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931 
ABPZ30 KNHC 011818
TWSEP 
MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
8 AM PST FRI NOV 1 2002

SUMMARY OF TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY FOR SEPTEMBER 2002...
 
FOR THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC...EAST OF 140 DEGREES WEST 
LONGITUDE...
 
TWO TROPICAL CYCLONES DEVELOPED DURING OCTOBER...HURRICANE KENNA AND 
TROPICAL STORM LOWELL.  

KENNA WAS THE THIRD STRONGEST KNOWN HURRICANE TO MAKE LANDFALL ON 
THE PACIFIC COAST OF MEXICO...MAKING LANDFALL NEAR SAN BLAS AS A 
CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE.  ON 
THE 22ND...A TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMED ABOUT 350 N MI SOUTH OF 
ACAPULCO.  THE DEPRESSION MOVED TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST AND QUICKLY 
BECAME A TROPICAL STORM.  KENNA REACHED HURRICANE STRENGTH THE NEXT 
DAY ABOUT 445 N MI SOUTH OF CABO CORRIENTES.  KENNA CONTINUED TO 
STRENGTHEN AS ITS TRACK CURVED NORTHWESTWARD AND THEN NORTHWARD... 
AND BY THE AFTERNOON OF THE 24TH IT HAD BECOME A CATEGORY FIVE 
HURRICANE...WITH WINDS OF 140 KT AND A MINIMUM PRESSURE OF 915 MB.  
AT THIS TIME KENNA WAS ABOUT 240 N MI SOUTHWEST OF CABO CORRIENTES.  
KENNA THEN GRADUALLY TURNED TO THE NORTHEAST TOWARD THE PACIFIC 
COAST OF MEXICO.  KENNAS PEAK INTENSITY OF 145 KT WAS REACHED EARLY 
ON THE 25TH.  AS KENNA APPROACHED MEXICO...IT BEGAN TO WEAKEN...AND 
KENNA MADE LANDFALL NEAR MIDDAY ON THE 25TH NEAR SAN BLAS...WITH 
WINDS ESTIMATED NEAR 120 KT.  KENNA QUICKLY WEAKENED AND 
DISSIPATED OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL MEXICO EARLY ON THE 26TH.

THE EVACUATION OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM LOW-LYING AREAS 
KEPT CASUALTIES LOW.  REPORTS FROM MEXICO INDICATE THAT THREE PEOPLE 
WERE KILLED AND AT LEAST 150 WERE INJURED BY FLYING DEBRIS.  MEDIA 
REPORTS INDICATE DAMAGE TO ABOUT 95% OF THE HOMES IN SAN BLAS.  
THERE WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IN PUERTO VALLARTA.

LOWELL FORMED ABOUT 1500 N MI EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
ON THE 22ND.  IT MEANDERED SLOWLY FOR A DAY OR SO WHILE
STRENGTHENING TO A 40-KT TROPICAL STORM.  LOWELL THEN MOVED IN A
GENERAL WESTWARD DIRECTION.  STRONG SHEAR WEAKENED THE CYCLONE TO A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON THE 24TH.  LOWELL CROSSED INTO THE CENTRAL
PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTERS AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY ON THE 25TH.  WHILE
DRIFTING NORTHWESTWARD WELL TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE HAWAIIAN
ISLANDS...THE SYSTEM RESTRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM ON THE
27TH.  LOWELL REACHED ITS MAXIMUM INTENSITY...45 KT...ON THE 28TH.
THEN...INCREASED SHEAR WEAKENED THE CYCLONE AND LOWELL WAS REDUCED
TO A DEPRESSION ON THE 29TH.  THE CYCLONE DEGENERATED INTO A SWIRL
OF LOW CLOUDS ON THE 30TH AND IT DISSIPATED ABOUT 570 N MI 
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII ON THE 31ST.


SUMMARY TABLE...

NAME                  DATES             WIND-KT         DEATHS
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H KENNA               22-26 OCT           145              3
TS LOWELL             22-31 OCT            45        
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NOTE...DATES ARE BASED ON UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME...UTC
 
FORECASTERS FRANKLIN/PASCH