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Tropical Storm Dean (1995)
Encyclopedia
Tropical Storm Dean was a short-lived storm that formed in late July and lasted into early August. It was the fourth named storm of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season
. It spent most of its life as a tropical depression, and briefly gained tropical storm status before its landfall on the Texas coast on July 30. After landfall, it dissipated over central Texas on August 2. The impacts from Dean were minimal, mainly due to heavy rain in Oklahoma and Texas that caused localized coastal and inland flooding. Two F0 Tornadoes touched down in Texas as a result of Dean's landfall. Also, Twenty families had to be evacuated in Chambers County, due to flooding in the area. One fatality was recorded as a result of flooding in Oklahoma. Several highways were flooded out in Oklahoma, which impeded travel in the state. In addition approximately $500,000 (1995 U.S. dollars) worth of damage was recorded in the aftermath of Dean.
situated in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico
in the last week of July. On July 27, it developed a weak upper-level circulation indicated by reports from buoy
s in the Gulf, its structure was disorganized but was in the process of organizing. The system continued to organize early on July 28, and that afternoon it developed a surface circulation. The tropical depression that spawned Dean was thought to have formed at around 1800 UTC
, July 28. It was later declared Tropical Depression Four that same day with the center located about 345 miles (555 km) southeast of New Orleans
.
At first, the depression slowly tracked westward because it was blocked by a ridge of high pressure
to the north. The system was under frequent reconnaissance
surveillance, and the depression remained poorly organized and continued to be at tropical depression status well into 29 July. The organization of the system hindered further development despite favorable conditions with low wind shear
and warm sea surface temperature
s. Late on July 29, the system began to execute a turn to the northwest with an increase in forward speed. It still remained a poorly organized tropical depression south of Louisiana
.
On July 30, the system's circulation began to organize and the first reports of tropical storm-force squalls were reported as it moved closer to the Texas coast. Based on this the National Hurricane Center
(NHC) issued tropical storm warnings for much of the Texas and Louisiana coast, from Intracoastal City, Louisiana
to Corpus Christi, Texas
. Later that afternoon it strengthened into Tropical Storm Dean while located just 70 mi (110 km) off the coast. The Hurricane Hunters
confirmed that Dean strengthened in the final hours before its landfall on the Texas coast to a 45 mph
(75 km/h) storm, and made landfall near Freeport, Texas
at 8:30 pm CDT (0130 UTC) July 31. Shortly after its landfall, Dean weakened back to tropical depression strength as it tracked further northwest into Texas. The depression stalled in central Texas on August 1 and remained there for 36 hours until the next day, dropping heavy rain over parts of the state. Late on August 2, it merged with a non-tropical front and dissipated.
The remnants of Dean eventually moved up into Oklahoma
, where it caused heavy rainfall, forcing roads to close and rescues to be made. Dean also dropped heavy rain across the Midwest states as well. Some areas in Kansas received more than seven inches of rain. Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana each had areas that received more than 5 inches
(127 mm
) of rain from Dean.
to Corpus Christi, Texas
. The warnings were up for 23 hours before landfall, and were allowed to expire at 0300 UTC July 31.
Most of the damage from Dean was concentrated in the states of Texas and Oklahoma. The damage, if any, was mainly due to the heavy rain across both states. The total cost of the damage totaled to $500,000 (1995 USD
; $707,000 2008 USD).
. Rainfall amounts of two to six inches were common throughout the eastern part of the state. In total, 38 houses were flooded in southeast Texas. The freshwater flooding resulted in the evacuation of 20 families in Chambers County. 250 people had to evacuate from their homes near Abilene, Texas
due to floodwater. The storm surge impacts were fairly minor, ranging from 3 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.8 m) above mean sea level. A portion of State Highway 87 was flooded from the storm surge, although no significant property damage was reported as a result of it. Minor beach erosion and street flooding was also reported on Galveston Island
. The highest wind gust on land was 51 mph (82 km/h) at Scholes Field. There were two tornadoes confirmed as a result of Dean. One touched down on High Island
in Galveston County
, and the other touched down near Anahuac
. Both tornadoes were rated as F0 on the Fujita scale
, with minor damage.
, and the highest amount, 12.07 inches (306.6 mm), was recorded at Great Salt Plains Dam, Oklahoma. Over 40 homes were flooded in the area by the heavy rain, and about 24 cars were found stranded in high water. Thunderstorms, associated with Dean's remnants, dumped heavy rain across the state, resulting in flash flooding in many areas. The flooding, in many areas, made travel near impossible. U.S Highway 62 in Jackson County and Highway 5 in Harmon County were both closed due to flash flooding covering their roadways. State Highway 51 was under 1.5 foot (0.4572 m) of water at times. Several other roads remained flooded and closed for several days after the arrival of Dean's remnants. One death, a small child, was reported in Hardeman County
after the child had been swept away by flood waters.
