2025 Year in Review: Active Tropical Season for The Pacific
The 2025 eastern Pacific hurricane season unleashed a series of destructive storms, from Alvin’s deadly offshore rains to Erick’s Category 4 fury, and Mario and Priscilla’s flooding impacts.
Tropical Storm Alvin
Alvin formed from a broad low pressure area in the eastern Pacific on May 28, approximately 470 miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, and became the first storm of the 2025 season the next day. It reached peak winds of 60 mph and a minimum central pressure of 999 millibars by May 29, maintaining that strength briefly before facing drier air and cooler waters. Alvin weakened into a remnant low by May 31 southeast of Baja California and fully dissipated on June 1. Despite remaining offshore, it delivered heavy rains to El Salvador and western Mexico, causing flooding in Chiapas and State of Mexico, injuring over 50 people, resulting in five fatalities (four direct in Mexico and one indirect in the U.S.), and causing approximately US$986,000 in damage.
Hurricane Erick
Originating from a tropical wave south of Mexico around June 10, Erick developed into a tropical storm by June 17. It underwent rapid intensification the next day, becoming a Category 4 hurricane with peak winds of 140 mph and a central pressure of 944 millibars by early June 18. Erick weakened slightly before making landfall near Oaxaca, Mexico, on June 19 as a Category 3 storm with 125 mph winds. It quickly lost strength once inland, degenerating into a remnant low by June 20 over Jalisco/Nayarit. The hurricane unleashed torrential rains, flash floods, and mudslides across southern Mexico, leaving 24 dead, injuring 28, and one missing. It disrupted power and communications for tens of thousands and caused around US$275 million in damage.
Tropical Storm Mario
Tropical Storm Mario came to life first as a tropical depression off the coast of the Mexican state of Guerrero on September 10. Mario weakened back to remnant low as it produced heavy rainfall along the coast of southern Mexico. It then restrengthened back into tropical storm on September 12. At peak intensity, Mario had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and a minimum pressure of 994 mb.
Mario caused flash flooding in several Mexican state. In the state of Michoacan, several homes were damaged due to flooding and cars and pets were washed away. In the state of Baja California Sur, homes, vehicles and infrastructure were damaged by flooding. One man was killed by lightning associated with the storm as well. Mario even impacted the Southwest in the United States, bringing flash flooding here and a toddler was killed after being swept away in a vehicle in the city of Barstow in California. In total, Mario caused US$9.7 million in financial losses across Mexico and in the Southwestern United States.
Hurricane Priscilla
An area of low pressure formed offshore of southwest Mexico on October 1, then strengthened into Tropical Storm Priscilla on October 4. Priscilla strengthened even more becoming a Category 1 hurricane on October 5. At its peak strength, Priscilla reached a Category 2 hurricane on October 7, with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. Cool water led to the downfall of Priscilla and it became a remnant low on October 10.
Priscilla impacted Baja California Sur, Jalisco and Nayirit in Mexico causing flooded roads, fallen trees, power outages and stranded vehicles. Heavy rain and moisture moved into the Southwestern United States. Places like Las Vegas had their fourth wettest day on record with 0.92 inches of rain. Phoenix recorded almost 2 inches of rain, and Mesa in Arizona got flooding from the heavy rains. Flooding impacts even stretched into Grand Junction in Colorado, where over 2 inches of rain fell.