We will be watching the Gulf of Mexico closely for the rest of the week, as the computer models are trying to spin up the first organized tropical system of the 2005 hurricane season. While the early season systems rarely become major hurricanes, they can be prolific rain producers. The first tropical storm of the 2001 season, Allison, is a classic example.
The tropical storm formed just off the Texas coast of the Gulf of Mexico on June 5, 2001. With sustained winds at around 60 miles per hour, well below hurricane strength, the storm was not expected to cause much damage. Coastal flooding affected Galveston as Allison made landfall. Houston sustained moderate flooding at first, which began to recede as the storm's remains drifted north toward Lufkin. On June 8, however, the storm system made an unexpected turn and by nightfall had stalled directly over Houston. This second period of rain overwhelmed southeast Texas and was responsible for catastrophic flooding.
Many areas reported upwards of 10” of rain while the Port of Houston's rain total reached 37” by the morning of June 9. Over two hundred thousand customers were without electrical power at some point during the disaster. Several hospitals at the Texas Medical Center had to evacuate their patients in total darkness after flood waters disabled emergency power generators in the basement. Also, thousands of laboratory animals at the Baylor College of Medicine perished, destroying years of medical research. Forty-one deaths are directly related to the heavy rain, flooding, tornadoes, and high surf generated by Tropical Storm Allison and its remnant subtropical circulation. The death toll by state is as follows: Texas 23, Florida 8, Pennsylvania 7, Louisiana 1, Mississippi 1, and Virginia 1. Twenty-seven of these deaths were due to drowning in freshwater flooding.
The tropical storm formed just off the Texas coast of the Gulf of Mexico on June 5, 2001. With sustained winds at around 60 miles per hour, well below hurricane strength, the storm was not expected to cause much damage. Coastal flooding affected Galveston as Allison made landfall. Houston sustained moderate flooding at first, which began to recede as the storm's remains drifted north toward Lufkin. On June 8, however, the storm system made an unexpected turn and by nightfall had stalled directly over Houston. This second period of rain overwhelmed southeast Texas and was responsible for catastrophic flooding.
Many areas reported upwards of 10” of rain while the Port of Houston's rain total reached 37” by the morning of June 9. Over two hundred thousand customers were without electrical power at some point during the disaster. Several hospitals at the Texas Medical Center had to evacuate their patients in total darkness after flood waters disabled emergency power generators in the basement. Also, thousands of laboratory animals at the Baylor College of Medicine perished, destroying years of medical research. Forty-one deaths are directly related to the heavy rain, flooding, tornadoes, and high surf generated by Tropical Storm Allison and its remnant subtropical circulation. The death toll by state is as follows: Texas 23, Florida 8, Pennsylvania 7, Louisiana 1, Mississippi 1, and Virginia 1. Twenty-seven of these deaths were due to drowning in freshwater flooding.