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Above: SMS-2 visible satellite image of Hurricane Bob just inland Southeast Louisiana at 7:30 AM CDT July 11, 1979.
Hurricane Bob originated from a tropical wave that emerged from the African Coast the last week of June. The wave traveled westward without any signs of development until reaching the northwest Caribbean Sea on July 6th. On July 7th, the tropical wave tracked across the Yucatán Peninsula and emerged into the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico. The disturbance gradually became better organized with a circulation developing on July 8th. The disturbance organized enough to be classified as Tropical Depression #3 just after daybreak on July 9th.
A mid to upper level trough over the Central United States, along with a building mid to upper level ridge over the Bahamas and Western Caribbean allowed the depression to move northeastward for the remainder of the day. Air Force reconnaissance flight indicated the depression strengthened to Tropical Storm Bob early on July 10th. With the newly instituted naming list of alternating male & female names, Bob became the first Atlantic tropical cyclone to receive a masculine name since 1952. Bob continued to strengthen, and attained minimal hurricane strength by the late afternoon hours about 210 miles south of the Louisiana Coast. With the upper level trough deepening to the northwest and the ridge strengthening to the east, Hurricane Bob began to accelerate to the north-northeast around 17 mph headed towards the Southeast Louisiana coast.
Hurricane Bob made landfall shortly after 7 AM CDT July 11th just southeast of Houma, Louisiana with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (65 knots) and a minimum central pressure of 986 millibars (29.12 inches). Bob weakened across Southeast Louisiana into Southern Mississippi, becoming a depression by sunset near Jackson, Mississippi. Tropical Depression Bob remained a weak depression across the Eastern United States July 13th, emerging off the North Carolina coast on July 15th, dissipating early on July 16th. Click here for an interactive track of Hurricane Bob.
WIND & PRESSURE:
No reports of tropical storm force winds occurred west of the Atchafalaya River. Most of the tropical storm force winds were recorded across Southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi. The highest reported wind gust was 63 mph (55 knots) at the Grand Isle Coast Guard, Louisiana. For complete meteorological statistics, see the Wind and Pressure section.
STORM SURGE:
Tides near 2 feet MSL occurred across the Southwest and South-Central Louisiana coast west of the Atchafalaya River. Tides of 3 to 5 feet MSL occurred across the Southeast Louisiana coast east of the Atchafalaya River, with the highest tide of 5.1 feet MSL on Lake Pontchartrain near Mandeville, Louisiana. For other storm surge and high-water marks across our region, see the Storm Surge section.
RAINFALL:
Rainfall of 2 to 4 inches occurred mainly across St. Mary Parish, with 1 to 2 inches across the remainder of South Central and Central Louisiana. Slightly higher amounts occurred across Southeast Louisiana and Mississippi with the highest total of 7.16 inches reported at Springville Fire Tower, Louisiana. For complete rainfall totals reported across our region, see the Rainfall section.
TORNADOES:
No tornadoes were reported in Louisiana.
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