Tropical Storm Julio

Tropical Storm Julio was a weak and short-lived tropical storm that made landfall along the southern Mexican coast in September 2002. The twelfth named storm of the 2002 Pacific hurricane season, Julio originated from an area of convection that organized into a tropical depression on September 25. Initially forecast to stay offshore, the depression moved northward and strengthened into a tropical storm that same day. Julio turned to the northwest and peaked as a minimal tropical storm just before landfall near Lázaro Cárdenas, on September 26. The storm soon weakened into a tropical depression and rapidly dissipated over Mexico that day. Prior to making landfall, tropical cyclone warnings and watches were issued for a portion of the Pacific coast of Mexico. After making landfall, three fatalities and 18 injuries were reported from Julio when the storm caused a bus flipped over. Around 100 houses in Acapulco and Zihuatanejo were damaged or washed away by flash flooding. In the latter city, many trees were brought down and numerous streets were flooded. The highest rainfall reported was at Zihuatanejo and La Unión, resulting in devastation. In all, about 2,000 homes were flooded while 100 families were evacuated. About a month after Julio, the much stronger Hurricane Kenna affected some of the same areas. Meteorological history The origins of Tropical Storm Julio were from a persistent monsoon-like area of convection (possibly related to Hurricane Isidore) that was situated off the west coast of Central America on September 21. Convective activity generally increased over the next two days, and it is estimated that a poorly defined surface circulation developed late on September 23. The low gradually became better organized and at 0000 UTC on September 25, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that the disturbance had developed into Tropical Depression Thirteen-E about southwest of Acapulco.