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| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | July 16, 1979 |
| Dissipated | July 29, 1979 |
| Tropical storm | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 50 mph (85 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 997 mbar (hPa); 29.44 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 2 direct |
| Damage | $400 million (1979 USD) |
| Areas affected | Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio Valley, Kentucky, Virginia |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Tropical Storm Claudette was a 1979 tropical cyclone which was the third-wettest tropical cyclone on record in the contiguous United States. The storm caused significant flooding in eastern Texas and western Louisiana in July 1979. The eighth tropical cyclone and third named storm of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season, Claudette developed from a tropical wave located east of the Windward Islands on July 16. It gradually strengthened and was upgraded to a tropical storm on July 17 and crossed the northern Leeward Islands later that day. As it neared landfall in Puerto Rico early on July 18, upper-level winds weakened it back to a tropical depression. Claudette remained disorganized and the National Hurricane Center operationally reported that it degenerated back into a tropical wave after crossing Puerto Rico. Late on July 18, the depression struck Dominican Republic, emerged into the Caribbean Sea on the following day. Claudette struck western Cuba on July 21, shortly before reaching the Gulf of Mexico and "regenerating" into a tropical cyclone. By July 23, Claudette regained tropical storm intensity and turned northward toward the Gulf Coast of the United States. The storm made landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border late on July 23 as a moderately strong tropical storm. It weakened slowly and drifted over land, lasting until dissipation in West Virginia on July 29.
In the Lesser Antilles, the storm brought heavy rainfall and gusty winds to several islands. Minor flooding occurred in Guadeloupe and Saint Croix. Rainfall exceeding 10 inches (250 mm) in some areas of Puerto Rico led to widespread agricultural damage, flooded homes and streets, and one fatality; losses were estimated at $750,000 (1979 USD). Despite its passage over Hispaniola and Cuba, impact in both regions is unknown. Claudette brought record-breaking rainfall to eastern Texas. In Alvin, 42 inches (1,100 mm) of rain fell in one day, which at one point was the record 24‑hour precipitation amount for any location in the United States. Significant coastal flooding and up to 15 inches (380 mm) of rainfall was reported in Louisiana. Overall, Claudette was responsible for two deaths and $400 million (1979 USD) in damage.