Enrique (2009)

Enrique formed from a tropical wave and became a tropical depression about 1800 UTC on 3 August 2009 roughly 580 nautical miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. It strengthened to a tropical storm around 0000 UTC 4 August and moved generally west-northwest then northwest over the open northeastern Pacific. The storm briefly strengthened on 4 August, reached peak intensity that day, then moved into cooler waters and increased wind shear, weakening to a depression by 0000 UTC 7 August, degenerating to a remnant low by 0000 UTC 8 August and dissipating about 18 hours later.

Enrique remained well offshore for its entire life and did not make landfall. Its track stayed far from the Mexican coast and no coastal landfalls were recorded.

The maximum sustained winds reached 55 knots (about 63 mph) from 1200 to 1800 UTC on 4 August, with a minimum central pressure estimated at 994 mb. At peak intensity Enrique was a moderate tropical storm (below hurricane strength).

Because Enrique stayed over open water, no storm surge measurements tied to the cyclone were reported in the NHC report, and there were no reports of coastal inundation. The report likewise lists no rainfall totals or flooding impacts for named cities or counties associated with Enrique.

There were no reports of damage or casualties—no confirmed direct or indirect deaths—and no notable destruction attributed to the storm.

Noteworthy items include a brief period of relatively rapid organization on 4 August, when microwave imagery showed a mid-level eye-like feature, and a subsequent disruption later that day when the low-level center became exposed. Forecasting the storm’s formation was difficult; the precursor was given only a low to medium chance of development shortly before genesis. Official track forecasts had larger-than-average errors for this storm, in part because interaction with nearby Hurricane Felicia may have complicated the steering and produced a westward bias in some guidance.