Odile ravages Cabo San Lucas, strongest known hurricane to hit Baja Peninsula
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Version 0 of 1. Hurricane Odile crashed ashore Sunday night tied for the most intense hurricane on record to strike Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. The large and powerful Category 3 hurricane packed sustained winds of 125 mph as its eye passed very near the popular vacation destination Cabo San Lucas. Reports and photos are just beginning to trickle in and, based on early accounts, the damage appears to be devastating. The storm has weakened modestly but continues to batter the Baja Peninsula with sustained winds up to 110 mph, torrential rain, coastal flooding and “large and destructive” waves, according to the National Hurricane Center. Odile’s size, strength, and track was and is a worst case scenario for this region. The storm’s angle of approach positioned much of the Peninsula for its strongest winds and – for coastal locations – its biggest waves and storm surge. “It’s very rare to get a major hurricane [ category 3 or higher] to reach the Baja Peninsula,” said Brian McNoldy, Capital Weather Gang’s tropical weather expert. “I found just two previous storms in the records to make landfall as major hurricanes: Kiko (1989) and Olivia (1967).” McNoldy said Odile’s intensity exceeded Kiko’s and matched Olivia’s. “Specifically in Cabo San Lucas, it was the most intense landfall,” McNoldy added. After riding out Odile at a hotel near Cabo, California-based storm chaser Josh Morgerman, who has experienced numerous landfalling hurricanes, called Odile “one of the worst cyclones I’ve ever been in.” Adrenaline gone; time for analysis! #HurricaneODILE’s eye passed over #CaboSanLucas 10:35-11:45 pm. 943.1 mb @ 11:05. pic.twitter.com/JVM1EKvskI— Josh Morgerman (@iCyclone) September 15, 2014 Adrenaline gone; time for analysis! #HurricaneODILE’s eye passed over #CaboSanLucas 10:35-11:45 pm. 943.1 mb @ 11:05. pic.twitter.com/JVM1EKvskI Morgerman posted eyewitness reports on Facebook as the storm slammed his location, including this harrowing account as the eyewall passed directly overhead: [A]t maybe midnight… BOOM!!!!! The entire glass wall of the lobby EXPLODED– with glass, pieces of building, everything flying to the other end of the lobby. Like an explosion in an action movie. A hotel worker and I ducked under the reception counter– I physically grabbed his head and pushed it under the counter. Glass was everywhere– my leg gashed– blood. We crawled into the office– me, the worker, and the manager– but the ceiling started to lift up. After five minutes of debate– breathing hard like three trapped animals– we made a run for it– went running like HELL across the lobby– which is now basically just OUTSIDE– and made it to the stairwell and an interior hallway. Two nice women dressed my wound [A]t maybe midnight… BOOM!!!!! The entire glass wall of the lobby EXPLODED– with glass, pieces of building, everything flying to the other end of the lobby. Like an explosion in an action movie. A hotel worker and I ducked under the reception counter– I physically grabbed his head and pushed it under the counter. Glass was everywhere– my leg gashed– blood. We crawled into the office– me, the worker, and the manager– but the ceiling started to lift up. After five minutes of debate– breathing hard like three trapped animals– we made a run for it– went running like HELL across the lobby– which is now basically just OUTSIDE– and made it to the stairwell and an interior hallway. Two nice women dressed my wound Morgerman later reported: “Parts of the hotel are smashed beyond recognition.” Weather Underground meteorologist Jeff Masters noted a personal weather station near San Jose del Cabo recorded winds of 76 mph and gusts to 114 mph between 11 and 11:30 p.m. local time Sunday night. An automatic weather station of the National Weather Service in Cabo San Lucas recorded (before it stopped operating) winds of 90 mph with