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All storm pages · 1978 Pacific season

Hurricane Fico 1978

Category 4 hurricane · Eastern and Central Pacific · July 9 to July 28, 1978

Fico produced 62.8 units of accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), the fourth-most of any eastern and central Pacific storm since 1949. It held major-hurricane strength (Category 3 or higher) for 168 hours, the seventh-longest spell among eastern and central Pacific hurricanes. It lasted 19.75 days as a tropical or subtropical cyclone, tied for the seventh-longest lifespan of the 1,262 eastern and central Pacific storms. The name Fico is on the National Hurricane Center's list of retired central and eastern North Pacific names.

Track of Fico (1978) from the best-track record, coloured by strength10°N20°N30°N170°W160°W150°W140°W130°W120°W110°WPeak 140 mphFirst recordDepressionTropical stormCategory 1Category 2Category 3Category 400 and 12 UTC

Strength over time

Maximum sustained wind of Fico (1978) over time, in mphTSCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 504080120160Jul 10Jul 12Jul 14Jul 16Jul 18Jul 20Jul 22Jul 24Jul 26Jul 28mph
  1. First record (tropical depression) 555 miles south-southwest of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, Mexico
  2. Tropical storm 590 miles southwest of Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico
  3. Hurricane 600 miles southwest of Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico
  4. Major hurricane 610 miles south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico
  5. Peak, 140 mph 640 miles south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico
  6. Last record (tropical depression) far out at sea, at 31.9°N, 177.5°W

Against every Pacific storm since 1949

Peak sustained wind140 mph · tied 84th of 1,26225 mph215 mph
Accumulated cyclone energy62.8 · 4th of 1,1540.185.3
Days as a tropical or subtropical cyclone19.8 days · tied 7th of 1,2620.0 days29.8 days

More from the record

Its best track runs 5,416 miles from first to last position, the tenth-longest path in the eastern and central Pacific database.

Its winds climbed 60 mph in the 24 hours to July 11.

In the 1978 season

04080120160Fico

Storm 6 of 19 in 1978, hurricane 4 of 14; it formed after Emilia and before Gilma. Fico ranks joint first by peak wind in the season. See the season.

Closest to land

The best-track file has no landfall records for Pacific storms of 1978, so the track itself shows where this storm went. Nearest town of 10,000 people or more: Lihue, Hawaii, 233 miles from the center on July 22 (Category 2 hurricane stage).

Storms within 150 miles of Lihue, Hawaii

Also peaked at 140 mph

Of 35 storms from other Pacific seasons, the nearest in time:

  • Annette (1976)925 mb, no landfall record
  • Liza (1976)948 mb, no landfall record
  • Kay (1980)no pressure recorded, no landfall record
  • Denise (1975)no pressure recorded, no landfall record