Tropical Storm Bill (2003)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

June 28, 2003 to July 3, 2003

Peak strength

Tropical Storm, 50 kt (58 mph)

Lowest pressure

997 mb (29.44 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

1.4

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

125 nmi (232 km, 144 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

25 nmi (46 km, 29 mi)

Overall size

150 nmi (278 km, 173 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Fastest the center moved

23 kt (26 mph)

Identifier

AL032003

Radar at KHDC as it neared land, Jun 30, 19:00 UTC

The sources count different things and are not added together.

Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.

NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.

Deaths

0 (0 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

4

Property damage

$51 million

Crop damage

$500

Events recorded

272 in 38 reports from 8 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

142 tropical storm, 60 flash flood, 15 storm surge/tide, 13 thunderstorm wind, 13 tornado, 10 heavy rain, 9 flood, 5 marine thunderstorm wind, 2 funnel cloud, 2 strong wind, 1 high surf.

13 tornadoes recorded in the United States, strongest first.

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 2,279 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 10.20 inches (259 mm).

WPC’s storm rainfall file, 1900 to 2020, compiled by David Roth.

The strongest winds National Weather Service offices recorded with this storm. An estimated figure is a forecaster’s judgment from the damage, not an instrument reading.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

A tornado touched down briefly near Reserve striking a private high school and a mobile home park. Several buildings at the private school were damaged including on classroom building where one half of the building was completely demolished. Around 20 trailers were heavy damaged or destroyed. One mobile home was lifted into the air and deposited 30 yards away. One woman and three children inside the mobile home were injured, but fortunately not seriously. There were several eyewitnesses to the short lived tornado episode.

St. John The Baptist, Louisiana · Tornado · Jun 30, 17:10 UTC

Tropical Storm Bill made landfall in S Louisiana, just to the SW of Houma, around 2 PM on June 30th. The storm then moved to the NE as it slowly weakened into a Tropical Depression. The center of the system basically tracked along Interstate 59 before moving into Alabama around 6 AM, July 1st. Heavy rainfall with the system resulted in several reports of flash flooding. Forty-eight hour rainfall totals ranged between 3 and 7 inches, mainly across SE portions of Mississippi. Gradient wind gusts between 30 and 40 mph combined with saturated soils to down numerous trees very close to center's track. Damage from Bill was an estimated $100,000.

Clarke, Mississippi · Tropical Storm · Jun 30, 19:00 UTC

Tropical Storm Bill made landfall in S Louisiana, just to the SW of Houma, around 2 PM on June 30th. The storm then moved to the NE as it slowly weakened into a Tropical Depression. The center of the system basically tracked along Interstate 59 before moving into Alabama around 6 AM, July 1st. Heavy rainfall with the system resulted in several reports of flash flooding. Forty-eight hour rainfall totals ranged between 3 and 7 inches, mainly across SE portions of Mississippi. Gradient wind gusts between 30 and 40 mph combined with saturated soils to down numerous trees very close to center's track. Damage from Bill was an estimated $100,000.

Covington, Mississippi · Tropical Storm · Jun 30, 19:00 UTC

Tropical Storm Bill caused storm surge flooding of 3 to 5 feet above normal across coastal southeast Louisiana including Lake Pontchartrain. Representative peak tide gage readings included LUMCON near Cocodrie 5.8 ft (datum NAVD88), Grand Isle 3.12ft (datum MLLW), Mandeville 5.04 ft (datum NGVD). At Montegut, Terrebonne Parish, a levee that had not been fully repaired from damage sustained during Hurricane Lili was breached with many homes being flooded. Storm surge flooding occurred in areas outside of the hurricane protection system including; Grand Isle, lower portions of Lafourche, Terrebonne, St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parish. Though not severe, many roadways were flooded for a short period of time. Storm surge flooding also occurred along Lake Pontchatrain with roadways, and a few homes and businesses flooded from the Mandeville area to Slidell.

Tangipahoa, Louisiana · Storm Surge/Tide · Jun 30, 20:00 UTC

Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Bill caused many streets in the south part of the county to flood. Rainfall totals of four to seven inches were estimated in a six hour period. The flooding continued into the morning hours with many streets closed for several hours.

Escambia, