BajaNomad

Storm chasing, tis the season!

AKgringo - 8-12-2019 at 02:43 PM

On a local NBC affiliate this morning, they announced that 'hurricane' Henriette had formed a couple of hundred miles SW of Cabo! I went to the NOAA site (eebmike.com/), and they call it a tropical storm that will be no threat to Baja. http://eebmike.com/

I then checked out windy.com, and at the time they were not even showing it as much of a disturbance! https://www.windy.com/?26.077,-109.578,5

I have never ridden out a hurricane, but was wondering who on this forum has been through one in Baja?

If I was foolish enough to want to go storm chasing this year, where and when would you think would provide the best chance of getting blown away?

4x4abc - 8-12-2019 at 02:55 PM

I lived through one and it was horrible.
A life changing experience.
Damage to the property was serious.
Many trees uprooted.
More than 100 meters of wall knocked down



September is your best month for hurricanes in Baja.
Any place between La Paz and Cabo is good to wait for one.
Anywhere north of La Paz the direction of storms is more difficult to predict.

amigo.jpg - 219kB

Lee - 8-12-2019 at 03:06 PM

The common thread I've heard from couple people who rode out a hurricane: like being in a tunnel with a train. The roar will make it impossible to think, much less sleep.

Then there's the devastation. Roads blocked from down trees, power out and electrical lines in the road, no services like gas, groceries.

No thanks.

mtgoat666 - 8-12-2019 at 03:15 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
On a local NBC affiliate this morning, they announced that 'hurricane' Henriette had formed a couple of hundred miles SW of Cabo! I went to the NOAA site (eebmike.com/), and they call it a tropical storm that will be no threat to Baja. http://eebmike.com/


Eebmike is not a noaa site. It just reposts info they take from noaa.

The noaa site is National hurricane center (NHC) https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
I find the nhc site to be more useful, as it has hyperlinks to follow for more info.


SFandH - 8-12-2019 at 03:52 PM

I was in Cabo staying at the original Finisterra in August when a hurricane brushed the cape. No fun whatsoever. The rain was horizontal and actually blew into the room through the crack at the bottom of the door. No power with power transformers exploding all around the city. And then after the storm, everything all effed up and the heat and humidity were intolerable.

Don't go looking to experience a hurricane. Stay away and watch videos of storms.

del mar - 8-12-2019 at 03:59 PM

try key west where they know how to enjoy a good hurricane!;) I went thru two, one camping at punta chivato and once in cabo, yeah they're not all they're cracked up to be!

Russ - 8-12-2019 at 04:31 PM

I've been thru a few here in Punta Chivato. However being East of the direct path of most and over the mountain I think the strongest I've been thru is a cat 2. Yes there is a lot of damage and the surf can really destroy properties too. Not something to go looking to experience though. Even a cat 1 can do a lot of damage if they linger as a few have here and even have had them pass over and then return. Not fun! Thanks goat for the web site.

Paco Facullo - 8-12-2019 at 04:51 PM

I remember reading a story years ago about a group of friends that had a " hurricane party " somewhere in Florida.
Well it ended up the the house that they partied in was only a slab after the hurricane past.

Now THAT must have been some party !!

MMc - 8-12-2019 at 05:33 PM

I was at 9 palms camping in the 80s when one hit Cabo. We were in a suburban with a tarp over the suburban. We had staked and buried the tarp before it hit. It kicked our butts, wind for 2 days plus and windy for another. we had to wait another 3 days for the roads to dry and the washes to dry out. I will not try it again

freediverbrian - 8-12-2019 at 05:59 PM

A cat 1 I road out was not a problem for my house . But the roads, power, lack of gas ,food , ice, ect was worse than the storm.

My right brain had control of the keyboard!

AKgringo - 8-12-2019 at 06:39 PM

Thanks for the opinions and experiences you have shared, and the better link to NOAA!

The more logical left side of my brain has convinced me that storm chasing should mean getting there after the wind has gone! Storm catching is something to avoid!


[Edited on 8-13-2019 by AKgringo]

4x4abc - 8-12-2019 at 07:59 PM

let pictures tell you - stay away!

https://carlosnpainter.smugmug.com/Other/Hurricane-Odile/i-v...


914.jpg - 235kB

danaeb - 8-12-2019 at 08:52 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Lee  
The common thread I've heard from couple people who rode out a hurricane: like being in a tunnel with a train. The roar will make it impossible to think, much less sleep.

Then there's the devastation. Roads blocked from down trees, power out and electrical lines in the road, no services like gas, groceries.

No thanks.


I went through Odile. It sat over El Centenario for hours. The wind was at Cat 4+. It went over at night, which made it more terrifying, because you had no way to tell what was happening, other than the deafening noise. The power went out early on, and it was so eerie to look across the bay at the lights still on in La Paz.

ehall - 8-13-2019 at 04:44 AM

I was in one in cabo in the early 90's. Lots of damage. Sliding glass doors in the hotel rooms were exploding all night. Crazy.

shari - 8-13-2019 at 08:06 AM

Storm watching is a popular pastime here in Bahia Asuncion because most hurricanes get sucked over to the gulf side so the threat of danger is not present here.

