text: 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 . prior to the arrival of liza , residents along the gulf of california coastline were evacuated , although some refused to leave their homes . radio stations warned all nearby ships to remain at harbor . liza brought heavy rainfall to the area , which caused significant flash flooding . following a dam burst by the el creek along the outskirts of la paz , hundreds of people were swept away by flood waters . in la paz , the capital of the state , 412 people died and 20 , 000 were left homeless . nearly one - third of the homes in the town were destroyed . throughout the state , a variety of death tolls were reported , but officials estimated that 1 , 000 people had perished . in the states of sinaloa and sonora , liza caused moderate damage and left 30 , 000 to 54 , 000 homeless . along the gulf of california , 108 people were presumed dead after 12 boats were lost . the remnants of the storm later affected the united states , bringing moderate rainfall in the aftermath of the storm , rescue workers spent days digging through mud to find victims of the hurricane until the search was disbanded on october 6 . the government received criticism for the tragedy , citing that the dam that broke had been poorly built . overall , at least 1 , 108 fatalities and $ 100 million ( 1976 usd ) in damage are attributed to the hurricane , making it one of the deadliest tropical cyclones on record in the eastern pacific , as well as one of the few pacific hurricanes to kill more than 1 , 000 people . meteorological history hurricane liza originated from a very large area of intense thunderstorms that developed about 400 mi ( 645 km ) southwest of the mexican coast on september 25 . later that day , satellite imagery indicated that the system had developed a cyclonic circulation . it is estimated that a tropical depression developed at 1800 utc on september 25 , centered about 485 mi ( 780 km ) east - northeast of zihuatanejo , guerrero . the depression gradually intensified as it tracked west - northwestward , and became tropical storm liza at 1800 utc on the following day . thereafter , liza turned to the north at 7 mph ( 11 km / h ) and began to strengthen while moving through sea surface temperatures of 85 ° f ( 29 ° c ) . within 48 hours of the storm 's formation , the eastern pacific hurricane center ( ephc ) reported winds of 65 mph ( 105 km / h ) , and liza intensified into a hurricane early on september 28 . around this time , the hurricane had developed an eye that was 17 mi ( 27 km ) in diameter , though it was initially not visible on satellite imagery . operationally , however , liza was not upgraded to a hurricane until 18 hours later . during the afternoon hours of september 28 , a hurricane hunters aircraft made its first flight into liza , recording a minimum barometric pressure of 971 mbar ( 28 . 7 inhg ) ; despite the low pressure , maximum sustained winds of just 45 mph ( 70 km / h ) were reported . hours later , a second flight into the hurricane revealed winds of 75 mph ( 120 km / h ) and slightly lower pressures . liza continued to intensify , attaining winds of 80 mph ( 130 km / h ) by early september 29 . later that morning , the hurricane reached category 2 intensity on the saffir - simpson hurricane wind scale ( sshws ) . by midday , hurricane hunters recorded a pressure of 948 mb ( 28 . 0 inhg ) as the eye became visible on infrared satellite imagery , prompting the ephc to upgrade liza to a major hurricane , a category 3 or higher on the sshws . liza continued to rapidly intensify and attained winds of 140 mph ( 220 km / h ) late on september 29 , making it a mid - level category 4 hurricane . though liza encountered warm sea surface temperatures of 88 ° f ( 31 ° c ) , it did not strengthen further the following day . late on september 30 , liza brushed the baja california peninsula , passing about 65 mi ( 105 km ) east of cabo san lucas while still at peak intensity . early on october 1 , liza entered the gulf of california exactly 52 mi ( 84 km ) east of la paz , baja california sur . by 1300 utc that day , liza made landfall about 50 mi ( 80 km ) north of los mochis , sinaloa with winds of 115 mph ( 185 km / h ) , still a category 3 storm . operationally , however , hurricane liza was estimated to have made landfall with winds of 100 mph ( 185 km / h ) and gusts up to 150 mph ( 230 km / h ) . the storm continued quickly inland while weakening , dissipating the following day . the remnants of hurricane liza later entered the united states near el paso , texas . preparations prior to the arrival of the hurricane , many residents in shanty towns failed to hear tropical cyclone warnings and watches . some did hear the warnings , but they did not believe