Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | June 24,1954 |
Dissipated | June 26,1954 |
Category 2 hurricane | |
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Highest winds | 110 mph (175 km/h) |
Lowest pressure | ≤975 mbar (hPa);≤28.79 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 55–153 |
Damage | $2 million (1954 USD) |
Areas affected | Mexico,Texas |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season |
Hurricane Alice was the second-strongest Atlantic hurricane to make landfall in the month of June since reliable records began in the 1850s. The storm was linked to catastrophic flooding in southern Texas and northern Mexico,especially along the Rio Grande and its tributaries. The third tropical cyclone and first hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season,Alice was one of two storms to receive the same name that year,the other being an unusual post-season hurricane that persisted into the new year of 1955,becoming one of only two January hurricanes on record (the other having formed in 1938). The first Alice developed rather suddenly on June 24 over the Bay of Campeche,though it may well have formed earlier but went undetected due to limited surface weather observations. Moving northwestward,Alice strengthened rapidly as it neared the Mexican coastline,becoming a hurricane early the next day. By midday on June 25,the hurricane reached peak winds of 110 miles per hour (177 km/h ) before moving inland well south of the U.S.–Mexico border. The storm struck an area with few inhabitants and caused relatively minimal impacts from wind near the point of landfall and in southern Texas.
As it moved inland,however,Alice produced prolific rains along and near the Rio Grande,resulting in some of the worst flooding ever seen in parts of northern Mexico and southern Texas; [1] in some areas,the flooding amounted to a one-in-1,000-year event. The Pecos River crested at 96.24 ft (29.33 m),which joined with the Rio Grande to produce significant flooding. The floods destroyed bridges and dikes and flooded many cities along the inner reaches of the river,which reached its highest water levels since 1865. As the river overflowed its banks,floods breached the dikes at Piedras Negras,Coahuila,destroying large sections of the town. Other communities in Mexico reported significant flood damage. In the United States,damage was heaviest in Ozona,Texas,where the floods killed 15 people and caused $2 million in damage (1954 USD). Rainfall peaked at over 24.07 in (611 mm),most of which fell in a 24‑hour period. In all,flooding from Hurricane Alice killed at least 55 people,including 17 in the U.S. and 38 in Mexico,though many deaths in rural Mexico may have gone unreported;the total death toll could have exceeded 150.
At 12:00 UTC on June 24,1954,a moderate tropical storm formed about 270 miles (435 km ) east of Tampico,Tamaulipas,with winds of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h ). [2] In 2015,NOAA researchers working on reanalysis with the Hurricane Research Division examined observations to determine whether Alice formed earlier,but were unsuccessful due to sparse surface weather observations over the Bay of Campeche. [3] The first observation of gale-force winds occurred at 18:00 UTC on June 24,when a ship reported 60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) winds and an atmospheric pressure of 999 millibars (29.50 inHg ),indicating a well-developed cyclone in the area. Based on these data,scientists concluded that Alice likely formed earlier than indicated,but went undetected until that day. [3] Regardless,Alice steadily intensified almost immediately upon detection as it headed northwestward,strengthening into the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale by 00:00 UTC on June 25. [4] [2] Early on that day,a ship calibrated the rapid strengthening of the storm,measuring winds of 85 mph (137 km/h) at 08:17 UTC. [3] As Alice neared the coast of Mexico,reconnaissance aircraft known as Hurricane Hunters began tracking the eye of the hurricane,but apparently did not penetrate the center of the storm. They did,however,provide information about the position of the storm. [3]
The storm continued to intensify rapidly as it approached the coastline south of the United States–Mexico border. Based on aircraft observations,research suggests that Alice made landfall about 60 mi (97 km) south of Matamoros,Tamaulipas,at 14:00 UTC on June 25. [3] [2] The storm affected a thinly populated segment of the Mexican coastline,and few observations were available to determine the strength of the hurricane. One report,taken about 100 mi (161 km) south of Brownsville,Texas,suggested top winds of at least 70 to 80 mph (113 to 129 km/h). [4] Prior to scientific reexamination,HURDAT—the official database containing tracks and intensities of cyclones in the North Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific regions—listed top winds of 80 mph (129 km/h) at landfall in Mexico. [3] However,a radiosonde,launched from Brownsville in time for the 12:00 UTC observation,recorded winds of 150 mph (241 km/h) from the southeast at 3,000 feet (914 m ) in elevation. Based on this measurement,which may have represented winds in the eyewall,researchers determined that Hurricane Alice was likely significantly stronger at landfall than previously assessed. [3] They analyzed Alice as having struck Mexico with winds of 110 mph (177 km/h),while noting the great uncertainty and the possibility that the storm may have even been much stronger than this. [2] The central pressure in the eye was probably 975 mb (28.79 inHg) or lower,as corroborated by observations well inland in Texas. [3] Therefore,Alice was at least equivalent to a high-end Category 2 hurricane at landfall and conceivably could have attained major hurricane status.
