July 2005 National Storm Summary


NATIONAL STORM SUMMARY

JULY 2005

1st-9th...In the EAST, scattered rain showers and thunderstorms fell in
portions of the Great Lakes and along the Gulf Coast during the morning
hours on Monday. Rainfall amounts during the morning were light. In the
afternoon and evening, scattered rain showers and thunderstorms fell in
portions of the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley, Southeast,
and Mid-Atlantic states. Some of the storms in this area became severe
in nature with lightning, strong winds, hail, and heavy downpours being
the main concerns. Hailstones of one inch in diameter was reported near
Anderson and Huntsville, Alabama. A hailstone of 0-point-75 inches in
diameter was reported near Colon, Michigan. A heavy downpour was
reported in Gradyville, Kentucky where two inches of rain fell in one
hour. In the nation's mid-section, rain showers and thunderstorms
fell in portions of the Central and Southern Plains during the morning
hours. Numerous severe storms were reported in this area with
lightning, strong winds, hail, and heavy downpours being the main
concerns. Powerlines and trees were reported down in many locations. An
antenna at a police station, several roofs, and damaging wind gusts
were reported in Blackwell, Oklahoma. Dime to nickel sized hail was
reported across Milo, Iowa. A hailstone of 1.75 inches in diameter was
reported near Vici, Oklahoma and a hailstone of one inch in diameter
was reported in Bradford, Arkansas. Tree limbs over 6 inches in
diameter were reported down in Midwest City, Oklahoma as well. A wind
gust of 102 mph was reported in Blackwell, Oklahoma. Also in the
morning, rain showers and thunderstorms fell in portions of the Upper
Mississippi Valley due to a frontal boundary slowly moving to the east.
Some of the storms in this area also became severe in nature with
lightning, strong winds, hail, and heavy downpours being the main
concerns. A hailstone of 0.75 inches in diameter was reported in
Decarburg, Wisconsin and a hailstone of 0.50 inches in diameter was
reported near Mequon, Wisconsin. During the afternoon and evening, rain
showers and thunderstorms continued to fall in the Upper Mississippi
Valley. Also, scattered rain showers and thunderstorms formed in the
Lower and Mid-Mississippi Valley due to daytime heating and ample
moisture. Some of the storms in this area became severe in nature with
lightning, strong winds, hail, isolated tornados and heavy. A tornado
was reported near Belleville, Illinois and a hailstone of one inch in
diameter was reported near Germantown, Illinois. A hailstone of 1.75
inches in diameter was reported near Hickory Ridge, Arkansas. During
the late afternoon and evening, rain showers and thunderstorms formed
in western portions of the Central and Southern Plains. Some of the
storms in this area became severe in nature with lightning, strong
winds, hail, and heavy downpours. Hailstone of one inch in diameter
were reported near Cozad and Elwood, Nebraska and a funnel cloud was
reported near Gothenburg, Nebraska. In the West, a few light showers
and embedded thunderstorms fell across eastern portions of the Rockies
along a tail end of a frontal boundary. Some of the storms in this area
became severe in nature with lightning, strong winds, hail, and heavy
downpours being the main concerns. A hailstone of 0.75 inches in
diameter was reported in Julesburg, Colorado and a hailstone of 0.88
inches in diameter was reported near Cheyenne, Wyoming. A hailstone of
two inches in diameter was reported near Jackson Reservoir, Colorado.
Also, a hailstone of 1.75 inches in diameter was reported near
Cheyenne, Wyoming and a hailstone of one inch in diameter was reported
near Albin, Wyoming.
In the eastern United States, Tropical Storm Cindy moved ashore in
southeastern Louisiana and rapidly weakened as it moved through the
Deep South on Wednesday. The storm produced wind gusts up to 70 mph in
southeastern Louisiana as well as torrential rains in southern
Louisiana, southern Mississippi, Alabama, and western Georgia. A
rainfall total of 6.34 inches was measured in Mobile, Alabama, and 5.76
inches of rain fell in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The storm also spawned
five tornadoes in Alabama, though fortunately, little damage was
reported. Elsewhere, scattered showers and thunderstorms also affected
the Northeast. No severe weather was reported, but 2.52 inches of rain
fell in Provincetown, Massachusetts and flash flood warnings were
issued for areas of eastern New York.

