The 2002 Pacific hurricane season was an average season which produced fifteen named storms. Eight hurricanes formed, including a record-tying three Category 5 hurricanes, a record it shares with the 1994, 2018 and 2026 seasons. It was also a near-average season in terms of accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), having an ACE of 125. The season officially began on May 15, 2002 in the East Pacific Ocean, and on June 1, 2002 in the Central Pacific; both ended on November 30. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclone formation occurs in these regions of the Pacific. The first system of the 2002 season, Hurricane Alma, formed on May 24, and the last, Tropical Depression Sixteen-E, dissipated on November 16.
The strongest hurricane of the season, Kenna, formed on October 22 and peaked as a Category 5 hurricane two days later. Land impact was relatively significant. Kenna made landfall near Puerto Vallarta, located in the Mexican state of Jalisco on October 25, killing four people. Kenna was, at the time, the second-most powerful hurricane to ever strike the western coast of Mexico, hitting with winds of 140 mph (220 km/h), as well as the strongest landfall in terms of windspeed until Hurricane Patricia in 2015. Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Julio made landfall in Mexico, and Tropical Storm Boris dumped torrential rain along the Mexican coast, despite remaining offshore. Hurricanes Elida and Hernan also reached Category 5 intensity, but neither caused any damage. Damage across the basin reached $101.23 million (2002 USD), while 7 people were killed by Julio and Kenna.
Seasonal summary
The season officially began on May 15 in Eastern Pacific and on June 1 in Central Pacific; both ended on November 30. In the eastern Pacific, the season saw below average activity in terms of the number of total storms and hurricanes, but about average activity in terms of major hurricanes. There were 16 tropical storms in the eastern Pacific Ocean in the season. Of those, eight became hurricanes, of which six became major hurricanes by reaching Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson scale. Three reached Category 5 intensity, equaling the record set in 1994, and later equaled in 2018. Additionally, four tropical depressions formed and dissipated before reaching the intensity of a tropical storm. Three tropical storms formed in the Central Pacific Hurricane Center's area of responsibility, where overall activity was near normal. Two of the storms strengthened into hurricanes, with one of them intensifying into a major hurricane. Two additional systems tracked into the area from the eastern Pacific.
Activity commenced on May 24, with the formation of the first tropical depression, which became Hurricane Alma, and intensified into a rare May major hurricane. June was extremely quiet with only one named storm developing, Tropical Storm Boris. Though it remained offshore, Boris was able to dump torrential rain along the coast of southwestern Mexico. There were two hurricanes and one tropical storm in July. Among them, Hurricane Elida underwent one of the fastest rates of rapid intensification on record for an eastern Pacific hurricane. It went from a 30 mph (45 km/h) depression to an 80 mph (130 km/h) hurricane in 30 hours, then proceed to intensify into a 160 mph (260 km/h) Category 5 hurricane during the 24 hours that followed.
August was active with five systems developing, of which three became hurricanes. Fausto peaked as a strong Category 4 hurricane in the eastern Pacific, before crossing into the central Pacific as a depression. Then, after degenerating into a remnant low well northeast of Hawaii Fausto regenerated into a weak tropical storm at an unusually high latitude. Late that month, Ele became the first of two central Pacific hurricanes to cross the International Date Line into the western Pacific where they became typhoons; the other was Huko in late October. Hernan closed out the month; forming on August 30, it peaked at Category 5 strength two days later, far from land. Activity decreased appreciably in September and October as most of the storms remained weak and were short-lived. The exception was Kenna, which formed on October 22 and peaked as a Category 5 hurricane two days later; it was the strongest hurricane of the season, Kenna was one of two landfalling systems this season, the other being Tropical Storm Julio in September. All casualties and most of the damage incurred during the season was caused by Kenna. No named storms formed during the final few weeks of the season, which effectively came to a close on November 16 when Tropical Depression Sixteen-E, dissipated.
A moderately strong El Niño, ongoing during the season, may have contributed to the disproportionate number of major hurricanes, as well as reduced activity in the Atlantic. Also of note was an unusual gap in storm formation during the first three weeks of August in this season, historically a prime period for tropical cyclone formation.
Systems
Hurricane Alma
A tropical wave emerged off the west coast of Africa on May 8. Generally failing to produce convection while in the Atlantic basin, the wave moved westward over the tropical Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, entering the eastern Pacific basin on May 18. Upon doing so, the wave began to generate convection, and it developed a low‑pressure area south of Guatemala on May 19. The system underwent a complex interaction with a gale over the Gulf of Tehuantepec while moving slowly westward. Gradually becoming better organized, it developed into Tropical Depression One‑E on May 24. The pace of further development was initially languid, with One‑E taking two days to strengthen into a tropical storm. Now named Alma, the storm turned first to the west-northwest, then to the northwest, and finally to the north as it rounded the western periphery of a subtropical ridge that was located over Mexico.