gusts to 116 mph. Ahead of the storm 64 shelters had been prepared for as many as 30,000 people along the Baja Peninsula’s southern tip where the storm made landfall. The two largest population centers there, Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, contain about 140,000 people. After Odile rides up the Baja Peninsula – substantially weakening along the way – its remnants are expected to reach the U.S. Desert Southwest Tuesday through Thursday, where flooding rains will be a possibility. Pictures: #Odile Ultimas fotografias pic.twitter.com/iksxSDNrvU— Neptune Noticias (@NeptunoAJ) September 15, 2014 #Odile Ultimas fotografias pic.twitter.com/iksxSDNrvU Devastating losses at the marina. So incredibly sad for all the hard working people who made a living on these ve… pic.twitter.com/cCY25Et5SK— Los Cabos Mexico (@CabosNews) September 15, 2014 Devastating losses at the marina. So incredibly sad for all the hard working people who made a living on these ve… pic.twitter.com/cCY25Et5SK Restaurant roof collapsed at playa grande #odile #cabo. The staff is doing a great job. Has food and water for all. pic.twitter.com/HWcRMD51t4— Sarah S. McKinney (@SSinArkansas) September 15, 2014 Restaurant roof collapsed at playa grande #odile #cabo. The staff is doing a great job. Has food and water for all. pic.twitter.com/HWcRMD51t4 Esta es la vista del Médano desde mi terraza. Evidente desastre #odile #BCS pic.twitter.com/uJFHFvdvnQ— Marian Castro (@mariancasfer) September 15, 2014 Esta es la vista del Médano desde mi terraza. Evidente desastre #odile #BCS pic.twitter.com/uJFHFvdvnQ RT @SkyAlertStorm Hoteles Meliá y Hilton en #LosCabos #Odile pic.twitter.com/jzaNN3V1aj— FAUSTO ADRIÁN (@fauadrian) September 15, 2014 RT @SkyAlertStorm Hoteles Meliá y Hilton en #LosCabos #Odile pic.twitter.com/jzaNN3V1aj Alguien hecheme la mano para saber si funciona el aeropuerto porfas ! Todo esta destruido… #Odile paso fuertísimo pic.twitter.com/hb8nkaev3b— Diestro Lopez (@Aldolr) September 15, 2014 Alguien hecheme la mano para saber si funciona el aeropuerto porfas ! Todo esta destruido… #Odile paso fuertísimo pic.twitter.com/hb8nkaev3b Ferocious Hurricane Odile hits #Mexico overnight http://t.co/4y29eaqMhO pic.twitter.com/vys0sGJkVC (via @mashable)— Apollo Breizh (@ApolloBreizh) September 15, 2014 Ferocious Hurricane Odile hits #Mexico overnight http://t.co/4y29eaqMhO pic.twitter.com/vys0sGJkVC (via @mashable) #Odile #hurricane #loscabos pic.twitter.com/yOIC0yrXa0— Ignacio Prado (@IgnacioPrado09) September 15, 2014 #Odile #hurricane #loscabos pic.twitter.com/yOIC0yrXa0 Foto de daños a un hotel en la zona del campo de golf Cabo del Sol, entre Cabo San Lucas y San José del Cabo. #Odile pic.twitter.com/scBLBaZ9O4— SkyAlert Storm (@SkyAlertStorm) September 15, 2014 Foto de daños a un hotel en la zona del campo de golf Cabo del Sol, entre Cabo San Lucas y San José del Cabo. #Odile pic.twitter.com/scBLBaZ9O4 First pics from my porch. Still too windy to go out with Madison. Almost all palm trees are destroyed. #odile pic.twitter.com/BgTZoonWEc— Sarah S. McKinney (@SSinArkansas) September 15, 2014 First pics from my porch. Still too windy to go out with Madison. Almost all palm trees are destroyed. #odile pic.twitter.com/BgTZoonWEc Primero rayos de luz y primeras imágenes de día de #Odile en #LaPazBCS pic.twitter.com/i5WxWK6UGa— Julián López (@JjulianLpez) September 15, 2014 Primero rayos de luz y primeras imágenes de día de #Odile en #LaPazBCS pic.twitter.com/i5WxWK6UGa “@SSinArkansas: Hotel shuttle van overturned. #odile #cabo pic.twitter.com/Me9w5gziCg”this is we stay in Cabo. Devastating— Kimberlee Collins (@kimicollins) September 15, 2014 “@SSinArkansas: Hotel shuttle van overturned. #odile #cabo pic.twitter.com/Me9w5gziCg”this is we stay in Cabo. Devastating
View Photo Gallery —The storm pounded the peninsula with strong winds and heavy rains early Monday, displacing residents and tourists and causing much damage.
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