Tropical Storm Charley (1998)
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 Tropical Storm Charley shortly after being named on August 21, 1998 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | August 21, 1998 |
| Dissipated | August 24, 1998 |
| Tropical storm | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 70 mph (110 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 1000 mbar (hPa); 29.53 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 20 direct, 6 missing |
| Damage | $50 million (1998 USD) |
| Areas affected | Texas, Mexico |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Tropical Storm Charley was the third named storm of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season. Charley was the first of two tropical storms to make landfall in Texas during that season (Frances being the other).[1] The storm originated with a tropical wave that moved off the West African coast on August 9.[2] The wave moved generally west-northwestward, producing occasional bursts of convection, finally arriving in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico by August 19, when animated satellite images began to indicate it had possibly developed a low pressure centre.[2] Hurricane Hunter investigations into the system the next day revealed that this was not the case. The system lingered for two days, lacking an organized low level centre of circulation until early on the morning of August 21, when advisories were initiated on the tropical depression, 185 miles (298 km) east of Brownsville, Texas.[3] The depression became a tropical storm later that day, as it moved steadily west-northwestward, strengthening, and then weakening again before making landfall the next morning around Port Aransas, Texas.[4] The storm moved slowly inland and finally dissipated on the morning of the August 24 near the town of Del Rio, Texas.
Charley's impacts in Texas and Mexico were locally severe. In Texas, over 2000 homes were destroyed by the locally severe flooding, and 13 people died. In Mexico, over 12 inches (300 mm) of rain fell in northern areas near the Texas-Mexico border, and seven people were killed.[2]
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
Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depressionCharley originated with a large swirl of clouds which parted off of the west coast of Africa on August 9. Lacking deep convection or a well defined centre, the wave continued west-northwestward without developing. Ten days later, on August 19, satellite images indicated the disturbance was beginning to rotate cyclonically over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.
A reconnaissance aircraft flew into the system the next day. While strong winds were recorded, no circulation centre was present.[2] The following morning, a second flight reported that a centre had formed, and the disturbance was designated a tropical depression.[2] Initially, the centre was disorganized. However, convection over the depression blossomed, mostly concentrated over the northern semicircle. During the evening of August 21, the system was named Tropical Storm Charley.[5]
As the system continued west-northwestward, more organized banding features developed, and the storm began to intensify.[2] On August 22, it reached its peak intensity of 70 miles per hour (110 km/h).[6] Subsequent reconnaissance reports indicated that winds had decreased, and the storm made landfall near Corpus Christi, Texas early on August 23, with maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour (72 km/h). Within hours, Charley was downgraded to tropical depression status as it continued to weaken.[7] By August 24, Charley had dissipated over the Rio Grande near Del Rio, Texas. Although surface winds had diminished and a closed surface circulation no longer existed, a slow-moving remnant circulation aloft persisted in the Del Rio area and generated flooding rains that were most devastating in that area on August 23 and 24.[2]
Preparations
Tropical storm warnings were issued by the National Hurricane Center coincidentally with the first advisory on the depression, from High Island, Texas to Brownsville.[2] Six hours later, these were extended eastward to Cameron, Louisiana. At landfall on August 22, the warnings north of Sabine Pass, Texas were expired, and the rest were dropped later that day.[2]
In advance of the storm, thousands of oil workers were evacuated from Gulf of Mexico oil rigs.[8] In Del Rio, some highways and roads were closed after the initial flooding, in anticipation of more flooding as the system stalled over the area.[9] Of the 2000 Laredo, Texas residents ordered to leave their homes in anticipation of the Rio Grande overflowing its banks, only 600 actually did so.[10]
