On October 7, a tropical depression developed several hundred miles to the south of the Mexican coastline. Under favorable environmental conditions, the depression began to organize, and became a tropical storm twelve hours after formation, receiving the name Max. Moving north-northwestward, Max reached a peak intensity of briefly on October 9 before the system began to move into an area with cooler ocean temperatures and stronger wind shear. Early on October 10, Max weakened to a tropical depression, and dissipated during the afternoon hours of the same day without any effects to land. Early on October 8, a tropical depression had developed far from land. Moving northwest, the storm intensified into Tropical Storm Norma at 0600 UTC. On 1800 UTC October 9, the EPHC upgraded the storm into a hurricane. Subsequently, Norma began to undergo a period rapid intensification; the storm soon reached major hurricane status. The storm reached its peak of 125 mph (205 km/h) at 1800 UTC on October 10. The storm began to accelerate  while weakening. After briefly re-intensifying late on October 1, Hurricane Norma made landfall just northeast of Mazatlan with winds of 105 mph (155 km/h) at 1000 UTC on October 12. Although the storm quickly dissipated over land, a second area of low pressure formed over western Texas early on October 13 before the system itself was absorbed by a frontal system on October 14. Prior to landfall 5,000 people evacuated, thus only one deaths was reported (a fisherman drowned when his boat capsized in the storm). However, the hurricane caused more devastation in the flood-ravaged region. Agriculture was disrupted, and cattle were killed, causing at least $24 million (1981 USD) in crop damage. Torrential rains caused serious flooding north of Mazatlan. Five thousand two hundred residents need to be evacuated from low-lying areas. The remnants of the storm moved into Texas and Oklahoma. The heavy rainfall caused two rivers to reach flood-stage. A total of five people were killed in the United states, three of these deaths occurred in Fort Worth. During October 13 and 14, a total of 13 tornadoes were reported in northern Texas and southern Oklahoma, including a F2 tornado in McLennan that injured four people and caused $25 million in damage. In Oklahoma, 60 bridges were washed away due to flooding. Total damage in Texas was estimated at $50 million (1981 USD). On October 24, the season's last tropical cyclone developed to the south of the Mexican coastline.