At a Glance
- The Eastern Pacific's first hurricane of 2022 made landfall on Mexico's Pacific coast.
- Agatha made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane.
- It made history as the strongest landfalling hurricane in May in the Eastern Pacific
Hurricane Agatha made landfall just west of Puerto Angel, Mexico on Monday afternoon as a Category 2 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.
Agatha was named by the NHC on Saturday morning, as the swirl of thunderstorms off the southern coast of Mexico became more organized. The NHC officially upgraded it to Hurricane Agatha on Sunday morning, making it the first of the 2022 Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season.
Agatha underwent rapid intensification Sunday, when maximum sustained winds jumped 35 mph in under 24 hours.
Agatha made history as the strongest hurricane to make landfall in May along the Pacific coast since record keeping started in 1949. It was also only the third Eastern Pacific hurricane to make landfall in May on record. Agatha in 1971 and Barbara in 2013 also made landfall in May in the Eastern Pacific, but they were both Category 1 storms.
Agatha brought heavy rainfall to southern Mexico and parts of Central America. This rainfall prompted flash flooding and landslides in the region.
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