Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog

Flooding swamps the Gulf Coast

Posted by: Dr. Jeff Masters, 1:28 PM GMT op 17 oktober 2006

A frontal system accompanied by copious moisture pumped in by tropical disturbance 92L dumped prodigious rains on the Gulf states yesterday. Rainfall totaled 14 inches in some regions of Texas and Louisiana (Figure 1), triggering flooding that killed three people in the Houston area. The victims challenged flood waters in their vehicles, and lost. Parts of Interstates 10 and 45 were shut down around Houston, and the University of Houston and several other schools were closed. The storm system also spawned numerous tornadoes which caused a few injuries and scattered damage. At 3am yesterday, a tornado ripped into a boat yard in Leeville, LA, hurling boats around, flipping two mobile homes, and injuring four people. Tornadoes also hit Lumberton, China, and Magnolia Beach in Texas. The threat of tornadoes continues today across the coastal regions of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, but should diminish by this afternoon as the atmosphere finally starts to stabilize.

Figure 1. Total estimated rainfall from the Lake Charles radar.

Elsewhere in the tropics
There's nothing going on, anywhere in the world. Later this week, most of the models forecast that a weak tropical storm will form in the central Atlantic northeast of Puerto Rico and move out to sea. Wind shear is expected to be light across the Caribbean and southern Gulf of Mexico most of the week, and the NOGAPS model is forecasting that a tropical storm will form in the southern Caribbean on Friday. The storm is forecast to move northwards, threatening Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and Cuba early next week. None of the other models are picking up on this, and the NOGAPS has been wrong once before this month on a similar type of forecast. Still, residents of the Caribbean, south Florida, and the Bahamas should keep an eye on possible development later this week.

I'll be back with an update Wednesday morning.

Jeff Masters

Too Close for Comfort (INNOVAGOLF)

This normally is a drastic elevation drop below a spillway from our neighborhood lake, sloping steeply from the road, to the back of the picture. The water at its deepest point is at least 15 feet. With 8-10 inches of rain since midnight, the area below our spillway has swollen. Fortunately, a break from the rain is letting everything catch up.

Power Pole 2 (texfirebug)

High winds blew trees into the lines shorting the pole.

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452. rapidintensify 12:46 PM GMT op 18 oktober 2006
Patrap, I am reporting you to Dr. Masters, your posts are totally ridiculous. When using Dr. Masters' blog, please refrain from posting material not relevant to the discussion of tropical weather, or the topic of the blog entry itself.

454. SWLAStormFanatic 12:50 PM GMT op 18 oktober 2006
Pat...you naughty boy!

455. Patrap 12:53 PM GMT op 18 oktober 2006
LOL...Okay rapid..you lil tattle tale you..LOL! Member Since: 3 juli 2005 Posts: 372 Comments: 111635

456. Patrap 12:53 PM GMT op 18 oktober 2006
gee ,Im offended..LMAO!..Gm SWLA... Member Since: 3 juli 2005 Posts: 372 Comments: 111635

457. Patrap 12:54 PM GMT op 18 oktober 2006
Micheal has never been in a Cane I presume?... Member Since: 3 juli 2005 Posts: 372 Comments: 111635

459. Patrap 1:01 PM GMT op 18 oktober 2006
Im so Happy ..Saddllegait is up & atum!...WHinnnnie! Member Since: 3 juli 2005 Posts: 372 Comments: 111635

460. Patrap 1:01 PM GMT op 18 oktober 2006
Gm Alabama Momma!..How goes it? Member Since: 3 juli 2005 Posts: 372 Comments: 111635

464. Gatorx 1:07 PM GMT op 18 oktober 2006
Rand ...I sent you mail

466. Utah2Miami 1:26 PM GMT op 18 oktober 2006
Morning everyone. RapidIntensify is a bit of a pantywaist isn't he/she?

467. HIEXPRESS 1:27 PM GMT op 18 oktober 2006
Move on - New Blog Member Since: 13 oktober 2005 Posts: 4 Comments: 2153

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