.gif)
Hurricane Bob (1979)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Bob was a minimal hurricane that brought rainfall throughout several states, killing one person and causing over $20 million (1979 USD; $59 million (2008 USD)) in damage. Bob was the fifth tropical depression, second named storm, and first hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season
. The same area would be affected by Tropical Storm Claudette
and Hurricane Frederic
later in the season.
The hurricane formed as tropical depression from a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico on July 9. When the depression was named Tropical Storm Bob on July 10, it was the first storm to be given a male name since 1952 when the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet
was replaced with female names. Also the first July hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico
since July 1959, Bob continued to strengthen into the Gulf, attaining peak winds of 75 mph (115 km/h). The hurricane struck land near Grand Isle, Louisiana
, on July 11, and continued northward over the United States
. The cyclone eventually emerged over open water on July 15, but failed to restrengthen. The storm finally dissipated on July 16.
. It passed over the Yucatan Peninsula
on July 7 and entered the Gulf of Mexico
. A weak circulation began to form, and the disturbance was upgraded into a tropical depression on July 9.
An Air Force reconnaissance aircraft reported that a tropical storm was forming on the morning of July 10, while Tropical Depression Five was 400 miles (645 km) off the coast of Louisiana
. The depression moved to the north and attained tropical storm status at 0600 UTC on July 10, and as such, was named Bob. Bob made a gradual turn to the northeast, increasing its forward speed to 20 mph (24 km/h). More reconnaissance flights reported a drop in pressure and an increase in winds, now at about 70 –80 mph (110–130 km/h). The storm intensified into a minimal hurricane late on July 10, maintaining that strength until making landfall at Grand Isle, Louisiana
on the morning of July 11.
Bob moved inland into the Mississippi Valley and weakened, tracking to the northeast with wind speeds of around 25–30 mph (30–35 km/h). Bob reached western Tennessee
on July 12 and parts of Ohio
the next day. A few days later, the remnants reached the Atlantic Ocean
, and was absorbed by a low-pressure system on July 16.
on July 10, as the hurricane strengthened and moved towards land. Thousands of natural gas and oil rigs exist in the Gulf, many of which were abandoned and shut down. Natural gas production was halted in some of the evacuations, causing problems for residents evacuating the Gulf Coast.
Pumps in New Orleans, Louisiana
, a city below sea level, were prepared for heavy usage. Because the storm formed so quickly and very close to shore, workers had quickly put their hurricane evacuation plans into order. People were forced to be evacuated to higher ground immediately. Public schools were shut down and Charity Hospital
's 150 outpatient clinics, which handles over 1400 patients, were canceled. Throughout a large stretch from New Iberia to the Louisiana border, evacuation orders were posted. Flash flood warnings were issued for southeastern Louisiana
, in anticipation of significant flooding.
sent a helicopter to rescue the party. Another helicopter was sent to check on a disabled vehicle, though no details were reported.
Rainfall peaked at the Springville Fire Tower in Louisiana, where over 7 in (177.8 mm) fell. Over 53,000 power failures were reported in the wake of Bob. The only reported death was a man who was blown off a collapsing marina roof in Lafitte, Louisiana
. In the same incident, another person was injured. There was considerable pier damage from high tides and rough seas. Trees and power lines fell throughout New Orleans with gusty winds breaking windows in the business district and collapsing a brick wall. Billboards at New Orleans International Airport
were torn off of buildings and knocked small metal houses away, though no injuries were reported. Pounding surf blew sand throughout Louisiana Highway 1
, which resulted in the road being closed due to sand dunes. The Lafourche Bayou topped its banks in Leeville, Louisiana, blocking the main highway and littering the area with logs, timber, oil drums and swamped boats. Bob breached Shell Island in Louisiana, which further deteriorated the island.
Birmingham Airport in Alabama
reported over 3 in (75 mm) of rainfall within an hour. Eight tornado
es were reported but only one caused severe damage while sweeping through Biloxi, Mississippi
. Damage from the tornado is estimated at $27,500 (1979 USD; $76,720 in 2006 USD) but no fatalities were reported. A tornado in southern Alabama injured and hospitalized four people; an 80 year-old man was hospitalized after another tornado demolished a general store in South Community, Alabama. Three other people were injured in the tornado, but none of the injuries were serious.
