1987 Gulf Coast tropical storm

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Unnamed Tropical Storm
Type=Tropical storm
Year=1987
Basin=Atl
Image location=Unnamed 10 aug 1987 1422Z.jpg


Formed=August 9, 1987
Dissipated=August 17, 1987
1-min winds=40
Pressure=1007
Da

Inflated=0
Fatalities=None direct
Areas=Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Arkansas
Hurricane season=1987 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1987 Gulf Coast tropical storm was the first and also the weakest storm of the inactive 1987 Atlantic hurricane season. It was upgraded from Tropical Depression Two into a tropical storm in the post season analysis, without being named operationally during the season. The storm was one of the few to make landfall in the United States in 1987, leaving rainfall in eight states. [http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/unnamed1987.html Rainfall Totals for the Unnamed Tropical Storm] ] [http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/mwreviews/1987.pdf 1987 Monthly Weather Review] ] The storm started out as a wave off the West African coast on July 29, entered the Gulf of Mexico and became the second tropical depression of the season on August 29. As the depression was too close to land for watches to be issued, only warnings were issued for the Texas-Louisiana area. This was the first storm to be given Tropical Storm Warnings instead of Gale Warnings. The storm made landfall in the same area on the night of August 10 and moved east in awkward directions over the Southeastern United States, re-entered the Gulf and dissipated on August 17 over Georgia. No deaths were reported in connection with the storm.

Meteorological history

A tropical wave formed off the coast of Africa on July 29 progressing to the west. The wave had very little convection, as it was in an area of very high swaft of dust near the Lesser Antilles. The wave soon split into two parts, the north heading for the Gulf of Mexico, while the south headed for Central America. The northern portion on August 8 became influenced with a non-tropical low in the Gulf of Mexico. A third low was existent in the Gulf and the wave was upgraded to Tropical Depression Two the next day near the Texas coastline at noon on August 9.

The decision was not to upgrade the system to a subtropical storm, but instead to a tropical storm due to continued convection in the area of the storm. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1987-prelim/unnamed/prelim02.gifStorm History Part 2 in Report] ] The storm was not given any tropical storm watches because it was to make landfall within 24 hours. The storm made landfall in the predicted position, weakening into a tropical depression over Louisiana and started moving eastward, continuing over Alabama and Mississippi. The storm re-entered the Gulf of Mexico and turned back to Florida and Georgia. The storm soon turned toward the north and degenerated into a remnant low on the 17th over eastern Georgia. [http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/mwreviews/1987.pdf 1987 Monthly Weather Review] ]

The depression in post-season analysis became an unnamed tropical storm before landfall on the Texas-Louisiana border.

Preparations

Two warnings/watches were released in association with the tropical storm. The first was a convert|45|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on tropical storm warning on August 9 for the range of Matagorda, Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana. The second was an upgraded convert|50|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on tropical storm warning for the same area. All warnings were discontinued within a day. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1987-prelim/unnamed/ Tropical Storm Warnings for the storm] ] The unnamed tropical storm became the first storm to be given a tropical storm warning instead of regular gale warnings. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1987-prelim/unnamed/prelim01.gifStorm history part 1 from the Storm Report] ]

Impact

The storm produced moderate rainfall in Texas. The city of Steinhagen reported 24-hour rainfall of only 3½ inches. In the rest of easternmost Texas, one inch rainfall were reported. The east coast of Texas were affected by the heavier thunderstorms and gusts by the storm. No damage was reported in Texas however.

The storm produced rainfall up to 21.06" in Van Cleave, Mississippi with rainfall up to convert|12|in|mm in Columbia which inundated roads and caused twenty-five families to evacuate. Flash flooding in Mississippi raised up to 16.8' in the Jackson River, a new record from 15.9 in 1980, which caused the Biloxi and Tchoutacabouffa Rivers to overflow and caused major flooding. That flooding forced 375 people to be evacuated from the area. Flash flooding was severe in Jackson County where numerous houses were flooded and many roads were inundated by two to four foot waters. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1987-prelim/unnamed/prelim03.gifTropical Cyclone Report Page 3] ]

Rainfall accumulated throughout the storm's effects on Louisiana, with a highest report of almost 9 inches in Baker. Other stations reported moderate rainfalls as high as seven inches (178 mm) . Other areas got less rainfall with three inches (76 mm) reported in the New Orleans area. Port Allen reported convert|3.73|in|mm of rain while Watson found convert|7|in|mm. On August 12, a tropical-storm force wind was reported of 60 mph (90 km/h) in St. Tammany County. No damage was reported from the wind. [http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~67422 Event Record Details - 12 Aug 1987, 0355 CST] ] A second wind of the same magnitude was recorded an hour later. [http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~67423 Event Record Details - 12 Aug 1987, 0345 CST] ]

Rainfall in Georgia was reported by a station in Brunswick, which reported rainfall totals of convert|8.75|in|mm and 24-hour rainfalls of convert|6|in|mm. The Florida-Georgia border experienced over convert|7|in|mm of rain while the storm produced less rainfall in northern areas.

The storm as a depression moved over Alabama producing rainfalls leveling out to about 15 inches in the Mobile area while most areas got 1-7 inches. The only tornado spawned by the storm occurred in Alabama on August 12 was of F0 magnitude, but caused no damage or fatalities were reported. [http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/allhurricanes.htm Every Storm That Has Spawned a Tornado] ] [http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~3715 Event Record Details- 12 Aug 1987, 0610 CST] ]

The remnants of the storm produced light rainfall in North Carolina and South Carolina with about one to three inches (76 mm) of rain. Otherwise, no other damage was reported. Effects of the storm in Arkansas was little except for light rainfall in the eastern part of the state while the storm was over northern Louisiana. The depression of the unnamed storm tracked through Florida, leaving mainly heavy rainfall in the Florida Panhandle and northern Florida area totaling up to convert|7|in|mm.

Damages totaled out to about $7.4 million (1987 USD-$13.48 million in 2007 USD) with no fatalities reported.

ee also

*Tropical cyclone
*List of tropical cyclones
*List of Atlantic hurricanes

References

External links

* [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1987-prelim/unnamed/ Preliminary Report for the Unnamed Tropical Storm]