Tropical Storm Gordon was a strong tropical storm that caused damage along the Gulf Coast of the United States in early September 2018. The seventh named storm of the

2018 Atlantic hurricane season The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season was the third in a consecutive series of above-average and damaging Atlantic hurricane seasons, featuring 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes, which caused a total of over $50 billion ( ...

, Gordon developed from a

tropical wave A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...

that was first monitored in the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

on August 30. The wave moved west-northwestward toward the east coast of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

while gradually organizing. The disturbance was marked as Potential Tropical Cyclone Seven on September 2 while near the

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the archi ...

, and early the next day, it became Tropical Storm Gordon. The system made

landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...

on the southwest coast of Florida shortly afterwards. Steady intensification began after it moved off the coast of Florida and into the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United S ...

. Gordon reached its peak intensity as a high-end tropical storm late on September 4 before making landfall just east of

Pascagoula, Mississippi Pascagoula ( ) is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula Combined Statistical Area. The population was 22 ...

shortly afterwards. Gordon then rapidly weakened as it tracked inland, and degenerated into a remnant low on September 6. Gordon's remnants lingered over

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the ...

for two days, before opening up into a low-pressure

trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), th ...

on September 8. At least three deaths were attributed to the storm, and Gordon caused approximately $200–250 million (2018 USD) in damages.

Meteorological history

Tropical Storm Gordon arose from a

that left the west coast of Africa on August 26. The wave swiftly moved westward across the low-latitudes of the Atlantic, with only a slight amplification of

convection Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the c ...

occurring within the Intertropical Convergence Zone. As the wave neared the eastern

on August 30, cloud cover and shower activity increased over the northern

Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc bet ...

. The

National Hurricane Center The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/ National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 3 ...

(NHC) first mentioned the wave as having potential for tropical development in the evening hours of the same day. The wave split in two soon after, with the northern half generating a surface

that covered eastern Hispaniola and the nearby Atlantic waters. Although thunderstorms linked to the system increased, strong upper-level winds hindered development over the next two days. After the winds lessened on September 2, the disturbance's convection began to show signs of organization while it was located between eastern

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

and the central

. The convection dwindled for a short time late on the same day before rapidly increasing early on September 3. Around that time, the system was located in a favorable environment of

sea surface temperature Sea surface temperature (SST), or ocean surface temperature, is the ocean temperature close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air ma ...

s and low-to-moderate

vertical wind shear Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...

. Subsequently, the system strengthened into a tropical depression around 06:00 UTC on September 3, while located 90 mi (150 km) southeast of

Key Largo Key Largo ( es, Cayo Largo) is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and is the largest section of the keys, at long. It is one of the northernmost of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, and the northernmost of the keys connected b ...

Continuing to organize, the depression quickly strengthened into Tropical Storm Gordon three hours later as its convective structure improved. Meanwhile, the system was traveling northwestward around the edge of a

subtropical ridge The horse latitudes are the latitudes about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator. They are characterized by sunny skies, calm winds, and very little precipitation. They are also known as subtropical ridges, or highs. It is a high-pressu ...

. Gordon made

near Tavernier in the

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral island, coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of ...

at 11:15 UTC on September 3, with

maximum sustained wind The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. U ...

s of 50 mph (85 km/h). The tropical storm subsequently emerged over the

Florida Bay Florida Bay is the bay located between the southern end of the Florida mainland (the Florida Everglades) and the Florida Keys in the United States. It is a large, shallow estuary that while connected to the Gulf of Mexico, has limited exchange ...

and made a second landfall near

Flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbean) ...

on the southern tip of

Florida peninsula A peninsula ( la, paeninsula from ''paene'' "almost" and ''insula'' "island") is a piece of land that is bordered mostly by water but connected to mainland. The surrounding water is usually understood to be continuous, though not necessarily nam ...

a couple of hours later, at 13:15 UTC, with the same intensity. Gordon then entered the

where additional strengthening ensued. The storm briefly displayed a 6 mi (9 km) wide eye-like feature on

doppler weather radar Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar (WSR) and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type (rain, snow, hail etc.). Modern weather radars are mostly pulse- ...

around 18:00 UTC, while located off the coast of

Marco Island Marco may refer to: People * Marco (given name), people with the given name Marco * Marco (actor) (born 1977), South Korean model and actor * Georg Marco (1863–1923), Romanian chess player of German origin * Tomás Marco (born 1942), Spanish ...

; this feature disappeared a couple of hours later, however, the storm continued strengthening. Westerly wind shear temporarily disrupted the core of the system early on September 4; the low-level center was displaced to the southwestern boundary of the convection. The storm's structure primarily consisted of a compact

central dense overcast The central dense overcast, or CDO, of a tropical cyclone or strong subtropical cyclone is the large central area of thunderstorms surrounding its circulation center, caused by the formation of its eyewall. It can be round, angular, oval, or i ...

with banding features over the eastern half of the system as a result of the shear. Towards the middle of September 4, Gordon began to improve in appearance, developing a band of deep convection near its distinct center; simultaneously, lightning activity increased significantly in the core of the storm. Gordon reached its peak intensity at 18:00 UTC on September 4 as a high-end tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h), while located approximately 130 mi (215 km) south-southeast of

Pascagoula The Pascagoula (also Pascoboula, Pacha-Ogoula, Pascagola, Pascaboula, Paskaguna) were an indigenous group living in coastal Mississippi on the Pascagoula River. The name ''Pascagoula'' is a Mobilian Jargon term meaning "bread people". Choctaw ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mis ...