After landing,Hurricane Alice gradually weakened as it approximately followed the Rio Grande,crossing into southern Texas near La Grulla just before 00:00 UTC on June 26. [2] The storm by then had weakened back to a moderate tropical storm with winds of 60 mph (97 km/h),but it still produced gale-force winds in several communities across southern Texas;a few areas in Texas may have even experienced hurricane-force winds for brief periods before the storm entered the state,but there are no observations to confirm such winds. [3] The storm likely caused winds of at least 70 mph (113 km/h) in southern Texas. As it crossed into Texas,Tropical Storm Alice curved more to the north-northwest early on June 26 before assuming a sharp bend back westward later in the day. [2] The storm degenerated into a tropical depression by 18:00 UTC and dissipated early on June 27 near the Big Bend National Park in Texas. [4] [2]
Before Alice moved ashore,about 50 Girl Scouts at a camp were evacuated to a center in Brownsville,Texas. [5] The residents of Padre Island were also evacuated. Residents in the storm's path were unprepared due to the storm forming suddenly. The United States Coast Guard spread the word about the storm by traversing the coast and advising residents to seek shelter. Officials at the U.S. Weather Bureau posted northwest storm warnings for the Brownsville area,recommending that small boats to stay at harbor. [6] Damages along the coastline at the point of landfall were relatively light. [4] Winds in Brownsville reached 62 mph (100 km/h),which created flying debris that injured one man. [6] Moderate to strong gales affected the Rio Grande Valley inland over southern Texas. [3] Across the border,minor damage was reported in Matamoros,Tamaulipas,and one person there was killed by a fallen power line. [6] A few shrimp fishing boats were driven ashore by heavy winds. [7] Although later there was severe flooding further inland,a dam along the Rio Grande prevented significant flooding in the Brownsville area. [8]
Most of the damage resulting from Alice was caused by heavy rain in the inland areas of Texas,Tamaulipas and Coahuila;damage was exacerbated in these areas by drought conditions that rendered the soil especially vulnerable to erosion. [7] Estimates of peak rainfall within 12 hours vary from 22 inches (56 cm) [7] to 26 inches (132 cm), [9] and a total of 35 inches (89 cm) of rain fell in 24 hours,approaching the world record that had been set by an unnamed hurricane in Texas in 1921. [10] However,a 2010 report on the storm's rainfall indicated a maximum of 24.07 in (611 mm) near Pandale, [11] of which 16.02 in (407 mm) fell in a 24‑hour period. [12]
The peak rainfall occurred in a small area centered near the Pecos River. A location along the Johnson Draw reported 11 in (280 mm) of rainfall after receiving minimal precipitation in the previous three years. In addition,some locals in western Texas experienced rainfall from Alice that exceed yearly averages. This contributed to significant flooding along the Pecos River,reaching a flood stage of 55 ft (17 m) in Pandale. The flooding swept away a group of fishermen in Sheffield as well as at a location 10 mi (16 km) north of Pandale,killing four. Downstream,the river crested at 96.24 ft (29.33 m),which washed out a highway and three railroad bridges. [12] A temporary bridge was built between Eagle Pass and Piedro Negro by July 10,or two weeks after the storm. [13] The destroyed rail lines stranded a Sunset Limited train,which prompted the passengers to evacuate to nearby Langtry. [12] The flooding also stranded a Southern Pacific train,whose occupants were later evacuated by helicopters. [13] The peak river crest corresponded to a discharge rate of 948,000 ft³/s (26,800 m³/s),which the International Boundary and Water Commission remarked was "probably the greatest rate of runoff for a watershed of [that] size in the United States". [12] Heavy rain fell across all of southern Texas and northern Mexico as a result of Alice,causing flash floods in inland areas. [7] Ozona,Texas was the town most affected by the floods,sustaining $2 million in damage (1954 USD), [14] as well as 15 deaths. Early on the morning of June 25,a "wall of water" as high as 30 feet (9.2 m) poured out of a dry gully and overwhelmed most of the town. [7] Roughly a third of Ozona had to be evacuated,and many livestock there were killed. [13] About 500 families were left homeless in the town. [15] United States military helicopters worked to rescue people trapped by the floodwaters. [8] In all,at least seven towns experienced flooding from the storm on either side of the border, [14] including Lamesa and Laredo,Texas which were badly damaged by flash floods. [7]
