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Tropical Storm Chris (1982)
Encyclopedia
Tropical Storm Chris was the weakest storm of the 1982 Atlantic hurricane season
. Affecting the Gulf Coast, Chris resulted in $2 million (1982 USD, $4 million 2008 US)) to the United States
locations of Texas
and Louisiana
. The storm formed on September 9 from an upper-low pressure system that formed a few days previously. The depression turned to the north, strengthening into Tropical Storm Chris the next day. Chris peaked at 65 mph (105 km/h) in wind speed just before making landfall near Sabine Pass, Texas
. Chris dissipated over land on September 13.
Chris caused steady rainfall in parts of the mid-western United States. There was rainfalls as high as 16 inches (406.4 mm) in the southern parts and slightly less as the storm progressed northward. When Chris moved ashore, it caused high waves and tides along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico
.
on September 6, with the circulation heading westward. The reports over the next 48 hours remained the same, until on September 8, when it had turned into a surface low. The surface low continued to develop, strengthening into Tropical Depression Five on September 9. By the next day, several different pieces of evidence had shown that the depression had quickly strengthened into a tropical storm. This evidence include banding in the storm, reports of increasing winds on oil rigs in the Gulf, and a Reconnaissance aircraft report.
The storm, now named Chris, quickly turned to the north, heading towards the Texas
–Louisiana
border. The storm strengthened quickly, peaking at 65 mph (105 km/h) winds and 994 millibars. The center of Chris moved towards the Gulf Coast, making landfall near Sabine Pass, Texas (near the Louisiana border) on September 11. As the weakening system continued northward, it began to lose its identity. Tropical Storm Chris was completely gone by September 12. Had Chris stayed a little longer offshore, chances were that Chris could have intensified into a Category 1 hurricane.
coast. Off-shore evacuations were also completed, with many oil rig workers were taken off of rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.
Along with the evacuations, multiple watches/warnings were reported in accordance with Tropical Storm Chris. The first was on September 9, when a gale warning was released for the Louisiana
area east of Port Arthur, Texas. Fifteen hours after that, a gale warning was released for Port Arthur to Port O'Connor, Texas
. The next day, the Texan gale warnings were extended all the way to Brownsville
. A hurricane watch was released at 2200 UTC for Morgan City, Louisiana
to Port O'Connor, Texas
. All were discontinued throughout Saturday, September 11.
, in the northeastern section of the state. Lake Charles
reported about 5 inches (127 mm) of rain. In the rest Louisiana, 5–10 in (127–254 mm) were reported, with locally over 10 inches (254 mm) in local areas. In Mississippi
, rains peaked at about 10 inches (254 mm) in the northwest section of the state. The rest of state reported widespread rains of 1–7 in (25.4–177.8 mm). Rainfall in Alabama peaked at 3 inches (76.2 mm) in some areas, and similar amounts were observed in Georgia. In Florida
, rains peaked at 7 inches (177.8 mm) in an extremely southern part of the Panhandle
. Rains also reached Lake Okeechobee
, with 1 inches (25.4 mm) reported there. The northeastern section of the state reported 5 inches (127 mm) of rain. No rain was reported in the Florida Keys.
In Arkansas
, only 1 inches (25.4 mm) of rain was reported, which were in several portions of the state. Missouri
reported a peak of 5 inches (127 mm) of rain, in the southeastern portion of the state. Other rains in the state include 1–3 in (25.4–76.2 mm), which was widespread. Illinois
reported mainly 1 inches (25.4 mm) of rain, with one area of 3 inches (76.2 mm), all in the southern half of the state. Very little rain was reported in Indiana
, with only 1 inches (25.4 mm) on the southern border of the state. In Tennessee
and Kentucky
, rains of 10–16 in (254–406.4 mm) were reported with locally heavy flooding. Others rains include 1 inches (25.4 mm) in the Carolinas, New York
, Michigan
, Virginia
and Ohio
.
Nine tornadoes were spawned by Tropical Storm Chris with four of them reaching F2 or higher on the Fujita Scale
. However, no deaths were reported by the tornadoes. Highest tides were 5–6 ft (1.5–1.8 m), mostly near the center of Chris. In Texas, a restaurant on Pleasure Island
suffered an estimated $200,000 in damage (1982 USD). There was also damage from Chris because of down power lines. There were several boats in the Gulf of Mexico which sustained heavy damage. Flooding and fatality figures in Kentucky are unavailable, though river flooding caused damage in Tennessee. Preliminary damages were placed at less than $1 million (1982 USD) in Louisiana.
1982 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1982 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1982 and lasted until November 30, 1982, and was a below average season. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...
. Affecting the Gulf Coast, Chris resulted in $2 million (1982 USD, $4 million 2008 US)) to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
locations of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and 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 storm formed on September 9 from an upper-low pressure system that formed a few days previously. The depression turned to the north, strengthening into Tropical Storm Chris the next day. Chris peaked at 65 mph (105 km/h) in wind speed just before making landfall near Sabine Pass, Texas
Sabine Pass, Texas
Sabine Pass is a neighborhood of Port Arthur, Texas, United States. It lies on the west bank of Sabine Pass, near the Louisiana border.Originally known as Sabine City, the original date of settlement of Sabine Pass is unknown, but is estimated at 1836...
. Chris dissipated over land on September 13.
