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SD Front Cvr Color OCTOBER 1998 VOLUME 40 NUMBER 10 STORMSTORM DATADATA AND UNUSUAL WEATHER PHENOMENA WITH LATE REPORTS AND CORRECTIONS NATIONAL OCEANIC AND NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER noaa ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION DATA, AND INFORMATION SERVICE ASHEVILLE, N.C. Cover: The cement slab foundation is all that remains of this home in Seguin, near Lake Placid, TX. A flash flood near San Antonio, Texas killed 25 people and caused nearly $100 Million in property and crop damage. (Photograph courtesy of Larry Eblen, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, National Weather Service, San Antonio, Texas) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Outstanding Storms of the Month ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 5 Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena ………………………………………………………………………….. 7 Additions / Corrections ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 103 Reference Notes …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 138 STORM DATA (ISSN 0039-1972) National Climatic Data Center Editor: Stephen Del Greco Assistant Editor: Stuart Hinson Editorial Staff: Noel Risnychok STORM DATA is prepared, funded, and distributed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Outstanding Storms of the Month section is prepared by the Data Operations Branch of the National Climatic Data Center. The Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena narratives and Hurricane/Tropical Storm summaries are prepared by the National Weather Service. Monthly and annual statistics and summaries of tornado and lightning events resulting in deaths, injuries, and damage are compiled by cooperative efforts between the National Climatic Data Center and the Storm Prediction Center. STORM DATA contains all confirmed information on storms available to our staff at the time of publication. However, due to difficulties inherent in the collection of this type of data, it is not all-inclusive. Late reports and corrections are printed in each edition. Maps of the National Weather Service County Warning Areas which are used in the Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena section will be printed in all editions. Except for limited editing to correct grammatical errors, materials submitted are generally published as received. Note: "None Reported" means that no severe weather occurred and "Not Received" means that no reports were received for this region at the time of printing. Subscription, pricing, and ordering information is available from: National Climatic Data Center 151 Patton Avenue Asheville, NC 28801 (828)271-4800 or (828) CLIMATE The editors of STORM DATA solicits your help in acquiring photographs (prints or slides; black and white, or color), maps, clippings, etc. of significant or unusual weather events (past or present). These could be for use in the "Outstanding Storms of the Month'' section of STORM DATA. We request our subscribers or other interested persons to mail such items to: Stuart Hinson National Climatic Data Center 151 Patton Avenue Asheville, NC 28801 Any such items received by the editor will be for use in STORM DATA only. Any other use will be with the permission of the owner of said items. Materials submitted will be returned if requested in the original submission. "I certify that this is an official publication of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and is compiled from information received at the National Climatic Data Center Asheville, North Carolina 28801-2733." Thomas R. Karl Director, National Climatic Data Center 2 The Cyclone Track Map which usually appears on this page is not available for October 1998. Should the data become available in the future, a cyclone track map will be produced and printed in a subsequent issue. 3 October 1998 Confirmed Tornadoes 4 F Scale F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F Scale F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total Number 41 13 7 1 0 0 62 F5 OUTSTANDING STORMS OF THE MONTH HEAVY RAINS CAUSE FLOODS IN SOUTH-CENTRAL TEXAS A series of upper level disturbances and an abundant supply of moisture contributed to a very heavy rain event for the San Antonio area. The moisture supplied by Hurricane Madeline, located near the tip of Baha, moved north along a slow-moving cold front that extended into the southwest United States. This combination resulted in localized flash flooding on the October 17. The front stalled near the coast resulting in continuous moderate rainfall through October 20. Most areas around San Antonio received more than 10 inches of rainfall while areas to the north and east of the city received as much as 20 inches, breaking several rainfall records. As many as 15 South Texas rivers exceeded the previously known peak flow. The flash flood resulted in 25 deaths, most (22) occurred as motorists attempted to drive their vehicles across water-covered roadways. Property and crop damage is estimated near $100 Million as hundreds of homes were destroyed and thousands were damaged. Thousands of livestock either drowned or died of exposure. (Thanks to Larry Eblen, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, National Weather Service, San Antonio, Texas for providing story and photographs) Top Left: A mobile home frame on top of a car near Cuero, Texas. Top Right: The driver of this vehicle attempted to cross a water-covered roadway near Hueco Springs. Bottom Left: The powerful flood waters pushed a mobile home on top of a bus in New Braunfels. Bottom Right: A cabin in a campground near San Antonio is displaced from its foundation. 