&sq=&lang=&file=File:Olga_2019-10-25_1915Z.jpg) Tropical Storm Olga in the Gulf of Mexico on October 25 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | October 25, 2019 |
| Extratropical | October 25, 2019 |
| Dissipated | October 27, 2019 |
| Tropical storm | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 45 mph (75 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 998 mbar (hPa); 29.47 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 2 indirect |
| Damage | $400 million (2019 USD) |
| Areas affected | Central United States, Great Lakes region |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Tropical Storm Olga was a short-lived tropical cyclone that caused unexpectedly severe damage as a non-tropical system along its track across the Central United States in late October 2019. The storm began as a distinct tropical wave that moved off Africa on October 8 and organized into a tropical storm over the Bay of Campeche early on October 25. It moved north-northeast, transitioning into an extratropical cyclone within 12 hours. The remnants of the cyclone made landfall in central Louisiana early on October 26 and continued across the Eastern United States and into Ontario, where it dissipated on October 28.
The severity of the storm along its track from Louisiana through Tennessee caught meteorologists by surprise. Intense winds inflicted severe damage, and downed numerous trees onto homes, vehicles, and roadways. In Louisiana, power was cut to 132,000 customers statewide. A peak rainfall accumulation total of 10.24 in (260 mm) was observed near Ponchatoula, with lesser amounts across the state. The remnants of the storm continued into Mississippi, where 772 homes were damaged or lost, 26 businesses impacted, and 27 roads damaged or destroyed; effects were particularly severe in Tupelo. At least 154,000 power outages were reported across the state; in the storm's wake there, a 34-year-old man was killed cleaning tree debris, although this death was not acknowledged by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in its Tropical Cyclone Report. In Tennessee, a wide swath of winds up to 96 mph (154 km/h) resulted in nearly 65,000 power outages that forced school closures for up to two weeks in several counties, and a 63-year-old man was killed by a downed tree. Total damage along the path of the cyclone was estimated at $400 million.