NATIONAl, lIEATHJ.; R DIGES'f HURRICANE FICO (1978) - A RECORD SETTER Donald R. Cochran National Environmental Satellite Service Satellite Field Services Station Honolulu, HI 96819 ABSTRACT achieved maximum winds of 115 knots by 0000 GMT 12 July, when it arrived The lifespan of Hurricane just east of 15 degrees N, 115 FICO (July 1978) in the degrees W. East and Central Pacific is At this point in FICO's young life discussed. Comparisons the storm began to pursue a rare with other tropical storms course for East Pacific tropical suggest that FICO had an cyclones (see Figure 1). Instead of exceptionally long lifespan moving northward toward the cold and traveled a distance water death suffered by most storms surpassed by very few other in thls area, FICO embarked on a storms. consistent westward traverse. For nearly a week FICO (Figure 2) moved Hurricane FICO was born as a along 15 degrees north at a near disturbance in the intertropical constant speed of 13 knots while convergence zone some 600 nm south of maintaining maximum winds near 100 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (near 105 knots. degrees W) on 9 July 1978. By 0000 'Climatological tropical storm tracks GMT on 11 July FICO had achieved in Hawaiian waters (1) show that most hurricane strength, with maximum westward-moving storms take a winds estimated at 75 knots. Rapid northwestward bend somewhere around development continued over the warm 150 degrees W. Even though the waters of one of the earth's most climatological sample is small, this prolific generating zones for information helped to fuel local tropical storms. Moving northwest at forecasters' expectations that FICO a speed of over 10 knots, FICO would begin tracking more toward the '+-. 0-0 Figure 1 Track of Hurricane FICO 2 VOLUME 5, NUMBER 2, MAY 1980 Figure 2 1848GMT 16 JULY 78 2krn Resolutior. Visual; "Young FICO" Figure 3 Oll5GMT 20 July 78 lkrn Resolution Visual; "FICO Near Hawaii" 3 NATIONAL WEATHER DIGEST islands, and that is what happened. downgraded to a tropical storm of Arriving some 200 nm south of the 55-knot intensity. But FICO was not "Big Island" of Hawaii at daybreak on ready to quit and now assumed a more 20 July, FICO began a due northerly track, moving toward a northwesterly track which was to trough of low pressure beyond Midway continue for another week (see Figure Atoll. Fortunately, Navy forecasters 3) • had already warned the islanders. FICO passed just east of Midway a For two days before FICO changed its Ii ttle before, 0000 GMT on 28 July. course, high surf reported to have Although rain was heavy, sustained reached 20 feet pounded the Kapoho winds averaged only about 20 knots area on the southeastern shore of the with peak gusts near 40. Big Island. Roads were closed and damages to private homes exceeded An active cold front approaching the $100,000. The high surf was thought International Date Line now attracted to be caused by the combined effects FICO (Figure 4). After dark on of FICO and ocean swell from a storm Friday, 28 July, the storm turned traveling deep in the Southern slightly east of due north and Hemisphere. accelerated as it neared the end of its long life span as a tropical Although high surf warnings had been system. hoisted for the exposed south and west shores of all islands on At 1200 GMT, 30 July, after 14 days, Wednesday, 19 July, the surf at high forecasters at NOAA's Central Pacific tide on July 19th and 20th reached Hurricane Center (CPHC) in Honolulu only 10 to 15 feet at Makaha Beach, officially designated the storm Oahu. Surf remained under 10 feet as extratropical. However, FICO's FICO moved northwestward, passing tropical punch did not vanish less than 250 nm southwest of Oahu at completely. Remnants of the storm, 0000 GMT, 22 July 1978. now enmeshed in frontal cloud bands, supplied rain and winds up to 40 Maximum wind gusts in exposed coastal knots to ships southwest of Cold Bay, areas of Hawaii Island averaged 45 Aleutian Islands, Alaska as late as knots but caused little damage. 