# Hurricane Patricia may be one of the strongest ever. SW Mexico threatened **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 23, 2015, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537 "2015-10-23T13:39:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/1 "2015-10-23T13:39:40Z")
[Hurricane Patricia](http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/east-pacific/2015/hurricane-Patricia?) has gone from merely Cat 5 strength to ludicrously strong. As in sustained 200 MPH winds with gusts to 245. NOAA’s latest observation of it states, " > [@](#): > > This makes Patricia the strongest hurricane on record in the National Hurricane Center’s area of responsibility (AOR) which includes the Atlantic and the eastern North Pacific basins. The minimum central pressure estimated from the aircraft data, 880 mb, is the lowest ever for our AOR. It seems incredible that even more strengthening could occur before landfall later today, but recent microwave imagery shows hints of a concentric eyewall developing. If the trend toward an eyewall replacement continues, it would cause the intensity to at least level off later today. As noted above, pressure is listed at 880 mb, cloud tops last night were measured at around -110 F. Landfall is projected somewhere in the vicinity of Manzanillo, MX. It is projected to weaken slightly, but still hit as a high Cat 4, low Cat 5. Western Mexico in this area doesn’t usually get a lot of these types of storms. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the damage and death toll from this storm to be in the ballpark of storms like [Hurricane Mitch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Mitch). Models predict the storm to cross Mexico, dissipate, but still have a large amount of energy enter the Western Gulf of Mexico. I imagine this will increase [the already large amount of rain that Central and North Texas is projected to receive.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/10/22/massive-rain-event-to-drench-drought-stricken-texas/) ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/2 "2015-10-23T13:45:19Z")
And I forgot the link to the NOAA observation and discussion in question, [here](http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDEP5+shtml/230531.shtml). Weather Underground’s Dr. Jeff Masters on Patricia, [here](http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=3164). This is going to be really bad for Mexico, and probably unpleasant for Texas and points north, depending on how the residual storm energy interacts with what is already going to be a mess in Texas. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/3 "2015-10-23T13:46:42Z")
It went from a Cat 1 to a Cat 5 in 24 hours. The news this morning was saying this was the strongest hurricane ever, with 200 mph SUSTAINED winds. Yikes. This looks very bad. [http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/tropical-threat-heightens-risk/53016886](http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/tropical-threat-heightens-risk/53016886) ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/4 "2015-10-23T14:08:53Z")
“That’s almost like an F4 or F5 tornado that can be 5 or 6 miles wide, just tearing up the coast as it makes landfall,” said Myers, the CNN meteorologist. “… Can you imagine being the center of this eye, … and then get hit by the eye wall doing 200 mph?”:eek: ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/5 "2015-10-23T14:15:19Z")
This is one of those “storms of the century” worth being aware of. If you look at the tails of the rotation it could effect weather coast to coast. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/6 "2015-10-23T15:45:43Z")
They are saying this is going to be a catastrophic storm. [http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/10/23/tropical-storm-patricia-could-become-major-hurricane-warning-issued-for-mexico/](http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/10/23/tropical-storm-patricia-could-become-major-hurricane-warning-issued-for-mexico/) 200 mile per hour winds are predicted. That’s insane. I hope it doesn’t do tremendous damage or cause a lot of death and injury. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/7 "2015-10-23T16:25:26Z")
Quick question, I know that pressure is related to hurricane strength, but how? When it has really low pressure, what is physically happening that makes the winds faster? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/8 "2015-10-23T16:29:21Z")
I’m hoping it stays south of Puerto Vallarta, as my nephew and his wife are vacationing there right now. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/9 "2015-10-23T16:35:06Z")
I’m in the airport at Atlanta and just met a guy whose family lives there and who owns a bunch of ocean front property there. His family got out to Guadalajara, and he’s hoping the mountains dissipate the storm, but he’s never seen anything like this. I feel for the guy–this looks like a monster. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/10 "2015-10-23T16:39:34Z")
