Jimena became the fifth hurricane to form in the East Pacific so far this year, which is about average for the midpoint of the season. It also became the third major hurricane of the season; typically there are about four major hurricanes in the East Pacific every year. Jimena became a named tropical storm during the early morning hours (Pacific Daylight Time, PDT) of August 29, 2009 about 250 miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. It formed from a tropical depression that was moving westward through the East Pacific. This depression had its origins as a tropical easterly wave that emerged off of the coast of Africa nearly 2 weeks prior before crossing the Caribbean and Central America and emerging into the East Pacific. Most of the storms that form in the East Pacific actually originate from African easterly waves.
After it became a tropical storm, Jimena quickly intensified over warm water and was already a category 2 hurricane later that same day. In fact, within 24 hours of becoming a named tropical storm, Jimena was a major category 3 hurricane with sustained winds estimated at 100 knots (~115 mph) by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). By the morning of August 30, Jimena had intensified even further into a powerful category 4 hurricane with sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph) by NHC. The storm was now a little over 500 miles (~800 km) south-southeast of the southern tip of Baja California and moving to the northwest.
The US National Hurricane Center warned of a “storm surge along with large and dangerous battering waves” which could “produce significant coastal flooding along the Baja California peninsula”.
The agency said that although Jimena’s strength was likely to fluctuate, it would make landfall as a major hurricane. The peninsula is largely desert and mountains but also has resorts and fishing villages.
The US issued an alert to American citizens, urging them to reconsider traveling to areas of Mexico and the United States lying in its path.
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b.i.n. = Baja Infortheque Network.