Hurricane Marie (2014)

Hurricane Marie was a powerful tropical cyclone that formed in the Eastern Pacific Ocean during the 2014 hurricane season. It was the ninth hurricane and sixth major hurricane of the season, reaching Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

Meteorological History:

Marie originated from a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa in mid-August 2014. This wave gradually organized as it moved westward across the Atlantic and into the Eastern Pacific. On August 22, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) designated the system as Tropical Depression Thirteen-E. The depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Marie later that day. Rapid intensification followed, and Marie quickly reached hurricane status on August 23.

Marie continued to intensify rapidly, becoming a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) on August 24. It peaked as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 918 mbar on August 25.

After reaching peak intensity, Marie began to weaken as it moved over cooler waters and encountered increased wind shear. The hurricane gradually weakened back to a tropical storm by August 28. Marie continued to weaken as it moved further west and was eventually downgraded to a tropical depression on August 29. The remnants of Marie dissipated over the central Pacific Ocean.

Impacts:

Although Marie remained far offshore of Mexico and the southwestern United States, it generated large swells that impacted coastal areas. These swells caused strong rip currents, high surf, and coastal flooding. Several beaches in California, particularly in Southern California, were closed due to dangerous surf conditions. There were reports of injuries and rescues related to the rip currents.

The large swells also impacted Hawaii, causing similar hazards along exposed coastlines.

Records and Naming:

At the time, Marie tied with Hurricane Norbert as the strongest Eastern Pacific hurricane since 2010. The name Marie was retired by the World Meteorological Organization in the spring of 2015 and replaced with Mariana for use in the 2020 season.

See Also:

• 2014 Pacific hurricane season
• Tropical cyclone
• Hurricane intensity