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All storm pages · 1997 Pacific season

Hurricane Pauline 1997

Category 4 hurricane · Eastern and Central Pacific · October 5 to October 10, 1997

Pauline's 110 mph landfall in Oaxaca on October 9, 1997 ranks the second-strongest of the 15 storms with a landfall record there. Its winds climbed 80 mph in the 24 hours to October 7. With a peak of 130 mph, it ranked tied for the sixth-strongest of the 24 storms of the 1997 season. The name Pauline is on the National Hurricane Center's list of retired central and eastern North Pacific names.

Track of Pauline (1997) from the best-track record, coloured by strength10°N15°N20°N105°W100°W95°WAcapulcoApatzingánPetatlánOaxaca, 110 mphPeak 130 mphFirst recordDepressionTropical stormCategory 1Category 2Category 3Category 400 and 12 UTCLandfall

Strength over time

Maximum sustained wind of Pauline (1997) over time, in mphTSCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 404080120160Oct 6Oct 7Oct 8Oct 9Oct 10mph
  1. First record (tropical depression) 245 miles south of Pochutla, Oaxaca, Mexico
  2. Tropical storm 275 miles southwest of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
  3. Hurricane 205 miles southwest of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
  4. Major hurricane 190 miles southwest of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
  5. Peak 190 miles southwest of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico; lowest pressure 948 mb
  6. Landfall Oaxaca
  7. Last record (tropical depression) 20 miles west-northwest of Apatzingán, Michoacán, Mexico

Against every Pacific storm since 1949

Peak sustained wind130 mph · tied 122nd of 1,26225 mph215 mph
Lowest central pressure948 mb · tied 108th of 754872 mb1009 mb
Accumulated cyclone energy11.3 · 261st of 1,1540.185.3
Days as a tropical or subtropical cyclone4.8 days · tied 598th of 1,2620.0 days29.8 days

In the 1997 season

04080120160200Pauline

Storm 21 of 24 in 1997, hurricane 9 of 11; it formed after Central Pacific Storm 3 of 1997 and before Central Pacific Storm 4 of 1997. Pauline produced 4% of the season's accumulated cyclone energy. 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
Apatzingán, Michoacán, Mexico6 mi40 mphOctober 10
Atoyac, Guerrero, Mexico7 mi70 mphOctober 9
Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico9 mi115 mphOctober 8
Tecpan, Guerrero, Mexico13 mi70 mphOctober 9
Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico15 mi75 mphOctober 9
Ometepec, Guerrero, Mexico16 mi90 mphOctober 9
Petatlán, Guerrero, Mexico18 mi65 mphOctober 9
Pochutla, Oaxaca, Mexico20 mi125 mphOctober 8

Every storm within 50 miles of Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico

Similar landfalls in Oaxaca

Storms whose strongest landfall record in Oaxaca came closest to Pauline's 110 mph:

  • Agatha (2022)105 mph, May 30, 2022
  • Carlotta (2012)105 mph, June 16, 2012
  • Erick (2025)125 mph, June 19, 2025
  • Rick (1997)85 mph, November 10, 1997

All 15 storms with a landfall record in Oaxaca

Also peaked at 130 mph

Of 46 storms from other Pacific seasons, the nearest in time:

  • Douglas (1996)946 mb, no landfall record
  • Estelle (1998)948 mb, no landfall record
  • Adolph (1995)948 mb, no landfall record
  • Lane (1994)948 mb, no landfall record