Tropical Storm Bill (2003)

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Tropical Storm Bill
Tropical Storm Bill at peak intensity on June 30
Meteorological history
FormedJune 29, 2003 (2003-06-29)
DissipatedJuly 3, 2003 (2003-07-03)
Tropical storm
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds60 mph (95 km/h)
Lowest pressure997 mbar (hPa); 29.44 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities4 direct
Damage$50.5 million (2003 USD)
Areas affectedMexico, Gulf Coast of the United States, Southeastern United States
IBTrACSEdit this at Wikidata
Part of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season

Tropical Storm Bill was a tropical storm that affected the Gulf Coast of the United States in the summer of 2003. The second storm of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season, Bill developed from a tropical wave on June 29 to the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. It slowly organized as it moved northward, and reached a peak of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) shortly before making landfall in south-central Louisiana. Bill quickly weakened over land, and as it accelerated to the northeast, moisture from the storm, combined with cold air from an approaching cold front, produced an outbreak of 34 tornadoes. Bill became extratropical on July 2, and was absorbed by the cold front later that day.

Upon making landfall on Louisiana, the storm produced a moderate

surf in Florida. Further inland, tornadoes from the storm produced localized moderate damage. Throughout its path, Tropical Storm Bill caused around $50 million in damage (2003 USD
) and four deaths.

Meteorological history

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Map key
Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

A

low pressure area, though land interaction prevented further development as it moved towards the Yucatán Peninsula.[3] The area of low pressure became better defined over the central Yucatán Peninsula, and after the system turned to the northwest, convection quickly organized while located over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. On June 29, following the development of a closed circulation, the system organized into Tropical Depression Three while located about 40 miles (64 km) north of Progreso, Yucatán.[4]

Radar image of Tropical Storm Bill's landfall in Louisiana

The depression quickly strengthened to become Tropical Storm Bill later on June 29. Operationally, the

hurricane status if the low level circulation organized beneath the area of deepest convection. Bill turned to the north-northwest, and later to the north, as it moved around the periphery of a ridge of high pressure.[6] On June 30, Tropical Storm Bill reached a peak intensity of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h), one hour before making landfall in southwestern Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. It moved onshore at peak intensity, and quickly weakened to a depression over land as it accelerated to the northeast. Bill remained a tropical cyclone as it moved through the southeast United States,[4] until it became attached to an approaching cold front on July 2 near the Tennessee–Virginia border.[7] The remnant extratropical storm was absorbed by the cold front on July 3 near central Virginia,[4] while the remnant low pressure area continued northeastward until reaching the Atlantic Ocean later on July 3.[8]

Preparations

Shortly after the storm formed, the

hurricane watch from Intracoastal City to Morgan City, but it was discontinued when Tropical Storm Bill failed to strengthen.[4] Prior the storm making landfall, local National Weather Service offices issued flash flood watches and a tornado watch for large portions of the Gulf Coast.[9]

The threat of Tropical Storm Bill caused 41 oil platforms and 11 oil rigs to evacuate. This resulted in a loss of production of over 71 thousand barrels (11,300 m3) of oil and 610 million cubic feet (17,000,000 m3) of gas.[10]

The

Mike Foster declared a statewide state of emergency to easily make state resources available, and Mississippi Governor Ronnie Musgrove made a similar declaration for Harrison, Hancock, and Jackson Counties, where shelters were also opened.[12] Officials in Mississippi ordered the evacuation of flood-prone areas in anticipation for a moderate storm surge and above-normal tides.[9]

Impact

Bill caused four direct deaths along its path, as well as minor to moderate damage. Damage estimates totaled to over $50 million (2003 USD, $82.8 million 2024 USD), primarily as a result of flooding or tornadic damage. Throughout its path, Bill spawned 34

Yucatán, and over 3 inches (76 mm) in Campeche.[16]

Western Gulf Coast

Rainfall totals from Tropical Storm Bill

The outer

Bolivar Peninsula.[17]

