Hurricane Kenna (2002)

Basin

Eastern Pacific

Dates

October 22, 2002 to October 26, 2002

Peak strength

Category 5, 145 kt (167 mph)

Lowest pressure

913 mb (26.96 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

14.2

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

100 nmi (185 km, 115 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

5 nmi (9 km, 6 mi)

Overall size

225 nmi (417 km, 259 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Fastest the center moved

23 kt (26 mph)

Identifier

EP142002

The sources count different things and are not added together.

Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.

NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.

Deaths

0 (0 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

0

Property damage

$178,000

Crop damage

none recorded

Events recorded

6 in 1 reports from 1 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

4 thunderstorm wind, 1 flood, 1 lightning.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

The Postal Inspector for the Duluth, Georgia Postal Distribution Center reported that 25 vehicles were moved about in the parking lot of the facility during a thunderstorm downburst or microbust, likely associated with the remnants of a Pacific hurricane, Kenna, which was moving across the area at the time. Fourteen of the vehicles sustained at least moderate body damage. In addition, two light poles in the parking lot also collapsed and caused additional damage to some of the vehicles.

Gwinnett, Georgia · Thunderstorm Wind · Oct 28, 19:50 UTC

The Gwinnett county Emergency Management Director reported that thunderstorm winds in the form of a downburst or microburst, also likely a result of the remains of Pacific Hurricane Kenna moving through the area, caused considerable damage to four to five buildings on the downtown square. Glass facades were blown out of the fronts of the buildings, portions of the roof were peeled back on at least one business, and several signs were blown down. Several tree limbs were also blown down in the historic courthouse square. The most significant damage occurred to the Scotland Yard Antiques store, which sustained significant roof and facade damage. Part of a brick wall on one end of the building also collapsed. The damaged roof allowed water to come inside the store, which resulted in damage to some irreplaceable antiques.

Gwinnett, Georgia · Thunderstorm Wind · Oct 28, 20:15 UTC

• Hurricane AlmaEastern Pacific · 2002Cat 3100 kt · 960 mb
• Tropical Storm BorisEastern Pacific · 2002Tropical Storm50 kt · 997 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionEastern Pacific · 2002Tropical Depression30 kt · 1006 mb
• Tropical Storm CristinaEastern Pacific · 2002Tropical Storm55 kt · 994 mb
• Tropical Depression KalmaegiEastern Pacific · 2002Tropical Depression30 kt · 1000 mb
• Hurricane DouglasEastern Pacific · 2002Cat 290 kt · 970 mb
• Hurricane ElidaEastern Pacific · 2002Cat 5140 kt · 921 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionEastern Pacific · 2002Tropical Depression30 kt · 1008 mb
• Hurricane FaustoEastern Pacific · 2002Cat 4125 kt · 936 mb
• Tropical Storm AlikaEastern Pacific · 2002Tropical Storm55 kt · 995 mb
• Hurricane EleEastern Pacific · 2002Cat 4115 kt · 927 mb
• Tropical Storm GenevieveEastern Pacific · 2002Tropical Storm60 kt · 989 mb
• Hurricane HernanEastern Pacific · 2002Cat 5140 kt · 921 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionEastern Pacific · 2002Tropical Depression30 kt · 1006 mb
• Tropical Storm IselleEastern Pacific · 2002Tropical Storm60 kt · 990 mb
• Tropical Storm JulioEastern Pacific · 2002Tropical Storm40 kt · 1000 mb
• Tropical Storm LowellEastern Pacific · 2002Tropical Storm45 kt · 1002 mb
• Hurricane HukoEastern Pacific · 2002Cat 175 kt · 967 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionEastern Pacific · 2002Tropical Depression30 kt · 1006 mb

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

The National Hurricane Center has published no tropical cyclone report for this storm.

• Every advisory and discussion NHC issued while it was live
• Wikipedia article: Hurricane Kenna