List of notable post-1900 Texas hurricanes
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Tropical cyclones are known to frequently affect Texas. Many of them are notable for the deaths and/or damage caused, often leading to retirement of a name. Pre-1950, though, there was no official naming scheme for tropical cyclones.
[edit] 1900 Galveston Hurricane
- Main article: 1900 Galveston Hurricane
Category 4 at landfall
A long-lived tropical cyclone trekked across the Caribbean and moved over Cuba. On September 4, the Galveston office of the U.S. Weather Bureau began receiving warnings from the Bureau's central office in Washington, D.C., that a tropical storm had moved northward over Cuba. The Weather Bureau forecasters had little way of knowing where the storm exactly was, and referenced climatology, preferring a storm track towards the middle Gulf coast. Conditions in the Gulf of Mexico were ripe for further strengthening of the storm. The Gulf had seen little cloud cover for several weeks, and the seas were as warm as bathwater, according to one report. The hurricane moved west-northwest towards the Texas coast. The last train to reach Galveston left Houston on the morning of the September 8 at 9:45 a.m. It found the tracks washed out, and passengers were forced to transfer to a relief train on parallel tracks to complete their journey. Even then, debris on the track kept the train's progress at a crawl. As the hurricane neared, conditions in Texas detirierated, and residents just thought it was a thunderstorm. When the hurricane made landfall, it was of category four intensity. It destroyed the city of Galveston, and led to the rise of Houston. Although damage was significant across Galveston Island, the human toll was higher. The death toll is estimated to lie between 8,000-12,000.
[edit] 1915 Galveston hurricane
- Main article: Galveston Hurricane of 1915
Category 3 at landfall
The second storm of the year was first observed in the eastern Tropical Atlantic on August 5. It tracked westward, intensifying into a hurricane on the 9th before crossing the Lesser Antilles on the 10th. As the hurricane continued through the Caribbean Sea, it passed just south of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola before crossing Jamaica on the 13th where it caused heavy damage. While south of Cuba it became a major hurricane, and it brushed the western tip of the country on the 15th. Over the Gulf of Mexico the hurricane continued to strengthen, and reached a peak of 140 mph winds. Just before landfall it weakened, and the hurricane hit Galveston, Texas on the 17th as a 120 mph hurricane. It turned northward, became extratropical on the 18th, and dissipated on the 23rd. Just fifteen years after the 1900 Galveston Hurricane, this hurricane damaged the already hurting Texas economy. Throughout its path, it caused a total of $50 million in damage (1915 USD, $921 million in 2005 USD) and 400 casualties.
[edit] 1932 Freeport Hurricane
- See also: 1932 Atlantic hurricane season
Category 4 at landfall
A tropical storm formed August 11th in the southern Gulf of Mexico near the Yucatán Peninsula and slammed into the upper Texas coast near Freeport, Texas as a very compact Category 4 hurricane two days later. As the storm moved over the Gulf of Mexico, it intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 4 with winds estimated at 140 mph and an estimated central pressure of 942 millibars in less than one day. The eye crossed the coast about 10 p.m. on August 13, slashing a 30- to 40-mile wide path of destruction across Brazoria County, Texas. Official warning for the storm came just 4 hours prior to landfall, and many people trying to evacuate inland had to abandon their cars in high winds and heavy rains. The 1932 hurricane retained its strength miles from the coast and killed 40 people. The greatest single toll for any town was 7 in West Columbia, Texas, where sustained winds over 100 mph flattened homes. Two neighborhoods that had been constructed for oil industry workers there were wiped clean. Freeport, Angleton and Galveston suffered extensive wind damage, and the inland towns of Brazoria, West Columbia, Damon and Needville, all in the path of the eye, were also devastated. Damage estimates topped $7 million in 1932 U.S. dollars.
[edit] 1943 Surprise Hurricane
- Main article: 1943 Surprise Hurricane
Category 2 at landfall
This hurricane was first detected on July 26, 1943. The United States was in the middle of the second World War and there were no satellites or weather radar. Because of the fear of U-boats in the Gulf, all radio traffic from ships was silenced, including storm reports. Newspaper articles mentioned a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico, but did not mention its true intensity. The storm struck the Bolivar Peninsula, crossed Galveston Bay, and made landfall a second time near the Houston Ship Channel. Because of war interests, warnings were few, and residents were caught off-guard. Maximum sustained winds were estimated at nearly 100 mph, with higher wind gusts. Damage was significant and primarily wind-related. The storm killed 19 people, and caused $17 million (1943 dollars) in damage to the Houston area. After the loss of life in this storm, weather information has never been censored again.