The Rio Grande rose well above flood level at the cities of Eagle Pass,Texas and Piedras Negras,Coahuila. While the city of Eagle Pass was evacuated,Piedras Negras was not. Both cities were completely flooded,and the dike intended to protect Piedras Negras from floods was washed away. At least 38 people (some sources say 39) were killed in Piedras Negras after the dike collapsed. [4] [7] In Eagle Pass,the commercial sector was flooded by over 8 ft (2.4 m) of waters,which let heavy losses. [13] Before the storm began producing heavy rainfall,officials anticipated moderate river flooding that would peak at less than the flood of 1948. [12] The river crested at Laredo,Texas,where waters reached a peak of 62.2 feet (19 m),at least 10 feet (3 m) above the previous record flood. [7] High waters caused the water treatment plants to fail there,which prevented the safe delivery of fresh water until July 1. [13] The International Bridge connecting Laredo and Nuevo Laredo was swept away. [7] Although severe damage occurred in the latter city,no deaths were recorded in either city due to evacuations. [13] Flooding along the Rio Grande was the highest since 1865, [11] and was considered a 1 in 2000 year event. [16] About 12,000 people were evacuated from nearby Ciudad Acuña following the flood. [14] There,the floods left heavy damage. [13]
Estimates for total death toll range from 55 [4] to 153. [7] Death toll estimates for Texas range from 17 [4] to 38, [9] though official records indicate that the 38 deaths occurred in Mexico rather than Texas. [4] Estimates of the deaths in Mexico,where records are less complete,vary more widely. [4] [7] Several of the deaths in Texas were homeless people attempting to enter the United States,and as a result their deaths were not counted. [13] Monetary damage figures are not available,but it is known that flooding from Alice caused considerable damage to crops,primarily cotton. [4]
While Alice left almost unprecedented flooding in its wake,the storm itself was not an unheard-of occurrence:a similar storm in 1921,which followed a comparative track,caused significant flooding in Texas as well,albeit not in the same areas affected by the floods of 1954. [3] Following the devastation left by Alice,members of the U.S. Air Force,Navy,and Army flew 21 helicopters with over 81 tons of relief supplies to the affected people of Mexico and Texas,including food,water,medicine,and clothing. [8] The disastrous flooding caused by Hurricane Alice along the Rio Grande accelerated the joint US–Mexico Amistad Dam project,a series of flood control dams designed to prevent similar catastrophes in the future. The project,in the planning stages for decades before the storm,was finally begun in 1960. [17]
Leftover waters from the storm led to an increase in mosquitoes in Texas,which prompted a widespread application of larvicide via airplane. On July 1,the flood areas of southern Texas were declared a major disaster area. This followed a delivery of 2 flood specialists,20 laborers,2 portable water treatment plants,7 trucks,and a quantity of insecticides and water treatment tablets. [13] Residents in Laredo,Texas provided citizens of its neighboring city Nuevo Laredo,Mexico with food and water. The Mexican government provided temporary homes for the affected citizens of the flood. American officials distributed typhoid vaccinations,water purification tablets,and insecticides to the American cities along the Rio Grande. Safe water was eventually restored to Laredo,Texas on July 12. All emergency work related to the disaster was finished by September 3. [13]
Besides flooding,Hurricane Alice was also notable for another reason:it made landfall with some of the strongest winds in a June hurricane on record. With top winds of 110 mph (177 km/h),the cyclone was the second-strongest Atlantic hurricane to make landfall in the month of June,behind only Hurricane Audrey in 1957,which made landfall in Louisiana with winds of 125 mph (201 km/h). [2] The storm was somewhat analogous to Hurricane Alex,which also affected the same region in 2010 with winds of 110 mph (177 km/h),though Alex made landfall in early July. [2]
Hurricane Beulah was the second tropical storm, second hurricane, and only major hurricane during the 1967 Atlantic hurricane season. It tracked through the Caribbean, struck the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico as a major hurricane, and moved west-northwestward into the Gulf of Mexico, briefly gaining Category 5 intensity. It was the strongest hurricane during the 1967 Atlantic hurricane season. The hurricane made landfall just north of the mouth of the Rio Grande as a Category 3 hurricane. It spawned 115 tornadoes across Texas, which established a new record for the highest amount of tornadoes produced by a tropical cyclone. Due to its slow movement over Texas, Beulah led to significant flooding. Throughout its path, at least 59 people were killed and total damage reached $234.6 million, of which $200 million occurred in the United States, $26.9 million occurred in Mexico, and $7.65 million occurred in the eastern Caribbean.
