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All storm pages · 1996 Atlantic season

Hurricane Cesar 1996

Category 1 hurricane · Atlantic · July 24 to July 28, 1996

Cesar's 85 mph landfall in Nicaragua on July 28, 1996 ranks tied for the ninth-strongest of the 27 storms with a landfall record there. With a peak of 85 mph, it ranked the seventh-strongest of the 13 storms of the 1996 season. It produced 2% of the season's accumulated cyclone energy. The name Cesar is on the National Hurricane Center's list of retired Atlantic hurricane names.

Track of Cesar (1996) from the best-track record, coloured by strength10°N15°N85°W80°W75°W70°W65°WWillemstadNicaragua, 85 mphPeak 85 mphFirst recordDepressionTropical stormCategory 100 and 12 UTCLandfall

Strength over time

Maximum sustained wind of Cesar (1996) over time, in mphTSCat 1Cat 2Cat 304080120Jul 25Jul 26Jul 27Jul 28mph
  1. First record (tropical depression) 60 miles west-southwest of Saint George's, Grenada
  2. Tropical storm 65 miles east of Willemstad, Curacao
  3. Hurricane 155 miles north of Colón, Panama
  4. Peak 15 miles north-northwest of Bluefields, Atlántico Sur, Nicaragua; lowest pressure 985 mb
  5. Landfall Nicaragua
  6. Last record (tropical storm) 15 miles south-southwest of La Unión, El Salvador

Against every Atlantic storm since 1851

Peak sustained wind85 mph · tied 684th of 1,98830 mph190 mph
Lowest central pressure985 mb · tied 582nd of 1,277882 mb1016 mb
Accumulated cyclone energy4.0 · 958th of 1,7520.173.6
Days as a tropical or subtropical cyclone4.0 days · tied 1119th of 1,9880.0 days31.8 days

In the 1996 season

04080120160Cesar

Storm 3 of 13 in 1996, hurricane 2 of 9; it formed after Bertha and before Dolly. See the season.

Places the center passed

The center came within 50 miles of at least 8 towns or cities of 10,000 people or more while the system was tropical. Distances are to the interpolated track line, not the storm's edge.

PlaceClosestWind thenDate
Willemstad, Curacao2 mi45 mphJuly 25
Boaco, Nicaragua8 mi65 mphJuly 28
Bluefields, Atlántico Sur, Nicaragua12 mi85 mphJuly 28
Oranjestad, Aruba14 mi45 mphJuly 25
La Unión, El Salvador16 mi40 mphJuly 28
Matagalpa, Nicaragua18 mi60 mphJuly 28
Chinandega, Nicaragua19 mi45 mphJuly 28
Estelí, Nicaragua24 mi60 mphJuly 28

Every storm within 50 miles of Willemstad, Curacao

Similar landfalls in Nicaragua

Storms whose strongest landfall record in Nicaragua came closest to Cesar's 85 mph:

  • Julia (2022, Atlantic)85 mph, October 9, 2022
  • Julia (2022, Pacific)85 mph, October 9, 2022
  • Ida (2009)80 mph, November 5, 2009
  • Irene (1971)75 mph, September 19, 1971

All 27 storms with a landfall record in Nicaragua

Also peaked at 85 mph

Of 77 storms from other Atlantic seasons, the nearest in time:

  • Tanya (1995)972 mb, no landfall record
  • Gordon (1994)980 mb, landfall in Nicaragua
  • Nicole (1998)979 mb, no landfall record
  • Frances (1992)976 mb, no landfall record