A moderate storm surge accompanied Tropical Storm Bill as it made landfall on Louisiana. In the state, the maximum reported surge was 5.8 feet (1.8 m), and it occurred at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium facility in Chauvin.[18] In Montegut, the surge breached a levee which was still damaged from the effects of Hurricane Lili 9 months before. The breach flooded many homes in the town,[19] forcing the evacuation of an entire neighborhood.[20] As a result, 150 homes in the town were damaged, with half of them severely.[21] The storm surge affected numerous low-lying cities in southeastern Louisiana by flooding roadways,[19] including the only road to Grand Isle, stranding residents and visitors. The road was opened a day after the storm as floodwaters receded.[22] The floodwaters entered a few homes and businesses in St. Tammany Parish. Damage from the storm surge totaled $4.1 million (2003 USD).[19] Rough waves sank two boats offshore; their occupants were rescued.[22]

The tornado outbreak associated with the storm began with an

Orleans Parish, damaging a car and a portion of a roof.[25]

Winds of 35 to 45 mph (56–72 km/h) were common across southeastern Louisiana, with the highest sustained wind being 53 miles per hour (85 km/h) in Chauvin and a peak gust of 62 miles per hour (100 km/h) on the northern end of the

Bogue Falaya River crested at 57 feet (17 m) on July 1, 12 feet (3.7 m) above flood stage, which became a record for the recording station.[26] The flooding damaged several structures and roadways. Less severe river flooding occurred in Washington and Livingston Parishes.[29] In all, damage in Louisiana totaled to $44 million (2003 USD, $72.9 million 2024 USD).[18]

Eastern Gulf Coast

Fujita scale
Scale Speed Damage
F0 < 73 mph Light
F1 73–112 mph Moderate
F2 113–157 mph Considerable
F3 158–206 mph Severe
F4 207–260 mph Devastating
F5 261–318 mph Incredible

Upon making landfall, Bill produced a peak

Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, while the airport and Keesler Air Force Base both reported a peak wind gust of 52 miles per hour (84 km/h). Tropical Storm Bill dropped moderate to heavy rainfall across the state, peaking at 9.49 inches (241 mm) in Van Cleave.[30] The moderate wind gusts, along with the saturated ground, downed trees in several locations. 34 roads in Pike and Walthall Counties were blocked by fallen trees, and two homes were damaged.[32] Additionally, power outages were reported near the coast.[4] The rainfall flooded streets in various portions of the state[33][34] and led to overflown rivers.[30] An overflown creek in Pearl River County flooded structures and roadways.[35] The outer rainbands of Bill produced a weak tornado that touched down briefly in Waveland, blowing down several trees which resulted in minor damage to roofs.[36] Statewide damage accrued to $5 million (2003 USD, $8.28 million 2024 USD), primarily from flooding.[30]

As Tropical Storm Bill made landfall on Louisiana, its effects were felt in the

Dauphin Island and portions of a road along Mobile Bay.[37] Bill dropped over 3 inches (76 mm) of rain across the southern half of Alabama,[38] with isolated locations receiving over 8 inches (200 mm). Due to wet conditions for months preceding the storm, rainfall from Bill led to flash flooding in many counties. The deluge led to overflown rivers and streams, and left several roadways temporarily impassable from high floodwaters. Saturated grounds and wind gusts of 30 to 35 mph (48–56 km/h) downed numerous trees. Many downed trees landed on power lines, which caused power outages for around 19,000 people. One downed tree destroyed a car, and another damaged a roof of a house. In Lee County, a man was required to be rescued after driving through high flood waters.[39] Roadway flooding resulted in a few minor traffic accidents.[9] Also, the outer bands of the storm spawned an F1 tornado in Crenshaw County. Early in its path, it was narrow, and damage was limited to downed trees, two destroyed sheds, and a few houses experiencing light shingle damage or damage from fallen trees. Later, it expanded to reach a width of 1,800 feet (550 m) as it moved northwestward. The tornado destroyed the roofs of two houses, one of which experienced damage to its walls. The tornado dissipated eight minutes after its 3 miles (4.8 km) path began, resulting in $200,000 in damage (2003 USD, $331,259 2024 USD) and only slight injuries[40] A second tornado, rated F0 in the Fujita scale, occurred in southwestern Montgomery County. A small tornado with a width of only 180 feet (55 m), it moved to the northwest and tore down a few trees that fell onto a mobile home, a house, and two cars. The tornado dissipated six minutes after its 5 miles (8.0 km) path began.[41] Throughout Alabama, Tropical Storm Bill caused around $300,000 in damage (2003 USD, $496,889 2024 USD).[39][40][41]

Rainfall from the storm began affecting

Florida Panhandle, Bill dropped over 8 inches (200 mm) of rain as it made landfall,[42] closing several roads[43] or leaving them impassable due to flooding.[42] A stationary line of thunderstorms in Okaloosa County produced downpours of up to 6 inches (150 mm) in one hour, resulting in flash flooding which washed out a portion of a bridge.[44] In Bay County, heavy rainfall and flooding damaged 40 homes, while several residents in an apartment in Parker needed to be rescued by boat from the floodwaters.[45] Rough surf produced by the storm killed two swimmers at Panama City Beach, while a dozen had to be rescued.[46] Part of the tornado outbreak spawned by the storm extended into northern Florida.[47] Damage in Florida totaled to around $1 million (2003 USD, $1.66 million 2024 USD).[44][45]

Southeastern U.S.

