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Hurricane Erika (2003)

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Not to be confused with Hurricane Erick.

Hurricane Erika
A view of Hurricane Erika from Space on August 16. The weakening storm is located over northeastern Mexico and has no defined eye feature.
Erika as a tropical storm after its landfall on Mexico on August 16
Meteorological history
FormedAugust 14, 2003
Post-tropicalAugust 17, 2003
DissipatedAugust 20, 2003
Category 1 hurricane
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds75 mph (120 km/h)
Lowest pressure986 mbar (hPa); 29.12 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities2 direct
Damage$100,000 (2003 USD)
Areas affectedThe Bahamas, Florida, Mexico, Southern Texas
IBTrACSEdit this at Wikidata
Part of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Erika was a weak hurricane that struck extreme northeastern Mexico near the Texas–Tamaulipas border in mid-August of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. Erika was the eighth tropical cyclone, fifth tropical storm, and third hurricane of the season. At first, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) operationally did not designate it as a hurricane because initial data suggested winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) at Erika's peak intensity. It was not until later data was analyzed that the NHC revised the storm to Category 1 intensity in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. The storm developed from a non-tropical area of low pressure that was tracked for five days before developing in the eastern Gulf of Mexico on August 14. Under the influence of a high pressure system, Erika moved quickly westward and strengthened under favorable conditions. It made landfall as a hurricane on northeastern Mexico on August 16, and the storm's low-level circulation center dissipated by the next day. However, the storm's mid-level circulation persisted for another three days, emerging into the East Pacific and moving northwestward over Baja California, before dissipating on August 20.

While Erika's precursor disturbance was moving across Florida, it dropped heavy rainfall. In south Texas, Erika produced moderate winds of 50 to 60 mph (80 to 97 km/h) along with light rain, causing minor and isolated wind damage in the state. Erika produced moderate rainfall in northeastern Mexico, resulting in mudslides and flooding. There, two people were killed when floodwaters swept away their vehicle.

Meteorological history

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Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Map key
Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

A weak surface area of low pressure detached from a frontal system on August 8, while located 1,150 miles (1,850 km) to the east of Bermuda. It moved southwestward, and on August 9, it generated convection as it passed beneath a cold-core upper-level low. The surface low and the upper-level low turned westward as it revolved around a common center, and by August 11, the surface low developed into a trough while 440 miles (710 km) south of Bermuda. As the system rapidly continued westward, much of the convection remained near the center of the upper-level low, preventing development of a closed surface circulation. On August 13, while located near the northwestern Bahamas, a substantial increase in convection resulted in the upper-level low building downwards to the middle levels of the troposphere, coinciding with the development of an upper level anticyclone.[1]

A closed low-level circulation nearly developed on August 14 to the east of Key Largo, Florida, but it weakened due to the deep convection remaining to the north over the mid-level center. The mid-level storm continued westward and moved across Florida.[1] After crossing Florida, Hurricane Hunters indicated a poorly defined circulation, but with winds exceeding tropical storm strength, and the system was designated as Tropical Storm Erika late on August 14 while located 85 miles (137 km) west of Fort Myers.[2]

NEXRAD image of Erika making landfall on northeastern Mexico.

With well-established outflow and low levels of wind shear,[2] Erika strengthened as the circulation became better defined. A high pressure system persisted over the south-central United States, forcing the storm to move just south of due west at 25 mph (40 km/h). On August 15, convection organized into bands, and as its winds approached hurricane strength, an eye developed within the storm. Erika turned to the west-southwest on August 16, and attained hurricane status just prior to making landfall near Boca San Rafael, Tamaulipas, in northeastern Mexico, or about 40 miles (64 km) south of the United States–Mexico border. The storm rapidly weakened over the mountainous Sierra Madre Oriental, and Erika's low-level circulation center dissipated early on August 17.[1] The mid-level circulation maintained integrity as it crossed Mexico, and led to the formation of a tropical disturbance after entering the Gulf of California on August 18. It turned to the northwest and weakened on August 20, before dissipating soon afterward.[3]

Operationally, Erika was never upgraded to hurricane status. However, based on a persistent eye feature on radar and Doppler weather radar-estimated surface winds of 75 mph (121 km/h), the National Hurricane Center posthumously upgraded Erika to a hurricane.[1]

Preparations

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Tropical Storm Erika approaching Mexico on August 15

The threat of Erika's onslaught prompted the evacuation of 51 oil platforms and 3 oil rigs in the western Gulf of Mexico. The lack of production led to a loss of production of 8,708 barrels (1,384.5 m3) of oil per day and 173.14 million cubic feet (4,903,000 m3) of natural gas per day. On the day of its landfall, the lack of production led to 1,979 less barrels of oil for the day, or about 0.12% of the total daily production for the Gulf of Mexico, while the loss of 32 million cubic feet (910,000 m3) of gas for the day was equivalent to 0.23% of the total production.[4] However, due to its rapid motion, the passage of the storm resulted in minimal effects on operations.[5]

