Hurricane Debby (1988)

Track map, landfall & timeline · Atlantic · August 31 – September 8, 1988

Peak wind
75 mph
120 km/h · Sep 2
Peak category
Cat 1
Saffir–Simpson
Lowest pressure
987 mb
Landfalls
1
Veracruz, Mexico
Lifetime
8.0 d
Aug 31 – Sep 8
Distance
1,406 mi
2,262 km
ACE
1.6
storm energy

TD TS Cat 1 2 3 4 5 · dashed = post-tropical / remnant low. Click any point or table row to jump there.

01 · The story

What happened with Debby

Hurricane Debby (1988) was a Category 1 hurricane of the 1988 Atlantic season. It formed on August 31, 1988, 36 mi WNW of Campeche, Campeche, Mexico, reached its peak of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 987 mb on September 2, 1988, and made landfall 15 mi NE of Poza Rica de Hidalgo, Veracruz, Mexico on September 3, 1988 as a Category 1 hurricane (75 mph). It rapidly intensified by 40 mph in 24 hours (to 75 mph on September 2, 1988). The storm lasted 8.0 days and travelled about 1,406 miles (2,262 km).

02 · Intensity

Wind and pressure, hour by hour

Maximum sustained wind (mph) — hover or drag to scrub the map

03 · Impact

Landfall and cities in the path

Landfall (UTC)WhereStrengthPressure
September 3, 1988 · 00:00 UTC15 mi NE of Poza Rica de Hidalgo, Veracruz, MexicoCat 1 75 mph987 mb

Closest approach to major cities

CityDistance to centerWhen (UTC)Storm strength then
Mexico City, Mexico City, Mexico52 miSep 3 · 15:00 UTCTD 37 mph
Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico58 miSep 3 · 15:00 UTCTD 37 mph
Ecatepec de Morelos, México, Mexico42 miSep 3 · 15:00 UTCTD 37 mph
Gustavo Adolfo Madero, Mexico City, Mexico48 miSep 3 · 15:00 UTCTD 37 mph
Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, México, Mexico56 miSep 3 · 15:00 UTCTD 37 mph
Tlalnepantla, México, Mexico43 miSep 3 · 15:00 UTCTD 37 mph
Naucalpan de Juárez, México, Mexico46 miSep 3 · 16:00 UTCTD 36 mph
Álvaro Obregón, Mexico City, Mexico55 miSep 3 · 16:00 UTCTD 36 mph
Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico48 miSep 3 · 21:00 UTCTD 35 mph
Morelia, Michoacán, Mexicodirect hitSep 4 · 03:00 UTCTD 35 mph

Distance from the city to the storm’s center, interpolated hourly between official fixes. Damaging winds, surge and rain reach far beyond the center.

