Biznaga
Newbie
Posts: 23
Registered: 8-28-2023
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Hurricane Liza - September 1976
How many of you salty "older" Nomads remember hearing about Hurricane Liza, back in September of 1976? I'm curious, were any of you in or around the
La Paz area after this storm hit and devastated the city and surrounding communities?
Here's some info from the article linked below;
"Hurricane Liza was a powerful, deadly and devastating Pacific hurricane which caused the worst natural disaster in the history of Baja California
Sur. Liza brought heavy rainfall to the area, which caused significant flash flooding. Following a dam burst by the El Cajoncito Creek along the
outskirts of La Paz, hundreds of people were swept away by flood waters. In La Paz, the capital of the state, 412 people died and 20,000 were left
homeless. Nearly one third of the homes in the town were destroyed."
"...newspaper accounts claim that 11.8 in (300 mm) fell (more than a year's worth of rainfall) in some areas in a mere 3 hours. Moreover, 22 in (559
mm) was measured in El Triunfo and San Antonio, along the southern portion of the peninsula. In La Paz, Baja California Sur, a storm surge of 8 ft
(2.4 m) was reported."
Between all the innocent lives lost in southern Baja, at sea and on the mainland, this hurricane killed 1,263 people. If you were in Baja during or
after this hurricane, please share what you can remember with the rest of us. More details about this tragedy are in the link below;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Liza
may they all rest in eternal peace...
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Tioloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4670
Registered: 7-30-2014
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That makes the hurricanes we have seen in the last 20 years seem pretty tame in comparison.
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4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4443
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
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Mood: happy - always
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Hurricane Liza is not on the list of the strongest hurricanes on the Pacific side.
It was very deadly though.
Much of that has to do with confusing public announcements and the rerouting of the main water course in La Paz.
The public had demanded a reinforcement of the flimsy dam that was pushing the mountain waters more south (to create more real estate of course)
look at the image - everything south of 5 de Febrero to where Walmart is today used to be a flood plain
the dam pushing the waters to the Arroyo next to Walmart broke and flooded half the city
the impact of Hurricane Odile in 2014 was much more devastating - luckily with less loss of life
compare the stats if you like ($1.82 billion vs $100 million in damages):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Odile
Harald Pietschmann
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surfhat
Senior Nomad
Posts: 610
Registered: 6-4-2012
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All so true. Mucho Gracious for a hopeful lesson of what not to do.
Allowing building on any flood plane never appears to be an issue until mother nature has her say, as she will eventually do on her own time.
My long ago years of wintering at Pescadero in the 70's for a couple months to escape the Ca. cold???, haha, are ingrained in my mind for all the days
I am given.
Recalling Bill Walton and his trailer parked in what turned out to be a limited temporary space before arroyo water flow had its say.
Recalling John Phillips of the Mamas and Papas fame camping next door on the elevated bluff in his pickup truck camper and sharing his passion for
collecting sea shells the world over and spearing fish in front of the north side rock walls that he shared with all of us feral campers at the time.
Recalling a dear and ever treasured friend who farmed the ejido with organically grown fruits and herbs who made my times all the more invaluable.
Flats of organic grown strawberry's so close by was another gift to appreciate of all the days we campers at the time were given.
Thank you Ross. Your consideration and generosity was always appreciated.
My dear friends who invested in local properties deserve the same respect. We were all there for the same reason, whether feral camping or a property
with a view.
I cannot help but recall an early experience of pulling into Pescadero somewhat late at night and hungry after a long day on the road in the winter of
'75 and finding a restaurant on the highway still open after 9pm.
Fish tacos please. What I was fed was sardines from a can. Yes, it was a fish taco, so to speak.
Thankfully, that was a singular experience that I never came across anywhere in the fifty years since.
Memories are what each of us Baja lovers have in abundance.
The value of Baja Nomad to this ever loving Baja lover is unending thanks to our moderator and those who contribute positively to this site.
It is so easy to take the high ground by not engaging in what we all have too much of already in our daily lives.
Please all you Nomads, leave your political leanings elsewhere.
Please respect what Baja Nomads brings to us all.
Ideally, this site is a resource for preserving and appreciating a special place that we love with all of our hearts.
I have and never will come here for others political opinions. We all have enough of that in our daily lives to not bring it here.
If only....
I can dream and do every day of such an ideal where stripes of every color can agree on at least that one thing.
Our shared Baja love.
Life is surely grand and a gift to those who choose to venture south to Baja.
Thank you Doug for putting up with the disparate and
often times desperate voices from the extremes we all deal with
every day elsewhere.
This is not the only site that I monitor daily and hope for the
same consideration.
There is no right or left, blue or red, rep or dem, in my
appreciation of what Baja has freely given to all who venture
south.
Now back to the topic at hand with no apologies.
[Edited on 10-5-2025 by surfhat]
[Edited on 10-5-2025 by surfhat]
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JZ
Select Nomad
Posts: 13271
Registered: 10-3-2003
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I spent a lot of time in San Carlos Sonora in the mid 2000's.
My biggest topical storm memories are being there and it raining for three days straight in September.
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