Tropical Storm Beryl (1994)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Tropical Storm Beryl
Type=Tropical storm
Year=1994
Basin=Atl
Image location=Tropical Storm Beryl (1994).jpg


Formed=August 14
Dissipated=August 19
1-min winds=50
Pressure=999
Da

Inflated=0
Fatalities=1
Areas=Eastern Seaboard of the United States
Hurricane season=1994 Atlantic hurricane season

Tropical Storm Beryl, was the second named storm of the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season. Beryl originated north of Puerto Rico as an upper-level low pressure system, then passed over Florida, then entered the gulf where it became a tropical depression. The storm had advisories on it for five days; its winds peaked at convert|60|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on before dissipating over the Northeast United States. Beryl caused $73 million (1994 USD) in damage, over the eastern portion of the United States. Most of the damage was from tornadoes or flooding from the tropical storm. Beryl caused moderate to minor injuries, and 1 death. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1994/beryl/preloc/fema.gif(FEMA totals)] ] [National Hurricane Center (1994) [http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/mwreviews/1994.pdf NHC Report on Beryl] ]

Meteorological history

A upper level low pressure circulation formed, a few hundred miles north of Puerto Rico, on August 9. The upper level became a trough, as it passed over South Florida, but the middle and lower level became a more organized cyclonic circulation on August 12. On August 13, ship and surface recorded 1014 mb surface pressure, but the system's wind was light at the surface, and the cloudiness of the circulation was disorganized. Between August 13 and August 14 low level flow, steered the circulation to the north-northwest. A tropical depression formed at 1200 UTC on August 14, 185 kilometers south of Pensacola, Florida. Over the Gulf of Mexico, the center of the circulation reformed east of the storm's previous center on august 15, based on reconnaissance and satellite data.

The system moved east-northeast on August 15, as it quickly became a more organized system, and was named Tropical Depression Three. Beryl was named as a tropical storm, after the tropical cyclone became more organized off the coast of the Florida panhandle on August 15. It was named a tropical storm just twelve hours before making landfall, near Panama City, Florida. Beryl quickly strengthened before landfall and reached a peak intensity of convert|60|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on. Beryl later moved through Georgia, across the Carolinas, and all the way to Connecticut, where it was absorbed by a frontal system, on August 19. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1994/beryl/news/st0901p1.gif(NOAA Newspaper Archive st0901p1)] ]

Preparations

In anticipation of Beryl's landfall, tropical storm watches and warnings were made for the Florida Panhandle. Various flood watches were also issued, after the tropical storm made landfall, when Beryl's forward speed decreased after landfall. In addition to the flood watches and warnings, tornado watches were issued for northeastern Georgia and South Carolina. [NHC (1994) [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1994/beryl/public/nss1700z.gifAdvisory on Beryl] URL Accessed:November 6, 2006] Flood watches were soon extended the next day, to include parts of Tennessee, the western portion of North Carolina, South Carolina and western Virginia. A tornado watch was also issued later for the western portion of Virginia. [NHC (1994) [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1994/beryl/public/nss1705z.gifAdvisory on Beryl] URL Accessed: November 6, 2006] More tornado watches were issued for New Jersey, Delaware, eastern and central Maryland and West Virginia, on August 17. Flash flood warnings were also issued for Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. [NHC (1994) [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1994/beryl/public/nss1723z.gifAdvisory on Beryl] URL Accessed:November 6,2006]

Impact

Tropical Storm Beryl was a weak system, and unlike Alberto, its rapid motion up the Eastern Seaboard spread its heavy rainfall across a large area. Beryl caused inland flooding as it moved through Georgia, across the Carolinas, and all the way to Connecticut. Property damage was estimated at $73 million (1994 USD). 5.9 million dollars of damage was in Florida, 40 million in South Carolina, 15 million in Virginia, and 12 million in New York, with other states likely having smaller totals. Although there were no deaths caused by Beryl, a large number of people were injured by the 37 tornadoes Beryl produced as it weakened.

Florida

Oysters in the Apalachicola Bay could not be harvested in the prime winter of 1994, due to runoff from the sediment of rivers, from convert|9|in|mm of rain. [ [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1994/beryl/news/mh0817p1.gif(NOAA Newspaper Archive mh0817p1)] ]

3 to convert|5|ft|m tides occurred, with a large area receiving 5 to convert|10|in|mm of rain, and localized amounts of a foot or more of rain.

