Hurricane Bret (1999)
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| Category 4 hurricane (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Hurricane Bret at landfall |
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| Formed | August 18, 1999 | |
| Dissipated | August 25, 1999 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | 944 mbar (hPa) | |
| Damage | $60 million (1999 USD) $70.3 million (2006 USD) |
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| Fatalities | 0 direct, 4 indirect | |
| Areas affected |
South Texas, northeast Mexico | |
| Part of the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season |
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Hurricane Bret was the first of five Category 4 hurricanes from the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Despite making landfall as a strong Category 3 hurricane in the U.S. state of Texas, Bret failed to cause much damage, amounting to only $60 million (1999 USD), due to landfall in a sparsely-populated area and its relatively small size.
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[edit] Storm history
A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on August 5, 1999. It moved off the shear-ridden Atlantic, barely discernible at times. On August 15 in the western Caribbean Sea, the wave interacted with an upper level low, leading to an increase in convection. It drifted northwestward into the Bay of Campeche, and developed a surface low pressure system on the morning of August 18. Later that day, the system organized into Tropical Depression Three. Initially the tropical depression had unorganized convection due to vertical shear caused by an upper-level trough over the extreme western Gulf of Mexico. However, the trough receded, and the improved conditions enabled the depression to strengthen into Tropical Storm Bret on August 19.
An eye formed on the 20th, which is a rare feature for a 45 mph (70 km/h) tropical storm. This allowed for the development of Bret's inner core, which, in turn, allowed Bret to strengthen as it moved northward through the Gulf of Mexico. Paralleling the Mexican coastline, Bret continued to organize, and with its compact size, intensified into a hurricane on August 21. On the night of August 21 and into the morning of August 22, Bret rapidly intensified, and peaked at 145 mph (235 km/h), with a minimum central pressure of 944 millibars, on the 22nd.
A mid-tropospheric ridge over the northwest Gulf of Mexico forced the hurricane northwestward, where land interaction weakened the hurricane. Bret still made landfall as a 115 mph (185 km/h) hurricane, and hit in the sparsely populated area of southeast Texas between Brownsville and Corpus Christi. It quickly weakened over land, and was only a tropical depression 24 hours after landfall. It crossed the Rio Grande into northeast Mexico, where it dissipated on August 25.
[edit] Preparations
Prior to the hurricane's arrival, all 67,000 citizens of San Patricio County were under a mandatory evacuation order, with citizens of Corpus Christi urged to leave the area. [1] Hurricane Warnings were issued 21 hours before landfall. [2]
[edit] Impact
[edit] Coastal Texas
Upon making landfall, Bret brought a 5-7 foot (1 to 1.5 m) storm surge, along with substantial beach erosion caused by prolonged intense waves. As Bret moved slowly inland, it produced torrential rains, amounting to a maximum of 13.18 (35 cm) inches in central Kenedy County, Texas, with other locations reporting over 10 inches (25 cm). [2] A damaged electric tower in Kennedy County resulted in power outages for thousands of people. [3] In Corpus Christi, winds and rain covered the city in debris and brush, costing $200,000 for clean-up. [4] One tornado in Aransas County destroyed an RV and a barn, and uprooted trees, while two other tornadoes were reported in southeast Texas. Damage amounted to $60 million, much of it to crops. [2]
In the days following the storm, many mosquitoes and other insects laid eggs in areas of built up waters, causing insect outbreaks. Authorities sprayed insecticide to minimize the potential for disease outbreaks. [5]
[edit] Rio Grande valley
Further inland, Bret dropped torrential precipitation amounting to over a foot in some areas, causing river flooding in the Rio Grande valley. The Mexican state of Nuevo Leon reported a total of over 14 inches (35 cm) of rainfall, and over 5 (15 cm) inches occurred in southern Texas. [2] Slick roads from Bret's heavy rains caused the collision of a truck and a tractor, killing four people. [6]
[edit] Lack of Damage
Despite being a powerful hurricane at landfall, Hurricane Bret caused only $60 million in damage, a low figure due to two reasons. First, Bret was a small cyclone, with hurricane force winds only 40-60 miles (60 to 100 km) in diameter. Second, the hurricane hit Kenedy County, Texas, a very lightly populated area, and the least populated area on the entire North American Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico coastline with only 414 people. The only major population centers were about 70 miles (110 km) away in either direction. [2] Not since Hurricane Easy in 1950 did a landfalling U.S. major hurricane cause so little damage.
[edit] Lack of Retirement
Due to the lack of overall damage, the name was not retired and was re-used in 2005 and is on the list for the 2011 Season.
[edit] Trivia
Hurricane Bret was the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Hurricane Fran in 1996, and was the last until Hurricane Charley of 2004. Bret's landfall ended a long run with no Texas hurricanes; it was the first to hit the state since Hurricane Jerry in the 1989 season, and the first major hurricane to make landfall since Hurricane Alicia in the 1983 season. [2]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- NHC Tropical Cyclone Report for Hurricane Bret
- NHC advisory archives for Hurricane Bret
- Gart Padgett Tropical Summary
- County Population Statistics
