Hurricane Anita facts for kids
| Category 5 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Hurricane Anita on September 2, 1977, approaching the Gulf coast of Mexico.
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| Formed | August 29, 1977 |
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| Dissipated | September 4, 1977 |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 175 mph (280 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 926 mbar (hPa); 27.34 inHg |
| Fatalities | 11 direct |
| Areas affected | Northeastern Mexico |
| Part of the 1977 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Anita was the only major hurricane of the inactive 1977 Atlantic hurricane season. It struck Mexico as a category 5. Though it struck as a category 5 no one knows the damage. Anita killed 11 people in Mexico.
Storm history
A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on August 16. After it moved westward for about a week, it started growing some clouds. It changed the way it was moving to the northwest on August 27 while it was over Cuba, but all clouds were over the Bahamas and Florida. The tropical wave soon crossed Florida and entered the Gulf of Mexico. While it entered the Gulf of Mexico, an anticyclone made conditions good for a tropical cyclone to form. The tropical wave also moved slow when it entered the Gulf of Mexico, making it easier for it to develop. By August 29, the tropical wave was good enough to be upgraded to Tropical Depression One.
Tropical Depression One went back on a westward path than a ridge forced it. Conditions remained good and the tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Anita later on August 29. Water temperatures were warm, this allow Tropical Storm Anita to become Hurricane Anita during August 30. Hurricane Anita looked like it would strike Texas at first, but other weather systems did not allow it to do so. Anita began to quickly strengthen, it had become a category 3 hurricane on September 1. By the next day, Hurricane Anita had reached its highest winds as a category 5 hurricane, while not far from the coast of Mexico.
Hurricane Anita stayed as a category 5 hurricane as it made landfall in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas on September 2. Anita weakened fast over land, weakening to a tropical storm over central Mexico later that day. It also weakened to a tropical depression before it reached the Pacific coast of Mexico.
Retirement
The name Anita was retired. It was not replaced with anything specific because the tropical cyclone names change in 1979.
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Tropical cyclones of the 1977 Atlantic hurricane season |
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Images for kids
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Hurricane Anita near its Mexico landfall
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Rainfall Summary for Hurricane Anita
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Hurricane Anita near landfall
