August Severe Weather Events

YEAR	DATE(s)	EVENT
2009	30th	An EF-1 tornado with wind speeds in a 80 to 90 mph range produced a damage path around 1/3 of a mile long and 100 feet wide on Galveston Island (Galveston County). The tornado originated as a waterspout then moved onshore near the intersection of 29th Street and Seawall Blvd. The tornado caused a couple injuries and damaged several structures along its path.
2007	16th	Tropical Storm Erin made landfall along the middle Texas coast around the Port Aransas area. A southeast to northwest feeder band developed from Katy to the western end of Galveston Island in the morning and moved slowly eastward to a line from Clear Lake to Humble by late in the afternoon. Training of cells along this line combined with rainfall rates upwards of 4 to 5 inches per hour resulting in major street flooding and minor flooding of several bayous in Harris County. Widespread major street flooding occurred throughout the afternoon across the eastern half of Harris county with SH 288 impassable near the 610 south loop, I-10 east closed at Wayside, and numerous secondary roads closed along I-45 S, SH 225, and I-10 E. Flooding of homes and businesses occurred in the La Porte area where some structures were inundated with more than a foot of water. House flooding also occurred in the Pasadena area. There were also at least a dozen schools that received water damage. There were three fatalities from this flood. Two deaths were from a supermarket roof collapse under the weight of the heavy rainfall. The third death was from a vehicle that drove into a flooded detention pond.
1999	Entire Month	Excessive Heat plagued all of Southeast Texas all month long. At Houston's Intercontinental Airport (Harris County), high temperatures exceeded 100 degrees on 10 days out of the month, and 95 degrees on 29 out of the 31 days of the month. High temperature records were set on 4 days out of the month, and record high minimum temperatures were set on another 4 days. The temperature of 105 degrees on the 20th was the hottest temperature recorded at the airport since 1980. Six heat related fatalities occurred in Harris County this month.
1999	31st	An easterly wave combined with extreme heating to produce severe weather across the Upper Texas coastal area. A cluster of severe thunderstorms formed over Chambers and eastern Harris Counties, and evolved into a bow echo formation as they moved southwestward into Harris County. The bow echo produced widespread wind damage in the downtown, Galleria, and the southwest portions of Houston (Harris County) between 4 and 5 PM. The bow echo then pushed into northern Ft. Bend County producing wind damage there before weakening slightly. Severe thunderstorms continued southwestward into southern Ft. Bend and Wharton counties during the early evening hours. Damage totals were over $1.2 million, with most of the destruction in Harris County from downed power lines and roof damage. One construction worker was killed when a motel under construction collapsed under strong winds (estimates were as high as 63 mph).
1998	22nd	An F0 tornado downed trees and tore bricks off a house in League City (Galveston County). There was also some roof and vehicle damage from the tornado. Total damage was around $20,000.
1996	30th	Heavy rain (4 to 7 inches) during 2 1/2 hours in the afternoon caused feeder roads and other low lying roads to flood in Dickinson (Galveston County).
1995	21st	Strong winds from severe thunderstorms swept across Southeast Texas during the early to mid-evening hours. Trees and power lines were blown down on the south side of Lake Livingston (San Jacinto County)...a few miles west of New Waverly (Walker County)...on the east side of Lake Houston (Harris County)...and across northern portions of Brazos County and along County Road 217 (Burleson County). The strongest wind gusts were observed across Galveston County at Scholes Field on Galveston Island (58 mph) and by a tugboat operator near High Island (100 mph). Also in Galveston County...a truck was blown into a canal at Bayou Vista and road signs were blown down along the Bolivar Peninsula. Total storm damage was around $75,000.
1993	28th	A lightning strike killed a Houston man as he was entering his car at 13-mile Road near the west end of Galveston Island (Glaveston County). The man had stopped wade fishing due to the thunderstorms in the area.
1992	2nd	An F1 Tornado tore the roof off a house near Lake Conroe (Montgomery County). Four perople were injured.
1992	31st	A wind gust of 76 mph was recorded at Houston's Intercontinental Airport during the afternoon.
1989	1st	Hurricane Chantal began over the Gulf of Mexico just off the shore of Yucatan near Progreso, Mexico on July 30th and began moving steadily north then northwest over the Gulf waters. The system attained storm status by 1 AM on the 31st and, due to a rapid intensification, minimal hurricane status by 4 PM on the same day. By 8 AM on the 1st, Chantal's center crossed the U.S. coastline and entered Southeast Texas near High Island (Galveston County). A tide of up to 7 feet MSL, sustained winds estimated at 70 knots and some very heavy rains accompanied the hurricane. Chantal's rains were perhaps the most significant feature of the hurricane as amounts of up to 12.1 inches officially and 20 inches unofficially were reported from locations in an east-west band about 20 miles south of downtown Houston and extending from Texas City to Rosenburg. The resultant flooding affected hundreds of homes across Southeast Texas. In addition to the flooding, beach erosion occurred along the coast in the High Island area, and although wind damage was relatively weak, numerous trees, power lines, fences and signs were blown down and some roof damage was done to homes, mobile homes and carports. There were about 3000 homes in Texas that had either water or wind damage, and the total damage from Chantal was near $100 million. There were two weak tornadoes spawned by Chantal that could be confirmed - one on Crystal Beach of the Bolivar Peninsula (Galveston County) and one near Iota, Louisiana. Of the thirteen deaths attributed to Chantal, only two occurred inland - two teenage boys drowned while rafting in floodwaters in College Station (Brazos County).
1987	28th	Golfball size hail fell at Rosharon (Brazoria County) but did little damage. High winds from a late afternoon thunderstorm rolled a mobile home in which eight persons were in. The people were treated at a local hospital for cuts and bruises and then released. The wind also damaged out buildings, trees and windows. Other mobile homes in the area suffered minor damage.
1986	3rd	Three-quarter inch hail fell at Wharton, New Gulf and Boling (Wharton County). In Wharton, four men were slightly injured when lightning struck near a tent structure that they were holding up. High winds from a thunderstorm downed trees across a road just north of Wharton. Power lines and billboards were also damaged. In the southwest part of the county near Louise, high winds from a thunderstorm downed trees and power lines. There was also damage to area signs and to the roof of one carport.
1985	25th	Thunderstorm winds did heavy damage to a trailer park in Wadsworth (Matagorda County). Several trailers were overturned. There was some roof damage to homes and commercial buildings in the area. Three limbs in the area were alos downed.
1984	12th	Thunderstorm winds toppled numerous trees on the Country Campus Golf Course (Walker County). Golf carts were blown around outside of the clubhouse. One boat was blown onto the golf course from a nearby pond.

