 Tropical Storm Imelda off the coast of Texas on September 17 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 17, 2019 |
| Dissipated | September 19, 2019 |
| Tropical storm | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 45 mph (75 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 1003 mbar (hPa); 29.62 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 7 |
| Damage | $5 billion (2019 USD) |
| Areas affected | Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Tropical Storm Imelda was a tropical cyclone which was the fourth-wettest storm on record in the U.S. state of Texas, causing devastating and record-breaking floods in southeast Texas. The eleventh tropical cyclone and ninth named storm of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season, Imelda formed out of an upper-level low that developed in the Gulf of Mexico and moved westward. Little development occurred until the system was near the Texas coastline, where it rapidly developed into a tropical storm before moving ashore shortly afterward on September 17. Imelda weakened after landfall, but continued bringing large amounts of flooding rain to Texas and Louisiana, before dissipating on September 21.
Impacts began when Imelda made landfall as a weak tropical storm. The system brought heavy rain and dangerous flooding to parts of southeastern Texas (especially the cities of Galveston and Beaumont) as its motion gradually slowed over land. Dozens of water rescues were needed by September 19 as areas became overwhelmed by the rainfall, with some areas experiencing over 43 inches (1,100 mm) of rain. Total damage is estimated in excess of $5 billion (2019 USD).[1] Despite the storm causing substantial damage, the name Imelda was not retired following the season, making Imelda the second-costliest Atlantic tropical cyclone name on record to not be retired, with the costliest being Hurricane Sally the following year.[2][3][4]
- ^ "2010-2019: A landmark decade of U.S. billion-dollar weather and climate disasters". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ Jeff Masters (March 19, 2021). "WMO: Atlantic hurricanes no longer to receive names from Greek alphabet". Yale Climate Connections. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
- ^ Amanda Cochran; Frank Billingsly (March 19, 2021). "No Retirement for "Imelda"". Click2Houston. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ^ "These 2019 and 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Names Were Not Retired, But Were Strong Candidates | The Weather Channel - Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com". The Weather Channel. Retrieved March 21, 2021.