third time on record that two storms formed in May in the basin, after 1956 and 1984. Initially, Barbara was forecast to intensify to attain hurricane status and reach winds of . The storm drifted southward and later eastward due to northerly flow behind a mid- to upper-level trough in the Gulf of Mexico. With well-defined outflow and warm sea surface temperatures, Barbara became better organized as tightly curved bands of convection developed near the center. However, by May 31, increased wind shear and less inflow deteriorated the definition of the circulation, causing the storm to weaken. By later that day, the system contained a very small circulation within a large-scale trough, and early on June 1 it was downgraded to tropical depression status. Later in the day, convective banding features re-developed, and after a QuikSCAT overpass indicated a well-defined circulation in the system, Barbara was again upgraded to tropical storm status. The storm reached peak winds of and turned to the northeast as it tracked through a break in a ridge extending from the southwest Gulf of Mexico. Banding features continued to organize, and shortly before moving ashore a low-level eye feature developed. At about 1300 UTC on June 2, Barbara made landfall just west of the border between Mexico and Guatemala. The center quickly deteriorated to tropical depression status over the mountainous terrain of extreme southeastern Chiapas, and Barbara dissipated within twelve hours of moving ashore. Preparations and impact Early in the duration of the cyclone, the National Hurricane Center recommended for interests along the coast of southwestern Mexico to monitor the progress of the storm. Upon regaining tropical storm status on June 1, the governments of Guatemala and Mexico issued a tropical storm watch from Sipacate, Guatemala to Barra de Tonala, Mexico. Later, as the track became more apparent, the watch was replaced by a tropical storm warning, and a tropical storm watch was extended westward to Salina Cruz, Mexico. Officials in Mexico allocated emergency funds for southern regions of Chiapas and Oaxaca in preparation for a potential flooding disaster. At least 1,400 people were evacuated in Chiapas to emergency shelters. The outer rainbands of the storm first began affecting Guatemala and southeastern Mexico late on June 1. In Mexico, the peak 24-hour rainfall total was 4.96 inches (126 mm) in Huixtla, and across southeastern Mexico, the rainfall led to above normal levels in many rivers. An