YEAR

DATE(s)

EVENT

2009

30th

An EF-1 tornado with wind speeds in a 80 to 90 mph range produced a damage path around 1/3 of a mile long and 100 feet wide on Galveston Island (Galveston County). The tornado originated as a waterspout then moved onshore near the intersection of 29th Street and Seawall Blvd. The tornado caused a couple injuries and damaged several structures along its path.

2007

16th

Tropical Storm Erin made landfall along the middle Texas coast around the Port Aransas area. A southeast to northwest feeder band developed from Katy to the western end of Galveston Island in the morning and moved slowly eastward to a line from Clear Lake to Humble by late in the afternoon. Training of cells along this line combined with rainfall rates upwards of 4 to 5 inches per hour resulting in major street flooding and minor flooding of several bayous in Harris County. Widespread major street flooding occurred throughout the afternoon across the eastern half of Harris county with SH 288 impassable near the 610 south loop, I-10 east closed at Wayside, and numerous secondary roads closed along I-45 S, SH 225, and I-10 E. Flooding of homes and businesses occurred in the La Porte area where some structures were inundated with more than a foot of water. House flooding also occurred in the Pasadena area. There were also at least a dozen schools that received water damage. There were three fatalities from this flood. Two deaths were from a supermarket roof collapse under the weight of the heavy rainfall. The third death was from a vehicle that drove into a flooded detention pond.

1999

Entire Month

Excessive Heat plagued all of Southeast Texas all month long. At Houston's Intercontinental Airport (Harris County), high temperatures exceeded 100 degrees on 10 days out of the month, and 95 degrees on 29 out of the 31 days of the month. High temperature records were set on 4 days out of the month, and record high minimum temperatures were set on another 4 days. The temperature of 105 degrees on the 20th was the hottest temperature recorded at the airport since 1980. Six heat related fatalities occurred in Harris County this month.

