 Tropical Storm Harold at peak intensity while making landfall on August 22 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | August 21, 2023 |
| Dissipated | August 23, 2023 |
| Tropical storm | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 60 mph (95 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 995 mbar (hPa); 29.38 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 1 direct |
| Missing | 1 |
| Damage | $505,000 (2023 USD) |
| Areas affected | Southwestern United States, Northern Mexico |
| IBTrACS / [1][2][3][4] | |
Part of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Tropical Storm Harold was a moderate tropical storm that made landfall in South Texas in August 2023. The eighth named storm[a] of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, Harold developed from a tropical wave that entered the Gulf of Mexico on August 20, after passing through the Bahamas and South Florida. The system steadily organized over the following days, over record-warm sea-surface temperatures in the Gulf, as it progressed westward. Although the disturbance had not become organized enough to become a tropical cyclone yet, due to the threat it posed to southern Texas, the United States–based National Hurricane Center (NHC) initiated advisories on the system as Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine on August 21. The disturbance organized into a tropical depression six hours later, before strengthening into a tropical storm the following morning and receiving the name Harold. Harold continued to strengthen as it moved quickly westward, and the cyclone made landfall on Padre Island, Texas, around 15:00 UTC[b] on August 22, as a 60 mph (95 km/h) tropical storm. Harold quickly weakened as it moved inland over southern Texas and dissipated on August 23, though its remnant mid-level circulation and associated moisture affected the central United States for several more days.
Harold led to severe wind gusts and significant rainfall as it struck Texas. Corpus Christi reported 5.25 in (133 mm) of rain from Harold, including a daily record of 4.74 in (120 mm) on August 22; similarly significant rainfall was reported in northern Mexico, peaking at 4 in (100 mm) in Piedras Negras in the state of Coahuila. A modest storm surge of up to 2.2 ft (0.67 m) was reported at San Luis Pass. Wind gusts of up to 67 mph (108 km/h) affected the area, and over 35,000 electricity customers lost power during the storm. One school district in Texas had to shut down for several days following the storm due to the damage Harold inflicted on its classrooms. The remnants of Harold affected the southwestern United States for several days, producing flash flooding that killed one person and left another missing in Nevada. Overall damage from Harold was minor in most areas, however, totaling to around $505,000 (2023 USD).
- ^ Richard Pasch; Aidan Mahoney; Heather Nepaul (January 30, 2024). Tropical Cyclone Report: Tropical Storm Harold (PDF) (Report). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ Event: Tropical Storm in Coastal Kleberg County, TX, National Centers for Environmental Information, August 22, 2023, retrieved July 21, 2024
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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