Hurricane Bob (1979)
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| Category 1 hurricane (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
.JPG/235px-Hurricane_Bob_(1979).JPG) Hurricane Bob on July 12, 1979 |
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| Formed | July 9, 1979 | |
| Dissipated | July 16, 1979 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | 986 mbar (hPa; 29.13 inHg) | |
| Fatalities | 1 direct | |
| Damage | $20 million (1979 USD) $59 million (2008 USD) |
|
| Areas affected |
Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri Mississippi, Alabama, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina, western Virginia | |
| Part of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season |
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Hurricane Bob brought rainfall throughout several states, killing one person and causing over $20 million dollars in damage. Bob was the fifth tropical cyclone, second named storm, and first hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season.[1] Most of the flooding from Bob occurred in Indiana.[2] The same area would be affected by Tropical Storm Claudette and Hurricane Frederic later in the season.[1]
When Tropical Depression Five strengthened into Tropical Storm Bob on July 10, the storm became the first storm to be given a male name since 1952 when the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet was dumped for the use of female names. Bob became the first July hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico since July 1959.[1]
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[edit] Storm history
A tropical disturbance formed off the African coast on the last week of June 1979.[3] The disturbance however, showed no signs of any circulation until July 6, when the disturbance was in the Caribbean Sea. The disturbance passed over the Yucatan Peninsula on July 7 and entered the Gulf of Mexico. A weak circulation began to form from the disturbance, and the disturbance was upgraded into the fifth tropical depression of the 1979 season on July 9.
An Air Force reconnaissance aircraft reported that a tropical storm was forming on the morning of July 10, as Tropical Depression Five was 400 miles off the coast of Louisiana.[3] The depression was moving to the north and now had wind speeds of 50 mph (80 km/h) and a minimal pressure of 998 millibars. Tropical Depression Five was upgraded into Tropical Storm Bob on at 600 UTC on July 10, becoming the second named storm of the season. 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. The National Hurricane Center upgraded Tropical Storm Bob into a minimal hurricane in the late afternoon. Bob retained minimal hurricane status for a while until making landfall in Grand Isle, Louisana on the morning of July 11.
Bob moved inland into the Mississippi Valley and weakened.[3] Bob moved to the northeast with wind speeds of 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, Bob re-entered water, this time at the Atlantic Ocean, and was absorbed by a low-pressure system on July 16.
[edit] Preparations
Winds from Hurricane Bob forced 8,000 people from oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico to the mainland on July 10 as Bob strengthened and headed towards land. Thousands of natural gas and oil rigs exist in the Gulf, and all were abandoned and closed down in preparation of Bob's assault. Oil and natural gas production was shut down in some of the evacuations, causing problems for civilians evacuating the Gulf Coast.[4] Pumps in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, a city below sea level, were prepared for heavy usage.
Due to Bob forming so quickly and very close to shore, the workers had quickly put their hurricane evacuation plans into order. The storm also caused people to be evacuated to higher ground immediately. Public schools were shut down and Charity Hospital's 150 outpatient clinics were cancelled, which handles over 1400 patients.[4] Over a 250-mile stretch of land from New Iberia to the Louisiana border was declared to be evacuated for an upcoming Bob.[4] Flash flood warnings were issued for southeastern Louisiana, predicting up to 6 feet high floods.[5]
[edit] Impact
[edit] Louisiana
The peak rainfall was at Springville Fire Tower in Louisiana with over 7 inches.[2] Over 53,000 power failures were reported in the wake of Bob.[6]
The only reported death by Bob was one of two men who were blown off a collapsing marina roof in Lafitte, Louisiana. The other 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 tore off of buildings and blew small metal houses away, but did not injure anyone in the process. Pounding surf from Bob ended up blowing sand all over Louisiana Highway 1, which ended up blocking the road with blown in sand dunes. The Lafourche Bayou sent water over its banks and into the town of Leeville, Louisiana, blocking the main highway and littering the area with logs, timber, oil drums and swamped boats.[7]
Bob breached Shell Island in Louisiana, which further deteriorated the island.[8]
[edit] Mississippi and Alabama
Birmingham Airport reported over 3 inches within an hour from Bob. Eight tornadoes were reported but only one caused severe damage when a tornado blew through Biloxi, Mississippi. Damage from the tornado totaled out to $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 a tornado demolished a general store in South Community, Alabama. Three other people were injured in the tornado, but none of the injuries were serious.[9]
[edit] Rest of the United States
Rainfall was around one inch in extreme eastern Arkansas and Missouri, up to three inches on the Florida Panhandle, one inch in Tennessee, Kentucky, western Virginia and Ohio. Rainfall in Indiana was moderate with over five inches falling and around three inches in southeastern Illinois. North Carolina got little rainfall, peaking at about three inches 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 a mess of trees.[10] A fishing party was caught in the midst of Bob. The Coast Guard sent a helicopter to rescue the party. Another helicopter was sent to check on a disabled vehicle, but no details were reported.[4]
Total damage from Bob totaled out to $20 million (1979 USD-$56 million (2007 USD)). A quarter-million dollars in damage alone came from Harrison County, Mississippi (1979 USD- $710,000 in 2006 USD).[3] The name Bob was not retired after this season or the 1985 season. However the name was retired after the 1991 season and replaced in the list with Bill.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Herbert, Paul (March 26, 1980). 1979 Monthly Weather Review. NHC. Retrieved on 2007-01-31.
- ^ a b Roth, David (2007). Hurricane Bob Rainfall Totals. HPC. Retrieved on 2007-01-31.
- ^ a b c d Clark, Gilbert B. (1979). Hurricane Bob Tropical Cyclone Report. NHC. Retrieved on 2007-01-31.
- ^ a b c d Hurricane Bob batters Gulf oil rigs. Associated Press (1979). Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- ^ Hurricane Bob Nudges Louisiana. Associated Press (1979). Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- ^ Hurricane Bob claims 1 life; It's hot here. The Frederick Post (1979). Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- ^ Hurricane disintegrates, heads into Mississippi. The Galveston Daily News (1979). Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- ^ Plaquemines Barrier System - 1884-1988. U.S. Geological Survey (2007). Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- ^ National Weather. Marysville Journal-Tribune (1979). Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- ^ Thunderstorms hit northern plains. The Chronicle Telegram (1979). Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