04 · Timeline

Every official fix 33 positions

Date · UTCStatusWindPressurePositionNearest place
Aug 31 18:00TD 29 mph1006 mb20.1°N 91.0°W36 mi WNW of Campeche, Campeche, Mexico
Sep 1 00:00TD 29 mph1005 mb20.2°N 91.7°W81 mi WNW of Campeche, Campeche, Mexico
Sep 1 06:00TD 29 mph1005 mb20.3°N 92.4°W120 mi NNW of Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico
Sep 1 12:00TD 29 mph1004 mb20.4°N 93.1°W132 mi NNW of Frontera, Tabasco, Mexico
Sep 1 18:00TD 35 mph1003 mb20.5°N 93.8°W150 mi NNW of Paraiso, Tabasco, Mexico
Sep 2 00:00TD 35 mph1003 mb20.6°N 94.5°W145 mi NE of Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
Sep 2 06:00TS 46 mph1001 mb20.7°N 95.2°W122 mi NNE of Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
Sep 2 12:00TS 58 mph998 mb20.8°N 95.9°W80 mi ENE of Gutiérrez Zamora, Veracruz, Mexico
Sep 2 18:00Cat 1 75 mph992 mb20.8°N 96.6°W40 mi NE of Gutiérrez Zamora, Veracruz, Mexico
Sep 3 00:00Cat 1 LANDFALL 75 mph987 mb20.7°N 97.3°W15 mi NE of Poza Rica de Hidalgo, Veracruz, Mexico
Sep 3 06:00TS 58 mph995 mb20.5°N 98.1°W18 mi NNW of Xicotepec de Juárez, Puebla, Mexico
Sep 3 12:00TS 40 mph998 mb20.3°N 98.9°Wnear Actopan, Hidalgo, Mexico
Sep 3 18:00TD 35 mph999 mb20.0°N 99.8°W15 mi NNE of Atlacomulco de Fabela, México, Mexico
Sep 4 00:00TD 35 mph1000 mb19.8°N 100.7°W12 mi NW of Ciudad Hidalgo, Michoacán, Mexico
Sep 4 06:00TD 35 mph1000 mb19.6°N 101.6°Wnear Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico
Sep 4 12:00TD 35 mph1000 mb19.5°N 102.5°Wnear Los Reyes de Salgado, Michoacán, Mexico
Sep 4 18:00TD 35 mph1001 mb19.4°N 103.4°Wnear Tecalitlán, Jalisco, Mexico
Sep 5 00:00TD 35 mph1001 mb19.5°N 104.3°W11 mi SE of La Resolana, Jalisco, Mexico
Sep 5 06:00TD 35 mph1002 mb19.6°N 105.1°W43 mi NW of Cihuatlán, Jalisco, Mexico
Sep 5 12:00TD 35 mph1003 mb19.9°N 105.9°W66 mi SW of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Sep 5 18:00TD 35 mph1004 mb20.5°N 106.4°W76 mi W of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Sep 6 00:00TD 35 mph1004 mb21.0°N 106.8°W96 mi W of Bucerías, Nayarit, Mexico
Sep 6 06:00TD 35 mph1005 mb21.5°N 107.1°W117 mi W of San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico
Sep 6 12:00TD 29 mph1005 mb22.0°N 107.4°W105 mi SW of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Sep 6 18:00TD 29 mph1006 mb22.5°N 107.7°W96 mi WSW of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Sep 7 00:00TD 29 mph1006 mb23.0°N 108.0°W102 mi W of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Sep 7 06:00TD 29 mph1007 mb23.5°N 108.3°W82 mi SW of Eldorado, Sinaloa, Mexico
Sep 7 12:00TD 29 mph1007 mb23.9°N 108.5°W78 mi SW of Navolato, Sinaloa, Mexico
Sep 7 18:00TD 29 mph1007 mb24.2°N 108.7°W74 mi WSW of Navolato, Sinaloa, Mexico
Sep 8 00:00TD 29 mph1008 mb24.4°N 108.9°W80 mi WSW of Navolato, Sinaloa, Mexico
Sep 8 06:00TD 23 mph1008 mb24.3°N 109.1°W77 mi E of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Sep 8 12:00TD 23 mph1008 mb24.2°N 109.3°W64 mi E of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Sep 8 18:00TD 23 mph1008 mb24.0°N 109.0°W79 mi NE of San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico

⬇ Download track data (CSV) · public-domain NOAA best track

Questions

Frequently asked questions

When and where did Debby make landfall?

Debby made landfall once: 15 mi NE of Poza Rica de Hidalgo, Veracruz, Mexico on September 3, 1988 at 00:00 UTC, as a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds.

What category was Debby?

At its peak on September 2, 1988, Debby was a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a central pressure of 987 mb. At its first landfall it was a Category 1 hurricane.

How long did Debby last?

8.0 days, from August 31, 1988 to September 8, 1988, including 12 hours at hurricane strength. It travelled about 1,406 miles.

Where can I download the track data for Debby?

The 6-hourly positions, winds, pressure and wind radii are available as CSV on this page (track.csv) — they come from the NOAA National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database and are in the public domain.

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