Dora (2011)

A tropical depression formed from a westward-moving tropical wave early on July 18, 2011, about 200 nautical miles south-southwest of San Salvador, El Salvador. The system moved west-northwestward over warm water and became Tropical Storm Dora later that day. Dora strengthened to a hurricane on July 19 and underwent rapid intensification on July 20–21 as it moved roughly parallel to Mexico’s southern coast, then turned northwest and weakened quickly as it moved over cooler water and increasing wind shear. Dora degenerated to a remnant low late on July 24 and dissipated by early July 26 off the west-central coast of the Baja California peninsula.

Dora did not make a direct landfall on the Mexican mainland or Baja California while at hurricane strength. Tropical storm watches and warnings were issued for parts of the southwest Mexican coast and the southern tip of Baja California (including Cabo San Lucas) between July 20 and July 23, but tropical-storm-force winds remained offshore and no landfall of tropical-storm- or hurricane-force winds was recorded.

The storm’s peak intensity was an estimated 135 knots (155 mph) with a minimum central pressure of 929 mb at 1200 UTC on July 21, making Dora a high-end Category 4 hurricane at its strongest. After that peak, Dora weakened rapidly, falling to tropical-storm strength by 1800 UTC July 22 and to a tropical depression by 1200 UTC July 24.

Observed storm surge and rainfall impacts were minimal to none on land. There were no reports of storm surge inundation or of tropical-storm-force winds over land in the available observations. The only notable marine report was a ship (Indian a Highway) that recorded 47-kt winds about 75 nmi northeast of the center on July 19. No specific rainfall totals or coastal surge heights at named cities or counties were reported in association with Dora.

There were no confirmed deaths, direct or indirect, and no reports of damage linked to Hurricane Dora. Dora was notable for its rapid intensification to a strong Category 4 hurricane while remaining well offshore of populated Mexican coastlines, and for its equally rapid weakening after moving over cooler waters. The storm’s development occurred sooner than some outlooks anticipated, which made intensity forecasts challenging; however, official track forecasts performed better than typical long-term averages for this storm.