Hurricane Liza

The name Liza has been used for four tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Liza is not to be confused with Lisa, which is used in the Atlantic Basin.

Hurricane Liza (1976)

Hurricane Liza is considered the worst natural disaster in the history of Baja California Sur. The seventeenth tropical cyclone, thirteenth named storm, and eighth hurricane of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season, Liza developed from an area of disturbed weather southwest of the Mexican coast on September 25. Slowly intensifying, the system attained tropical storm strength the following day. In favorable conditions, Liza continued to intensify, reaching hurricane strength on September 28 after developing an eye. The hurricane peaked in intensity as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale on September 30, with winds of 140 mph (225 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 948 mbar (hPa; 28.00 inHg). Liza weakened as it moved northward into the Gulf of California. Shortly thereafter, the hurricane made its second landfall north of Los Mochis, Sinaloa with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h), making it one of 13 storms to make landfall as major hurricanes in the basin. Inland, the hurricane rapidly weakened and dissipated on October 2.

Hurricane Liza (1968)

Hurricane Liza was the third hurricane of the 1968 Pacific hurricane season. Forming from an area of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) on August 28 and reaching tropical storm strength in the same day, Liza meandered generally westward over the Pacific Ocean, reaching hurricane strength on August 29 while far from land. It maintained that intensity until September 2, when the hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm, but avoided tropical depression status despite the presentation seen by an Air Force reconnaissance plane. After weakening, the storm moved northwestward, weakening to a depression on September 4, when it began a turn to the east. There is a possibility that the depression completed a small loop between the downgrade and its dissipation on September 6.

Although it remained far from land, the waves triggered by Liza were able to reach California, where they combined with high tide, threatening beachfront homes that had weakened foundations after a previous tide. The hurricane was responsible for sweeping hundreds of Labor Day swimmers out into the ocean in Zuma Beach and Newport Beach, all of whom were saved by lifeguards. The waves also tore off a group of sundecks estimated at $5,000 (1968 USD) near Laguna Beach.