Tropical Storm Imelda
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Tropical Storm Imelda ( ) was a
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
which was the fourth-wettest storm on record in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, causing devastating and record-breaking floods in
southeast Texas Southeast Texas is a cultural and geographic region in the U.S. state of Texas, bordering Southwest Louisiana and its greater Acadiana region to the east. Being a part of East Texas, the region is geographically centered on the Greater Houston a ...
. The eleventh tropical cyclone and ninth
named storm Tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones are named by various warning centers to simplify communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings. The names are intended to reduce confusion in the ...
of the
2019 Atlantic hurricane season The 2019 Atlantic hurricane season was the fourth consecutive above-average and damaging season dating back to 2016. The season featured eighteen named storms, however, many storms were weak and short-lived, especially towards the end of the ...
, Imelda formed out of an upper-level low that developed in the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
and moved westward. Little development occurred until the system was near the Texas coastline, where it rapidly developed into a tropical storm before moving ashore shortly afterward on September 17. Imelda weakened after
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 ...
, but continued bringing large amounts of flooding rain to Texas and
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
, before dissipating on September 21. Impacts began when Imelda 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 ...
as a weak tropical storm. The system brought heavy rain and dangerous flooding to parts of southeastern Texas (especially the cities of
Galveston Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...
and Beaumont) as its motion gradually slowed over land. Dozens of water rescues were needed by September 19 as areas became overwhelmed by the rainfall, with some areas experiencing over of rain. Total damage is estimated in excess of $5 billion (2019
USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
). Despite the storm causing substantial damage, the name ''Imelda'' was not retired following the season, making Imelda the second-costliest Atlantic tropical cyclone name on record to not be retired, with the costliest being Hurricane Sally the following year.


Meteorological history

Imelda originated from a mid-to-upper level
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), the l ...
located over the
Eastern United States The Eastern United States, often abbreviated as simply the East, is a macroregion of the United States located to the east of the Mississippi River. It includes 17–26 states and Washington, D.C., the national capital. As of 2011, the Eastern ...
. Between September 10–12, the low moved to the southwest towards the eastern
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
. Once over the Gulf, associated
convection Convection is single or Multiphase flow, multiphase fluid flow that occurs Spontaneous process, spontaneously through the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoy ...
began to increase, as a weak surface trough formed within the upper—level low on September 14, traversing to the west—northwest. That same day, 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 IERS Reference Meridian, Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian ...
began to monitor the low for possible
tropical cyclogenesis Tropical cyclogenesis is the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropics, tropical cyclogenesis occur are distinctly different from those through which temperate cyclogenesis occu ...
. Although, the NHC only gave the disturbance a low chance of formation. By September 17, the system had reached the east coast of Texas. Soon afterward, organization in the system rapidly increased, and at 17:00 UTC that day, the system organized into Tropical Depression Eleven, just off the coast of Texas. At 17:45 UTC, an observation deck at
Freeport, Texas Freeport is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, United States, located on the Gulf of Mexico, founded in 1912. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population was 10,696, down from 12,049 in 2010, where Hispanic (U.S. ...
recorded sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) with gusts of 47 mph (76 km/h), indicating that the depression had strengthened to Tropical Storm Imelda. Shortly thereafter, at 18:30 UTC, Imelda made landfall near
Freeport, Texas Freeport is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, United States, located on the Gulf of Mexico, founded in 1912. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population was 10,696, down from 12,049 in 2010, where Hispanic (U.S. ...
at peak intensity, with maximum 1-minute sustained winds of 45 mph (75km/h) and a minimum central pressure of . Imelda weakened after landfall, becoming a tropical depression at 03:00 UTC on the next day. At that time, the NHC passed on the responsibility for issuing advisories to the
Weather Prediction Center The Weather Prediction Center (WPC), located in College Park, Maryland, is one of nine service centers under the umbrella of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), a part of the National Weather Service (NWS), which in turn is ...
(WPC). Imelda retained status as a tropical depression over land for the next 2 days, gradually weakening and slowing its motion, before degenerating into a trough on September 19, as it began passing over
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
; Imelda's remnants continued producing heavy rain and a few isolated
tornadoes A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...
. Imelda's remnants persisted for another couple of days, before dissipating early on September 21.