. The tropical storm's convection continued to organize around its center as it approached the coastline, however, collected surface and radar data indicated that the wind speed remained the same. Gordon achieved its minimum central pressure of as it made

between the Alabama/Mississippi border and Pascagoula around 03:15 UTC on September 5. After landfall, Gordon quickly deteriorated, weakening into a tropical depression by 12:00 UTC, while located 35 mi (55 km) southeast of

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

, Mississippi. Early on September 6, the depression slowed down over southeastern

while maintaining its northwestward track. The storm degenerated into a remnant low at 18:00 UTC near Pine Bluff, before further weakening into a

of low pressure by 00:00 UTC on September 8. The remnants of Gordon combined with an extratropical low later on September 8. The new system traveled northeastward during the next few days, generating torrential rainfall over western

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...

and the

Ohio Valley The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

, before dissipating near northern

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

on September 11.

Preparations, impact, and aftermath

A series of watches and warnings was issued in association with Tropical Storm Gordon. Tropical storm watches were issued for the

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

-Florida border to Morgan City,

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

as well as

Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrain ( ) is an estuary located in southeastern Louisiana in the United States. It covers an area of with an average depth of . Some shipping channels are kept deeper through dredging. It is roughly oval in shape, about from wes ...

and

Lake Maurepas Lake Maurepas ( ; french: Lac Maurepas) is located in southeastern Louisiana, approximately halfway between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, directly west of Lake Pontchartrain. Toponymy Lake Maurepas was named for Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, com ...

at 21:00 UTC on September 2. These watches were later upgraded to warnings at 09:00 UTC on September 3. Shortly after Gordon became a tropical storm, tropical storm warnings were issued around 12:30 UTC for Golden Beach to

Bonita Beach (beautiful), eng, beautiful springs , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = Bonita_Beach.JPG , imagesize = 250x200px , image_caption = Bonita Beach , image_flag ...

, Florida as well as Craig Key to Ocean Reef, including

, in the

. A hurricane watch was issued at 15:00 UTC for the mouth of the

Pearl River The Pearl River, also known by its Chinese name Zhujiang or Zhu Jiang in Mandarin pinyin or Chu Kiang and formerly often known as the , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name "Pearl River" is also often used as a catch-all ...

to the Alabama-Florida border. At the same time, a tropical storm warning was issued for the Alabama-Florida border to the Okaloosa-Walton county line. The hurricane watch was replaced with a hurricane warning around 21:00 UTC on September 3. The watches and warnings were gradually discontinued over the next few days.

Florida

Tropical Storm Gordon brought gale-force winds and flooding rain to Florida and the Florida Keys. Gordon made its first landfall near Tavernier around 11:15 UTC on September 2. Overall, minor damage occurred in the Florida Keys; wind gusts up to gale-force caused a tree to fall across part of a county road located between Ocean Reef and Key Largo. The cyclone made another landfall near Flamingo at the southern tip of Florida a couple of hours later. Gordon caused torrential rainfall throughout the area, with a local peak of occurring in Homestead. Winds from the storm downed tree limbs, resulting in approximately 8,000 power outages throughout

Miami-Dade Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most populous county in ...

and Broward counties. A 47-year-old man died on

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadi ...

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...

after crashing his vehicle into a concrete barrier. Another crash closed lanes on the

MacArthur Causeway The General Douglas MacArthur Causeway is a six-lane causeway that connects Downtown Miami to South Beach via Biscayne Bay in Miami-Dade County. The highway is the singular roadway connecting the mainland and beaches to Watson Island and the ba ...

, and a third accident halted traffic on two westbound lanes of Interstate 395 near

U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, makin ...

. Gordon also affected the

Florida Panhandle The Florida Panhandle (also West Florida and Northwest Florida) is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida; it is a salient roughly long and wide, lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia on the north, and the G ...

, including the city of

Pensacola Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...

, where the storm's peak rainfall total of was recorded. In advance of Gordon's landfall, adverse weather conditions prompted flight delays and cancellations at the

Pensacola International Airport Pensacola International Airport , formerly Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport and Pensacola Regional Airport (Hagler Field), is a public use airport northeast of the central business district of Pensacola, in Escambia County, Florida, Unit ...

