Eugene — 2023

Tropical Storm Eugene formed from a tropical wave that moved off West Africa on 22 July and entered the far eastern Pacific south of Guatemala on 1 August. The system became a tropical depression on 5 August and quickly strengthened into a tropical storm the same day. Eugene remained over open water, moving northwestward just offshore the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, and lasted until it weakened to a remnant low and dissipated by 10 August. Eugene did not make any landfalls. It stayed offshore of the Baja California peninsula for its entire life, and no coastal watches or warnings were issued because the storm did not directly affect land. The storm’s peak intensity was estimated at 60 knots (about 70 mph) from 0600 to 1800 UTC on 6 August, with a minimum central pressure of 992 mb. At peak strength Eugene was a moderate tropical storm and did not reach hurricane strength. Because Eugene remained over water and close to but not over land, there were no reports of storm surge or rainfall impacts at specific cities or counties in the NHC report. No ship reports of tropical-storm-force winds were received, and no surge or measured heavy rainfall totals were documented for coastal locations. There were no reported deaths or damage associated with Eugene. The NHC report notes no direct fatalities and no reports of coastal damage or casualties tied to the storm. Noteworthy items: Eugene intensified rapidly after formation but stayed well offshore, so its direct impacts were minimal. NHC track forecasts for Eugene were better than recent 5-year averages at all forecast times, while short-range intensity forecasts (12–24 h) were less accurate than recent averages. No coastal watches or warnings were required.