WEEKEND WEATHER WOES PLAGUE MUCH OF THE U.S.

August 13, 2001 — Severe thunderstorms, high winds, golf ball-size hail, fatal lightning strikes, waterspouts and flash floods plagued the south over the weekend from Oklahoma to Florida. Heavy rains in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic snapped a week-long streak of high temperatures and dangerous heat indices. In the Northwest and California, drought conditions there helped spark 22 new wildfires. (Click NOAA image for larger view of Kelso, N.D., two-car garage that was lifted from its foundation and crumpled into nearby trees by winds estimated to be in excess of 100 mph.)

NOAA's National Weather Service this week expects heavy rains, with possible flooding, from Arkansas and southern Missouri eastward, southeastward to the Atlantic coast from southern New Jersey to Georgia and the east Gulf coast from Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle.

Forecasters also said excessive heat will continue this week across most of Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley.

Busy Weather Weekend
In Hillsborough County near Tampa, Fla., on Friday lightning was part of a storm that also produced hail up to 1.75 inches and high winds that downed trees and power lines. Further south, a number of waterspouts and funnel clouds were reported in Monroe County.

Strong winds in northeast Oklahoma blew a trailer house off its transport vehicle. In north Texas, wind gusts clocked at 90 mph blew two airplane hangers off their foundations at Denton County's Clark Field. Several aircraft, area residences and outbuildings also sustained wind damage.

Saturday brought a series of severe thunderstorms, strong winds and one-inch hail to portions of northeast Tennessee. The storms uprooted trees, caused flash floods and mud slides washing out roads. One-inch hail accompanied winds estimated at 60 mph, downing trees, power lines and causing property damage in southeast Arkansas while high winds, hail and flooding also plagued portions of southeast Alabama and southern Mississippi.

Jackson, Miss., residents experienced major flooding that damaged nearly 200 homes and businesses. Dozens of boat rescues were made as flood waters reached 5 to 6 feet in some Jackson neighborhoods. Rainfall amounts of 5 to 6 inches were dumped in the area from Jackson to Hattiesburg to McComb, with isolated amounts up to 10 inches during a three-hour period Sunday morning.

A flash flood watch remains in effect throughout the area as additional thunderstorms could drop another 3 to 5 inches. Jim Stefkovich, meteorologist in charge of NOAA's National Weather Service Office in Jackson is concerned because the ground is already saturated. "We just went through the sixth wettest July on record in the Jackson area. We had almost 10 inches in July alone."

Since January first, more than 43 inches of rain has been recorded at Jackson. That is more than 7.5 inches above normal for the period.

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA's Hydrometeorological Prediction Center

NOAA's Excessive Heat Outlook

Summer Heat in the U.S.

All About Heat Waves

What to Do When Heat Waves Strike

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center's 6 to 10 day Outlook

1999 Heat-Related Fatalities — PDF file. You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.

1995 Heat-Related Fatalities

NOAA's Heat and Drought Awareness

NOAA's Weather Page

NOAA's Storm Watch

Media Contacts:
Ron Trumbla, National Weather Service Southern Region, (817) 978-1111 ext. 140 or John Leslie, NOAA's National Weather Service, (301) 713-0622

 

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