10th-16th...Hurricane Dennis, a tightly wound storm with a ferocious
core, spiraled onto the Florida Panhandle on Sunday afternoon,
shredding signs and toppling trees in coastal communities still
recovering from an onslaught of three tropical storms in the past month
and a monster hurricane less than a year ago.
Dennis, which had slackened slightly to a Category 3 hurricane with 120
mph winds, burst ashore just east of Pensacola at 3:25 p.m. Eastern
time on Santa Rosa Island, a gangly 50-mile, barrier-island beach
retreat where the legendary Apache warrior Geronimo was once
imprisoned. Hurricane Dennis roared quickly through the Florida
Panhandle and Alabama coast Sunday with a 120 mph bluster of blinding
squalls and crashing waves, but shell-shocked residents emerged to find
far less damage than when Ivan took nearly the same path 10 months ago.
Aluminum sheets flew off roofs, violently cartwheeling down abandoned
streets, and the seas lifted to frightening heights under wind gusts
that shrieked into an afternoon sky so dark that it almost looked like
night. Power lines sagged, leaving many homes and businesses, and even
entire towns, without light. Gulf Power, the Panhandle's largest
electric company, presaged the misery to come by warning 400,000
customers that they could be without electricity for three weeks or
more. About 280,000 homes and businesses in Alabama were believed to be
without power. No deaths were reported in the storm's wake. The
Associated Press reported that Dennis caused an estimated $1 billion to
$2.5 billion in insured damage in the United States, according to AIR
worldwide Corp. of Boston, an insurance-risk modeling company. The
last-minute weakening of a storm that earlier in the day had carried
145 mph winds was a relief to many in the region. But Florida Gov. Jeb
Bush (R) and National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield compared
the drop-off to "the difference between getting hit by a semi-truck or
a freight train."
In the East, scattered rain showers and thunderstorms fell in portions
of the Mid-Atlantic states early Friday. During the afternoon and
evening, scattered rain showers and thunderstorms developed across the
Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley, the Mid-Atlantic states,
Southeast, and western portions of the Northeast due to the remains of
Dennis, ample moisture, and day-time heating. Some of the storms in
this area became severe in nature with lightning, strong winds, hail,
and heavy downpours being the main concerns. A hailstone of 0.88 inches
in diameter was reported near Apopka, Florida and a hailstone of one
inch in diameter was reported in Hillsborough, Florida. In the
mid-section, scattered rain showers and thunderstorms fell in portions
of the Northern Plains due to a cold front extending southward from a
low pressure system located in Canada. Further South, scattered rain
showers and thunderstorms developed across the Southern Plains, Lower
Mississippi Valley, and Mid-Mississippi Valley due to ample moisture, a
upper level low pressure system, and day-time heating. A few of these
storms became severe in nature with lightning strong winds hail,
isolated tornados, and heavy downpours. A tornado was reported near
Thibodaux, Louisiana and another tornado was reported near Rockport,
Texas. Also, a hailstone of .75 inches in diameter was reported near
Lone Oak, Texas and a hailstone of .75 inches in diameter was reported
near Fayetteville, Arkansas.

17th-23rd...Hurricane Emily continued pushing turbulent waves onto this
resort island, bending palm trees and rocking parked vehicles Wednesday
afternoon, but the storm caused only minimal damage along Texas' coast.
"I think it was blown out of proportion, no pun intended of course,"
said tourist Brian Kunz, who braved the storm on South Padre with his
wife and children. "We lost electricity, but we had a pretty good
time." Throngs of others returned to the beach Wednesday. Some took
advantage of the waves and boogie boarded while others built sand
castles. Other than the downed power line, two other poles were
unstable after the storm and there was minimal damage to at least two
buildings, South Padre Island Mayor Bob Pinkerton said Wednesday.
Emily, a Category 3 storm packing 125 mph winds, hit just before dawn
near San Fernando, Mexico, a coastal town about 85 miles south of
Brownsville. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said
hurricane-force winds extended outward 70 miles.

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