[edit] Hurricane Audrey
- Main article: Hurricane Audrey
Category 4 at landfall
A tropical wave that entered the Bay of Campeche on June 24th organized into a tropical storm on the 25th. Conditions were ideal for Audrey's development; very warm water temperatures that were well above average, and a strong anticyclone existed over the storm. Audrey quickly grew in size and intensity, reaching hurricane strength later on the 25th. It initially moved slowly northward across the Gulf of Mexico, but as it increased its forward speed, its intensity continued to increase, reaching peak maximum sustained winds of 145 mph winds before making landfall near Sabine Pass, Texas on June 27 with undiminished strength. Audrey weakened and became extratropical the next day, continuing northeast as a powerful extratropical storm. Audrey's 12-foot (3.7 m) storm surge devastated Cameron, Louisiana and Sabine Pass, TX, causing $150 million in damage. Audrey was responsible for at least 390 deaths, although other sources claim the number could be over 500. Audrey is ranked as the sixth deadliest hurricane to hit the United States mainland. The next storm to hit the United States to cause more fatalities was Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Audrey remains the earliest known category four hurricane to form in the Atlantic Basin.
[edit] Hurricane Carla
- Main article: Hurricane Carla
Category 4 at landfall
A tropical depression developed in the western Caribbean Sea on September 3 from a disturbance in the Intertropical Convergence Zone. It moved northwestward, becoming a tropical storm on the 5th and a hurricane on the 6th. After skimming the Yucatan Peninsula as a weak hurricane, Carla entered the Gulf of Mexico and headed for the U.S. Gulf Coast.
As it moved slowly across the Gulf of Mexico, Carla steadily strengthened to its peak of 175 mph (280 km/h) winds on the September 11. It weakened, but Carla was still a very strong and unusually large Category 4 hurricane at its Port O'Connor, Texas landfall on the 11th. Storm surge was measured at 22 feet (6.7 m) near the heads of bays, in some places penetrating 10 miles inland. Because of its large size, the entire Texas coast was affected, and damage was reported as far inland as Dallas. Pressure at landfall was measured at 931 mbar (hPa), making it the 7th most intense hurricane to strike the United States in the 20th century. Carla killed 43 people, 31 of them in Texas. The low death toll is credited to what was then the largest peacetime evacuation in United States history up until that time. One half million residents headed inland from exposed coastal areas. Carla caused a total of $325 million ($2.03 billion in 2005 USD) in damage.
[edit] Hurricane Beulah
- Main article: Hurricane Beulah
Category 3 at landfall
A convective area in the intertropical convergence zone developed into a tropical depression on September 5th east of the Lesser Antilles. It moved slowly through the islands, and on the 7th it became Tropical Storm Beulah. The next day Beulah reached hurricane strength while continuing slowly west-northwestward. It rapidly intensified, reaching an initial peak of 150 mph (240 km/h) winds while south of the Mona Passage. Land interaction and upper level shear weakened the hurricane back into a tropical storm. Once over the western Caribbean, Beulah strengthened back into a 115 mph (185 km/h) category 3 hurricane. On September 16th, Beulah made landfall near Cozumel, Mexico as a 100 mph (160 km/h) hurricane. It weakened while passing across the Yucatan peninsula, but rapidly intensified after emerging into the Gulf of Mexico, reaching its peak as a Category 5 storm with 160 mph (260 km/h) winds. Beulah weakened before its final landfall just north of the mouth of the Rio Grande as a Category 3 storm. Beulah drifted over Texas, moving southwestward into Mexico where it dissipated on September 22nd. In Texas, the highest sustained wind was reported as 136 MPH, recorded in South Padre Island, about 20 miles north of Port Isabel. The lower Rio Grande Valley, the four county region that comprises deep south Texas, was inundated with torrential rains and strong winds. Gusts of over 100 MPH were recorded as far inland as the towns of McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, and Pharr, some fifty miles from the gulf coast. Beulah was a record tornado-producer (a record that would stand until 2004) that destroyed homes, commercial property, and inflicted serious damage on the region's agricultural industry. The Rio Grande Valley's citrus industry, based on cultivation of the famous "Ruby Red" grapefruit, was particularly hard hit. Padre Island, just off the Texas gulf coast, suffered significant devastation, and the island's sensitive ecosystem was altered by the storm. Within a 36 hour period it dropped almost 30 inches of rain in Beeville, Texas. Hurricane Beulah caused an estimated $1.1 billion (in 2000 dollars) in damage. Sources report 58-59 deaths from the storm.