Preparations and impact


Texas

Imelda's slow movement over
Southeast Texas Southeast Texas is a cultural and geographic region in the U.S. state of Texas, bordering Southwest Louisiana and its greater Acadiana region to the east. Being a part of East Texas, the region is geographically centered on the Greater Houston a ...
and a continuous influx of tropical moisture led to copious amounts of rainfall over the region. This moisture supported the formation of rainbands that repeatedly moved across the same areas of Southeast Texas between September 17–19. Several counties spanning parts of the
Greater Houston Greater Houston, designated by the Office of Management and Budget, United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands, is the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical ...
metropolitan area and
Beaumont, Texas Beaumont is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, Jefferson County, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, located in Southeast Texas on the Neches River about east of Houston (city ...
, recorded over of rain. A maximum rainfall total of was documented at a station south-southwest of Fannett, Texas; this made Imelda the seventh-wettest tropical cyclone in U.S. history, fifth-wettest in the contiguous U.S., and fourth-wettest in Texas history. The same station recorded of rain in 12 hours. Rain fell at over per hour in several places. Flood depths in some locations exceeded those recorded in
Hurricane Harvey Hurricane Harvey was a devastating tropical cyclone that made landfall in Texas and Louisiana in August 2017, causing catastrophic flooding and more than 100 deaths. It is tied with 2005's Hurricane Katrina as the costliest tropical cy ...
due to the high rainfall rates. Where rainfall was heaviest, the rainfall total represented a 1-in-1000-year rainfall event. Destructive flooding occurred along
Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...
between Winnie and
Orange, Texas Orange is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Texas, United States. The population was 19,324 at the 2020 census. It is the easternmost city in Texas, located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, and is from Houston. ...
, where over of rain fell. Over one thousand vehicles were caught in flood waters. Many homes and businesses were also flooded, resulting in numerous high-water rescues. Approximately 8,200 homes were flooded in
Harris Harris may refer to: Places Canada * Harris, Ontario * Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine) * Harris, Saskatchewan * Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan Scotland * Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle ...
, Jefferson,
Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...
, and Montgomery counties in Texas. Five deaths were directly attributed to the floods, of which three occurred in Jefferson, while two occurred in Harris County. The
National Centers for Environmental Information The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) is a U.S. government agency that manages one of the world's largest archives of atmospheric, coastal, geophysical, and oceanic data. The current director is Deke Arndt. NCEI is operate ...
estimated Imelda inflicted $5 billion in damage.
Jefferson County, Texas Jefferson County is a county in the Coastal Plain or Gulf Prairie region of Southeast Texas. The Neches River forms its northeastern boundary. As of the 2020 census, the population was 256,526. The county seat is Beaumont. Jefferson County ...
, was the county most heavily impacted by Imelda. An estimated 5,100 homes were flooded in the county, suffering $14 million in damage. Major street flooding occurred in Beaumont where the Jefferson County flooding first began. Over of rain fell in the city. Encroaching floodwaters prompted the evacuation of Riceland Medical Center in
Chambers County, Texas Chambers County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 46,571. The county seat is Anahuac. Chambers County is one of the nine counties that comprise Greater Houston, the Houston– The Woodlands–S ...
. Stream flooding persisted for days in
Hardin County, Texas Hardin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 56,231. The county seat is Kountze. The county is named for the family of William Hardin from Liberty County, Texas. H ...
, where of rain was measured. Many buildings and roads were rendered impassable. Sixty homes were flooded in the county, resulting in $2.3 million in damage. In
Orange County, Texas Orange County is a county located in the very southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Texas, sharing a boundary with Louisiana, within the Golden Triangle of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 84,808. The county seat is the ci ...
, Imelda flooded 2,679 homes, resulting in $12 million in damage. Near Mauriceville, Cow Bayou reached its second-highest crest on record. In
Jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. The common red color is due to ...
and Newton counties in Texas, an estimated $2.4 million in damage was incurred following the flooding of 15 homes. In Houston, Imelda's rainfall caused many of the local
bayou In usage in the Southern United States, a bayou () is a body of water typically found in a flat, low-lying area. It may refer to an extremely slow-moving stream, river (often with a poorly defined shoreline), marshy lake, wetland, or creek. They ...
s to overtop their banks and flood residential areas. More than 1,000 people were rescued from floodwaters. All bus and rail services were temporarily shut down in the city. A roof of a
United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...
building collapsed, leaving three people with minor injuries.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an international airport in Houston, Texas, United States, serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Initially named Houston Intercontinental Airport upon its opening in 1969, it was renamed in ho ...
closed for about 90 minutes due to flooding on the runways, canceling 655 flights. Throughout Houston, hundreds of homes were affected by flooding and more than 1,600 vehicles were towed. In Harris County alone, 422 people required high-water rescue; the
Texas National Guard The Texas Military Forces (TXMF) are the principal instrument through which the Texas Military Department (TMD) executes security policy for Texas, which has the second-largest population and border in the United States. The Texas Military Forc ...
rescued 130 people. During the flood, nine barges escaped a shipyard, and at least two struck the Interstate 10 bridge over the San Jacinto River, causing visible damage to some of the columns supporting the highway. The bridge was subsequently closed to traffic in both directions. Significant flooding occurred in
Splendora Splendora was an American all-female alternative rock band from New York City. Formed in 1993 by Janet Wygal (lead vocals, guitar), Tricia Wygal (lead vocals, bass), Delissa Santos (drums), Cindy Brolsma (cello), and Jennifer Richardson (violi ...
, inundating parts of FM 2090 and U.S. 59, as well as gas pumps at a filling station. Within the weeks following Imelda, aid from
FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...
was not received. This left some residents uncertain if any would come.