While the storm was located in the eastern Gulf of Mexico on August 15, the National Hurricane Center issued a Hurricane Watch and Tropical Storm Warning from Brownsville to Baffin Bay, Texas. The center also recommended a Hurricane Watch spanning from Matamoros to Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas,[6] and from Soto la Marina to the international border. Late that same day, when strengthening was underway, a Hurricane Warning was either issued or recommended from La Pesca, Tamaulipas, to Baffin Bay, Texas, though the warnings for south Texas were dropped when a more southward motion occurred.[1] Just one month after Hurricane Claudette caused millions in damage in south Texas, the fast movement of Erika caught citizens by surprise as it was forecast to make landfall near Brownsville. Citizens and business owners boarded up for the storm.[7] About 10,000 were evacuated from northeastern Mexico due to the threat of flooding,[8] including 2,000 in Matamoros.[5]

Impact

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Rainfall data for Erika

The precursor disturbance was expected to bring heavy, yet needed rainfall to the Bahamas.[9] The precursor disturbance dropped heavy precipitation while moving across Florida, including in Indian River County,[10] and also produced 6–8 ft (1.8–2.4 m) waves with moderate wind gusts.[11]

Erika produced light rainfall across southern Texas, peaking at 3.83 inches (97 mm) in Sabinal,[12] though most locations reported less than two inches (51 mm) of precipitation. In addition, weather radar estimated isolated accumulations of 4 to 6 inches (102 to 152 millimetres) of precipitation in Kenedy and Brooks Counties. Sustained winds from Erika in south Texas peaked at 39 mph (63 km/h) in Brownsville, where a gust of 47 mph (76 km/h) was also recorded.[1] Strong waves were reported northwards to Corpus Christi.[13] The storm caused minor flooding and beach erosion along South Padre Island.[1] Strong wind gusts of up to 60 mph (97 km/h) caused isolated, minor wind damage in south Texas, including in South Padre Island, where the winds damaged the roof of a business. The winds also uprooted a large tree and caused limb damage to several small- to medium-sized trees in Brownsville. In Texas, damage totaled to $10,000 (equivalent to $17,000 in 2023[14]).[15]

In Mexico, Hurricane Erika primarily affected the states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo León, but also had effects on Coahuila as well. Rainfall peaked at 6.71 inches (170 mm) in Magueyes in Tamaulipas.[16] Several other locations reported over 3 inches (76 mm),[1] including 4.02 inches (102 mm) in Cerro Prieto, which was the maximum amount in the state of Nuevo León,[16] and 3.42 inches (87 mm) in Monterrey,[1] where 30 people were injured.[8] Sustained winds peaked at 40 mph (64 km/h) in San Fernando, where a gust of 65 mph (105 km/h) was also reported.[1] The heavy rainfall resulted in severe flooding and mudslides, blocking several highways in northeastern Mexico.[16] In Matamoros, the storm damaged roofs and cars.[8] Moderate winds snapped tree branches and spread debris across roads, though locals considered the storm minor.[5] In the Nuevo León city of Montemorelos, two people died when they were swept away after they drove their truck across a partially flooded bridge.[1] Throughout Mexico, 20,000 people were left without power due to the storm.[8] The remnant circulation produced heavy amounts of precipitation in western Mexico and on the Baja California peninsula.[3][17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k James L. Franklin (2003). "Hurricane Erika Tropical Cyclone Report" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Lixion A. Avila (2003). "Tropical Storm Erika Discussion One". National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on 2006-04-20. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
  3. ^ a b Hurricane Erika – August 13–20, 2019. wpc.ncep.noaa.gov (Report). Weather Prediction Center. March 6, 2013. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  4. ^ U.S. Department of the Interior (2003). "Tropical Storm Erika Evacuation and Production Statistics". Archived from the original on August 29, 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
  5. ^ a b c Deborah Tedford (2003). "Tropical Storm Erika Lashes Northern Mexico". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2006-10-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "Tormenta tropical Erika se debilita en el noreste mexicano" [Tropical Storm Erika weakens in Northeastern Mexico.]. El Universo (in Spanish). El Universo. August 16, 2003. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. ^ Lynn Brezosky (2003). "Erika forecast to hit Texas". Associated Press.
  8. ^ a b c d Desde Dominicana (2003). "17 de agosto de 2003" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2014-12-09. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
  9. ^ Stormcarib.com (2003). "Unofficial Bahamas Reports". Archived from the original on 2013-11-04. Retrieved 2006-09-25.
  10. ^ Nathan B. Collum (2003). "2003 Hurricane Season Summary" (PDF). Florida Department of Emergency Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-10-17. Retrieved 2006-09-25.
  11. ^ Lourdes Briz (2003). "Surfing News from the Space Coast". Florida Today. Archived from the original on July 23, 2004. Retrieved 2006-09-25.
  12. ^ Roth, David M. (January 3, 2023). "Tropical Cyclone Point Maxima". Tropical Cyclone Rainfall Data. United States Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved January 6, 2023. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  13. ^ Rob Marciano (2003). "Tropical Storm Erika Misses Texas". CNN. Archived from the original on 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2006-09-25.
  14. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  15. ^ National Climatic Data Center (2003). "Event Report for Cameron County". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
  16. ^ a b c Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (2003). "Tormenta Tropical "Erika" del Océano Atlántico" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on July 21, 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-25.
  17. ^ "Hurricane Erika's Impact on Northeastern Mexico and Texas-Tamaulipas Border". 29 June 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-07-03. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
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