No deaths or serious injuries were reported in Florida. Residents also reported that there was high wind in their areas. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1994/beryl/news/wp0817p1.gif(NOAA Newspaper Archive wp0817p1)] ]

Georgia

10 inches of rain fell in 24 hours, across Georgia. A confirmed report of convert|13.59|in|mm occurred in Tallulah Falls in northeast Georgia.

A spokesman for Thomas County said that roads were flooded, but passable by cars. She also said that "we really don't have anything that's blown out as far as bridges and culverts, but we do have a lot of trees down."

A tornado was reported east of Athens, that destroyed a house and a shop. However, no injuries were reported.

Carolinas

10 inches of rain fell in 24 hours across North Carolina and South Carolina. A total estimated 37 million dollars in damage resulted from thunderstorms and tornadoes. Several tornadoes also were reported across South Carolina, from rainbands from Beryl.

Several tornadoes resulted from the hurricane in Lexington, South Carolina, just west of Columbia. The Village Center shopping center caved in, as a result of an F3 tornado, which resulted in 35 people being injured, none seriously, and two people missing initially. 25 people were taken to Lexington Medical Center, mostly for cuts, bruises, and broken or dislocated bones. 40 to 50 buildings in total, were damaged or destroyed. The F3 tornado went across convert|5|mi|km, until it reached Lake Murray. The damage path was a quarter mile wide and caused widespread destruction of buildings and homes.

Another F3 tornado touched down convert|4|mi|km south of Lexington, where it completely leveled a square stick frame home.

Three other tornadoes touched down in Lexington County.

An F1 tornado touched down from 11:09 to 11:30 AM local time, in a rural area, was convert|75|yd|m wide, and its path was convert|5|mi|km long. It overturned a mobile home at the intersection of highways 64 and 301, causing one serious injury.

At the WSFO, Weather Bureau, a significant failure of the WSR-88D at the RFA occurred from 1:17 to 1:39 PM local time. This caused the weather bureau to miss a tornado that downed in southwest Richland County at 1:30 local time, even though the emergency technicians tried to quickly respond to the problem. The WSR-74C was used as a backup, but didn't detect the tornado that touched down. [ [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1994/beryl/news/mh0817p2.gif(NOAA Newspaper Archive mh0817p2)] ] [ [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1994/beryl/preloc/cae02.gif(NOAA Archive cae02)] ] [ [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1994/beryl/preloc/cae03.gif(NOAA Archive cae03)] ]

Pennsylvania

In Bradford County, 3.9 million dollars (1994 US$) in damage was reported, particularly the northwestern sector. Ridgebury was hit particularly hard, after being hit by flooding two or three times earlier that summer. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1994/beryl/preloc/binhamto.gif(NOAA Archive binhamto)] ] In York County, Pennsylvania, one teenager lost his life on August 18, 1994, attempting to rescue a friend from a low-head dam that was flood-swollen due to the tropical storm.

New York

Approximately 5 million dollars in damage is estimated in Chemung County, 2.5-3.0 millions dollars in the town of Southport, including 7-8 bridges. The communities of Ashland, Elmira, and Elmira Heights were hit particularly hard. At least 25 homes and businesses were damaged, qualifying the county for state assistance. Around 60 to 70 people had to be evacuated. An injury resulted when a woman climbed up a dike to see flooding, then fell and broke her leg.

Some places in the Moravia area of Cayuga County were under 2 to convert|3|ft|m of water, in the floodplain of Owasco Lake. Damage to some roads, and high water levels in 16 to 18 homes, occurred in the southern portion of the county. Monetary damage figures are not available for Cayuga County.

There were 650,000 dollars in municipal damages in Steuben County, including damage to several roads and bridges. The monetary damages to private housing and residence is unknown. The southern towns of Campbell, which was hit the hardest, Erwin, and Hornby were hit hard. The Watson Homestead retreat, which contained 100 children, 70 of which were handicapped, was flooded, when the Meads creek overflowed, dividing the property in half, and taking out the main bridge. The children inside were evacuated from the property, without much difficulty. Elsewhere, a man had to be rescued by the Hornby fire department when a bridge crossing a small stream gave way as he drove across it.

Water entered the Waverly town hall, damaging some of the town's records. A total of 1.5 million dollars in property and municipal damages was reported. There was damage to roads and private residences in the towns of Butternuts, Gilbertsville, Unadilla, and the fringes of Otego, in Otsego County. In total, a minimum of 14 houses were damaged. Seven roads in Butternuts had 20,000 dollars in severe damage as a result of the storm. New York State Route 7 was closed for a number of hours due to flooding. [ [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1994/beryl/preloc/binhamt2.gif(NOAA Archive binhamt2)] ]

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