them as the same warning had been issued several weeks before and nothing had happened . in addition , city officials warned the residents living near the dam to take shelter in public buildings though most refused to leave . the government ignored all requests to shore up an earthen dam , as they did not believe liza would pose a significant threat of damage to the baja california peninsula . along the gulf coast , troops evacuated residents , and radio stations warned all nearby ships to remain at harbor . during the afternoon hours of september 29 , the education department suspended classes as it began to rain . as the remnants of liza moved across the western united states , national weather service posted flash flood watches for much of deserts of california , southern utah , and a portion of colorado . for the higher areas of colorado , a snow watch was in effect . in addition , motorists were warned of very hazards driving conditions within 100 mi ( 160 km ) of the border . impact in all , liza brought a total of $ 100 million in damage in baja california sur , which receives catastrophic flooding from hurricanes every 50 years or so . the hurricane was considered the worst natural disaster in the history of the peninsula , which at the time held 130 , 000 occupants . furthermore , liza was at that time considered the worst hurricane to affect the entire country in the 20th century . baja california sur hurricane liza caused extensive damage and loss of life in the mexican state of baja california sur . although the hydrometeorological prediction center ( hpc ) suggests that liza brought only light to moderate rains to the area , peaking at around 1 in ( 25 mm ) , newspaper accounts claim that 11 . 8 in ( 300 mm ) fell ( more than a year 's worth of rainfall ) in some areas in a mere 3 hours . moreover , 22 in ( 559 mm ) was measured in el triunfo and san antonio , along the southern portion of the peninsula . in la paz , baja california , a storm surge of 8 ft ( 2 . 4 m ) was reported . the el creek along the extreme southeast portion of the state grew into a raging torrent . during night of october 1 , waters burst a three - year - old and 30 ft ( 9 . 1 m ) dike . a 5 ft ( 1 . 5 m ) wall of water spilled over a small shanty town of 10 , 000 , thousands of which lived in cardboard shacks . some shacks were swept 6 mi ( 9 . 7 km ) away from their initial location . the ensuing mudslide is regarded as the worst in the history of mexico . most of the deaths from the hurricane were due to the dam failure ; streets also received flooding from the dam burst . initially , government officials denied that the dam was poorly built ; many politicians and an engineer for the nation 's water company blamed the dam 's poor construction as the source of the extreme death toll . prior to the arrival of the storm , many residents had repeatedly requested that a stone wall be built to protect their homes . after the storm , they said that the deaths could have be prevented . according to one account , two master planned communities were situated in the middle of the drainage and were thus deluged by the storm . the water department head took the blame for the construction , but also said that the disaster was a natural phenomenon . " dozens " of people were also swept away into the gulf of california when hurricane liza destroyed a 600 ft ( 185 m ) sea wall , which , ironically , had been built to prevent flooding from such storms . nine children got swept under mud . the highway that connected baja california with california was also destroyed in many places , more than originally anticipated . in fact , there were holes in the asphalt pavement . bridges up to 600 ft ( 185 m ) long were twisted . due to flooding , troops evacuated dozens of communities along the gulf coast . many desert communities throughout the state were left without any telephone or electrical service ; wood , tarpaper , and cardboard were all scattered . dozens of scores of huts were destroyed . many humans were swept into the gulf . sixteen people died inside the remains of a building . moreover , the river overflowed its banks , killing many people and resulting in considerable damage . elsewhere , destruction was reported in san jose del cabo , cabo san lucas , san lucas , and puntas arena ; also received moderate damage . however , there are no known reports of any casualties in all four of those places . hurricane liza was also one of six hurricane to directly impact los cabos . south of la paz , communications and telephone services were cut off to 13 smaller communities . a highway that extends as far south as cabo san lucas was blocked . further north , a highway that links la paz to places along the northern part of the peninsula such as mexicali were