Hurricane Sergio (2018)

Basin

Eastern Pacific

Dates

September 29, 2018 to October 12, 2018

Peak strength

Category 4, 120 kt (138 mph)

Lowest pressure

942 mb (27.82 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

35.7

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

170 nmi (315 km, 196 mi) from the center at its widest

Hurricane-force wind reached

60 nmi (111 km, 69 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

20 nmi (37 km, 23 mi)

Overall size

300 nmi (556 km, 345 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Peak gust in the best track

145 kt (167 mph)

Fastest the center moved

22 kt (25 mph)

Identifier

EP212018

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

$173,000

Crop damage

none recorded

Events recorded

39 in 6 reports from 4 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

20 flash flood, 7 high surf, 7 thunderstorm wind, 2 heavy rain, 2 hail, 1 tornado.

1 tornado recorded in the United States, strongest first.

The strongest winds National Weather Service offices recorded with this storm. An estimated figure is a forecaster’s judgment from the damage, not an instrument reading.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

Heavy rain from Tropical Storm Sergio resulted in flash flooding in the Coachella Valley. The runoff destroyed a dike operated by the Coachella Valley Water District for a second time.

Riverside, California · Flash Flood · Oct 12, 20:00 UTC

Widespread moderate to heavy showers developed across the western portions of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area during the morning and early afternoon hours on October 13th. Some of the heavy showers affected the areas around the community of Goodyear. Peak rain rates were in excess of one inch per hour and resulted in episodes of flash flooding. According to the City of Goodyear Emergency Manager, at 1234MST flash flooding resulted in the closure of Citrus Road between McDowell Road and Van Buren Road. The road was closed in both directions due to the flooding. The flooding occurred just west of the intersection of the Loop 303 highway and Interstate 10, about 2 miles northwest of Goodyear. A Flash Flood Warning was in effect at the time of the flooding; there were no reports of accidents due to the flooded roads and hazardous driving conditions.

Maricopa, Arizona · Flash Flood · Oct 13, 18:00 UTC

Widespread moderate to heavy showers developed across the southwest portion of Maricopa County during the morning and early afternoon hours on October 13th. Some of the heavy showers resulted in significant flow down area washes such as the Sand Tank Wash north of Gila Bend. Peak rain rates were in excess of one inch per hour and resulted in episodes of flash flooding just to the north of the town of Gila Bend. According to mesonet data, which included stream gauge data from the Maricopa County Flood Control District, flash flooding down the Sand Tank Wash resulted in the closure of Watermelon Road and Indian Road at about 1500MST. A Flash Flood Warning was issued shortly before the flooding, at 1450MST, and it remained in effect through 1645MST. No accidents or injuries were reported due to the flash flooding.

Maricopa, Arizona · Flash Flood · Oct 13, 21:50 UTC

An EF-0 tornado with maximum estimated winds near 85 mph touched down along FM 1251 breaking large branches, where it moved northeast and crossed County Road 237. It uprooted a few trees and broke large branches before moving to the east-northeast where it crossed County Road 241. The tornado caused the most damage here where it uprooted several trees and snapped several large branches. The tornado continued moving to the northeast and intersected an unnamed mining road where it snapped several large branches before finally lifting.

Panola, Texas · Tornado · Oct 13, 22:19 UTC

• Unnamed tropical depressionEastern Pacific · 2018Tropical Depression30 kt · 1007 mb
• Hurricane AlettaEastern Pacific · 2018Cat 4120 kt · 943 mb
• Hurricane BudEastern Pacific · 2018Cat 4120 kt · 943 mb
• Tropical Storm CarlottaEastern Pacific · 2018Tropical Storm55 kt · 997 mb
• Tropical Storm DanielEastern Pacific · 2018Tropical Storm40 kt · 1004 mb
• Tropical Storm EmiliaEastern Pacific · 2018Tropical Storm50 kt · 997 mb
• Hurricane FabioEastern Pacific · 2018Cat 295 kt · 964 mb
• Tropical Storm GilmaEastern Pacific · 2018Tropical Storm40 kt · 1005 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionEastern Pacific · 2018Tropical Depression30 kt · 1007 mb
• Hurricane HectorEastern Pacific · 2018Cat 4135 kt · 936 mb
• Tropical Storm IleanaEastern Pacific · 2018Tropical Storm55 kt · 998 mb
• Hurricane JohnEastern Pacific · 2018Cat 295 kt · 964 mb
• Tropical Storm KristyEastern Pacific · 2018Tropical Storm60 kt · 991 mb
• Hurricane LaneEastern Pacific · 2018 · 1 death · $250 millionCat 5140 kt · 926 mb
• Hurricane MiriamEastern Pacific · 2018Cat 285 kt · 974 mb
• Hurricane NormanEastern Pacific · 2018Cat 4130 kt · 937 mb
• Hurricane OliviaEastern Pacific · 2018Cat 4115 kt · 951 mb
• Tropical Storm PaulEastern Pacific · 2018Tropical Storm40 kt · 1002 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionEastern Pacific · 2018Tropical Depression30 kt · 1002 mb
• Hurricane RosaEastern Pacific · 2018Cat 4130 kt · 936 mb
• Hurricane WalakaEastern Pacific · 2018Cat 5140 kt · 921 mb
• Tropical Storm TaraEastern Pacific · 2018Tropical Storm55 kt · 995 mb
• Tropical Storm VicenteEastern Pacific · 2018Tropical Storm45 kt · 1002 mb
• Hurricane WillaEastern Pacific · 2018Cat 5140 kt · 925 mb
• Tropical Storm XavierEastern Pacific · 2018Tropical Storm55 kt · 995 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.

• Tropical cyclone report, National Hurricane Center
• Every advisory and discussion NHC issued while it was live
• Best track as KMZ, National Hurricane Center
• Best track as a shapefile, National Hurricane Center
• Wikipedia article: Hurricane Sergio