. Coden, Alabama
received 6.42 inches (163.1 mm) of rain, and Waveland, Mississippi
got 5.84 inches (148.3 mm) of rain. Dean cut a swath of heavy rain throughout the Midwest: Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan were primarily effected. Florida received heavy rainfall as well, with some areas in Central Florida getting as much as five inches of rain.
1995 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1995 Atlantic hurricane season was the third most active Atlantic hurricane season on record. It officially began on June 1, 1995, and lasted until November 30, 1995. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the north Atlantic ocean...
. It spent most of its life as a tropical depression, and briefly gained tropical storm status before its landfall on the Texas coast on July 30. After landfall, it dissipated over central Texas on August 2. The impacts from Dean were minimal, mainly due to heavy rain in Oklahoma and Texas that caused localized coastal and inland flooding. Two F0 Tornadoes touched down in Texas as a result of Dean's landfall. Also, Twenty families had to be evacuated in Chambers County, due to flooding in the area. One fatality was recorded as a result of flooding in Oklahoma. Several highways were flooded out in Oklahoma, which impeded travel in the state. In addition approximately $500,000 (1995 U.S. dollars) worth of damage was recorded in the aftermath of Dean.
Meteorological history
The precursor system that would form Dean was a stationary frontStationary front
A stationary front is a boundary between two different air masses, neither of which is strong enough to replace the other. On a weather map, this is shown by an inter-playing series of blue spikes pointing one direction and red domes pointing the other. They tend to remain essentially in the same...
situated in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
in the last week of July. On July 27, it developed a weak upper-level circulation indicated by reports from buoy
Buoy
A buoy is a floating device that can have many different purposes. It can be anchored or allowed to drift. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is now most commonly in UK English, although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation...
s in the Gulf, its structure was disorganized but was in the process of organizing. The system continued to organize early on July 28, and that afternoon it developed a surface circulation. The tropical depression that spawned Dean was thought to have formed at around 1800 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
, July 28. It was later declared Tropical Depression Four that same day with the center located about 345 miles (555 km) southeast of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
.
At first, the depression slowly tracked westward because it was blocked by a ridge of high pressure
High pressure area
A high-pressure area is a region where the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the planet is greater than its surrounding environment. Winds within high-pressure areas flow outward due to the higher density air near their center and friction with land...
to the north. The system was under frequent reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
surveillance, and the depression remained poorly organized and continued to be at tropical depression status well into 29 July. The organization of the system hindered further development despite favorable conditions with low wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
and warm sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature is the water temperature close to the oceans surface. The exact meaning of surface varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air masses in the Earth's atmosphere are highly modified by sea surface temperatures within a...
s. Late on July 29, the system began to execute a turn to the northwest with an increase in forward speed. It still remained a poorly organized tropical depression south of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
On July 30, the system's circulation began to organize and the first reports of tropical storm-force squalls were reported as it moved closer to the Texas coast. Based on this the National Hurricane Center
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
(NHC) issued tropical storm warnings for much of the Texas and Louisiana coast, from Intracoastal City, Louisiana
Intracoastal City, Louisiana
Intracoastal City is an unincorporated community in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is situated on the west bank of the Vermilion River at its junction with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and has various port facilities and some permanent residents.Intracoastal City is approximately...
to Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
. Later that afternoon it strengthened into Tropical Storm Dean while located just 70 mi (110 km) off the coast. The Hurricane Hunters
Hurricane Hunters
The Hurricane Hunters are aircraft that fly into tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic Ocean and Northeastern Pacific Ocean for the specific purpose of directly measuring weather data in and around those storms. In the United States, the Air Force, Navy, and NOAA units have all participated in...
confirmed that Dean strengthened in the final hours before its landfall on the Texas coast to a 45 mph
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
(75 km/h) storm, and made landfall near Freeport, Texas
Freeport, Texas
Freeport is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area and is situated in Southeast Texas. As of the 2000 U.S...
at 8:30 pm CDT (0130 UTC) July 31. Shortly after its landfall, Dean weakened back to tropical depression strength as it tracked further northwest into Texas. The depression stalled in central Texas on August 1 and remained there for 36 hours until the next day, dropping heavy rain over parts of the state. Late on August 2, it merged with a non-tropical front and dissipated.
The remnants of Dean eventually moved up into Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, where it caused heavy rainfall, forcing roads to close and rescues to be made. Dean also dropped heavy rain across the Midwest states as well. Some areas in Kansas received more than seven inches of rain. Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana each had areas that received more than 5 inches
Inch
An inch is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, and United States customary units. There are 36 inches in a yard and 12 inches in a foot...
(127 mm
Millimetre
The millimetre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousandth of a metre, which is the SI base unit of length....
