A tropical depression formed about 375 nautical miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, on 12 September 2019 from a tropical wave that had moved across the Atlantic in late August. The system became Tropical Storm Kiko later that day and underwent a period of rapid strengthening from 14–15 September. Kiko reached major hurricane strength on 15 September, then weakened quickly and spent about a week wandering across the western half of the eastern North Pacific as a tropical storm before losing its deep convection and becoming a remnant low near the central Pacific boundary on 24 September. The remnant low moved westward and dissipated well east of Hawaii around 27 September.
Kiko did not produce any coastal watches or warnings and did not make any landfalls. Its track remained over open water throughout its life, with the cyclone remaining hundreds of miles west or west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula at its strongest.
The storm’s maximum sustained winds peaked at 115 knots (about 132 mph) and its minimum central pressure was estimated at 950 mb around 1200 UTC on 15 September. At peak, Kiko was a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale. After peak, moderate wind shear and dry air caused rapid weakening back to tropical-storm strength by 17 September.
Because Kiko remained well offshore there were no reports of storm surge, coastal inundation, or rainfall impacts to Mexican or U.S. locations in the NHC record. The official report lists no measured storm-surge heights or significant rainfall totals in named cities or counties associated with Kiko.
No deaths or damage were reported in association with Kiko. Noteworthy aspects include the storm’s rapid intensification to a Category 4 hurricane and its equally rapid weakening soon after peak. Forecasts captured the storm’s formation and track reasonably well, but the intensity forecasts poorly anticipated the timing and magnitude of the rapid strengthening and subsequent rapid weakening; overall intensity forecasts had higher-than-usual errors during that period.
Paid members can generate summaries tailored to the counties of their choice. The Kiko TCR covers impacts across many counties and states — a Pinellas County resident doesn't need the Asheville detail, and a Buncombe County resident doesn't need the Tampa surge data.
Upgrade for county-specific summariesSummary above produced from the National Hurricane Center's official post-storm Tropical Cyclone Report. Read the full report for casualty lists, damage estimates by area, forecast critique, and detailed meteorological discussion:
📄 Read NHC's full report on Kiko → (opens at nhc.noaa.gov)| Time (UTC) | Status | Lat | Lon | Winds (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-09-12 06:00 | TD | 15.20 | -109.50 | 25 | 1007 | |
| 2019-09-12 12:00 | TD | 15.60 | -110.60 | 30 | 1006 | |
| 2019-09-12 18:00 | TS | 15.90 | -111.50 | 35 | 1004 | |
| 2019-09-13 00:00 | TS | 16.20 | -112.30 | 35 | 1004 | |
| 2019-09-13 06:00 | TS | 16.40 | -113.10 | 35 | 1004 | |
| 2019-09-13 12:00 | TS | 16.60 | -114.00 | 35 | 1004 | |
| 2019-09-13 18:00 | TS | 16.80 | -114.90 | 35 | 1004 | |