1999

31st

An easterly wave combined with extreme heating to produce severe weather across the Upper Texas coastal area. A cluster of severe thunderstorms formed over Chambers and eastern Harris Counties, and evolved into a bow echo formation as they moved southwestward into Harris County. The bow echo produced widespread wind damage in the downtown, Galleria, and the southwest portions of Houston (Harris County) between 4 and 5 PM. The bow echo then pushed into northern Ft. Bend County producing wind damage there before weakening slightly. Severe thunderstorms continued southwestward into southern Ft. Bend and Wharton counties during the early evening hours. Damage totals were over $1.2 million, with most of the destruction in Harris County from downed power lines and roof damage. One construction worker was killed when a motel under construction collapsed under strong winds (estimates were as high as 63 mph).

1998

22nd

An F0 tornado downed trees and tore bricks off a house in League City (Galveston County). There was also some roof and vehicle damage from the tornado. Total damage was around $20,000.

1996

30th

Heavy rain (4 to 7 inches) during 2 1/2 hours in the afternoon caused feeder roads and other low lying roads to flood in Dickinson (Galveston County).

1995

21st

Strong winds from severe thunderstorms swept across Southeast Texas during the early to mid-evening hours. Trees and power lines were blown down on the south side of Lake Livingston (San Jacinto County)...a few miles west of New Waverly (Walker County)...on the east side of Lake Houston (Harris County)...and across northern portions of Brazos County and along County Road 217 (Burleson County). The strongest wind gusts were observed across Galveston County at Scholes Field on Galveston Island (58 mph) and by a tugboat operator near High Island (100 mph). Also in Galveston County...a truck was blown into a canal at Bayou Vista and road signs were blown down along the Bolivar Peninsula. Total storm damage was around $75,000.

1993

28th

A lightning strike killed a Houston man as he was entering his car at 13-mile Road near the west end of Galveston Island (Glaveston County). The man had stopped wade fishing due to the thunderstorms in the area.

1992

2nd

An F1 Tornado tore the roof off a house near Lake Conroe (Montgomery County). Four perople were injured.

1992

31st

A wind gust of 76 mph was recorded at Houston's Intercontinental Airport during the afternoon.

1989

1st

Hurricane Chantal began over the Gulf of Mexico just off the shore of Yucatan near Progreso, Mexico on July 30th and began moving steadily north then northwest over the Gulf waters. The system attained storm status by 1 AM on the 31st and, due to a rapid intensification, minimal hurricane status by 4 PM on the same day. By 8 AM on the 1st, Chantal's center crossed the U.S. coastline and entered Southeast Texas near High Island (Galveston County). A tide of up to 7 feet MSL, sustained winds estimated at 70 knots and some very heavy rains accompanied the hurricane. Chantal's rains were perhaps the most significant feature of the hurricane as amounts of up to 12.1 inches officially and 20 inches unofficially were reported from locations in an east-west band about 20 miles south of downtown Houston and extending from Texas City to Rosenburg. The resultant flooding affected hundreds of homes across Southeast Texas. In addition to the flooding, beach erosion occurred along the coast in the High Island area, and although wind damage was relatively weak, numerous trees, power lines, fences and signs were blown down and some roof damage was done to homes, mobile homes and carports. There were about 3000 homes in Texas that had either water or wind damage, and the total damage from Chantal was near $100 million. There were two weak tornadoes spawned by Chantal that could be confirmed - one on Crystal Beach of the Bolivar Peninsula (Galveston County) and one near Iota, Louisiana. Of the thirteen deaths attributed to Chantal, only two occurred inland - two teenage boys drowned while rafting in floodwaters in College Station (Brazos County).

1987

28th

Golfball size hail fell at Rosharon (Brazoria County) but did little damage. High winds from a late afternoon thunderstorm rolled a mobile home in which eight persons were in. The people were treated at a local hospital for cuts and bruises and then released. The wind also damaged out buildings, trees and windows. Other mobile homes in the area suffered minor damage.

1986

3rd

Three-quarter inch hail fell at Wharton, New Gulf and Boling (Wharton County). In Wharton, four men were slightly injured when lightning struck near a tent structure that they were holding up. High winds from a thunderstorm downed trees across a road just north of Wharton. Power lines and billboards were also damaged. In the southwest part of the county near Louise, high winds from a thunderstorm downed trees and power lines. There was also damage to area signs and to the roof of one carport.

1985

25th

Thunderstorm winds did heavy damage to a trailer park in Wadsworth (Matagorda County). Several trailers were overturned. There was some roof damage to homes and commercial buildings in the area. Three limbs in the area were alos downed.

1984

12th

Thunderstorm winds toppled numerous trees on the Country Campus Golf Course (Walker County). Golf carts were blown around outside of the clubhouse. One boat was blown onto the golf course from a nearby pond.