PRELIMINARY STORM REPORT HURRICANE RITA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
315 PM CDT MON SEP 26 2005
A.HIGHEST WINDS...
BROWNSVILLE/SOUTH PADRE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...
1-MINUTE 18 KNOTS FROM 10 DEGREES 1840 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005
PEAK GUST 23 KNOTS FROM 30 DEGREES 1839 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005
KBRO ASOS LOCATED AT BROWNSVILLE, CAMERON COUNTY,TX
25.5 N 97.25 W
RIO GRANDE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...
1-MINUTE 21 KNOTS FROM 340 DEGREES 1734 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005
PEAK GUST 26 KNOTS FROM 340 DEGREES 1733 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005
KHRL ASOS LOCATED AT HARLINGEN, CAMERON COUNTY, TX
26.1 N 97.34 W
MCALLEN/MILLER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...
1-MINUTE 18 KNOTS FROM 340 DEGREES 2023 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005
PEAK GUST 21 KNOTS FROM 350 DEGREES 2021 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005
KMFE ASOS LOCATED AT MCALLEN, HIDALGO COUNTY, TX
26.1 N 98.15 W
NOAA BUOY STATION 42002...
1-MINUTE 30 KNOTS FROM 300 DEGREES 2250 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005
PEAK GUST 38 KNOTS FROM 300 DEGREES 2250 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005
NDBC STATION 42002 LOCATED 200 NM EAST OF PORT ISABEL, TX
25.17 N 94.42 W
NOAA BUOY STATION 42020...
1-MINUTE 22 KNOTS FROM 320 DEGREES 2150 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005
PEAK GUST 28 KNOTS FROM 320 DEGREES 2150 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005
NDBC STATION 42020 LOCATED 50 NM SOUTHEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TX
26.9 N 96.7 W
B.LOWEST PRESSURE...
LOWEST PRESSURE BROWNSVILLE/SOUTH PADRE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
1002.4 MB AT 2148 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005
LOWEST PRESSURE RIO GRANDE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 1002.0 MB
AT 2204 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005
LOWEST PRESSURE MCALLEN/MILLER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 1002.4 MB AT
2149 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005
LOWEST PRESSURE BUOY 42002 1001.3 MB AT 2050 UTC SEPTEMBER
23 2005
LOWEST PRESSURE BUOY 42020 1000.8 MB AT 2350 UTC SEPTEMBER
23 2005
C. RAINFALL...
NO RAINFALL REPORTED.
D. STORM TIDES...
ISLA BLANCA STATE PARK 4.00 0500 UTC JUL 23 2005
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 4.00 0500 UTC JUL 23 2005
U.S. COAST GUARD PORT ISABEL 3.00 0500 UTC SEP 23 2005
E.BEACH EROSION...
SEVERE BEACH EROSION WAS REPORTED IN CAMERON COUNTY, WITH A
COMBINED STORM GENERATED SWELL AND ASTRONOMICAL HIGH
TIDE CREATED A TIDAL EFFECT WELL ABOVE ABOVE NORMAL ALONG
THE GULF FACING BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND. THIS STORM
TIDE CAUSED 10 TO 12 FEET OF EROSION IN THE DUNES AND THE
BEACHES OF BOCA CHICA AND SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TX. THE
BEACHES WERE REPORTED AS FLOODED BY 2000 UTC ON THURSDAY
SEPTEMBER 22, 2005 AND REMAINED FLOODED THROUGH 2200 UTC
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2005.
F.FLOODING...
STORM TIDES (INCLUDING ASTRONOMICAL TIDE, STORM SURGE, AND
WIND DRIVEN WAVES) CAUSED SIGNIFICANT FLOODING OF THE BEACHES
ALONG THE LOWER TEXAS COAST FROM THE PORT MANSFIELD JETTIES
SOUTHWARD TO THE RIO GRANDE.
SEA WATER BREACHED THE DUNES AND MAN MADE BURMS IN SOUTH
PADRE ISLAND. THIS CAUSED TEMPORARY FLOODING OF GULF
BOULEVARD AND DEPOSITED SEVERAL INCHES OF BEACH SAND INTO
SEVERAL HOTEL AND CONDOMINIUM SWIMMING POOLS. SEA WATER ALSO
WASHED OVER STATE ROAD 100, APPROXIMATELY NORTH OF THE
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND CITY LIMITS, WHERE ONLY THE BEACH AND
NATURAL SAND DUNES EXIST. THIS FLOODING CAUSED THE CLOSURE
OF ALL BEACH ACCESSES NORTH OF BEACH ACCESS NUMBER THREE.
THE BUILDING OF ADDITIONAL BURMS ALONG THE BEACHES AND DUNES
DID PREVENT MUCH OF THE SEA WATER FROM FLOODING WITHIN THE
CITY OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND.
THE COAST GUARD STATION AT SOUTH PADRE ISLAND REPORTED
TEMPORARY FLOODING CONDITIONS WITH EIGHT INCHES OF STANDING
WATER ON THE GROUNDS COINCIDENT WITH HIGH TIDE ON SEPTEMBER
24, 2005. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH REPORTS OF ABOVE NORMAL
TIDAL CONDITIONS AND GIVEN THE PROXIMITY OF THE COAST GUARD
STATION TO THE ISLAND JETTIES. WAVE ACTION IN THE SOUTH BAY
OF THE LAGUNA MADRE WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO GENERATE THE
TEMPORARY FLOODING CONDITIONS.
G.TORNADOES...
NO TORNADOES REPORTED.
H.STORM EFFECTS...
TORNADO0 FATALITIES0 INJURIES
HURRICANE 0 FATALITIES0 INJURIES0 MISSING
ONLY MINIMAL AND ISOLATED DAMAGE WAS REPORTED FROM LOCAL
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ON SOUTH PADRE ISLAND. NO
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS WAS OBSERVED. SUBSIDENT FLOW
ASSOCIATED WITH RITA RESULTED IN RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES
ACROSS MUCH OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS FOR THE PERIOD OF SEPTEMBER
23RD THROUGH THE 25TH.
$$
KVS/JAH