Hurricane Irene (1971)

Track map, landfall & timeline · Atlantic · September 11 – October 1, 1971

Peak wind

127 mph

204 km/h · Sep 26

Peak category

Cat 3

Saffir–Simpson

Lowest pressure

948 mb

Landfalls

Nicaragua

Lifetime

19.3 d

Sep 11 – Oct 1

Distance

5,117 mi

8,234 km

ACE

26.0

storm energy

Damage

$1 M

nominal USD

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 Irene

Hurricane Irene (1971) was a Category 3 hurricane of the 1971 Atlantic season. It formed on September 11, 1971, reached its peak of 127 mph (204 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 948 mb on September 26, 1971, and made landfall 43 mi ESE of Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua on September 19, 1971 as a Category 1 hurricane (75 mph). The storm lasted 19.3 days and travelled about 5,117 miles (8,234 km). According to Wikidata, it caused about $1 million in damage (nominal USD).

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)	Where	Strength	Pressure
September 19, 1971 · 09:00 UTC	43 mi ESE of Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua	Cat 1 75 mph	—

Closest approach to major cities

City	Distance to center	When (UTC)	Storm strength then
Cumaná, Venezuela	70 mi	Sep 15 · 08:00 UTC	TD 29 mph
Managua, Nicaragua	25 mi	Sep 20 · 04:00 UTC	TD 35 mph
San Salvador, El Salvador	70 mi	Sep 21 · 06:00 UTC	TS 58 mph
Soyapango, El Salvador	72 mi	Sep 21 · 06:00 UTC	TS 58 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 79 positions

