1943 Mazatlán hurricane
Surface analysis of the hurricane near landfall
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| Formed | ≤8 October 1943 |
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| Dissipated | 9 October 1943 |
| Lowest pressure | ≤ 958.6 mbar (hPa); 28.31 inHg |
| Fatalities | at least 106 |
| Damage | $4.5 million (1943 USD) |
| Areas affected | southern coastal Sinaloa |
| Part of the 1940–48 Pacific hurricane seasons | |
The 1943 Mazatlán hurricane was a powerful tropical cyclone (at least Category 4) that lashed the southern coast of Sinaloa on the morning of 9 October 1943. The hurricane went essentially undetected before it made landfall just south of Mazatlán on 9 October with a pressure below 958.6 millibars (28.31 inHg) and maximum sustained winds of at least 136 miles per hour (219 km/h). The hurricane destroyed two small towns and half of Mazatlán, killing at least 106 persons, injuring 102, and leaving over 1,000 homeless. Total damage was estimated at $4.5 million (1943 USD, $56 million 2008 USD). The hurricane was the strongest on record to strike Mazatlán.
Sources do not reveal the exact origin of this tropical cyclone. On 8 October, a developing tropical cyclone passed between the Revillagigedo Islands and Islas Marías. It moved rapidly northeastward and arrived on the coast of Sinaloa as an intense hurricane.
Mazatlán Observatory reported that the atmospheric pressure began dropping at 1:30 am on 9 October and fell 0.827 inches of mercury (28.0 hPa) in 8 hours, and reached a minimum of 958.6 millibars (28.31 inHg). At 1530 UTC 9 October, the hurricane made landfall just south of Mazatlán. At 9:30 am, the observatory reported winds of 134 miles per hour (216 km/h) for a period of 15 minutes, which period ended when the wind blew the anemometer loose. The hurricane ranks as the strongest on record to strike the city.
The storm dropped little precipitation as it passed Mazatlán, but 2 inches (51 mm) fell on the afternoon of 9 October.
As the storm continued inland, it rapidly weakened and apparently dissipated over the Sierra Madre Occidental. The storm apparently passed into Chihuahua and was predicted to continue into the southern United States, though the remainder of its path is unknown.
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