Hurricane Sonia (Lucarius)

Hurricane Sonia was the first system to exist as a major hurricane in both the East Pacific and Atlantic basins on record. In addition, it was the first of any system to do so at any intensity since Hurricane Karina in 2050. Sonia is also the costliest East Pacific hurricane on record.

Sonia's origins can be traced back to a large area of disturbed weather in the southwestern Caribbean Sea in the early days of October. The disturbance moved first over Central America, then came ashore the Pacific ocean on October 5. Organization gradually took place as the storm moved Southwest. The system attained a circulation and was consequently designated as Tropical Depression Twenty on October 8. The storm would parallel the Mexican coastline while sustaining depression strength, limited from additional intensification from moderate shear.

The depression had finally gained tropical storm intensity, acquiring the same Sonia, 18 hours later as it moved into much more suitable conditions for intensification. As a reaction, Sonia began to rapidly intensify in the coming days leading up to it's first landfall. Sonia would attain it's inital peak intensity of 145 mph while making landfall on the Colima-Jalisco border in Mexico. From there, Sonia would weaken to a tropical storm while it traversed the mountainous territory of Central Mexico. However, Sonia managed to gain enough movement speed to persist into the Atlantic at minimal named storm status, therefore retaining it's name.

The second occurrence of this on record, Sonia would move slowly to the east before making a cyclonic loop, beginning a gradual intensification as it did so. As the hurricane began a northward movement (followed by a northwestward motion), intensification became more rapid and Sonia became a major hurricane while en route towards Texas. Sonia would intensify to a 160 mph (260 km/h) Category 5 hurricane as it made the second Category 5 hurricane landfall on the state during the course of that year. Sonia would then weaken gradually as it turned east once again, moving in that direction for the remainder of it's lifetime. It is noteworthy that interaction with the weaker Hurricane Gamma, which existed on the other side of the Gulf of Mexico simultaneously had caused catastrophic flooding for Florida as both systems moved slowly as a result of interaction with one another.