Date · UTC	Status	Wind	Pressure	Position	Nearest place
Sep 11 18:00	TD	29 mph	1009 mb	11.0°N 48.5°W	open ocean
Sep 12 00:00	TD	29 mph	—	11.3°N 50.3°W	open ocean
Sep 12 06:00	TD	29 mph	—	11.7°N 52.0°W	open ocean
Sep 12 12:00	TD	29 mph	1009 mb	12.1°N 53.5°W	open ocean
Sep 12 18:00	TD	29 mph	—	12.4°N 55.0°W	open ocean
Sep 13 00:00	TD	29 mph	—	12.5°N 56.5°W	open ocean
Sep 13 06:00	TD	29 mph	—	12.5°N 57.8°W	130 mi ESE of Bridgetown, Barbados
Sep 13 12:00	TD	29 mph	—	12.4°N 58.9°W	69 mi SE of Bridgetown, Barbados
Sep 13 18:00	TD	29 mph	—	12.3°N 59.7°W	56 mi S of Bridgetown, Barbados
Sep 14 00:00	TD	29 mph	—	12.2°N 60.3°W	78 mi SW of Bridgetown, Barbados
Sep 14 06:00	TD	29 mph	—	12.1°N 60.8°W	64 mi N of Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago
Sep 14 12:00	TD	29 mph	1007 mb	12.0°N 61.4°W	72 mi NW of Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago
Sep 14 18:00	TD	29 mph	1007 mb	11.9°N 62.1°W	89 mi NNW of Diego Martin, Trinidad and Tobago
Sep 15 00:00	TD	29 mph	—	11.7°N 63.0°W	74 mi NNE of Carúpano, Venezuela
Sep 15 06:00	TD	29 mph	—	11.5°N 64.0°W	29 mi N of Juan Griego, Venezuela
Sep 15 12:00	TD	29 mph	—	11.4°N 65.0°W	70 mi WNW of Punta de Piedras, Venezuela
Sep 15 18:00	TD	35 mph	—	11.5°N 66.2°W	75 mi NNE of Guatire, Venezuela
Sep 16 00:00	TD	35 mph	—	11.8°N 67.5°W	57 mi ESE of Kralendijk, Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba
Sep 16 06:00	TD	35 mph	—	12.2°N 68.8°W	near Willemstad, Curacao
Sep 16 12:00	TD	35 mph	—	12.5°N 70.3°W	18 mi W of Oranjestad, Aruba
Sep 16 18:00	TD	35 mph	—	12.6°N 71.7°W	92 mi NNE of Maicao, Colombia
Sep 17 00:00	TS	40 mph	—	12.6°N 73.1°W	74 mi N of Riohacha, Colombia
Sep 17 06:00	TS	40 mph	—	12.5°N 74.6°W	91 mi NNW of Santa Marta, Colombia
Sep 17 12:00	TS	46 mph	1005 mb	12.3°N 76.3°W	138 mi NW of Barranquilla, Colombia
Sep 17 18:00	TS	46 mph	1004 mb	12.1°N 77.9°W	open ocean
Sep 18 00:00	TS	46 mph	1004 mb	11.9°N 79.3°W	169 mi ESE of San Andrés, Colombia
Sep 18 06:00	TS	52 mph	1002 mb	11.7°N 80.5°W	101 mi SE of San Andrés, Colombia
Sep 18 12:00	TS	63 mph	993 mb	11.5°N 81.5°W	76 mi S of San Andrés, Colombia
Sep 18 18:00	TS	69 mph	989 mb	11.4°N 82.3°W	91 mi SSW of San Andrés, Colombia
Sep 19 00:00	TS	69 mph	—	11.4°N 82.9°W	72 mi SE of Bluefields, Nicaragua
Sep 19 06:00	TS	69 mph	992 mb	11.4°N 83.6°W	44 mi SSE of Bluefields, Nicaragua
Sep 19 09:00	Cat 1 LANDFALL	75 mph	—	11.4°N 83.9°W	43 mi ESE of Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua
Sep 19 12:00	TS	58 mph	—	11.5°N 84.3°W	17 mi SE of Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua
Sep 19 18:00	TS	46 mph	—	11.6°N 85.0°W	28 mi SSE of Acoyapa, Nicaragua
Sep 20 00:00	TD	35 mph	—	11.7°N 85.8°W	19 mi SSE of Granada, Nicaragua
Sep 20 06:00	TD	35 mph	—	11.8°N 86.5°W	near San Rafael del Sur, Nicaragua
Sep 20 12:00	TS	40 mph	—	12.0°N 87.2°W	37 mi SW of León, Nicaragua
Sep 20 18:00	TS	46 mph	—	12.3°N 87.9°W	51 mi WSW of Corinto, Nicaragua
Sep 21 00:00	TS	52 mph	—	12.5°N 88.6°W	54 mi S of Puerto El Triunfo, El Salvador
Sep 21 06:00	TS	58 mph	—	12.7°N 89.4°W	55 mi S of La Libertad, El Salvador
Sep 21 12:00	TS	63 mph	—	12.8°N 90.2°W	60 mi SSW of Acajutla, El Salvador
Sep 21 18:00	TS	69 mph	—	13.0°N 90.9°W	64 mi S of Puerto San José, Guatemala
Sep 22 00:00	Cat 1	75 mph	990 mb	13.2°N 91.6°W	71 mi SSW of La Gomera, Guatemala
Sep 22 06:00	Cat 1	81 mph	—	13.4°N 92.3°W	79 mi S of Brisas Barra de Suchiate, Chiapas, Mexico
Sep 22 12:00	Cat 1	81 mph	—	13.5°N 93.1°W	93 mi SW of Brisas Barra de Suchiate, Chiapas, Mexico
Sep 22 18:00	Cat 1	81 mph	—	13.6°N 94.1°W	141 mi WSW of Brisas Barra de Suchiate, Chiapas, Mexico
Sep 23 00:00	Cat 1	86 mph	983 mb	13.6°N 95.2°W	162 mi SSE of Crucecita, Oaxaca, Mexico
Sep 23 06:00	Cat 1	86 mph	—	13.6°N 96.2°W	149 mi S of San Pedro Pochutla, Oaxaca, Mexico
Sep 23 12:00	Cat 1	86 mph	981 mb	13.6°N 97.1°W	154 mi SSW of San Pedro Pochutla, Oaxaca, Mexico
Sep 23 18:00	Cat 1	92 mph	—	13.6°N 97.9°W	166 mi SSW of Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico
Sep 24 00:00	Cat 1	92 mph	—	13.7°N 98.9°W	open ocean
Sep 24 06:00	Cat 1	92 mph	—	13.9°N 100.2°W	open ocean
Sep 24 12:00	Cat 1	92 mph	—	14.2°N 101.5°W	open ocean
Sep 24 18:00	Cat 2	98 mph	—	14.6°N 102.8°W	open ocean
Sep 25 00:00	Cat 2	98 mph	974 mb	15.1°N 104.1°W	open ocean
Sep 25 06:00	Cat 2	104 mph	—	15.8°N 105.4°W	open ocean
Sep 25 12:00	Cat 2	109 mph	—	16.5°N 106.5°W	open ocean
Sep 25 18:00	Cat 3	115 mph	—	17.3°N 107.2°W	open ocean
Sep 26 00:00	Cat 3	121 mph	—	18.1°N 108.0°W	open ocean
Sep 26 06:00	Cat 3	127 mph	—	18.8°N 108.8°W	open ocean
Sep 26 12:00	Cat 3	127 mph	—	19.3°N 109.4°W	open ocean
Sep 26 18:00	Cat 3	127 mph	948 mb	19.6°N 109.9°W	open ocean
Sep 27 00:00	Cat 3	127 mph	950 mb	19.8°N 110.3°W	open ocean
Sep 27 06:00	Cat 3	121 mph	—	19.9°N 110.8°W	open ocean
Sep 27 12:00	Cat 3	115 mph	—	19.9°N 111.4°W	open ocean
Sep 27 18:00	Cat 2	104 mph	963 mb	19.9°N 112.0°W	open ocean
Sep 28 00:00	Cat 2	98 mph	—	19.9°N 112.6°W	open ocean
Sep 28 06:00	Cat 1	86 mph	—	20.1°N 113.0°W	open ocean
Sep 28 12:00	Cat 1	75 mph	—	20.5°N 113.4°W	open ocean
Sep 28 18:00	TS	63 mph	—	21.2°N 113.9°W	open ocean
Sep 29 00:00	TS	58 mph	—	22.0°N 114.4°W	open ocean
Sep 29 06:00	TS	52 mph	—	23.0°N 114.5°W	open ocean
Sep 29 12:00	TS	46 mph	1001 mb	23.9°N 114.5°W	open ocean
Sep 29 18:00	TS	40 mph	—	24.8°N 114.2°W	160 mi W of Ciudad Constitución, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Sep 30 00:00	TD	35 mph	1002 mb	25.6°N 114.0°W	151 mi WNW of Ciudad Constitución, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Sep 30 06:00	TD	35 mph	—	26.4°N 113.7°W	110 mi SW of Santa Rosalía, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Sep 30 12:00	TD	29 mph	—	27.2°N 113.5°W	63 mi SSE of Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Sep 30 18:00	TD	29 mph	—	27.8°N 113.2°W	53 mi ESE of Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Oct 1 00:00	TD	29 mph	—	28.0°N 113.0°W	64 mi NW of Santa Rosalía, Baja California Sur, Mexico