badly damaged in four places . offshore , officials reported that 75 boats including nine owned by americans had sunk during the hurricane . most notably , the ship salvatierra ' s cabin and most of its upper deck were ripped off while its hull rolled over . multiple trucks smashed the ship ; however , they were later salvaged . in addition , a 88 ft ( 27 m ) vessel sunk during the storm , in which the owner had to pay for the damage , but later earned $ 50 , 000 settlement . overall , several ports along the coast were destroyed by the storm . in la paz , a town that at that time had a population of around 85 , 000 , 20 , 000 were left homeless ( nearly one third of the towns population ) , and an additional 4 , 000 were injured . it is estimated that one out of five homes were destroyed in the city . widespread flooding was reported throughout the city with mud filling up the first floor of many houses . this flash flooding led to many homes and automobiles being destroyed . several roofs fell off of homes and landed deep in the mud . many roads were blocked due to fallen trees while numerous homes were pushed off their foundation ; some cars were also abandoned when hurricane liza struck . some cars were reportedly piled against damaged building and debris . nine people died when a car was swept away in the floodwaters . also , electrical lines and drinking water supplies were cut in la paz . also , communication lines were extensively damaged . the la paz airport received damage during the hurricane ; however , by the afternoon of october 1 , the airport re - opened , thus allowing the military to provide much - needed aid to victims . wood , tarpaper , and cardboard were all scattered throughout la paz . by october 2 , rescue teams had covered 38 sq mi ( 100 sq km ) to configure the damage . throughout the city , a total of 412 people had been killed , 150 were missing people within the resort city , five of which were later presumed dead . overall , nearly a third of the houses in la paz were leveled . a wide variety of death tolls were reported by many different sources . then - mexico president luis as well as the hpc and ephc claimed that 435 people died during the hurricane . it was initially stated that 630 people had died during the storm ; however , this total does not include victims discovered by the mexican army . during the afternoon of october 2 , the local government had placed the confirmed death toll at 397 . two days later , the bangor daily news reported that the number of bodies found dead ranged from 400 to 750 . by late october 3 , mexican officials and a red cross spokesperson reported that 650 bodies had been found . meanwhile , a military search operation claimed that the death toll of the hurricane was 1 , 050 . by october 6 , local officials had abandoned efforts to retrieve additional bodies , citing safety reasons . even though 650 people were confirmed to have died during hurricane liza , officials estimated that at least 1 , 000 people died . within a week after hurricane liza , some feared 10 , 000 people perished . in addition , some modern estimates suggest that the toll could have been as high as 7 , 000 . the red cross estimated that 75 % of the deaths from the storm were children under 12 . at first , most of the bodies found by the army were buried normally though due to the high death toll , some were just buried under debris . some dead bodies were later burned to prevent disease . according to preliminary estimates by officials , 40 , 000 people were made homeless and an addition 20 , 000 were injured , 126 of which were considered significant . within another day , the homeless total rose to 70 , 000 . total damage from the hurricane was estimated at $ 100 million ( 1976 usd ) . sinaloa in the state of sinaloa , heavy rainfall was recorded along the northern portion of the state near the sonoran border . a peak total of 4 . 61 in ( 0 . 117 m ) was measured in both and choix . upon making landfall in the state , liza became one of six tropical system to making landfall in the state at tropical storm intensity during the 1968 - 1995 time frame . offshore topolobampo , 12 ship boats were reported missing , and the 108 crewman were feared dead . on the mainland , some damage was reported . some flooding was recorded and at least 1 , 000 homes were evacuated . along the southern portion of the state , in , 155 people died , mostly adults . roughly 80 % of the town was flooded ; it would take three years for the town to recover fully . in los mochis alone , 4 , 000 people were left without a home . damage in the city totaled $ 300 , 000 . sonora across sonora , many homes were wrecked due to flooding . light rainfall up to 1 in ( 25 mm ) was recorded along the southeastern region of the