31 July (2). Further to the north, a storm-induced surge in the trade winds combined with local effects produced some power outages and minor damage to FICO was not the strongest storm ever trees near Honolulu on Oahu Island. to transit Hawaiian waters. That crown is still held by Hurricane As FICO churned farther up the CELESTE (1972) with a reconnaissance­ Hawaiian chain, minor flooding of measured central pressure of 943mb. shoresicte roads was reported on Some CPHC forecasters contend that Kauai. On 21 July, the tug LIHUE III SUSAN (October 1978) was stronger ran aground near Nawiliwili Harbor, than CELESTE, but reconnaissance, Kauai; and later, after an overnight which arrived after SUSAN began battering from the stormy seas, she filling rapidly, found only 954mb. sank when pulled free of the reef by FICO's lowest observed pressure of two sister tugs. 955mb just nosed out Hurricane DOT's 959mb in 1959. FICO passed innocuously to the south and west of anxious Coast Guardsmen at French Frigate Shoals late Sunday, 23 July. Daily fixes by Air Force However, FICO broke records for Weather Reconnaissance crews longevity and length of travel. The continued to confirm a storm of storm maintained hurricane intensity hurricane strength as FICO headed on for the remarkable period of 17 days, a track that, if continued, would whereas the longest span of hurricane pass comfortably southwest of Midway intensity of any previously Island. At sunrise on 27 July, documented central North Pacific satellite photographs indicated that storm was 12 days. According to FICO had weakened sufficiently to be Sasaki (3), Hurricane DELLA (1957) 4 VOLUME 5, NUMBER 2, MAY 1980 Figure 4 2315GMT 29 July 78 lkrn Resolution Visual; ·Old FICO· 5 NATIONAL WEATHER DIGEST maintained hurricane strength for 12 Wi th respec.t to distance, the days and traveled over 5,000 nautical Atlantic storm, FAITH (1966), is miles. It is not known whether this reported to have had "one of the travel distance refers to DELLA's longest, if not longest" track of lifespan as a named system or to its record (7). Although Sugg gives no period of hurricane intensity. FICO distance measurement, a crude easily outlasted DELLA as a estimate from the track map is about hurricane. Moreover, since its 7,200 nautical miles as a named official track as a named system system. However, this storm was of covered approximately 5,600 nautical hurricane intensity only 15 of its 26 miles, FICO is not only the new days. lifespan titleholder for the central North Pacific, but it is possibly the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT longest lived and farthest traveled The author wishes to thank Doctors R. storm on record anywhere. Pyle and T. Schroeder and, particularly, Professor J. Sadler, The above conclusions may be objected for reading the manuscript and making to on the grounds that modern helpful suggestions. geosynchronous satellite surveillance can observe such long storm tracks, whereas previous storms of equal age REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES were overlooked. While there is a certain logic to this claim, it is (I) Haraguchi, P. , 1975. Forecasting useful to note that satellite Hurricanes in the Central Pacific. coverage has been available routinely NOAA Technical Memorandum NWSTM to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center PR-13, National Weather Service, (JTWC) on Guam since the mid 1960s. Honolulu, HI, 12pp. According to the annual reports of that Center since 1958, the only (2) Parmenter, F., 1978. A Hurricane typhoon that has had a lifespan in Alaska? Tech Attachment #78-12 to exceeding FICO's was RITA (1972) Alaskan Borealis Briefs, NWS Alaska which remained a typhoon for 18 days Region, Anchorage, AK, 3pp. (4). The JTWC's annual summaries cover the most active generating (3) Sasaki, R. I., 1961. A Decade region on earth. Further, no western (1950-l959) of Unusual Tropical Storm North Pacific typhoon from 1958 to Activity in the Central North Pacific the present rivals FICO in terms of Near Hawaii. Manuscript available distance traveled. The JTWC's 1967 from Central Pacific Hurricane Center Summary lists Typhoon SARAH (1967) as Librarian, National Weather Service having traveled 4,499 nautical miles Forecast Office, Honolulu Inter­ n ••• the longest in (West Pacific) national Airport, Honolulu, HI 96820, history". In view of the known short 12pp. lifespans of east Pacific storms, FICO may be the new Pacific-wide (4) Joint Typhoon Warning Center "distance-traveled" titleholder. Staff, 1972. Annual Typhoon Report, 1972, p.28. A check of the easily accessible iiterature indicates that FICO's (5) Simpson, R. H. and J. R. Hope, .tatistics are surpassed only by 1972. The Atlantic Hurricane Season Atlantic storms. Hurricane GINGER of 1971. Monthly Weather Review, vol. (1971) remained a hurricane for 20 100:4, p.265. days of its 31-day lifespan (5). GINGER apparently replaced INGA (6) Simpson, R. H., A. L. Sugg, et (1969) as the Atlantic's longevity al., 1970. The Atlantic Hurricane champion. Although INGA outlasted Season of 1969. Monthly weather FICO in total time with 25 days, INGA Review, vol. 98:4, p.304. was a hurricane only about 11 of those days (6). Hurricane CARRIE (7) Sugg, Arnold L., 1967. The (1957) also bested FICO remaining a Hurricane Season of 1966. Monthly hurricane 18 days (5). Weather Review, vol. 95:3, pp.137-8. 6 .