1933 Texas tropical storm

Tropical Storm Three
1933 Texas Tropical Storm
Surface weather analysis of the storm approaching Texas on July 22
Meteorological history
FormedJuly 14, 1933
ExtratropicalJuly 23
DissipatedJuly 27, 1933
Tropical storm
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds50 mph (85 km/h)
Lowest pressure999 mbar (hPa); 29.50 inHg
Overall effects
Damage$1.5 million (1933 USD)
Areas affectedJamaica, Belize, Yucatán Peninsula, South-Central United States
IBTrACS
Part of the 1933 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1933 Texas tropical storm produced record rainfall in the south-central United States in July of the 1933 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the third storm of the season, developing on July 14 near the Lesser Antilles. While moving westward through the Caribbean Sea, the cyclone passed just south of Jamaica on July 16. The storm dropped heavy rainfall on the island that caused flooding and road washouts. On July 18, the storm struck Belize and later moved across the Yucatán Peninsula. Initially it was believed that the storm continued into Mexico and dissipated while another storm formed to its northeast, but it was discovered in 2012 that the storm followed one continuous track.

On July 23, the storm struck southeastern Texas at its peak intensity of 50 mph (85 km/h). It moved inland and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone. Turning eastward, the storm dropped torrential rainfall in eastern Texas and western Louisiana, peaking at 21.3 in (540 mm) in Logansport, Louisiana. Several stations reported record rainfall, including Shreveport, Louisiana where its 24‑hour amount remained the highest daily total as of 2008. High rains left about $1.5 million[nb 1] in crop damage between two Texas counties. The rains caused rivers to exceed their banks, forcing evacuations and road closures.

Meteorological history

On July 14, a tropical depression developed near Saint Kitts.[nb 2] Moving generally westward, it passed south of Hispaniola on July 15, and strengthened into a tropical storm a day later. After passing south of Jamaica, the storm reached peak winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) early on July 18. Later that day, a ship reported a pressure of 995 mbar (29.4 inHg), which was adjusted to 999 mbar (29.5 inHg) to compensate a bias in the ship's barometer. Around 1500 UTC on July 18, the storm made landfall near Belize City, British Honduras, at its peak intensity.[1] After moving ashore, the storm quickly weakened into a tropical depression while crossing the Yucatán Peninsula. Late on July 19, it emerged into the Bay of Campeche.[nb 3] It turned to the northwest due to a ridge moving eastward,[3] and the system re-intensified into a tropical storm on July 21. At around 0800 UTC on July 23, the storm moved ashore on Matagorda Bay in southeastern Texas with winds of about 45 mph (75 km/h). It weakened into a tropical depression and later drifted eastward over eastern Texas. On July 24, the depression became extratropical after interacting with a cold front, and it was absorbed by the front on July 27 along the border of Arkansas and Mississippi.[1][4][1]

Impact

In Jamaica, both Kingston and Saint Andrew Parish reported 9 in (230 mm) of rainfall. The precipitation was the highest July rainfall in at least 40 years, causing river flooding and landslides.[5] The storm washed out roads and wrecked one bridge, which disrupted the regional transportation. The storm also cut telegraph lines between Kingston and the eastern portion of the island.[6][7]

The storm also dropped heavy rainfall in eastern Texas and northwestern Louisiana, peaking at 21.3 in (540 mm) in Logansport, Louisiana.[3] Logansport also reported a 24‑hour total of 18 in (460 mm), which set the record for the highest daily rainfall total there in July.[8] Shreveport in the same state observed 12.4 in (310 mm) of rain in 24 hours, which was the highest daily total on record for the site as of 2008.[9] It was the city's worst recorded floods related to a tropical cyclone.[10] Alexandria also broke its 24‑hour rainfall record in July with a total of 9.75 in (248 mm) on July 25. A severe thunderstorm damaged roofs and windows in the city.[8][8] In Texas, more than 10 in (250 mm) of rainfall caused flooding, which washed out a bridge in Henderson and portions of the Santa Fe Railway line between Carthage and Longview. Five people required rescue after being trapped in a fast-moving river. Damaged reached $1.5 million across Shelby and Panola counties. The rains caused crop damage in Texas and Louisiana. The rains caused many streams to exceed their banks, including one creek near Converse that flooded roads and railways. The floods forced families to evacuate in low-lying areas of northern Louisiana.[11][4][12] Heavy rains also spread into southern Arkansas and northwestern Mississippi.[3]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ All damage totals are in 1933 United States dollars unless otherwise noted.
  2. ^ Due to lack of observations, the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project noted that the depression could have formed on July 13.[1]
  3. ^ Originally, the storm was assessed as two separate storms. The first was considered to have dissipated over Veracruz, Mexico on July 19, and the second was thought to have formed on July 21 in the Gulf of Mexico. The Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project merged the tracks together in 2012.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Chris Landsea; et al. (May 2012). Documentation of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Changes in HURDAT (1933) (Report). Hurricane Research Division. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  2. ^ Charles L. Mitchell (1933). "Tropical Disturbances of July 1933" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review. 61 (7). American Meteorological Society: 201. Bibcode:1933MWRv...61..200M. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1933)61<200b:TDOJ>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c R.W. Schoner; S. Molansky; National Hurricane Research Project (1956). Rainfall Associated with Hurricanes (and Other Tropical Disturbances) (PDF). United States Weather Bureau. p. 28. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  4. ^ a b David M. Roth (February 4, 2010). Texas Hurricane History (PDF) (Report). Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. p. 42. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  5. ^ "Heavy Rains Cause Great Road Damage". The Daily Gleaner. July 14, 1933. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  6. ^ "Survey Made of Damage by Rains in City". The Daily Gleaner. July 20, 1933. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  7. ^ "Torrential Rains Create Havoc in Kingston and St. Andrew". The Daily Gleaner. July 18, 1933. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  8. ^ a b c David M. Roth (April 8, 2010). Louisiana Hurricane History (PDF) (Report). Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  9. ^ Shreveport Floods of May 14, 2008 (Report). Shreveport, Louisiana National Weather Service. May 9, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  10. ^ Bruce Burkman; et al. (April 1999). A Severe Weather and Tropical Cyclone Climatology for the NWSO Shreveport, Louisiana County and Parish Warning Area (Report). Shreveport, Louisiana National Weather Service. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  11. ^ "Flood Menace Facing Texas". Waycross Journal-Herald. Associated Press. July 25, 1933. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  12. ^ R.A. Dyke (July 1933). "Excessive Rainfall of July 22–25, 1933, in Louisiana and Extreme Eastern Texas" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review. 61 (7). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: 202–203. Bibcode:1933MWRv...61..202D. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1933)61<202:erojil>2.0.co;2. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.