Historical Data:

Tropical Cyclone Agatha
May 29-30, 2010
Max Category: Tropical Storm
Max Winds: 40kts

06/03/10 Agatha became the first tropical cyclone of the 2010 Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season on May 29th. The short lived system blew up quickly and moved ashore in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras much faster than expected. The storm also affected the southern most reaches of Mexico and inland areas of Honduras as it moved across the Pan-American Isthmus. More than 144 deaths have been attributed to Tropical Storm Agatha.

Tropical Depression 1E formed on the early morning of Saturday, May 29th and tropical storm warnings were immediately issued for the Pacific coast of the southern most portions of Mexico, all of Guatemala and El Salvador. The initial location was given as 12.9N 93.5W about 285 miles west of San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador.

TD1E was upgraded to Tropical Storm Agatha in the 8AM EST release from the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Tropical storm force winds extended out as much as 85 miles.

Tropical Storm Agatha moved ashore near the Guatemala/Mexico border about 3PM on Saturday, bringing strong winds and rains. Flash flooding resulted and many lives were lost in arroyos as a result.

Agatha was downgraded to a Tropical Depression inland at 6PM on May 29, 2010. TD Agatha dissipated in the late morning hours of May 30.

Although the tropical waves travel east to west, early season storms are still affected by winter season flow of west to east. As the storms form in the very warm waters more than 10° north of the equator they are drawn back east. These early season storms often hook back across the Pan-American Isthmus. As the season progresses and the waters of the Pacific warm the flow will move formed systems to the west. Late in the season, mid-to late August, the northern hemisphere begins to cool and the flow starts to shift to west to east again. This is the time we get our storms here in Baja, between mid August and mid October.