The 1954 Atlantic hurricane season was an above-average Atlantic hurricane season in terms of named storms, with 16 forming. Overall, the season resulted in $751.6 million in damage, the most of any season at the time. The season officially began on June 15, and nine days later the first named storm developed. Hurricane Alice developed in the Gulf of Mexico and moved inland along the Rio Grande, producing significant precipitation and record flooding that killed 55 people. Activity was slow until late August; only Barbara, a minimal tropical storm, developed in July. In the span of two weeks, hurricanes Carol and Edna followed similar paths before both striking New England as major hurricanes. The latter became the costliest hurricane in Maine's history.
The 1947 Atlantic hurricane season was the first Atlantic hurricane season to have tropical storms labeled by the United States Air Force. The season officially began on June 16, 1947, and ended on November 1, 1947. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. However, the first tropical cyclone developed on June 13, while the final system was absorbed by a cold front on December 1. There were 10 tropical storms; 5 of them attained hurricane status, while two became major hurricanes, which are Category 3 or higher on the modern day Saffir–Simpson scale. Operationally, the third tropical storm was considered two separate tropical cyclones, resulting in the storm receiving two names. The eighth tropical storm went undetected and was not listed in HURDAT until 2014.
The 1934 Atlantic hurricane season produced thirteen tropical storms, of which seven further organized into hurricanes. Of those seven hurricanes, only one intensified into a major hurricane, which is a Category 3 or stronger system on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson scale. The first system developed on June 4 while the last storm dissipated on November 30. In 2012, as part of the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project, meteorologists identified two previously unknown September tropical storms and fine-tuned the meteorological histories of many others. However, given scant observations from ships and weather stations, significant uncertainty of tropical cyclone tracks, intensity, and duration remains, particularly for those storms that stayed at sea.
The 1931 Atlantic hurricane season was an active hurricane season, with a total of 13 storms recorded, which was the most since 1916. However, only three of them intensified into hurricanes and just one reached major hurricane intensity, which is Category 3 or higher on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson scale. Nine of the tropical cyclones were identified in real-time, while evidence of the existence of four other tropical cyclones was uncovered by the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project in 2012 and added to the Atlantic hurricane database. Additionally, two of the tropical storms were upgraded to hurricane status as part of the reanalysis.
The 1922 Atlantic hurricane season was the first season since 1914 in which no hurricanes made landfall in the United States. Although no "hurricane season" was defined at the time, the present-day delineation of such is June 1 to November 30. The first system, a tropical depression, developed on May 12, while the last, also a tropical depression, dissipated on October 31. Of note, seven of the fourteen cyclones co-existed with another tropical cyclone during the season, including three systems being simultaneously active on September 22.
The 1909 Atlantic hurricane season was an average Atlantic hurricane season. The season produced thirteen tropical cyclones, twelve of which became tropical storms; six became hurricanes, and four of those strengthened into major hurricanes. The season's first storm developed on June 15 while the last storm transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on November 14. The most notable storm during the season formed in late August, while east of the Lesser Antilles. The hurricane devastated the Lesser Antilles, the Greater Antilles, and Mexico, leaving around 4,000 fatalities and more than $50 million (1909 USD) in damage.
Hurricane Dolly caused flooding throughout Mexico in August 1996. The fourth named storm and third hurricane of the season, Dolly developed from a tropical wave to the west-southwest of Jamaica on August 19. Initially a tropical depression, the system strengthened into a tropical storm about twelve hours later. Dolly headed westward and intensified into a Category 1 hurricane late on August 20. It then made landfall near Chetumal, Quintana Roo. The system weakened to a tropical depression on August 21. Later that day or early on August 22, Dolly emerged into the Bay of Campeche and quickly re-strengthened into a tropical storm. The storm deepened further and was upgraded to a hurricane again by midday on August 23; Dolly simultaneously peaked with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). Around that time, it struck between Tuxpan, Veracruz, and Tampico, Tamaulipas. Dolly quickly weakened to a tropical depression early on August 24, but remained intact while crossing Mexico and dissipated over the eastern Pacific Ocean on August 25.