state which led to reports of damage . in navojoa , heavy damage was reported . numerous faculty homes , as well as the school barn and dining hall lost their homes at the college of pacific . damage totaled to $ 300 , 000 . about 30 , 000 people were left homeless statewide though other authorities estimated that 24 , 000 people were left homeless in both sonora and sinaloa combined . throughout the mainland , 12 communities sustained heavy damage . in all , all , there are no reports of major damage in the mainland . southwestern united states during its demise , liza brought heavy rains and flooding to much of the southwestern united states . in arizona , the tropical system brought light to moderate rain throughout the state , with maximum being 1 . 48 inches ( 38 mm ) at willow beach , arizona . further east , liza 's remnants dropped light rainfall in new mexico ( peaking at 0 . 47 in ( 12 mm ) in white sands national monument ) , as well as in southwestern texas . across death valley , flooding was recorded . aftermath during the aftermath of the storm , rescue workers searched the la paz harbor , but had little hope in finding any victims . other rescue workers endured 100 ° f ( 38 ° c ) heat while frantically searching for bodies floating on the ocean or sunk under mud . six bulldozers worked all day and night to extract cars , some of which were upside down while others were submerged into the flood waters . officials estimated that it would take eight days to repair down power lines in la paz and completely restore electrical services ; within 72 hours following the passage of liza , there was no electricity or fresh water access to survivors . emergency facilitates were used to provide the city with drinking water . food was rationed at hotels and restaurants . drinking water was supplied , but water supplies rapidly went short . some survivors of hurricane liza complained that they had only received one ration of food and water within 3 days of the passage of liza . subsequently , armed troops guarded gangs of looters that damaged additional homes . an effort was made to cure people who were suffering from sickness , but by midday on october 3 , after treating more than 5 , 000 persons , the effort had been halted due to a lack of sterile cotton vital for administrating the shots . medical workers attempted to vaccinate all survivors for typhoid fever and tetanus , but the supply of syringes ran short . a large memorial service was held on october 2 in a nearby church . supplies had been brought in through the air and via the mexican navy containing food , blankets , and medicine early on october 2 . however , additional bad weather initially prevented further supplies from coming in . around that time , president ordered emergency aid to be sent la paz , los mochis , and ciudad obregon , as well as three coastal sonoran ports . in addition , officials set up tents to house 40 , 000 homeless persons . meanwhile , city officials appealed for additional food , medicine , and construction materials . gerald ford , who was then the u.s. president , agreed to provide aid for victims of hurricane liza ; the first of which arrived late on october 2 , containing food and construction materials . the next day , power had been restored to hospitals , government centers , and gas stations . the government said that it was rushing in 100 , 000 meals as well as 40 , 000 temporary shelters the first of which started to arrive on october 5 . within a week after the storm , however , one survivor of the storm noted that plenty of food had arrived from many places . baja california sur governor , mendoza , ordered a permanent evacuation of all low - lying residents to prevent more destruction during future floods , saying " i never want to see this city menaced in this way again " . he also believed that it would take two years to completely re - build la paz . mexican officials arranged a meeting on october 3 to make a plan to reconstruct the devastated area . the nation 's president ordered a plan to prevent a recurrence of hurricane liza , saying that la paz would be built a different way . in february 1977 , houses were donated to the needy in la paz . many residents were upset at their government for failing to protect the dam . in the mainland , $ 50 , 000 of relief materials as well as $ 20 , 000 of cash was supplied to the los mochis area . months after the hurricane , the mexican government launched an investigation into the dam failure . in the end , la paz recovered , though the town had to be almost entirely re - built . in 1997 , hurricane pauline struck southern mexico , becoming the deadliest tropical cyclone to hit the country since liza . as of 2006 , no hurricane in baja california sur has been as bad as liza .