Not Just Emily: Here Are Other Tropical Storms and Hurricanes That Developed Suddenly Near the US

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Tropical storms and hurricanes can sometimes quickly spin-up near the U.S. coast.

Emily is the most recent example, but others have occurred in recent memory.

Tropical Storm Emily provided an example this week of what some forecasters and emergency managers fear most: a tropical storm or hurricane that develops suddenly near the U.S. coastline.

Although Emily’s impact was minor since it had little time to strengthen, it caught many by surprise as they woke to see it had formed Monday morning.

(MORE: Why Did Emily Develop So Suddenly?)

Emily’s quick development wasn’t unique. There have been other storms that formed swiftly near the U.S. coast, and some of them had major impacts. Here’s a few examples from the past.

2007: Hurricane Humberto

A nondescript frontal boundary remnant in the northwest Gulf of Mexico rapidly spawned Hurricane Humberto in less than 24 hours during September 2007.

Humberto first became a tropical depression at 4 a.m. CDT Sept. 12, 2007. The National Hurricane Center said that “exceptionally rapid intensification” then occurred and Humberto made landfall near High Island, Texas, as a Category 1 hurricane about 19 hours later at 2 a.m. CDT Sept. 13, 2007.

“The rapid formation of a hurricane near the shore has long been a concern emphasized by the National Hurricane Center in its outreach and preparedness talks. Humberto serves as a rare, important example,” the NHC said in its official report on Humberto.

Insured losses from Humberto were estimated to be $50 million, not a huge price tag compared to other hurricanes since it was small in size and struck a relatively unpopulated area. But considering nothing but a remnant front existed less than 24 hours before it made landfall, it was an unsuspected hit that insurers had to take.

Part of the reason Humberto intensified so quickly was its small size. Tropical cyclones that are on the smaller end of the spectrum can be prone to rapid intensity fluctuations.

(MORE: Hurricane Central)

1983: Hurricane Alicia

Alicia provided enough drama in a couple of days than the entire rest of the 1983 hurricane season, which featured just four named storms.

Similiar to Humberto, Alicia developed from an area of low pressure that was entangled with a remnant frontal boundary in the northwest Gulf of Mexico. After forming into a tropical depression, Alicia became a hurricane 36 hours later.

As Alicia was bearing down on Galveston Island early Aug. 18, 1983, it strengthened into a major Category 3 hurricane. That intensity benchmark was achieved only 66 hours after it was first deemed a tropical depression.

Hurricane-force wind gusts from Alicia smashed windows in downtown Houston high-rise buildings. Gusts to 125 mph were measured in Galveston aboard a Coast Guard cutter. Total damage from Alicia in the U.S. was $2 billion.

The impacts from Alicia were directly responsible for 21 deaths.

2001: Tropical Storm Allison

Tropical Storm Allison made landfall near Freeport, Texas, nine hours after it formed on June 5, 2001. Allison developed from a tropical wave that was tracked for many days before it became organized enough to qualify as a tropical storm.

Allison’s legacy will always be the devastating flooding it caused in the Houston metro area.

It quickly weakened to a tropical depression after landfall. However, the remnants lingered for days and a slow-moving rainband associated with it unleashed very heavy rainfall in southeast Texas.

More than 40 inches of rain fell in portions of southeastern Texas from Allison. This extreme rainfall led to Allison being one of two tropical storms that have been retired since the mid-1950s.

PHOTOS: Flooding From Tropical Storm Allison in 2001

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