Tropical Storm Charley was the third named storm of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season. Charley was the first of two tropical storms to make landfall in Texas during that season. The storm originated with a tropical wave that moved off the West African coast on August 9. The wave moved generally west-northwestward, producing occasional bursts of convection, finally arriving in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico by August 19, when animated satellite images began to indicate it had possibly developed a low pressure centre. Hurricane Hunter investigations into the system the next day revealed that this was not the case. The system lingered for two days, lacking an organized low level centre of circulation until early on the morning of August 21, when advisories were initiated on the tropical depression, 185 miles (298 km) east of Brownsville, Texas. The depression became a tropical storm later that day, as it moved steadily west-northwestward, strengthening, and then weakening again before making landfall the next morning around Port Aransas, Texas. The storm moved slowly inland and finally dissipated on the morning of the August 24 near the town of Del Rio, Texas.
Tropical Storm Gabrielle caused moderate flooding in northeastern Mexico and southern Texas in August 1995. The eighth tropical cyclone and seventh named storm of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season, Gabrielle developed from a tropical wave in the west-central Gulf of Mexico on August 9. Initially a tropical depression, the system gradually intensified and by the following day, it became a tropical storm. Favorable conditions caused Gabrielle to continue to strengthen, with the storm nearly reaching hurricane status late on August 11. However, it soon made landfall near La Pesca, Tamaulipas, thus halting further intensification. Once inland, Gabrielle rapidly weakened and dissipated by early on August 12.
Hurricane Caroline was one of two tropical cyclones to affect northern Mexico during the 1975 Atlantic hurricane season. The third named storm and second hurricane of the season, Caroline developed on August 24 north of the Dominican Republic. The system crossed Cuba and briefly degenerated into a tropical wave due to land interaction. However, upon emergence into the western Caribbean Sea, it was once again designated as a tropical depression after a well-defined circulation was observed on satellite imagery. Moving towards the west-northwest, the cyclone clipped the northern portion of the Yucatán Peninsula before entering the Gulf of Mexico. Caroline was upgraded to a tropical storm on August 29 in the central Gulf of Mexico before rapid intensification began. Early on August 31, Caroline reached its peak intensity with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h), before landfall south of Brownsville, Texas with winds of 105 mph (169 km/h) shortly thereafter. After moving inland, Caroline quickly weakened and dissipated over the mountainous terrain of northeastern Mexico on September 1. There were only two deaths from Caroline, both indirect. However, there was heavy rainfall in southern Texas and Mexico, including almost 12 in (300 mm) at Port Isabel.
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In early September 1921, the remnants of a Category 1 hurricane brought damaging floods to areas of Mexico and the U.S. state of Texas, particularly in the San Antonio region. On September 4, a tropical cyclone developed in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico near the Bay of Campeche. Moving slowly in a general westward direction, the disturbance reached hurricane intensity on September 7 prior to making landfall south of Tampico, Mexico the following day. The storm weakened over land, and lost cyclonic characteristics later that day. However, a nearby high-pressure area forced the remnants of the system northward into Texas. Due to an orographic lifting effect, the remnants were able to produce torrential and record rainfall over the state. Precipitation peaked over Central Texas, where the highest rainfall amount measured was 40 in (1,016 mm) near Thrall, Texas; this was the fourth-highest tropical cyclone-related rainfall total in Texas since record keeping began. Similarly, an observation of 36.40 in (925 mm) elsewhere in Williamson County, Texas ranked as the sixth-highest tropical cyclone-related rainfall total for the state. The high precipitation totals set nationwide records which would stand for several years.
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Hurricane Hanna was the first of a record-tying six Atlantic hurricanes to make landfall in the United States in one year. The eighth named storm and first hurricane of the extremely active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Hanna developed from a tropical wave originating near Hispaniola. This disturbance dropped heavy rain upon parts of Hispaniola, Cuba, and Florida. The wave gradually became more organized and developed into a tropical depression in the central portion of the Gulf of Mexico. The depression strengthened into a tropical storm on July 24, setting a new record for the earliest eighth-named storm in the basin, getting its name 10 calendar days before the previous record holder, Tropical Storm Harvey of 2005. Hanna steadily intensified as it drifted toward Southern Texas, becoming the season's first hurricane early on July 25. It then began to quickly strengthen just before making landfall at 22:00 UTC later that day as a high-end Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 973 mbar. Hanna weakened quickly as it moved inland and turned west-southwest, eventually dissipating over Mexico on July 26.