Brown ocean effect

Cyclone Kelvin in 2018 maintaining a clear eye over Western Australia
Before Tropical Storm Bill made landfall over Texas, eastern Texas experienced several days of rain that began flooding areas to the south east and northern parts of the state. As Tropical Storm Bill moved northward through Texas, it is hypothesized that it fed off the highly saturated ground (as if it were still over the ocean) and can be seen slightly intensifying (via winds) as it moved into Oklahoma and progressed to the northeast.

The brown ocean effect is an observed weather phenomenon involving some tropical cyclones after landfall. Normally, hurricanes and tropical storms lose strength when they make landfall, but when the brown ocean effect is in play, tropical cyclones maintain strength or even intensify over land surfaces.[1] Australia is the most conducive environment for this effect, where such storm systems are called agukabams.[2]

  1. ^ Jeff Masters; Bob Henson (15 June 2015). "Dangerous Flood Potential in Texas, Oklahoma from Invest 91L". Archived from the original on 2015-06-15. Retrieved 2015-06-15.
  2. ^ Kerry Emanuel; Jeff Callaghan; Peter Otto (2008). "A Hypothesis for the Redevelopment of Warm-Core Cyclones over Northern Australia". Monthly Weather Review. 136 (10): 3863–3872. Bibcode:2008MWRv..136.3863E. doi:10.1175/2008MWR2409.1.