. A tree fell onto a mobile home in Pensacola, trapping and killing a 2-year-old girl. Significant

beach erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landward ...

occurred on the southeastern coast near

Fort Lauderdale A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

. Sizable portions of sand and numerous sea turtle nests were washed away by waves that Gordon produced; this left some sections in a barren state. Near

Panama City Panama City ( es, Ciudad de Panamá, links=no; ), also known as Panama (or Panamá in Spanish), is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has an urban population of 880,691, with over 1.5 million in its metropolitan area. The city is locat ...

in northwestern Florida, a large hole formed near a culvert at the Runaway Island Beach as a result of erosion. Algae blooms along the Gulf Coast of Florida spread further northwest to

Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater ...

in the days following Gordon's passage through the area. The spread killed thousands of fish, leaving carcasses floating in the water. The bloom also thickened in Fort Lauderdale, leaving "green, foul-smelling goop" in canals throughout the city.

Mississippi

On September 3, Mississippi Governor

Phil Bryant Dewey Phillip Bryant (born December 9, 1954) is an American politician who served as the 64th governor of Mississippi from 2012 to 2020. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 31st lieutenant governor of Mississippi from 2008 to 2012 and 4 ...

issued a state of emergency as Gordon approached the state, with 50 Mississippi National Guardsmen being mobilized in preparation. A dozen casinos were shut down, though were later allowed to reopen on September 5. In Brandon, of rainfall was recorded. On September 5, an EF0 tornado was reported in Kilmichael. The next day, a second EF0 tornado was confirmed in

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

Alabama

Ahead of Gordon, Alabama Governor

Kay Ivey Kay Ellen Ivey (born October 15, 1944) is an American politician serving as the 54th and incumbent governor of Alabama since 2017. Originally a conservative Southern Democrat, Ivey became a member of the Republican Party in 2002. She was the 38th ...

issued a state of emergency for eight counties. A storm surge of 3–5 ft (0.9–1.5 m) struck

Dauphin Island, Alabama Dauphin Island is an island town in Mobile County, Alabama, United States, on a barrier island of the same name, in the Gulf of Mexico. It incorporated in 1988. The population was 1,778 at the 2020 census, up from 1,238 at the 2010 census. The ...

, causing minor flooding. A one-minute sustained wind of and a peak gust of were also reported there. Homes on the island sustained roof and siding damage. Tropical-storm-force winds penetrated inland as far as

Mobile Regional Airport Mobile Regional Airport is a public/military airport west of Mobile, in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The airport is owned and operated by the Mobile Airport Authority, a self-funded entity that receives no local tax dollars. The Nat ...

, downing trees in areas of southern

Mobile County Mobile County ( ) is located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is the second most-populous county in the state after Jefferson County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 414,809. Its county seat is Mobile, wh ...

. Farther inland, of rainfall caused flooding along several rivers, inundating streets and washing out dirt roads.

Louisiana

Louisiana Governor

John Bel Edwards John Bel Edwards (born September 16, 1966) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 56th governor of Louisiana since 2016. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the Democratic leader of the Louisiana House of ...

declared a state of emergency for the state, deploying 200 Louisiana National Guardsmen, 63 high-water trucks, 39 boats, and four helicopters.

Kentucky

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

cab driver was killed after being trapped by floodwaters. More than 3 inches (75 mm) of rain fell in Louisville, flooding streets, stranding cars, and causing a

Louisville City FC Louisville City Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Louisville, Kentucky. The team plays in the USL Championship, known through the 2018 season as the United Soccer League (USL), which is currently the second tier of th ...

soccer match to be suspended and a University of Louisville football game to be delayed. In Morehead, a young child was swept in flood water and recovery efforts were ongoing as of September 9, 2018. Four tornadoes were reported in Kentucky; two were rated as EF1 while the other two were classified as EF0. An EF1 tornado touched down near

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

, nearly destroying a wall on one house and causing minor damage to others. It also deroofed multiple barns and sheds and leveled corn and tobacco crops; the total damage from the tornado was estimated at $110,000. Another EF1 tornado occurred between Maceo and Yelvington, causing $3,000 in damage to trees and the soffit of a house. An EF0 tornado near Lewisport and Adair downed tree limbs and snapped tree trunks, blocking roads and damaging the roof of a house; the tornado also damaged the metal roof of a barn. Total damage was estimated at $6,000. Approximately $5,000 in crop damage was caused by an EF0 tornado that touched down near Sorgho.

Missouri

On September 7, A Greene County Sheriff's Deputy was killed after his patrol vehicle was washed off of a rural county road at an unmarked low-water crossing at the Pomme de Terre River at the Greene County and Dallas County line during a bout of torrential rains. The deputy had been in the area responding to a 911-hang up call, likely as a result of the weather.

Elsewhere

The remnants of Gordon merged with a cold front, spawning two EF0 tornadoes in

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

and causing heavy rainfall. The second tornado touched down near Newtonville; no damage was reported. Heavy rainfall was also observed in parts of

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...

, and

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

, with

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state lin ...

reporting of rain. Flash flooding in

Dix, Illinois Dix is a village in Jefferson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 461 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Dix is located in northern Jefferson County at (38.440676, -88.9 ...

resulted in $400,000 in damage and one injury.Illinois Flash Flood
NOAA

Notes

References

External links

* The National Hurricane Center'
advisory archive on Tropical Storm Gordon
* The Weather Prediction Center'
advisory archive on Tropical Storm Gordon
* The Weather Prediction Center'
storm summaries on Gordon
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