis/ep012001.discus.004.html] resulting in an atypical track towards the east-northeast. Because of these weak steering conditions, the models used to predict the movement of the depression varied greatly, with one predicting an eventual Mexican landfall.cite web|author=Beven|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Discussion #2|accessdate=2007-02-14|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/dis/ep012001.discus.002.html] Located in conditions ideal for tropical development, it formed a cold central dense overcastcite web|author=Lawrence|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Discussion #3|accessdate=2007-02-14|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/dis/ep012001.discus.003.html] and steadily intensified to become Tropical Storm Adolph on May 26 about convert|225|mi|km south-southwest of Acapulco while in a low shear environment with warm sea surface temperatures.cite web|author=Avila|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Discussion #5|accessdate=2007-02-13|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/dis/ep012001.discus.005.html] Adolph turned northward on May 27, a turn influenced by a mid-level ridge building to the storm's east and southeastcite web|author=Pasch|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Discussion #9|accessdate=2007-02-14|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/dis/ep012001.discus.009.html] , and approached Mexico. A banding eye feature became apparent on satellite imagery. Convection around the eye deepened while the eye became more pronounced, and Adolph was upgraded to hurricane strength on May 27. On May 28 the hurricane passed within roughly convert|165|mi|km of the Mexican coastline the next day, its closest approach to land. Shortly thereafter, Adolph turned westward under the influence of a mid-tropospheric ridge.cite web|author=Stacy R. Stewart|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Tropical Cyclone Report|accessdate=2007-02-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2001adolph.html] The high upper oceanic heat content, good outflow, and lack of vertical shearcite web|author=Franklin|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Discussion #10|accessdate=2007-02-14|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/dis/ep012001.discus.010.html] allowed the hurricane to begin rapid intensification, dropping 1.46 mbar per hourcite web|author=Gary Padgett|year=2001|title=Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary for May 01|accessdate=2007-02-11|url=http://www.typhoon2000.ph/garyp_mgtcs/may01.txt] while retracting in sizecite web|author=Franklin|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Discussion #10|accessdate=2007-02-14|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/dis/ep012001.discus.010.html] and within 30 hours after becoming a hurricane, Adolph reached its peak strength of 145 mph.cite web|author=Stacy R. Stewart|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Tropical Cyclone Report|accessdate=2007-02-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2001adolph.html] Dvorak classifications reported a T-number of 7.0 to this hurricane, equivalent to convert|160|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on maximum sustained winds or Category 5 strength.cite web|author=Gary Padgett|year=2001|title=Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary for May 01|accessdate=2007-02-11|url=http://www.typhoon2000.ph/garyp_mgtcs/may01.txt] However, because of a lack of reconnaissance data from the storm, these strength measurements may be disputed.cite web|author=Pasch|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Discussion #3|accessdate=2007-02-14|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/dis/ep012001.discus.012.html]

After peaking in intensity, Adolph weakened while decelerating westward due to an eyewall replacement cycle; by May 30, the winds dropped to convert|115|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on as the eyewall filled with clouds and became less distinct.cite web|author=Pasch|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Discussion #3|accessdate=2007-02-14|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/dis/ep012001.discus.017.html] The trend of weakening continued as the eye definition and convection oscillated in presentation.cite web|author=Gary Padgett|year=2001|title=Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary for May 01|accessdate=2007-02-11|url=http://www.typhoon2000.ph/garyp_mgtcs/may01.txt] On June 1 Adolph deteriorated into a tropical storm as convection became far removed from the increasingly elongated center.cite web|author=Avila|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Discussion #27|accessdate=2007-02-13|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/dis/ep012001.discus.027.html] As the storm passed over increasingly colder waters and into an area of stable air, the system weakened more quickly, and dissipated on June 1 while located about convert|460|mi|km south-southwest of Baja California.cite web|author=World Meteorological Organization|year=2002|title=RA IV Hurricane Committee Final Report of the 24th Session|accessdate=2007-02-11|url=http://www.wmo.ch/web/www/TCP/Reports/HC-24FinalReport-ENG.pdf] The remaining clouds persisted for a few days before dissipating entirely.cite web|author=Stacy R. Stewart|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Tropical Cyclone Report|accessdate=2007-02-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2001adolph.html]