[edit] Hurricane Celia
- Main article: Hurricane Celia
Category 3 at landfall
A tropical wave moved off the African coast on July 23. It reached the western Caribbean and crossed Cuba as a tropical depression. Due to low shear and compact size, Celia intensified quickly from tropical storm strength to category three strength in six hours. Celia steadily weakened to an 85 mph minimal hurricane on the August 3 as it neared the Texas coast. That day though, it restrengthened rapidly back to a category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph before hitting Corpus Christi, Texas. Celia weakened over land, and dissipated on August 5 over southeastern New Mexico. Celia killed 16 people (including 5 deaths from flooding in Cuba) and caused over $450 million (1970 US dollars) in damage. Although Celia was a Category 3 hurricane, it reinforced the concept that wind gusts can far exceed the hurricane's sustained winds. Celia made landfall packing 125 mph winds, but gusts were recorded as high as 180 mph.
[edit] Hurricane Allen
- Main article: Hurricane Allen
Category 3 at landfall
Allen originated as an early Cape Verde-type hurricane. As it moved towards the Caribbean it became the first named storm of the season. Allen sped westward, rapidly intensifying into a Category 5 hurricane and remaining so for over a day. The eye passed just south of Hispaniola and just north Jamaica as a Category 4 hurricane. After weakening from interactions with the mountains of Haiti and Jamaica, Allen reintensified to a Category 5 for a second time, again retaining this intensity for over a day. It moved between Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula. Interestingly, during Allen's trek through the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, its center of circulation never crossed over land despite its close passage to the islands of the Caribbean. Allen again weakened to a Category 4 storm through interactions with land, but it restrengthened into a Category 5 hurricane for a third time as it moved over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, again keeping this intensity for nearly a full day. Shortly before landfall, dry air aloft caused the massive storm to weaken substantially. Allen made landfall north of Brownsville, Texas as a Category 3 storm with sustained winds of only 115 mph. Allen spent nearly 3 days as a Category 5 storm, by far the highest of any Atlantic hurricane. Allen was the earliest known hurricane to reach Category 5 intensity when it reached such intensity on August 5, and remained so until Hurricane Emily in July 2005. In Texas, the storm surge was reported as high as 12 feet at Port Mansfield. A peak wind gust of 129 mph was also measured at Port Mansfield. The storm caused 7 deaths in Texas and 17 in Louisiana (most resulting from the crash of a helicopter evacuating workers from an offshore platform). Allen spawned several tornadoes in Texas. One tornado caused $100 million in damage when it hit Austin, Texas, making it the costliest tropical cyclone-spawned tornado ever.
[edit] Hurricane Alicia
- Main article: Hurricane Alicia
Category 3 at landfall
A cold front moved through the Gulf of Mexico. On the extreme western end of it, a mesoscale low-pressure area developed on August 14, developing into a tropical depression on the 15th. The depression became Tropical Storm Alicia later that day. Steering currents were weak, due to a ridge of high pressure to the north. Alicia drifted to the west, gradually strengthening to a hurricane on the 17th. As the ridge receded eastward, Alicia was able to move more northward. As it approached the Texas coast, it quickly strengthened to a 115 mph major hurricane. It made landfall near Galveston, Texas on August 18. The storm moved northward, its eye passing over Houston. (This was actually the second visit the storm made over Houston; it had previously passed over the city as a thunderstorm a few days earlier.) Houston suffered millions of dollars in damage. Thousands of glass panes in downtown skyscrapers were shattered by gravel blown off of rooftops. In addition, Alicia was the first storm for which the National Hurricane Center issued landfall probabilities.
[edit] Tropical Storm Allison (1989)
- Main article: Tropical Storm Allison (1989)
Tropical Storm at landfall
Three meteorological phenomena combined to produce Tropical Storm Allison. First, Hurricane Cosme moved northward through Mexico in response to a strong mid to upper-level ridge. Its remnants spurred the development of a new low in the Gulf of Mexico on June 22, when a westward moving tropical wave reached the area. A strong anticyclone over the Gulf allowed for the disturbed area to organize into Tropical Depression Two in the western Gulf of Mexico on June 24. The depression continued to organize as it drifted to the north, and became Tropical Storm Allison on June 26 off the Texas coast. A ridge to Allison's north weakened in response to an approaching frontal trough, and the tropical storm accelerated to the north. Allison reached a peak of 50 mph winds just before hitting near Freeport, Texas on the 27th. It turned to the northeast with the front, weakened to a tropical depression on the 27th, and became extratropical on June 28th. The frontal trough outran the system, and the building ridge to Allison's north forced the extratropical depression turned to the south and southwest. On June 30 Allison completed its loop over the rain-flogged area. The ridge to the north began to erode, allowing Allison to escape Texas by heading to the northeast. Its circulation retained some organization, and continued to the northeast. On July 3rd and 4th, the shortwave that was guiding the remnants outran the storm, causing Allison to stall over the Kentucky/Illinois/Indiana border. A second shortwave trough brought Allison, or what was left of it, southward into Alabama. It turned to the west, and completely lost its identity on July 7 over Arkansas, bringing more precipitation to the area. Allison, having replaced Hurricane Alicia, a hurricane that brought heavy damage to southeast Texas, coincidentally caused great damage in the same area. Even more unlikely is that though Allison was not retired, another Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 devastated southeast Texas.
