All storm pages · 2002 Pacific season
Hurricane Kenna 2002
Category 5 hurricane · Eastern and Central Pacific · October 22 to October 26, 2002
Kenna's peak sustained wind of 165 mph is tied for the seventh-highest of the 1,262 storms in the eastern and central Pacific record since 1949, and one of 24 Category 5 storms in that record. Its central pressure fell to 913 mb, the fifth-lowest among the 754 eastern and central Pacific storms with a recorded pressure. It came ashore in Nayarit as a Category 4 hurricane on October 25, 2002, with 140 mph winds. The name Kenna is on the National Hurricane Center's list of retired central and eastern North Pacific names.
Strength over time
- First record (tropical depression) 345 miles south-southwest of Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico
- Tropical storm 370 miles south of Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
- Hurricane 375 miles south-southwest of Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico
- Major hurricane 370 miles southwest of Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico
- Peak 260 miles southwest of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
- Landfall Nayarit
- Last record (tropical storm) 40 miles south of Juan Aldama, Zacatecas, Mexico
Against every Pacific storm since 1949
More from the record
Its winds climbed 75 mph in the 24 hours to October 24.
In the 2002 season
Storm 16 of 19 in 2002, hurricane 7 of 8; it formed after Julio and before Lowell. Kenna produced 11% of the season's accumulated cyclone energy. See the season.
Places the center passed
The center came within 50 miles of 7 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.
| Place | Closest | Wind then | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuxpan, Nayarit, Mexico | 2 mi | 125 mph | October 25 |
| Santiago Ixcuintla, Nayarit, Mexico | 5 mi | 125 mph | October 25 |
| Tecuala, Nayarit, Mexico | 31 mi | 115 mph | October 25 |
| Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico | 35 mi | 130 mph | October 25 |
| Valparaíso, Zacatecas, Mexico | 40 mi | 65 mph | October 25 |
| Juan Aldama, Zacatecas, Mexico | 41 mi | 40 mph | October 26 |
| Compostela, Nayarit, Mexico | 45 mi | 140 mph | October 25 |