I saw the aerial photos on the morning news. It’s stunning in its size. I hope the Mexican government is showing some sense and evacuating that entire area as quickly as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/11 "2015-10-23T16:50:19Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > 200 mile per hour winds are predicted. That’s insane. I hope it doesn’t do tremendous damage or cause a lot of death and injury. I don’t see how massive damage can be avoided, at least not property damage. If people are able to evacuate far enough they can avoid mass death but this is going to be bad. I’m surprised I hadn’t heard about this before today. Or maybe I just haven’t been paying much attention to the news. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/12 "2015-10-23T16:50:32Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Quick question, I know that pressure is related to hurricane strength, but how? When it has really low pressure, what is physically happening that makes the winds faster? Air flows from high pressure areas to low pressure areas. The greater the pressure gradient (difference in pressure), the stronger the flow. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/13 "2015-10-23T17:03:43Z")
There was nothing to hear. It went from a nice tidy little storm to HOLY SHIT in 24 hours, which is virtually unprecedented. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/14 "2015-10-23T17:22:29Z")
Apparently, there are several unprecedented things about this storm. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/15 "2015-10-23T17:26:56Z")
> [@stillownedbysetters](#): > > I saw the aerial photos on the morning news. It’s stunning in its size. I hope the Mexican government is showing some sense and evacuating that entire area as quickly as possible. You’re talking about millions of people, and I doubt there is anywhere to put them. Evacuating now (other than low-lying coastal areas) is basically just going to clog the roads and leave hundreds of thousands of people mostly exposed when the storm arrives. When Hurricane Charley came to Florida, lots of people in Tampa left town to avoid it; it pretty much missed Tampa and hit all the areas they had decamped to. Slightly off topic: why is this a hurricane? Don’t they call them cyclones when they’re in the Pacific? ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/16 "2015-10-23T17:36:31Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I’m hoping it stays south of Puerto Vallarta, as my nephew and his wife are vacationing there right now. Keep us posted on this. From what I’ve read this morning, they’re almost certainly being evacuated. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/17 "2015-10-23T17:39:18Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > You’re talking about millions of people, and I doubt there is anywhere to put them. Evacuating now (other than low-lying coastal areas) is basically just going to clog the roads and leave hundreds of thousands of people mostly exposed when the storm arrives. When Hurricane Charley came to Florida, lots of people in Tampa left town to avoid it; it pretty much missed Tampa and hit all the areas they had decamped to. > > Slightly off topic: why is this a hurricane? Don’t they call them cyclones when they’re in the Pacific? Northeast Pacific it’s still called a hurricane. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/18 "2015-10-23T17:53:14Z")
It’s already breaking records. This is the strongest hurricane ever recorded anywhere on earth. [At 200 MPH, Hurricane Patricia Is Now the Strongest Tropical Cyclone Ever Recorded](http://thevane.gawker.com/at-200-mph-hurricane-patricia-is-now-the-strongest-tro-1738224692) Here’s the latest NWS discussion [Eastern North Pacific Tropical Weather Discussion](http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIATWDEP.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/19 "2015-10-23T18:00:34Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > It’s already breaking records. This is the strongest hurricane ever recorded anywhere on earth. [http://thevane.gawker.com/at-200-mph-hurricane-patricia-is-now-the-strongest-tro-1738224692](http://thevane.gawker.com/at-200-mph-hurricane-patricia-is-now-the-strongest-tro-1738224692) > > Here’s the latest NWS discussion [Eastern North Pacific Tropical Weather Discussion](http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIATWDEP.shtml) Jesus! 200 mph winds? Aren’t those the kind of wind speeds you normally only see in tornadoes? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537/20 "2015-10-23T18:02:22Z")
The sat maps make it look about as big as, well, Mexico. This is gonna be _so_ messy. Given its size, is there much chance of it crossing Mexico and entering the Gulf? Or is it most likely just going to bump northward until it wrings itself out? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-patricia-may-be-one-of-the-strongest-ever-sw-mexico-threatened/735537.md?page=2)