Texas Hurricane History

August 21-23rd, 1999 (Bret): On the 16th, an area of disturbed weather was noted off the coast of Nicaragua. The area moved northwest, becoming a broad low pressure system over the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico on the 16th and 17th. It formed into a tropical depression as it emerged into the Bay of Campeche the morning of the 18th. By noon, ship reports indicated that is strengthened into a tropical storm.

Bret remained nearly stationary through the 20th, as upper level winds from an upper low passing to its north countered the the easterly surface steering. As the upper low moved to the west, winds aloft became favorable for development and the system rapidly became a hurricane, moving northward. This motion continued until the night of the 21st, when the upper low moved further to the west and southwest, steering Bret more towards the west.

Peaking in intensity as a dangerous category four hurricane as it made its turn towards Texas, the storm began encountering much cooler sea surface temperatures near the coast. Weakening fast, the system made landfall in sparsely-populated Kenedy county around 7 p.m. CDT on the 22nd (satellite picture above provided courtesy of NCDC). The cyclone became a tropical storm on the morning of the 23rd, and a tropical depression that evening as it crossed the Rio Grande near Laredo, into Mexico. This hurricane ended the longest hurricane-free period experienced in the Lone Star state since 1829.

Highest sustained winds reached 73 mph from the northwest before equipment failed at Rincon Del San Jose. Gusts to hurricane force raked that location, as well as Port Mansfield and Falfurrias. Falfurrias measured gusts to 98 mph at 11:30 p.m. CDT on the 22nd before their power failed. Gale-force winds only extended from Corpus Christi to Brownsville. The lowest pressure was measured at Falfurrias...28.84".

A half dozen tornadoes were reported from the coast inland to Burnet county. An F0 tornado tore across Weslaco during the afternoon of the 23rd. Mobile homes and a laundry mat experienced damage, while a 300-foot tall radio tower was demolished. Three dozen homes were destroyed in Nueces county. Insured losses totaled $60 million.

Doppler radar estimated rainfall amounts approaching 40 inches in northeast Kenedy county. The highest amount measured was 13.18" in Sarita, while 12.6" was measured at Aransas Pass. Concepcion reported 7.38" in a 24-hour period ending the morning of the 23rd. Daily rainfall records were set at Corpus Christi on the 22nd and 23rd. Widespread flash flooding occurred near Aransas, Refugio, San Patricio, Nueces, Bee, Live Oak, and Kleberg counties. The Aransas river at Skidmore, along with Oso creek near Corpus Christi rapidly reached their flood stages. Flooding in Asherton led to evacuation of around six homes. Rainfall from the storm helped out area crops and rose levels in area reservoirs that were very low after the periodic droughts which occurred from 1995 to 1998.

Extensive flooding occurred in Brooks and Kenedy counties. Las Olmas creek crested at 10 feet in Falfurrias, requiring evacuations. The Rio Grande rose to its banks in Laredo, but stopped short of flooding. Storm surges only reached 1.3 feet at Port Isabel. Even at Port Mansfield, the bay level only rose to 1.1 feet above mean sea level. To the north of the track, Bob Hall Pier saw tides of only 2.6 feet above mean low gulf. Twelve cuts were made in Padre Island as the storm surge receded (three were major). Four died in Laredo when a tractor-trailer jack knifed during the storm, crushing a pickup truck.

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* Author's current affiliation: NWS National Centers for Environmental Prediction - Hydrometeorological Prediction Center, Camp Springs, Maryland