Damaged trees from tornado in Morgan County

Tropical Storm Bill dropped light rainfall of around 1 inch (25 mm) in northeastern

Atlanta died due to a falling tree.[4] Damage in Georgia totaled to $244,500 (2003 USD, $404,964 2024 USD).[50][53][54]

Tornado damage in Hampton, South Carolina

The tornado outbreak spawned by Bill was the greatest in the Charleston, South Carolina National Weather Service area since the outbreak provoked by Hurricane Earl in 1998. One such tornado was an F1 that struck Hampton,[14] which uprooted trees and downed power lines. The tornado severely damaged a Dollar General store, while several houses were damaged from fallen trees.[55] An F1 tornado also touched down near Smoaks, which uprooted several trees, resulted in a crushed car due to a fallen tree, caused severe roof damage to a mobile home, and killed one dog.[56] The storm produced heavy rainfall in the northern portion of the state, with some locations reporting over 7 inches (180 mm).[38] The rainfall resulted in flash flooding in areas, which caused some damage.[57]

In

Mid-Atlantic, including over 5 inches (130 mm) in central Virginia.[38] In Virginia, a line of thunderstorms from the system produced small amounts of hail in Falls Church.[58] The tornado outbreak associated with Bill ended in New Jersey;[47] a narrow F0 tornado briefly touched down in a marsh near Goshen. The tornado remained away from the city, and caused no damage or injuries.[59]

Aftermath

By one day after the storm, power companies restored electricity to 151,000 customers. Citizens in Montegut circulated a petition for a class-action lawsuit in response to the levee failure.[22] The American Red Cross set up a church in Reserve as an emergency shelter. Only five people stayed the first night, resulting in the organization to convert it to a family services center. Over 100 families asked for food assistance. The Red Cross also set up a shelter in Houma, where 14 people stayed.[21]

See also

References

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  2. ^ Richard J. Pasch (2003). "June 25 Tropical Weather Outlook". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 18, 2006.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Lixion A. Avila (2003). "June 27 Tropical Weather Outlook". Retrieved October 18, 2006.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lixion A. Avila (2003). "Tropical Storm Bill Tropical Cyclone Report" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  5. ^ Miles B. Lawrence (2003). "Tropical Storm Bill Discussion One". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 18, 2006.
  6. ^ Stacy R. Stewart (2003). "Tropical Storm Bill Discussion Three". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 18, 2006.
  7. ^ Pamela Szatanek (2003). "Extratropical cyclone Bill Public Advisory Thirteen". Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. Archived from the original on October 8, 2006. Retrieved October 18, 2006.
  8. ^ Doug Hilderbrand (2003). "Extratropical Cyclone Bill Public Advisory Seventeen". HPC. Archived from the original on October 8, 2006. Retrieved October 18, 2006.
  9. ^ a b c d Bonnie Gillespie (2003). "Tropical Storm Bill Roars Ashore in Louisiana". RedCross.org. Archived from the original on October 14, 2006. Retrieved October 19, 2006.
  10. ^ U.S. Department of the Interior (2003). "Tropical Storm Bill Evacuation and Production Shut In Statistics for July 2, 2003". Archived from the original on September 21, 2008. Retrieved October 19, 2006.
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  12. ^ "Tropical Storm Bill Drenches Gulf Coast". CNN. June 30, 2003. Retrieved October 19, 2006.
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  15. ^ Jeff Dobur (2003). "Tornado and Damaging Wind Strike Morgan County, Georgia". Peachtree City, GA National Weather Service. Archived from the original on March 27, 2005. Retrieved October 20, 2006.
  16. ^ Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (2003). "Tormenta Tropical "Bill" del Océano Atlántico" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on October 4, 2006. Retrieved October 20, 2006.
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External links

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