Tropical Storm Felice

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Tropical Storm Felice
Type=Tropical storm
Year=1970
Basin=Atl
Image location=Tropical_Storm_Felice.jpg


Formed=September 12, 1970
Dissipated=September 17, 1970
1-min winds=60
Pressure=997
Da

Inflated=
Fatalities=none
Areas=Bahamas, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Central United States
Hurricane season=1970 Atlantic hurricane season

Tropical Storm Felice was a mid-September tropical storm that formed during the 1970 Atlantic hurricane season. The seventh tropical cyclone of the 1970 season, Felice formed over the Bahamas as a tropical depression on September 12 and crossed southern Florida where it reached tropical storm strength in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm traveled northwest peaking at 70 mph (110 km/h) where it made landfall near High Island, Texas. After landfall, Felice recurved and moved inland over central and northern Texas as a tropical depression before dissipating on September 17.

Tropical Storm Felice dropped heavy rainfall across southern Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The resulting rainfall caused minor flood damage and there were no fatalities or injuries as a result of Felice's impact on the United States.

Meteorological history

An upper level low persisted over the Bahamas where it became a tropical depression on September 12.cite web|author=R.H. Simpson and Joseph M. Pelisser|year=1971|title=Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1970|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2008-01-11|url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/mwreviews/1970.pdf] cite web|author=Unisys|year=2007|title=Tropical Storm Felice 1970 Best track data|accessdate=2008-01-11|url=http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1970/FELICE/track.dat] The depression drifted southwestward bypassing southern Florida and the Florida Keys.Initially, the depression was not forecast to strengthened rapidly into a tropical storm due to unfavorable conditions around it.cite web|author=Associated Press|year=1970|title=New Tropical Depression|publisher=Big Spring Daily Herald|accessdate=2008-01-15|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] The tropical depression then turned northwestward where it slowly reached tropical storm strength on September 14 and was named "Felice" by the National Hurricane Center.

The following day, the winds of Felice increased to 55 mph (89 km/h) as the center of the storm was located 300 miles (482 km) southeast of Louisiana. The winds of Felice extended for 100 miles (161 km) to the north of the center as the storm continued on its west-northwest track at speeds of 14-15 mph (23-24 km/h).cite web|author=Associated Press|year=1970|title=Felice's Winds 55 MPH|publisher=Galveston Daily News|accessdate=2008-01-15|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] Because Felice was a poorly organized tropical storm in its early stages, forecasters had a difficult time to track its movement. Initially, forecasters thought that a new center had formed north of the previous track based on data from a radar station in New Orleans, however that claim was rejected because of technical problems and the poor organization of the storm. As Felice continued moving northwest, meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center initially forecast the storm to reach hurricane strength in the next 24 hours.cite web|author=Associated Press|year=1970|title=Felice Builds Up Strength in Gulf|publisher=Advocate|accessdate=2008-01-16|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] However, strengthening was slow since the storm was still poorly organized. Despite this, Felice's winds continue to strengthen to 60 mph (97 km/h) as the storm continued to move west-northwest at 18 mph (29 km/h)cite web|author=Associated Press|year=1970|title=Tropical Storm Felice Approaches the Gulf Coast|publisher=Big Spring Daily Herald|accessdate=2008-01-28|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] as the storm moved 130 miles south of New Orleans, Louisiana.cite web|author=Associated Press|year=1970|title=Felice Splits in Two, Still Packs Punch|publisher=Star-News|accessdate=2008-01-30|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] Felice's winds peaked at 70 mph and the pressure fell to 997 millibars as the storm made landfall near High Island. After making landfall, Felice turned northward and crossed northern Texas and drifted over southeastern Oklahoma where radars at the Storm Prediction Center (then known as the National Severe Storms Laboratory) in Norman, Oklahoma depicted the dying storm having an eye-like structure.cite web|author=Edward A. Jessup|year=1970|title=Picture of the Month: Tropical Storm Felice over Oklahoma|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2008-02-01|url=http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/099/mwr-099-04-0278.pdf] Felice then dissipated on September 17 as result of cooler air entering the storm.

Preparations

The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch extending from Morgan City, Louisiana to Galveston, Texas. Residents living along the Texas coastline were advised to take precautions and boats and small water craft were advised to remain in port. Meteorologists also forecast the storm to bring gusty winds to the Mississippi coastline. In Jefferson County, Texas, officials urged residents to evacuate early if the storm intensifies fearing that last minute evacuation would make Highway 59 impassable because an alternate evacuation route was closed due to fire resulting from a collision between a boat and barge two days earlier. [cite web|author=Associated Press|year=1970|title=Felice Aims Big Winds, Tides at Texas-Louisiana Coast|publisher=San Antonio Express|accessdate=2008-02-06|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] In Sabine Pass, the approach of the storm forced the evacuation of 1,200 residents living in low lying areas. In Cameron, Louisiana, 3,000 residents evacuated. [cite web|author=Associated Press|year=1970|title=3,000 Flee Storm Pushing Toward Louisiana Coast|publisher=The Anderson Herald|accessdate=2008-02-07|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
]

Impact and naming

Felice affected the Bahamas and southern |year=1970|title=Wind Reports from Grand Chenier, Louisiana|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2008-02-11|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/_cdmp_scanning/dvd0035-jpg/1970/atlantic/felice/postevent/maxwind.jpg]

In Texas, Felice brought high winds and heavy rains. In .

Because the damage from Felice was minimal, the name was not retired from by the National Hurricane Center and was on the list of tropical cyclone names for the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season but was never used. In 1979 a change in the hurricane naming list for the Atlantic basin prevented further use of the name Felice and as a result this is the first and only use of the name.

ee also

*list of notable tropical cyclones
*List of Texas hurricanes

References