1962 Pacific hurricane season
The 1962 Pacific hurricane season was a moderately active Pacific hurricane season that included two hurricane landfalls. The 1962 Pacific hurricane season officially started on May 15, 1962 in the eastern Pacific and June 1, 1962 in the Central Pacific Hurricane Center's area of responsibility and lasted until November 30, 1962 in both regions. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.
| 1962 Pacific hurricane season | |
|---|---|
Season summary map | |
| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | June 24, 1962 |
| Last system dissipated | October 5, 1962 |
| Strongest storm | |
| Name | Doreen |
| • Maximum winds | 85 mph (140 km/h) (1-minute sustained) |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Total depressions | 18 |
| Total storms | 16 |
| Hurricanes | 2 |
| Total fatalities | Unknown |
| Total damage | $11 million (1962 USD) |
| Related articles | |
The first of two hurricane landfalls, Hurricane Valerie, struck northwestern Mexico in June. The other, Hurricane Doreen, hit further to the north of Valerie in October. The most impacting storm of the season was Tropical Storm Claudia, after its remnants dropped heavy rainfall in portions of Arizona. The rainfall left damaging flooding across rivers and towns. No people were killed, but damage totaled to $11 million (1962 USD). Moreover, Tropical Storm Bernie also made landfall along the Baja California peninsula, later providing rain to Arizona. An unusually high number of storms threatened the Palmyra Atoll, where only 1% of known Pacific tropical cyclones have threatened. In all, a total of 16 storms were observed, which was above average though only two (Valerie and Doreen) reached hurricane intensity.