Elsewhere, rainfall was around 1 in (25 mm) in parts of Arkansas
, Missouri
, Tennessee
, Kentucky
, western Virginia
and Ohio
, though up to 3 in (75 mm) fell on the Florida Panhandle
. North Carolina
received little rainfall, peaking at about 3 in (75 mm) where Bob entered the Atlantic Ocean
. Flooding was considerable in West Virginia
, Indiana
and Ohio
. A tornado touched down in Kentucky
from the remnants of Bob, which damaged some homes and left downed trees.
Total damage from Bob totaled to $20 million (1979 USD; $59 million (2008 USD)). $250,000 (1979 USD; $742,000 in 2006 USD) in damage occurred in Harrison County, Mississippi
alone.
1979 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1979 Atlantic hurricane season was the first in which the Atlantic hurricane naming list included both male and female names. It officially began on June 1 and lasted until November 30, and there was tropical cyclone activity in every month. The dates conventionally delimit the period of each...
. The same area would be affected by Tropical Storm Claudette
Tropical Storm Claudette (1979)
Tropical Storm Claudette was a long living tropical storm that produced heavy rain across Puerto Rico and Texas in late July 1979. The storm killed 2 people and left $1.1 billion in damage...
and Hurricane Frederic
Hurricane Frederic
Hurricane Frederic was the sixth tropical cyclone, third hurricane and second major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. Frederic was the costliest hurricane to ever hit the U.S. Gulf Coast at that particular time...
later in the season.
The hurricane formed as tropical depression from a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico on July 9. When the depression was named Tropical Storm Bob on July 10, it was the first storm to be given a male name since 1952 when the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet
Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet
The Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet was a radio alphabet developed in 1941 and was used by all branches of the United States military until the promulgation of the ICAO spelling alphabet in 1956, which replaced it...
was replaced with female names. Also the first July hurricane in the 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...
since July 1959, Bob continued to strengthen into the Gulf, attaining peak winds of 75 mph (115 km/h). The hurricane struck land near Grand Isle, Louisiana
Grand Isle, Louisiana
Grand Isle is a town in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, located on a barrier island of the same name in the Gulf of Mexico. The island is at the mouth of Barataria Bay where it meets the gulf. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,541; during summers, the population sometimes increases to...
, on July 11, and continued northward over the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The cyclone eventually emerged over open water on July 15, but failed to restrengthen. The storm finally dissipated on July 16.
Meteorological history
A tropical disturbance formed off the African coast on the last week of June 1979. The disturbance showed no signs of organization until July 6, when the system entered the Caribbean SeaCaribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
. It passed over the Yucatan Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
on July 7 and entered the 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...
. A weak circulation began to form, and the disturbance was upgraded into a tropical depression on July 9.
An Air Force reconnaissance aircraft reported that a tropical storm was forming on the morning of July 10, while Tropical Depression Five was 400 miles (645 km) off the coast 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...
. The depression moved to the north and attained tropical storm status at 0600 UTC on July 10, and as such, was named Bob. Bob made a gradual turn to the northeast, increasing its forward speed to 20 mph (24 km/h). More reconnaissance flights reported a drop in pressure and an increase in winds, now at about 70 –80 mph (110–130 km/h). The storm intensified into a minimal hurricane late on July 10, maintaining that strength until making landfall at Grand Isle, Louisiana
Grand Isle, Louisiana
Grand Isle is a town in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, located on a barrier island of the same name in the Gulf of Mexico. The island is at the mouth of Barataria Bay where it meets the gulf. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,541; during summers, the population sometimes increases to...
on the morning of July 11.
Bob moved inland into the Mississippi Valley and weakened, tracking to the northeast with wind speeds of around 25–30 mph (30–35 km/h). Bob reached western Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
on July 12 and parts of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
the next day. A few days later, the remnants reached the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, and was absorbed by a low-pressure system on July 16.