Elsewhere

Flooding from Imelda in southwestern Louisiana was relatively minor. Freshwater flooding in Johnson Bayou inundated most secondary roads and was augmented by the elevated tide levels caused by the tropical storm. The remnants of Imelda produced up to of rain in southeastern
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
between September 6–7. Heavy rainfall also occurred in portions of
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
. In addition to the rain, weather stations reported winds between 37 and 44 mph (59–70 km/h) as Imelda made landfall. At
Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport , also known as Ryan Field, is a public use airport located four miles (7 km) north of the central business district of Baton Rouge, a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States. The airport w ...
, an embedded thunderstorm within one of Imelda's rainbands produced a microburst that flipped four airplanes and damaged hangar doors on September 17; the airport registered a peak gust of 66 mph (106 km/h).
Storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the ...
also resulted in minor
coastal flooding Coastal flooding occurs when dry and low-lying land is submerged (flooded) by seawater. The range of a coastal Flood, flooding is a result of the elevation of floodwater that penetrates the inland which is controlled by the topography of the coas ...
along the upper Texas and Louisiana coasts, inundating areas with of water. A
National Ocean Service The National Ocean Service (NOS) is an office within the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It is responsible for preserving and enhancing the nation's coastal resources and ecosystems along appro ...
gauge at Eagle Point, Texas, measured a peak surge height of above normal tide levels. After September 17, freshwater runoff originating from inland flooding reached the coast and exacerbated the initial storm surge flooding. A gauge on
Buffalo Bayou Buffalo Bayou is a slow-moving river which flows through Houston in Harris County, Texas. Formed 18,000 years ago, it has its source in the prairie surrounding Katy, Texas, Katy, Fort Bend County, Texas, Fort Bend County, and flows approximately ...
documented water levels above normal tide levels once runoff reached the coast. Imelda also produced two confirmed
tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...
es: an EF1 tornado unroofed a home and downed large tree limbs on in
Harris County, Texas Harris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 4,731,145, and was estimated to be 5,009,302 in 2024, making it the List of counties in Texas, most populous cou ...
on September 18 and an EF0 tornado flipped a recreational vehicle and knocked down several trees near Hackberry, Louisiana, in
Cameron Parish Cameron Parish () is a parish in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,617. The parish seat is Cameron. Although it is the largest parish by area in Louisiana, it has the second-sm ...
on September 19.


See also

*
Tropical cyclones in 2019 During 2019, tropical cyclones formed within seven different tropical cyclone basins, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the year,a total of 142 systems formed, with 100 of these developing further ...
*
List of Texas hurricanes (1980–present) From 1980 to the present, 81 tropical cyclone, tropical or subtropical cyclones affected the U.S. state of Texas. According to David Roth of the Weather Prediction Center, a tropical cyclone makes landfall along the coastline about three ti ...
*
List of wettest tropical cyclones in the United States Tropical cyclones move into the contiguous United States from the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern Pacific Ocean. The highest rainfall totals in the country have been measured across the Gulf Coast and lower portions of the Ea ...
* Tropical Storm Allison (1989) – A tropical storm that had similar intensity, stalled over Eastern Texas/Western Louisiana, causing $560 million with severe flooding. * Tropical Storm Allison (2001) – Another system of a similar intensity that stalled over Texas and caused severe flooding. *
Hurricane Harvey Hurricane Harvey was a devastating tropical cyclone that made landfall in Texas and Louisiana in August 2017, causing catastrophic flooding and more than 100 deaths. It is tied with 2005's Hurricane Katrina as the costliest tropical cy ...
(2017) – A Category 4 hurricane that also caused catastrophic flooding in the same region when it stalled as a tropical storm.


References


External links

* The NHC'
Advisory Archive on Tropical Storm Imelda
* The WPC'
Advisory Archive on Tropical Storm Imelda
* The Weather Prediction Center'
storm summaries on Tropical Storm Imelda
{{DEFAULTSORT:Imelda (2019), Tropical Storm Imelda Tropical cyclones that lingered over Texas Hurricanes in Louisiana Atlantic tropical storms Imelda Floods in Texas