Hurricane Richard
Hurricane Richard was a damaging tropical cyclone that affected areas of Central America in October 2010. It developed on October 20 from an area of low pressure that had stalled in the Caribbean Sea. The system moved to the southeast before turning to the west. The storm slowly organized, and the system intensified into a tropical storm. Initially, Richard only intensified slowly in an area of weak steering currents. However, by October 23, wind shear diminished, and the storm intensified faster as it headed toward Belize. The next day, Richard intensified into hurricane status, and further into its peak intensity as a Category 2 hurricane, reaching maximum winds of 100 mph (160 km/h). The hurricane made its only landfall on Belize at peak intensity. Over land, Richard quickly weakened, and later degenerated into a remnant low on October 25.
Meteorological history | |
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Formed | October 20, 2010 |
Remnant low | October 25, 2010 |
Dissipated | October 27, 2010 |
Category 2 hurricane | |
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Highest winds | 100 mph (155 km/h) |
Lowest pressure | 977 mbar (hPa); 28.85 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 1 direct, 1 indirect |
Damage | $80 million (2010 USD) |
Areas affected | Honduras, Belize, Guatemala and Mexico |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season |
Richard caused an estimated $80 million (2010 USD) in damages in its path. In Honduras, damage was mostly limited to power outages and landslides. In Belize, most of the damage was attributed to damage to crops. Power outages were also widespread across the country; two fatalities occurred there as well.