Preparations
The storm forced the evacuation of 8,000 workers from oil rigs in the Gulf of MexicoGulf 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...
on July 10, as the hurricane strengthened and moved towards land. Thousands of natural gas and oil rigs exist in the Gulf, many of which were abandoned and shut down. Natural gas production was halted in some of the evacuations, causing problems for residents evacuating the Gulf Coast.
Pumps in New Orleans, Louisiana
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...
, a city below sea level, were prepared for heavy usage. Because the storm formed so quickly and very close to shore, workers had quickly put their hurricane evacuation plans into order. People were forced to be evacuated to higher ground immediately. Public schools were shut down and Charity Hospital
Charity Hospital
Charity Hospital was one of two teaching hospitals which were part of the Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans . Three weeks after the events of Hurricane Katrina, then Governor Kathleen Blanco said that Charity Hospital would not reopen, even though the military had scrubbed the building to...
's 150 outpatient clinics, which handles over 1400 patients, were canceled. Throughout a large stretch from New Iberia to the Louisiana border, evacuation orders were posted. Flash flood warnings were issued for southeastern 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...
, in anticipation of significant flooding.
Impact
In open waters a fishing party was caught in the midst of Bob; the Coast GuardCoast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
sent a helicopter to rescue the party. Another helicopter was sent to check on a disabled vehicle, though no details were reported.
Rainfall peaked at the Springville Fire Tower in Louisiana, where over 7 in (177.8 mm) fell. Over 53,000 power failures were reported in the wake of Bob. The only reported death was a man who was blown off a collapsing marina roof in Lafitte, Louisiana
Lafitte, Louisiana
Lafitte is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,576 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. In the same incident, another person was injured. There was considerable pier damage from high tides and rough seas. Trees and power lines fell throughout New Orleans with gusty winds breaking windows in the business district and collapsing a brick wall. Billboards at New Orleans International Airport
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is a Class B public use international airport in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is owned by the City of New Orleans and is located 10 nautical miles west of its central business district. The airport's address is 900 Airline Drive...
were torn off of buildings and knocked small metal houses away, though no injuries were reported. Pounding surf blew sand throughout Louisiana Highway 1
Louisiana Highway 1
Louisiana Highway 1 is a state highway in Louisiana. At 436.20 miles , it is the longest numbered highway of any class in Louisiana. It runs diagonally across the state, connecting the oil and gas fields near the island of Grand Isle with the northwest corner of the state, north of Shreveport.The...
, which resulted in the road being closed due to sand dunes. The Lafourche Bayou topped its banks in Leeville, Louisiana, blocking the main highway and littering the area with logs, timber, oil drums and swamped boats. Bob breached Shell Island in Louisiana, which further deteriorated the island.
Birmingham Airport in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
reported over 3 in (75 mm) of rainfall within an hour. Eight tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
es were reported but only one caused severe damage while sweeping through Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....
. Damage from the tornado is estimated at $27,500 (1979 USD; $76,720 in 2006 USD) but no fatalities were reported. A tornado in southern Alabama injured and hospitalized four people; an 80 year-old man was hospitalized after another tornado demolished a general store in South Community, Alabama. Three other people were injured in the tornado, but none of the injuries were serious.
Elsewhere, rainfall was around 1 in (25 mm) in parts of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, western Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, though up to 3 in (75 mm) fell on the Florida Panhandle
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
. North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
received little rainfall, peaking at about 3 in (75 mm) where Bob entered the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Flooding was considerable in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. A tornado touched down in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
from the remnants of Bob, which damaged some homes and left downed trees.
Total damage from Bob totaled to $20 million (1979 USD; $59 million (2008 USD)). $250,000 (1979 USD; $742,000 in 2006 USD) in damage occurred in Harrison County, Mississippi
Harrison County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:* De Soto National Forest * Gulf Islands National Seashore - Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 189,601 people, 71,538 households, and 48,574 families residing in the county. The population density was 326 people per square mile . There were 79,636 housing...
alone.
See also
- Other storms of the same nameHurricane Bob (disambiguation)The name Bob has been used for three tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin.* 1979's Hurricane Bob - Hit Louisiana, killing one and causing $20 million in damage...
External links
- [ftp://ftp.nhc.noaa.gov/pub/storm_archives/atlantic/prelimat/atl1979/ Detailed information on all storms from 1979]