1939 California tropical storm
Synoptic weather map of the tropical storm nearing landfall in Southern California on September 25, 1939 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 15, 1939 |
| Dissipated | September 25, 1939 |
| Category 1 hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 75 mph (120 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 971 mbar (hPa); 28.67 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 45–93 direct |
| Damage | $2 million (1939 USD) |
| Areas affected | Southern California, northwestern Mexico |
Part of the 1939 Pacific hurricane season | |
The 1939 California tropical storm, also known as the 1939 Long Beach tropical storm, and El Cordonazo (referring to the Cordonazo winds or the "Lash of St. Francis" (Spanish: el cordonazo de San Francisco)), was a tropical cyclone that affected Southern California in September 1939. Formerly classified a hurricane, it was the first tropical cyclone to directly affect California since the 1858 San Diego hurricane, and is the only tropical cyclone of tropical-storm strength (or greater) to make landfall in the U.S. state of California. The storm caused heavy flooding, leaving many dead, mostly at sea.