Chris caused steady rainfall in parts of the mid-western United States. There was rainfalls as high as 16 inches (406.4 mm) in the southern parts and slightly less as the storm progressed northward. When Chris moved ashore, it caused high waves and tides along the shores of 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...
.
Meteorological history
A upper-low pressure system formed 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 September 6, with the circulation heading westward. The reports over the next 48 hours remained the same, until on September 8, when it had turned into a surface low. The surface low continued to develop, strengthening into Tropical Depression Five on September 9. By the next day, several different pieces of evidence had shown that the depression had quickly strengthened into a tropical storm. This evidence include banding in the storm, reports of increasing winds on oil rigs in the Gulf, and a Reconnaissance aircraft report.
The storm, now named Chris, quickly turned to the north, heading towards the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
–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...
border. The storm strengthened quickly, peaking at 65 mph (105 km/h) winds and 994 millibars. The center of Chris moved towards the Gulf Coast, making landfall near Sabine Pass, Texas (near the Louisiana border) on September 11. As the weakening system continued northward, it began to lose its identity. Tropical Storm Chris was completely gone by September 12. Had Chris stayed a little longer offshore, chances were that Chris could have intensified into a Category 1 hurricane.
Preparations
As Chris approached the Gulf Coast, a large group of people, as many as 6,500, were evacuated from the LouisianaLouisiana
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...
coast. Off-shore evacuations were also completed, with many oil rig workers were taken off of rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.
Along with the evacuations, multiple watches/warnings were reported in accordance with Tropical Storm Chris. The first was on September 9, when a gale warning was released for the 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...
area east of Port Arthur, Texas. Fifteen hours after that, a gale warning was released for Port Arthur to Port O'Connor, Texas
Port O'Connor, Texas
Port O'Connor is an unincorporated village in Calhoun County, Texas, United States, on the coastline between Galveston and Corpus Christi. The ZIP Code Tabulation Area including Port O'Connor had a population of 1,078 at the 2000 census...
. The next day, the Texan gale warnings were extended all the way to Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
. A hurricane watch was released at 2200 UTC for Morgan City, Louisiana
Morgan City, Louisiana
Morgan City is a city in St. Martin and St. Mary parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 12,404 at the 2010 census....
to Port O'Connor, Texas
Port O'Connor, Texas
Port O'Connor is an unincorporated village in Calhoun County, Texas, United States, on the coastline between Galveston and Corpus Christi. The ZIP Code Tabulation Area including Port O'Connor had a population of 1,078 at the 2000 census...
. All were discontinued throughout Saturday, September 11.
Impact
Rainfall was spread throughout sixteen states, with Texas reporting about 1 inches (25.4 mm). Rainfall in Louisiana peak at 16 inches (406.4 mm) at DelhiDelhi, Louisiana
Delhi, originally called Deerfield, is a town in Richland Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 3,066.-History:...
, in the northeastern section of the state. Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
reported about 5 inches (127 mm) of rain. In the rest Louisiana, 5–10 in (127–254 mm) were reported, with locally over 10 inches (254 mm) in local areas. In Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, rains peaked at about 10 inches (254 mm) in the northwest section of the state. The rest of state reported widespread rains of 1–7 in (25.4–177.8 mm). Rainfall in Alabama peaked at 3 inches (76.2 mm) in some areas, and similar amounts were observed in Georgia. In Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, rains peaked at 7 inches (177.8 mm) in an extremely southern part of the 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...
. Rains also reached Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee , locally referred to as The Lake or The Big O, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. It is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States and the second largest freshwater lake contained entirely within the lower 48 states...
, with 1 inches (25.4 mm) reported there. The northeastern section of the state reported 5 inches (127 mm) of rain. No rain was reported in the Florida Keys.
In 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...
, only 1 inches (25.4 mm) of rain was reported, which were in several portions of the state. 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...
reported a peak of 5 inches (127 mm) of rain, in the southeastern portion of the state. Other rains in the state include 1–3 in (25.4–76.2 mm), which was widespread. Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
reported mainly 1 inches (25.4 mm) of rain, with one area of 3 inches (76.2 mm), all in the southern half of the state. Very little rain was reported in 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...
, with only 1 inches (25.4 mm) on the southern border of the state. In 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...
and 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...
, rains of 10–16 in (254–406.4 mm) were reported with locally heavy flooding. Others rains include 1 inches (25.4 mm) in the Carolinas, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 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...
.
Nine tornadoes were spawned by Tropical Storm Chris with four of them reaching F2 or higher 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...
. However, no deaths were reported by the tornadoes. Highest tides were 5–6 ft (1.5–1.8 m), mostly near the center of Chris. In Texas, a restaurant on Pleasure Island
Pleasure Island
Pleasure Island is an area of the Downtown Disney shopping, dining and entertainment district at Walt Disney World Resort. Pleasure Island officially opened on May 1, 1989. In September 2008, all of the clubs on the island were closed, however, the island's retail stores and restaurants remain open...
suffered an estimated $200,000 in damage (1982 USD). There was also damage from Chris because of down power lines. There were several boats in the Gulf of Mexico which sustained heavy damage. Flooding and fatality figures in Kentucky are unavailable, though river flooding caused damage in Tennessee. Preliminary damages were placed at less than $1 million (1982 USD) in Louisiana.
External links
- Monthly Weather Review
- [ftp://ftp.nhc.noaa.gov/pub/storm_archives/atlantic/prelimat/atl1982/ Detailed information on all storms from 1982]
- Poststorm Reconnaissance of Tropical Storm Chris