The 2001 North Atlantic Hurricane Season wasted no time in getting started as Tropical Storm Allison formed quickly in an area of disturbed weather over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico on just the fifth day of the season. Allison would make landfall near Houston with top winds near sixty mph, but the main impact from the storm would be heavy rains. The storm circulation would remain intact over land for nearly two weeks, dumping nearly thirty six inches of rain in parts of the Houston area and up to twenty five inches over parts of Southeast Louisiana. The 35.94 inches of rain that fell at Greens Bayou, near Houston, is the third highest rainfall total in U.S. history, behind the forty five inches that fell from 1979’s Tropical Storm Claudette and the forty inches that fell at Thrall, Texas in 1921. The 29.86 inches of rain that fell at Thibodeaux LA ranks as one of the top five storm total rainfalls in Louisiana history. Baton Rouge LA picked up 21.36 inches rain for the month, nearing breaking their all time June record.
Catastrophic flooding occurred in the Houston area. More flooding would occur from Georgia to Pennsylvania as the remnants of Allison slowly spun into the Mid Atlantic states. Twenty two people would die from the floods and some tornadoes in Texas and Louisiana and another nine in Florida with four storm-related deaths in Philadelphia. Allison would become the costliest Tropical Storm in United States history, with damages totalling near $2.5 billion.
Catastrophic flooding occurred in the Houston area. More flooding would occur from Georgia to Pennsylvania as the remnants of Allison slowly spun into the Mid Atlantic states. Twenty two people would die from the floods and some tornadoes in Texas and Louisiana and another nine in Florida with four storm-related deaths in Philadelphia. Allison would become the costliest Tropical Storm in United States history, with damages totalling near $2.5 billion.