[edit] Tropical Storm Allison (2001)
- Main article: Tropical Storm Allison
Allison formed from a low pressure system that had wandered north out of the Bay of Campeche. While 120 miles south of Galveston, Texas, the low developed deep convection and mid and low-level circulation, and on June 5th was named Tropical Storm Allison. Allison would retain some subtropical characteristics, but caused more damage than most full hurricanes of even high intensity due to its slow movement. Allison strengthened to a 60 mph (100 km/h) tropical storm. The tropical storm made landfall in the afternoon on the 5th near Freeport, Texas, causing coastal flooding in Galveston and Kemah. For a typical tropical system, landfall on the mainland United States marks the beginning of its end, but Allison was not typical. Allison, having degraded to a tropical depression, moved northward into Texas, reaching Lufkin on June 7. It then stalled and drifted south on the 8th, bringing more rain to the area and overwhelming all of Houston's bayous, sluggish streams vital to drainage in the flat region. Many areas reported upwards of 10 in (250 mm) of rain while the Port of Houston's rain total reached nearly 37 in (940 mm) of rain by the morning of June 9. On the 10th Allison re-entered the Gulf of Mexico near its landfalllocation and became a subtropical depression. After restrengthening while travelling east over the Gulf, Subtropical Storm Allison made landfall again near Morgan City, Louisiana, and the cyclone continued to strengthen until it entered southwest Mississippi. Allison continued east-northeastward, passing through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. The center of the weakened subtropical depression drifted north over eastern North Carolina, and moved over the Atlantic Ocean on June 17. Allison would merge with a cold front the next day, and by the 19th had dissipated.
Allison was a major flooding disaster in Houston soaking areas of the city with over 30 inches of rain. Unlike Hurricane Alicia in 1983 and an earlier Allison in 1989 which also looped over southeast Texas, Tropical Storm Allison (2001) culminated in a record flood event, which inundated a majority of the city. Over seventy thousand buildings reported flood damage, some in neighborhoods that had not flooded previously. Twenty-two people died in the Houston area. The name Allison was retired in the spring of 2002 and will never again be used in the Atlantic basin; it is the only Atlantic tropical system to have its name retired without reaching hurricane strength. The name will be replaced with Andrea in the 2007 season.
[edit] Hurricane Rita
- Main article: Hurricane Rita
Category 3 at landfall
In September of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, a depression formed over the Bahamas. Aerial reconnaissance data released at 9:45 a.m. EDT on September 20th showed that Rita had closed the eyewall and winds clearly reached hurricane strength and intensification accelerated thereafter. The warm water in the Gulf of Mexico, which was at the time 1 °F (0.5 °C) above average, was very favorable for hurricane development. Strengthening continued through 11 a.m. EDT on September 21, when Rita's maximum sustained winds increased to 140 mph (225 km/h). By 10:00 p.m. CDT, Rita's maximum sustained winds had increased to 175 mph (280 km/h) with an estimated minimum pressure of 897 mbar. Local storm surges of 15 to 20 feet (4.5-6.1 m) in southwestern Louisiana were reported, and damage was extensive in Cameron Parish. The communities of Holly Beach, Hackberry and Cameron were flattened. Calcasieu Parish, with the communities of Lake Charles, Sulphur, Westlake and Vinton also suffered heavy damage. In total, well over 2 million customers were without electricity. Total damage is estimated $9.4 billion, which makes Rita the ninth costliest storm in US history. Damage in Texas, like Audrey, was not as extensive as it was in Lousiana. Sabine Pass, Texas was the hardest hit of Texas. It could have been much worse; it was predicted to strike Galveston and bring vicious storm surge. Storm surge was much less than expected.
[edit] References
[edit] See also
- List of notable Atlantic hurricanes
- List of notable Florida hurricanes from 1900-1960
- List of notable post-1960 Florida hurricanes
- List of Atlantic hurricane seasons
- Texas Hurricane History
