Located 15° north of the equator, a tropical savanna climate dominates most of Oaxaca, blessing the state with mild temperatures year round. Due to changes in elevation throughout the state, there are small regions in which the local climate is dictated by altitude, but the majority of Oaxaca experiences distinct wet and dry seasons with moderate annual and daily temperature ranges.
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| This climograph of Oaxaca exhibits the distinct November-March dry season and the April-October wet season. Temperatures remain relatively constant year round around 28° C (80° F). |
At the end of the 1997 wet season, the climatic mild weather was temporarily disrupted when a category 4 hurricane made landfall on Puerto Angel, Oaxaca, devastating much of the coastal regions of the state. Hurricane Pauline developed 250 miles off of the coast of Huatulco, Oaxaca out of a tropical wave (NOAA, 1997). This convergence along with water vapor from the tropical ocean, a sea surface temperature of roughly 30° C, and a strong Coriolis effect north of the equator were all factors contributing to the formation of a group of thunderstorms over the pacific ocean. These thunderstorms then traveled eastward, developed into a tropical depression, then into a tropical storm, and finally into the hurricane that destroyed much of the southern coast of Mexico (NOAA, 1997).
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| Satellite imagery of Hurricane Pauline off the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico |
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| This image shows that Hurricane Pauline developed over the Pacific Ocean, made landfall on the southern coast of Oaxaca, and traveled north-west along the coast of Mexico before dissipating. |
Many of the coastal communities affected were indigenous, undeveloped areas, giving Hurricane Pauline an easy target for destruction. Wooden huts were destroyed leaving tens of thousands of people homeless and killing at least 110 (CNN, 1997). In addition, Hurricane Pauline further contributed to the deforestation problem in Mexico by destroying 6-7 million trees, leading to future mass wasting events (Barkin & Pailles, 1998).
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| Hurricane damage to Playa Zipolite |
References:
Barkin, D., & Pailles, C. (1998). Water as an instrument for sustainable regional development. Retrieved from http://ag.arizona.edu/oals/ALN/aln44/barkinfinal.html
CNN. (1997). U.s., mexico to discuss hurricane pauline aid. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/1997-10-13/weather/9710_13_hurricane_1_bottled-water-acapulco-mexican-officials?_s=PM:WEATHER
NOAA. (1997). Hurricane pauline - october 3-10, 1997 . Retrieved from http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/pauline1997.html
