Storm history › East Pacific › 1997 season
Hurricane Pauline (1997)
Pauline was a Category 4 hurricane of the 1997 East Pacific season. It was tracked from October 5, 1997 to October 10, 1997, about 5 days, and covered 946 miles.
At its peak it had winds of 130 mph (215 km/h) and a lowest pressure of 948 mb.
It made landfall once, near Río Grande, Mexico.
Its closest pass to a major city was 15 miles from Acapulco de Juárez, Mexico.
- Peak wind
- 130 mph
- Lowest pressure
- 948 mb
- Strongest
- Category 4 hurricane
- Landfalls
- 1
- Duration
- 5 days
- Track length
- 946 mi
- Energy (ACE)
- 11.3
DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5
Landfalls
| # | Date (UTC) | Near | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 9, 1997 | Río Grande, Mexico | 110 mph (175 km/h) |
Closest pass to major cities
| City | Closest pass |
|---|---|
| Acapulco de Juárez, Mexico | 15 mi (25 km) |
| Morelia, Mexico | 91 mi (147 km) |
| Tonalá, Mexico | 107 mi (171 km) |
| Tlaquepaque, Mexico | 109 mi (176 km) |
| Guadalajara, Mexico | 113 mi (182 km) |
| Zapopan, Mexico | 117 mi (188 km) |
| Toluca, Mexico | 142 mi (229 km) |
How it compares
- Peak winds: 137th highest of 1,371 East Pacific storms on record, tied with Hurricane Lala (2026), Hurricane Odalys (2026), Hurricane Iona (2025) and 49 more.
- Lowest pressure: 127th lowest of 808 East Pacific storms with a recorded pressure, tied with Hurricane Fernanda (2017), Hurricane John (2006), Hurricane Estelle (1998) and 10 more.
- Energy: 4% of the 1997 East Pacific season's ACE.