Hurricane Karl (2010)

Track map, landfall & timeline · Atlantic · September 13–18, 2010

Peak wind
127 mph
204 km/h · Sep 17
Peak category
Cat 3
Saffir–Simpson
Lowest pressure
956 mb
Landfalls
2
Veracruz, Mexico · Quintana Roo, Mexico
Lifetime
4.5 d
Sep 13 – Sep 18
Distance
1,295 mi
2,084 km
ACE
6.3
storm energy

TD TS Cat 1 2 3 4 5 · dashed = post-tropical / remnant low. During the replay the shaded rings show the storm’s wind field as analysed by NHC — 39+, 58+ and 74+ mph winds, quadrant by quadrant. Click any point or table row to jump there.

01 · The story

What happened with Karl

Hurricane Karl (2010) was a Category 3 hurricane of the 2010 Atlantic season. It formed on September 13, 2010, 137 mi SSW of Mandeville, Jamaica, reached its peak of 127 mph (204 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 956 mb on September 17, 2010, and made landfall 2 times — first 33 mi E of Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico on September 15, 2010 as a tropical storm (63 mph). Later landfalls: near Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico on September 17, 2010 as a Category 3 hurricane (115 mph). It rapidly intensified by 64 mph in 24 hours (to 127 mph on September 17, 2010). The storm lasted 4.5 days and travelled about 1,295 miles (2,084 km).

02 · Intensity

Wind and pressure, hour by hour

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

03 · Impact

Landfalls and cities in the path

Landfall (UTC)WhereStrengthPressure
September 15, 2010 · 13:00 UTC33 mi E of Chetumal, Quintana Roo, MexicoTS 63 mph991 mb
September 17, 2010 · 17:00 UTCnear Veracruz, Veracruz, MexicoCat 3 115 mph976 mb

Closest approach to major cities

CityDistance to centerWhen (UTC)Storm strength then
Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexicodirect hitSep 17 · 17:00 UTCCat 3 115 mph
Xalapa de Enríquez, Veracruz, Mexico39 miSep 17 · 19:00 UTCCat 2 98 mph
Puebla, Puebla, Mexico61 miSep 18 · 06:00 UTCTD 29 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 22 positions

Date · UTCStatusWindPressurePositionNearest place
Sep 13 18:00TD low/wave29 mph1005 mb16.3°N 78.5°W137 mi SSW of Mandeville, Jamaica
Sep 14 00:00TD low/wave29 mph1004 mb16.6°N 79.8°W150 mi SW of Negril, Jamaica
Sep 14 06:00TD low/wave29 mph1003 mb17.0°N 81.1°W159 mi S of George Town, Cayman Islands
Sep 14 12:00TD 35 mph1003 mb17.6°N 82.3°W131 mi SSW of George Town, Cayman Islands
Sep 14 18:00TS 40 mph1001 mb18.1°N 83.6°W167 mi WSW of George Town, Cayman Islands
Sep 15 00:00TS 46 mph999 mb18.3°N 85.0°W161 mi N of Iriona, Honduras
Sep 15 06:00TS 63 mph997 mb18.3°N 86.2°W119 mi ENE of San Pedro, Belize
Sep 15 12:00TS 63 mph991 mb18.5°N 87.6°W46 mi E of Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Sep 15 13:00TS LANDFALL 63 mph991 mb18.5°N 87.8°W33 mi E of Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Sep 15 18:00TS 52 mph994 mb18.8°N 88.8°W28 mi WNW of Bacalar, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Sep 16 00:00TS 46 mph997 mb19.2°N 90.1°W42 mi ESE of Champotón, Campeche, Mexico
Sep 16 06:00TS 52 mph994 mb19.4°N 91.1°W25 mi W of Champotón, Campeche, Mexico
Sep 16 12:00TS 63 mph986 mb19.6°N 92.2°W70 mi NNW of Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico
Sep 16 18:00Cat 1 81 mph982 mb19.6°N 93.3°W83 mi N of Paraiso, Tabasco, Mexico
Sep 17 00:00Cat 2 98 mph971 mb19.7°N 94.1°W110 mi NNE of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico
Sep 17 06:00Cat 2 109 mph966 mb19.7°N 94.9°W89 mi ENE of Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
Sep 17 12:00Cat 3 127 mph956 mb19.6°N 95.6°W46 mi NE of Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
Sep 17 15:00Cat 3 127 mph970 mb19.4°N 96.0°W18 mi NNE of Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
Sep 17 17:00Cat 3 LANDFALL 115 mph976 mb19.3°N 96.2°Wnear Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
Sep 17 18:00Cat 2 104 mph979 mb19.2°N 96.4°W17 mi W of Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
Sep 18 00:00TS 69 mph995 mb18.7°N 97.1°W11 mi S of Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico
Sep 18 06:00TD 29 mph1005 mb18.6°N 97.4°W9 mi N of Tehuacán, Puebla, Mexico

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

Questions

Frequently asked questions

When and where did Karl make landfall?

Karl made landfall 2 times: 33 mi E of Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico on September 15, 2010 at 13:00 UTC, as a tropical storm with 63 mph winds; near Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico on September 17, 2010 at 17:00 UTC, as a Category 3 hurricane with 115 mph winds.

What category was Karl?

At its peak on September 17, 2010, Karl was a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 127 mph (204 km/h) and a central pressure of 956 mb. At its first landfall it was a tropical storm.

How long did Karl last?

4.5 days, from September 13, 2010 to September 18, 2010, including 30 hours at hurricane strength (6 as a major hurricane). It travelled about 1,295 miles.

Where can I download the track data for Karl?

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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