A small area of disturbed weather tied to a Central American gyre organized over the eastern Pacific on 26 October 2017 and became a tropical depression just after midnight UTC on 27 October about 200 nautical miles south of San Salvador, El Salvador. It strengthened to Tropical Storm Selma about six hours later and moved generally northward. Selma was short-lived: it maintained tropical-storm strength through most of 27–28 October, made a northward turn, and its circulation dissipated over the rugged terrain of El Salvador and western Honduras by about 1800 UTC on 28 October.
Selma made landfall near Playa El Pimental, El Salvador, around 1100 UTC on 28 October 2017. At landfall it had maximum sustained winds of 35 knots (40 mph) according to the best track, and it weakened to a tropical depression shortly after moving inland before dissipating the same day.
The storm’s peak intensity was 35 knots (40 mph) with a minimum central pressure near 1004 millibars. Selma never reached hurricane strength; its peak corresponds to a minimal tropical-storm intensity (tropical storm, not a category on the Saffir–Simpson scale).
Heavy rain from Selma produced flash flooding and mudslides in El Salvador. Official notes mention trees down and mudslides as sources of damage, but the report does not list specific storm-surge measurements or station rainfall totals. Authorities reported some localized damage around coastal and interior areas of El Salvador, particularly near the landfall location (Playa El Pimental) and surrounding communities.
No casualties were reported in association with Selma. Damage was described as minor by El Salvadoran authorities and no monetary loss estimate was available in the report. The event was notable because tropical storms making landfall on the Pacific coast of Central America are rare; Selma is the only tropical storm on record to make landfall in El Salvador. Forecasting the storm’s formation was difficult: the potential for development was first highlighted in official outlooks only about 42 hours before genesis, and early track forecasts showed a westward bias and did not anticipate Selma’s sharp northward turn.
Paid members can generate summaries tailored to the counties of their choice. The Selma 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 Selma → (opens at nhc.noaa.gov)| Time (UTC) | Status | Lat | Lon | Winds (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-10-26 18:00 | LO | 10.30 | -88.60 | 30 | 1005 | |
| 2017-10-27 00:00 | TD | 10.30 | -88.90 | 30 | 1005 | |
| 2017-10-27 06:00 | TS | 10.50 | -89.20 | 35 | 1004 | |
| 2017-10-27 12:00 | TS | 10.80 | -89.30 | 35 | 1004 | |
| 2017-10-27 18:00 | TS | 11.30 | -89.30 | 35 | 1004 | |
| 2017-10-28 00:00 | TS | 12.00 | -89.10 | 35 | 1004 | |
| 2017-10-28 06:00 | TS | 12.70 | -89.00 | 35 | 1004 | |
| 2017-10-28 11:00 | TS | 13.40 | -89.00 | 35 | 1004 | Landfall |
| 2017-10-28 12:00 | TD | 13.50 | -89.00 | 30 | 1005 |
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.