Impact, Records, and Naming

Though Adolph never moved ashore, its close approach to land as well as its slow, unpredictable movementcite web|author=Franklin|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Discussion #6|accessdate=2007-02-13|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/dis/ep012001.discus.006.html] resulted in the issuance of a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch for southern Mexico around the time when Adolph attained major hurricane strength. The threat for heavy rainfall was mentioned for areascite web|author=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Heading For Mexico|accessdate=2007-02-10|url=http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2001/05/29/adolph010529.html] from Puerto Ángel to Zihuatanejo when Adolph was a depressioncite web|author=Avila|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Discussion #1|accessdate=2007-02-15|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/dis/ep012001.discus.001.html] and later from Acapulco to Lázaro Cárdenas.cite web|author=Franklin|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Public Advisory #10|accessdate=2007-02-11|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/pub/ep012001.public.010.html] The government of Mexico expressed concern that rain and convert|13|ft|m|sing=on waves waves from Adolph would affect Oaxaca, Colima, Jalisco, Michoacan, and Guerrero,cite web|author=INICIO|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Threatens Mexico's Pacific Coast|accessdate=2007-02-11|url=http://fox.presidencia.gob.mx/buscador/?contenido=1152&pagina=752&palabras=indendencia+de+mexico] threatening agriculture in these regions.cite web|author=Dulce Flores, Sal Trejo, and Gabo Hernandez|year=2001|title=GAIN Report: Mexico Agricultural Situation Issue #18 2001|accessdate=2007-02-11|url=http://www.stat-usa.gov/agworld.nsf/505c55d16b88351a852567010058449b/85db3b8d2bd5d06285256a62006ed1a2/$FILE/MX1083.PDF]

Despite the tropical storm warning and forecasts, no tropical storm force winds from Adolph were reported on land; the only reported tropical storm force winds were given by a ship called the "Seurat", which recorded sustained winds of convert|45|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on on May 29.cite web|author=Jack Beven, Daniel P. Brown, and Eric J. Holweg|year=2001|title=Mariners Weather Log of 2001|accessdate=2007-02-11|url=http://www.vos.noaa.gov/MWL/dec2001.pdf] The hurricane was responsible for the closure of ports in Acapulco to small vessels.cite web|author=Associated Press|year=2001|title=The Gleaner of May 29, 2001|accessdate=2007-02-11|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] , Outside of some reports of rain and heavy surf,cite web|author=Gary Padgett|year=2001|title=Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary for May 01|accessdate=2007-02-11|url=http://www.typhoon2000.ph/garyp_mgtcs/may01.txt] no reports of casualties or damages were received in connection with the storm.cite web|author=Stacy R. Stewart|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Tropical Cyclone Report|accessdate=2007-02-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2001adolph.html]

When Adolph reached Category 4 strength on May 29, it became the strongest hurricane to form in the East Pacific basin in May. Coincidentally, the previous record holder for strongest May hurricane, in 1983 with convert|110|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on winds, was also named "Adolph".cite web|author=Gary Padgett|year=2001|title=Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary for May 01|accessdate=2007-02-11|url=http://www.typhoon2000.ph/garyp_mgtcs/may01.txt] Adolph also became the only May hurricane to reach Category 4 strength.cite web|author=Stacy R. Stewart|year=2001|title=Hurricane Adolph Tropical Cyclone Report|accessdate=2007-02-10|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2001adolph.html] cite web|author=Gary Padgett|year=2001|title=Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary for May 01|accessdate=2007-02-11|url=http://www.typhoon2000.ph/garyp_mgtcs/may01.txt]

Despite never having made landfall as well as no reported damages anywhere, the name Adolph was removed from the list of hurricane names after this season for political reasons. The given reason is that the name was retired because of connections to Adolf Hitler. The name submitted to replace Adolph is Alvin.

The World Meteorological Organization received intense criticism for using both Adolph and Israel during the season, mostly from Jewish leaders who called the use of the names "bizarre", "stupid", and "insensitive".cite web|author=Elli Wohlgelernter|year=2001|title=Storm Brewing Over Hurricane Named Israel|accessdate=2007-02-11|url=http://www.chretiens-et-juifs.org/article.php?voir%5B%5D=1372&voir%5B%5D=3865] In fact, the President of the WMO Regional Association IV-which monitors this basin-consulted committee members during the season and removed Israel as a consensus, but because Adolph had already been used for this storm, the removal of the name had to wait until the 24th Session of the WMO Committee that oversaw the basin.cite web|author=World Meteorological Organization|year=2002|title=RA IV Hurricane Committee Final Report of the 24th Session|accessdate=2007-02-11|url=http://www.wmo.ch/web/www/TCP/Reports/HC-24FinalReport-ENG.pdf]

ee also

* List of Pacific hurricanes
* List of retired Pacific hurricane names

References

External links

* [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/ADOLPH.html NHC's archive] of Hurricane Adolph