Alma strengthened at a steadier rate as it gained latitude, becoming a hurricane on May 28. Two days later, Alma reached its peak intensity as a low-end Category 3 major hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h). This made it the second Pacific major hurricane recorded in the month of May, following the previous season's Hurricane Adolph. Operationally, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) assessed Alma to have been slightly weaker – with peak winds of 110 mph (175 km/h), at the upper bound of Category 2 strength – but the agency retroactively upgraded it about two months later. Shortly after peaking, Alma entered a region of cooler sea surface temperatures and southwesterly wind shear. These unfavorable conditions caused the hurricane to rapidly weaken into a tropical storm on May 31. Meanwhile, steering currents decayed to the point where Alma became nearly stationary. Alma weakened into a tropical depression early on June 1, and degenerated into a low‑pressure area without convection later that day without having ever impacted land.
Tropical Storm Boris
A trough of low pressure produced a large area of convection south of Mexico during the first week of June. Concurrently, a tropical wave entered the eastern Pacific basin from the southwestern Caribbean Sea and moved slowly westward toward the trough. The two features began to interact on June 7, and the combined area of unsettled weather quickly became better organized. A circulation developed on June 8, marking the formation of a tropical depression. The nascent cyclone steadily strengthened while moving to the west-northwest; it became a tropical storm, named Boris, early on June 9 and reached peak winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) shortly thereafter. The motion of Boris then stalled as the storm got stuck in between two high-pressure areas. Because Boris was no longer moving in tandem with strong upper-level easterly winds, the resultant wind shear caused the storm to weaken. Boris spent the rest of its life drifting while continuing to weaken; it shifted first to the northeast, then to the east, as its intensity dropped to that of a tropical depression late on June 10. The following day, Boris degenerated into a convectively barren remnant low. Boris's remnants moved southeastward until dissipating early on June 12.
Boris dumped heavy rains on sections of the Mexican coast. The maximum amount was 10.60 inches (269 mm) at San Felipe Usila. These rains damaged several homes at an unspecified location. In addition, rainfall damaged several homes in Tequila, Jalisco, but the National Hurricane Center believes that Boris likely did not cause the rain. No deaths were attributed to this storm.
Tropical Depression Three-E
A tropical wave that crossed Central America organized and developed into a tropical depression on June 27. Contrary to forecasts, the depression did not strengthen further because of strong wind shear. By June 29, the depression had become a remnant low, which was observed as a swirl of clouds for a few more days before dissipating.
Tropical Storm Cristina
An area of disturbed weather near Panama drifted to a location south of Puerto Ángel, Oaxaca, and organized into Tropical Depression Four-E on July 9. It moved westward through a hostile environment of strong shear. The wind shear disrupted the cyclone's convection and weakened its circulation. Despite the shear, the depression strengthened into a tropical storm early on July 12 and was named Cristina. This broke down the steering ridge, and Cristina turned to the north and peaked on July 14. Then, the wind shear won out and Cristina quickly weakened. Cristina dissipated into a swirl of clouds on July 16, without ever threatening land. No impact was reported.
Hurricane Douglas
A tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa on July 8 and crossed the Atlantic without much development. In the Caribbean, showers increased, but wind shear prevented development. The wave crossed into the eastern Pacific on July 16, and wind shear decreased to allow the convection to organize. Tropical Depression Five-E developed on July 20 about 395 miles (636 km) south of Manzanillo, Mexico. At that time, gradual strengthening was anticipated. The depression quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Douglas. Around that time, most of the deep convection was situated south of the atmospheric circulation. Initially expected to become a hurricane only briefly, late on July 21, the NHC reported that Douglas had become a hurricane. Upon becoming a hurricane, Douglas was situated in low wind shear environment; however, Hurricane Douglas was expected to reach cold waters in 36 hours, and thus was not predicted to become a major hurricane. Douglas became a Category 2 hurricane on July 22, reaching peak winds of 105 miles per hour (170 km/h). Douglas held this intensity for 18 hours as it traveled westward. When Douglas weakened from its peak intensity, it had an organized cloud pattern, but the thunderstorm activity was weakening, typical of most Pacific hurricanes that reach cooler waters. The weakening briefly stopped after Douglas went through an eyewall replacement cycle, but Douglas was downgraded to a tropical storm late on July 24 as the storm only had a small area of deep convection left. Tropical storm Douglas briefly stopped weakening as convection increased, only to fade away again hours later. The storm was downgraded to a tropical depression early on July 26, and later that day degenerated into a remnant low-pressure area. The remnant low dissipated the next day.
Hurricane Elida
Elida formed from a tropical wave that left the coast of Africa on July 13. The wave moved uneventfully through the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, emerging over the Pacific Ocean on July 21. The wave began organizing the next day, becoming Tropical Depression Six-E on July 23 while 350 mi (560 km) south-southeast of Puerto Escondido, Mexico. The depression was predicted to move westward due to the presence of a ridge of high pressure which was also controlling the movement of Hurricane Douglas. Due to low shear and warm ocean waters, it was predicted that the depression would reach hurricane strength in 48 hours. The depression began rapid intensification while moving westward, and only six hours after being recognized as a depression, the system was upgraded to Tropical Storm Elida while displaying banding features and a central dense overcast. The forecast was revised, now predicting the storm to attain hurricane strength the next day.