The twenty-fourth tropical cyclone, twenty-second named storm, and eleventh hurricane of the season, Waldo originated from a disturbance first detected by ship report on October 5, 1985.

Waldo originated from a developing disturbance first noted by Eastern Pacific Hurricane Center (EPHC) on October 5 based on data from ship reports.

[2] Upon becoming a tropical cyclone, the depression began to turn to the northwest in response to a strong upper-level trough over Baja California Peninsula.

[1] The remnants of Waldo merged with a cold front and produced heavy rains across the Great Plains and Mississippi River Valley.

[7] The peak rainfall total in Mexico from Waldo was 9.61 inches (244 mm) in Jocuixtita/San Ignacio; heavy rain was also recorded along southern Baja California Sur.

[9] Waldo contributed to rain heavy enough to cause some flash flooding in the Permian Basin area of Texas.

[11] With help from a cold front, Waldo contributed to major flooding in Kansas that forced many rivers and creeks to overflow their banks.

In the rural town of Raymond, a 52-year-old man died from a heart attack while moving to higher ground due to rising floodwaters.

Some of the evacuated resident slept at the nearby senior center for the night where the American Red Cross delivered items such as blankets, food, and clothes to the victims of the flood.

In Kansas City, Waldo produced 1 ft (30 cm) of water on roads, but none of the nearby homes received extensive damage.