Heaviest 24-Hour Rainfall in U.S. History

Tropical Storm Claudette Broke Weather Records in Texas

Nov 18, 2008

Texas Flooding Tropical Storm Claudette, U.S Corps of Engineers

Although tropical storm Claudette never became a hurricane, it produced more rainfall and flooding than many hurricanes that have occurred over the years.

Claudette was detected as a tropical depression over the Cape Verde Islands which are located west of the African coast. Preliminary measurements indicated that this storm was going to be the strongest of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season.

The depression was immediately named tropical storm Claudette. By the time Claudette passed over Puerto Rico, it had weakened to a tropical depression. It regained strength over the Gulf of Mexico and was a tropical storm again when it made landfall in the U.S.

Destructive Path of Tropical Storm Claudette

July 16th to July 20th, 1979

Guadeloupe experienced minor flooding resulting from seven to nine inches of rain. Claudette hit Puerto Rico with over nine inches of rain and major flooding occurred. One person was killed and $750,000 in damages was reported.
Claudette lost strength over the Caribbean and had no damaging effect on Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Jamaica. It was reduced to the status of tropical depression.

July 21st to July 29th, 1979

While over the Gulf of Mexico, Claudette merged with another weather front coming down from the north. This helped increase the intensity, though it never made hurricane status.
On July 24th, 1979, Claudette made landfall near Port Arthur, Texas. Torrential rains in both Texas and Louisiana produced widespread flooding. Many areas on the Louisiana and Texas coast received over 30 inches of rain.
The storm stalled over Texas on July 25th due to a ridge of high pressure to the north blocking its way. With no place to move, Claudette dumped heavy rain in areas surrounding Alvin and Freeport in southeast Texas.
Extensive flooding caused $400 million in damages and resulted in one death. Residents in low-lying areas had to be rescued.
Claudette made a loop over southeast Texas until it merged with a frontal system over West Virginia on July 29th and then it headed north.
The Midwest and Ohio Valley also received heavy rainfall. There was flooding in St. Louis and in some areas of Indiana. At this stage, the average rainfall from Claudette had reduced to 9 inches.

Records Broken by Tropical Storm Claudette

A new record was set in Alvin, Texas for the heaviest rainfall in a 24-hour period in the U.S. Just over 43 inches of rain fell and this record remains unbroken.

In comparison, the record for the world’s greatest 24-hour rainfall is 72 inches at Foc-Foc, La Reunion Island during Tropical Cyclone Hyacinthe.

Claudette will be remembered as one of the costliest storms on record that never reached hurricane intensity.

Although Claudette was not a hurricane due to lack of high wind speeds, it certainly made up for it through heavy rainfall.