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

Questions

Frequently asked questions

When and where did Irene make landfall?

Irene made landfall once: 43 mi ESE of Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua on September 19, 1971 at 09:00 UTC, as a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds.

What category was Irene?

At its peak on September 26, 1971, Irene was a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 127 mph (204 km/h) and a central pressure of 948 mb. At its first landfall it was a Category 1 hurricane.

How long did Irene last?

19.3 days, from September 11, 1971 to October 1, 1971, including 165 hours at hurricane strength (48 as a major hurricane). It travelled about 5,117 miles.

Where can I download the track data for Irene?

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.

Related storms

Keep exploring

Every storm named Irene

Year	Storm	Peak	Landfall
1959	Tropical Storm Irene Atlantic	TS 46 mph	Alabama	→
1971	Hurricane Irene · this page Atlantic	Cat 3 127 mph	Nicaragua
1981	Hurricane Irene Atlantic	Cat 3 121 mph	—	→
1999	Hurricane Irene Atlantic	Cat 2 109 mph	Florida, Isla de la Juventud, Cuba	→
2005	Hurricane Irene Atlantic	Cat 2 104 mph	—	→
2011	Hurricane Irene Atlantic	Cat 3 121 mph	Bahamas, North Carolina	→

Names are recycled every six years unless a storm is so deadly or costly that the name is retired.

Strongest storms of 1971

Year	Storm	Peak	Landfall
1971	Hurricane Edith Atlantic	Cat 4 150 mph	Honduras, Louisiana	→
1971	Hurricane Denise Eastern Pacific	Cat 4 138 mph	—	→
1971	Hurricane Olivia Eastern Pacific	Cat 3 127 mph	Nicaragua	→
1971	Hurricane Priscilla Eastern Pacific	Cat 3 127 mph	—	→
1971	Hurricane Ginger Atlantic	Cat 3 115 mph	North Carolina	→
1971	Hurricane Francesca Eastern Pacific	Cat 3 115 mph	—	→
1971	Hurricane Ilsa Eastern Pacific	Cat 3 115 mph	—	→
1971	Hurricane Monica Eastern Pacific	Cat 3 115 mph	—	→

See every 1971 storm on one map →

Background reading: Hurricane Irene–Olivia on Wikipedia.

← Previous Atlantic stormTropical Storm Heidi (1971)Next Atlantic storm →Tropical Storm Laura (1971)

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