1998 Pacific Hurricane Season

The 1998 Pacific hurricane season was a moderately active Pacific hurricane season with seven tropical cyclones directly affecting land. The season officially started on May 15 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1 in the central Pacific, and ended on November 30; these dates conventionally delimit the period during which most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The first tropical cyclone developed on June 11, which was about ten days later than the normal start of the season. The final storm of the year, Hurricane Madeline, dissipated on October 20. Storm activity in the Central Pacific Ocean was low, with just one tropical depression forming in the basin. Two tropical cyclones from the Eastern Pacific, Darby and Estelle, also entered the central Pacific, with the former entering as a hurricane.

The season produced 13 named storms, which was slightly below the average of 16 named storms per season. However, the total of nine hurricanes during the season was equal to the average, and the total of six major hurricanes surpassed the average.

The most notable tropical cyclone of the year was Hurricane Isis which killed fourteen people when it made landfall on southern Baja California and coastal Sinaloa in Mexico. Isis caused moderate damage in the nation, destroying more than 700 homes and damaging dozens of cars. It later produced light rainfall and caused dozens of traffic accidents in the southwestern United States. In addition to Isis, Tropical Storm Javier made landfall on Mexico; the nation experienced the effects of other offshore storms, with six tropical cyclones having some impact on the country. One tropical cyclone, Hurricane Lester, affected Central America, and caused two deaths in Guatemala. Three tropical cyclones produced light to moderate rainfall across the southwestern United States, and one hurricane produced rough surf along the coast of California. Hurricane Madeline contributed to a costly and deadly flood in southern Texas.