5 Above: A satellite photograph over Texas at the time of the heavy rainfall. Cloud top temperatures were near -90 degrees centigrade, indicating very high tops with heavy rainfall. Below: An isohyet (map with lines of equal rainfall amounts) map of the San Antonio area as drawn by NWS personnel. Note the 20 inch rainfall amounts northeast of the city while less that a hundred miles away, rainfall amounts were much less. 6 Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena Time Path Path Number of Estimated October 1998 Local/ Length Width Persons Damage Location Date Standard (Miles) (Yards) Killed Injured Property Crops Character of Storm ALABAMA, North Central ALZ006 Madison 01 0000CST 0 0 0 0 Excessive Heat 31 2359CST The average monthly temperature of 65.6 degrees was the 5th warmest October on record. ALZ006 Madison 02 1500CST 0 0 0 0 Excessive Heat The record high temperature of 89 degrees was tied. Tuscaloosa County South Portion 03 1800CST 0 0 15K 0 Flash Flood 1930CST Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches were reported in a short period of time across south central Tuscaloosa county. This caused urban flooding in the city. Several cars were damaged by flood waters on McFarland Boulevard and many roads were temporarily flooded . Additional flooding was observed in the Homewood area. Lee County Smiths 07 1600CST 0 0 0 0 Hail (0.75) Dime size hail reported in Smiths. Lee County 21 SE Opelika 07 1610CST 0 0 0 0 Hail (0.88) Dime to nickel sized hail was reported north of Phenix City in extreme southeast Lee county. ALZ006 Madison 30 1600CST 0 0 0 0 Excessive Heat The high temperature of 85 degrees tied the record high for this date. ALABAMA, Southeast NONE REPORTED. ALABAMA, Southwest ALZ063 Lower Mobile 28 0010CST 0 0 5K Flood 1130CST Coastal Flooding...High swells from Hurricane Mitch developed into large waves which breached the west end of Dauphin Island. Protective sand dune structures were severely eroded in late September in this area during Hurricane Georges. Overwash developed over roads and under raised structures. Among some of the roads which became impassable during the early morning hours were St. Stephens and St. Andrews. ALASKA, Northern AKZ001>003-007 Arctic Slope Coastal - North Slopes Of Brooks Range - Lower Kobuk Valley-Northern Seward Peninsula - 23 1915AST 0 0 High Wind (G60) 25 0153AST AKZ001 Arctic Slope Coastal 24 1030AST 0 0 Blizzard 25 0226AST A strong weather front moved north over Alaska from the gulf of Alaska bringing brief strong winds to the Alaska Range (Healy: 35 mph sustained, gust 63 mph), a period of strong winds and blizzard conditions to the Arctic Slope Coastal (Barter Island: 45 mph sustained, gust 65 mph; all reporting stations carried Blizzard conditions excpet Point Lay) and strong winds to far northwetern Zone 3 (Point Hope: 56 mph sustained, gust 66 mph) and Zone 2 (Colville Village Co-Op Observer: gust to 69 mph). ALASKA, Southeast NOT RECEIVED. ALASKA, Southern AKZ016>017- Bristol Bay Coastal - Central Gulf Coast - Western Alaska Peninsula - Aleutian Islands 04 0600AST 0 0 High Wind (G66) 07 1600AST Strong northwesterly winds were reported along the back side (west side) of a moderate 982 mb, located just south of Kodiak Sunday morning. Gusts reached 76 mph at Dutch Harbor late Sunday, 53 mph Sunday night at Cold Bay and 55 mph at Cape Newenham late Sunday. By Tuesday morning, the low had weakened to 993 mbs and had drifted southeast through the Gulf of Alaska to about 71 Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena Time Path Path Number of Estimated October 1998 Local/ Length Width Persons Damage Location Date Standard (Miles) (Yards) Killed Injured Property Crops Character of Storm ALASKA, Southern 300 miles south of Cape Yakataga...however gusty winds to 40 mph were still locally recorded at the head of Passage Canal coming down from the Whittier Glacier across the town into the boat harbor. AKZ017 Central Gulf Coast 15 0000AST 0 0 High Wind (G60) 0900AST A moderate front crossed northwestward into the mainland from the northern Gulf of Alaska Thursday. Wind gusts reached close to 70 mph in portions of Prince William Sound, around Middleton Island and in the city of Cordova. AKZ018 Kodiak Island-Eastern Alaska Peninsula 15 0000AST 0 0 High Wind (G37) 2359AST Wind gusts reached 43 mph at the Kodiak ASOS. AKZ018 Kodiak Island-Eastern Alaska Peninsula 16 0000AST 0 0 High Wind (G38) 2359AST Wind gusts reached 45 mph at the Kodiak ASOS. AKZ017 Central Gulf Coast 26 0000AST 0 0 High Wind (G66) 1500AST Another front, moving northwest into the mainland from the northern Gulf of Alaska, brought strong wind gusts to a remote site in southern Prince William Sound.
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