| 2019-09-14 00:00 | TS | 17.00 | -115.80 | 40 | 1003 | |
| 2019-09-14 06:00 | TS | 17.20 | -116.80 | 50 | 1000 | |
| 2019-09-14 12:00 | TS | 17.20 | -117.80 | 60 | 992 | |
| 2019-09-14 18:00 | HU | 17.00 | -118.80 | 75 | 985 | |
| 2019-09-15 00:00 | HU | 16.90 | -119.60 | 95 | 970 | |
| 2019-09-15 06:00 | HU | 16.90 | -120.30 | 105 | 958 | |
| 2019-09-15 12:00 | HU | 17.00 | -120.90 | 115 | 950 | |
| 2019-09-15 18:00 | HU | 17.20 | -121.60 | 115 | 950 | |
| 2019-09-16 00:00 | HU | 17.30 | -122.30 | 110 | 954 | |
| 2019-09-16 06:00 | HU | 17.30 | -122.90 | 100 | 963 | |
| 2019-09-16 12:00 | HU | 17.30 | -123.40 | 90 | 971 | |
| 2019-09-16 18:00 | HU | 17.30 | -123.80 | 85 | 974 | |
| 2019-09-17 00:00 | HU | 17.30 | -124.10 | 75 | 982 | |
| 2019-09-17 06:00 | HU | 17.20 | -124.40 | 70 | 985 | |
| 2019-09-17 12:00 | TS | 17.10 | -124.60 | 60 | 990 | |
| 2019-09-17 18:00 | TS | 16.90 | -124.90 | 50 | 995 | |
| 2019-09-18 00:00 | TS | 16.60 | -125.30 | 45 | 1002 | |
| 2019-09-18 06:00 | TS | 16.30 | -125.80 | 45 | 1002 | |
| 2019-09-18 12:00 | TS | 16.00 | -126.40 | 50 | 1001 | |
| 2019-09-18 18:00 | TS | 15.80 | -127.00 | 55 | 998 | |
| 2019-09-19 00:00 | TS | 15.80 | -127.50 | 55 | 998 | |
| 2019-09-19 06:00 | TS | 15.80 | -128.00 | 55 | 998 | |
| 2019-09-19 12:00 | TS | 15.90 | -128.50 | 50 | 1000 | |
| 2019-09-19 18:00 | TS | 16.10 | -129.10 | 45 | 1002 | |
| 2019-09-20 00:00 | TS | 16.40 | -129.60 | 45 | 1002 | |
| 2019-09-20 06:00 | TS | 16.90 | -129.90 | 45 | 1002 | |
| 2019-09-20 12:00 | TS | 17.40 | -130.00 | 50 | 999 | |
| 2019-09-20 18:00 | TS | 17.80 | -130.10 | 50 | 999 | |
| 2019-09-21 00:00 | TS | 18.10 | -130.20 | 55 | 996 | |
| 2019-09-21 06:00 | TS | 18.30 | -130.50 | 55 | 996 | |
| 2019-09-21 12:00 | TS | 18.30 | -130.90 | 50 | 999 | |
| 2019-09-21 18:00 | TS | 18.20 | -131.40 | 45 | 1003 | |
| 2019-09-22 00:00 | TS | 17.80 | -132.00 | 40 | 1005 | |
| 2019-09-22 06:00 | TS | 17.30 | -132.60 | 35 | 1006 | |
| 2019-09-22 12:00 | TS | 16.70 | -133.10 | 35 | 1006 | |
| 2019-09-22 18:00 | TS | 16.10 | -133.60 | 35 | 1006 | |
| 2019-09-23 00:00 | TS | 15.60 | -134.10 | 35 | 1006 | |
| 2019-09-23 06:00 | TS | 15.40 | -134.90 | 35 | 1006 | |
| 2019-09-23 12:00 | TS | 15.50 | -135.70 | 45 | 1002 | |
| 2019-09-23 18:00 | TS | 15.80 | -136.50 | 50 | 1000 | |
| 2019-09-24 00:00 | TS | 16.40 | -137.10 | 50 | 1000 | |
| 2019-09-24 06:00 | TS | 17.00 | -137.70 | 45 | 1002 | |
| 2019-09-24 12:00 | TS | 17.40 | -138.40 | 40 | 1004 | |
| 2019-09-24 18:00 | LO | 18.00 | -139.30 | 30 | 1006 | |
| 2019-09-25 00:00 | LO | 18.70 | -140.10 | 30 | 1007 | |
| 2019-09-25 06:00 | LO | 19.30 | -140.80 | 25 | 1010 | |
| 2019-09-25 12:00 | LO | 19.20 | -141.80 | 25 | 1011 | |
| 2019-09-25 18:00 | LO | 19.10 | -142.60 | 25 | 1012 | |
| 2019-09-26 00:00 | LO | 19.10 | -143.50 | 25 | 1012 | |
| 2019-09-26 06:00 | LO | 18.90 | -144.40 | 20 | 1013 | |
| 2019-09-26 12:00 | LO | 18.60 | -145.20 | 20 | 1013 | |
| 2019-09-26 18:00 | LO | 18.70 | -146.00 | 20 | 1014 |
Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 best-track database (nhc.noaa.gov/data). Data is in the public domain. Best-track positions and intensities are post-storm reanalysis estimates and may differ from real-time advisories.