We get gorgeous skies, huge thundering swells smashing on the coastline but hardly any rain and usually just gale force winds of around 30-40 at the peak of the storm. We often just get the outer bands or tail end of hurricanes so while exciting...not terrifying like being in the middle of one!!!

People traveling south on the peninsula often come here to dodge a storm as it is a safe place to hold up until the roads get cleared and arroyos stop running.

The locals love driving around to see the dramatic waves and if it is raining, which arroyos are running etc....we cant wait for our storm cruising and hurricane parties!

La Bufadora area here is full of people taking selfies with huge waves...this is Chikirringis...a famous character here.



and me in our front yard at La Bufadora Inn



here are a few images around town during storms









Wanna have fun in a storm...come on over to the central Pacside!
just dont camp in an arroyo and as always never try to cross a running arroyo!!!

bajabuddha - 8-13-2019 at 09:18 AM

Shari, I hope you didn't just jinx yourself. :o

shari - 8-13-2019 at 07:21 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajabuddha  
Shari, I hope you didn't just jinx yourself. :o


we are due for a doozie...a hurricane hasnt really hit hard for many years here...good thing I just got our roof done!!!:biggrin:

AKgringo - 8-13-2019 at 07:38 PM

So...it' a storm party at Shari's La Bufadora. Now if we can just narrow down when it's on!

shari - 8-13-2019 at 07:40 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
So...it' a storm party at Shari's La Bufadora. Now if we can just narrow down when it's on!

my guess is late September!

Bajazly - 8-14-2019 at 12:30 AM

Quote: Originally posted by shari  
Quote: Originally posted by bajabuddha  
Shari, I hope you didn't just jinx yourself. :o


we are due for a doozie...a hurricane hasnt really hit hard for many years here...good thing I just got our roof done!!!:biggrin:


You really don’t like that roof very much do you?

Bajazly - 8-14-2019 at 12:54 AM

Long story short, we had been out of touch for about a week, set up camp on Bahia Concepcion about 10 at night, ‘bout 3 am the wind and sideways rain starts, at daylight me and the girl get up and it’s dead calm but still all cloudy. The rest of the crew gets up and we decide to go make coffee.

We were about 50 yards from camp and as soon as we turned to go make coffee the sideways rain starts. We make coffee, decide to not wait it out and pack up and head to Santa Rosalia. Having lunch we get some internet and found out we woke up in the eye of hurricane Newton.

We decided to head north to try and get out of its way and on the way out of town have to ford 4 major flows across the road, I know, don’t want to hear it, wasn’t the smartest thing driving thru 2 feet of running water but it all worked out. We were two trucks with a plan if it went sideways, literally and we were the last ones out of town before the road got closed.

By about 5 we were in Visciano and the sky was partly cloudy with a giant double rainbow that touched down on both sides. The next day headed up to San Rafeal with not a cloud in the sky and probably 8 foot waves breaking right before they hit the beach. We had great fishing off the beach for two days and perfect weather all the way home.

I grew up in Florida and weather is cool for me, I like it on the destructive side.

AKgringo - 8-17-2019 at 10:25 AM

This forecast is a week out, so who knows how close it will be, but it could make for some interesting surf along the southwestern Baja coast!

https://www.windy.com/?2019-08-25-12,26.077,-109.578,5

bajabuddha - 8-17-2019 at 09:49 PM

Wow, worth watching for sure. Hope you don't get your wish, Shari. Be safe all on western south cape.

mtnpop - 8-18-2019 at 08:05 AM

Had the pleasure of riding out TS Pablo Oct 2012 in Mulege 3 years after the big one "Jimena" Sept 2009
Not a lot of wind/rain in town but too much in the mtns west of town so flash flood down the valley. The high water came down during the night so you can't see whats going on. knocked out power/internet/ and some water mains. so utilities take awhile to get back on line.
Hurricanes you usually always have a few days to prepare, I have also been in a tornado in Okla. many years ago, no warning on those but don't last long or have the enormous amount of rain usually.
Would not recommend sitting thru a hurricane just to see what it's like.
Of course in a couple of days it's all dry and mostly fun again.

shari - 8-21-2019 at 04:06 PM

Looks like IVO will be coming up the chute this weekend! We anticipate a big swell on Sunday for some fun storm wave watching from Asuncion. Probably no rain for us...sigh...we need to to kick start pithaya season!

bajaric - 8-26-2019 at 10:01 AM

Obviously, it is not a good idea to camp in an arroyo during a hurricane. Video I made showing after effects of Sergio at a mine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svKRsktOGD8&t=320s

David K - 8-26-2019 at 10:35 AM

Interesting video, I think it should be watched from the beginning...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svKRsktOGD8

It is pretty amazing how Nature erased all the mining digs in the arroyo! It has vanished!
Are the early 1900 ruins also gone?
Thank you!

I think I will cancell my reservation!

AKgringo - 9-4-2019 at 10:25 AM

Dorian has caused me to re-evaluate the thrill of the chase!