) of rain from Dean.
Preparations
Because of Dean's proximity to land upon formation, there was little warning in advance of the storm. Tropical storm warnings were issued at 0300 UTC on July 30 from Intracoastal City, LouisianaIntracoastal City, Louisiana
Intracoastal City is an unincorporated community in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is situated on the west bank of the Vermilion River at its junction with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and has various port facilities and some permanent residents.Intracoastal City is approximately...
to Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
. The warnings were up for 23 hours before landfall, and were allowed to expire at 0300 UTC July 31.
Impact
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
; $707,000 2008 USD).
Texas
In Texas, most of the damage was due to inland flooding. Heavy rainfall of 6 to 18 inches (150 to 450 mm) was reported across a large swath of Texas. The heaviest measured amount was 17.4 inches (426 mm) near VernonVernon, Texas
Vernon is a city in Wilbarger County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 11,660; it was 11,077 in the 2005 census estimate. Vernon is the county seat of Wilbarger County....
. Rainfall amounts of two to six inches were common throughout the eastern part of the state. In total, 38 houses were flooded in southeast Texas. The freshwater flooding resulted in the evacuation of 20 families in Chambers County. 250 people had to evacuate from their homes near Abilene, Texas
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
due to floodwater. The storm surge impacts were fairly minor, ranging from 3 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.8 m) above mean sea level. A portion of State Highway 87 was flooded from the storm surge, although no significant property damage was reported as a result of it. Minor beach erosion and street flooding was also reported on Galveston Island
Galveston Island
Galveston Island is a barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast in the United States, about 50 miles southeast of Houston. The entire island, with the exception of Jamaica Beach, is within the city limits of the City of Galveston....
. The highest wind gust on land was 51 mph (82 km/h) at Scholes Field. There were two tornadoes confirmed as a result of Dean. One touched down on High Island
High Island, Texas
High Island is an unincorporated area located in the Bolivar Peninsula census-designated place, Galveston County, Texas, United States. The community is located in the extreme eastern part of the county on Bolivar Peninsula, less than one mile from Chambers County and less than two miles from...
in Galveston County
Galveston County, Texas
Galveston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population was 291,309. Its county seat is Galveston. League City is the largest city in Galveston County in terms of population; between...
, and the other touched down near Anahuac
Anahuac, Texas
Anahuac is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population of the city was 2,210 at the 2000 census. Anahuac is the seat of Chambers County and is situated in East Texas.- History :...
. Both tornadoes were rated as F0 on the Fujita scale
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
, with minor damage.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma also saw heavy rain as well from the remnants of Dean. Over 5 inches (127 mm) of rain fell in the town of StillwaterStillwater, Oklahoma
Stillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical...
, and the highest amount, 12.07 inches (306.6 mm), was recorded at Great Salt Plains Dam, Oklahoma. Over 40 homes were flooded in the area by the heavy rain, and about 24 cars were found stranded in high water. Thunderstorms, associated with Dean's remnants, dumped heavy rain across the state, resulting in flash flooding in many areas. The flooding, in many areas, made travel near impossible. U.S Highway 62 in Jackson County and Highway 5 in Harmon County were both closed due to flash flooding covering their roadways. State Highway 51 was under 1.5 foot (0.4572 m) of water at times. Several other roads remained flooded and closed for several days after the arrival of Dean's remnants. One death, a small child, was reported in Hardeman County
Hardeman County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,724 people, 1,943 households, and 1,319 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile . There were 2,358 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile...
after the child had been swept away by flood waters.
Rest of the United States
Other parts of the U.S. received significant rainfall from Dean. Heavy rain was recorded in Louisiana, where 7.04 inches (17.9 cm) of rain fell in GallianoGalliano, Louisiana
Galliano is a census-designated place on the Bayou Lafourche in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP population was 7,356...
. Coden, Alabama
Coden, Alabama
Coden is an unincorporated coastal fishing village in southern Mobile County, Alabama. Located near Bayou la Batre, it is across the Mississippi Sound from Dauphin Island.-History:...
received 6.42 inches (163.1 mm) of rain, and Waveland, Mississippi
Waveland, Mississippi
Waveland is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The City of Waveland was incorporated in 1972. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 6,674...
got 5.84 inches (148.3 mm) of rain. Dean cut a swath of heavy rain throughout the Midwest: Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan were primarily effected. Florida received heavy rainfall as well, with some areas in Central Florida getting as much as five inches of rain.
See also
- Other storms of the same name
- List of Texas hurricanes
- List of wettest tropical cyclones in the United States
- Timeline of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane seasonTimeline of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane seasonThis timeline documents all the storm formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, as well as dissipation during the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season. The season officially began on June 1, 1995, and ended on November 30, and no storms formed off-season...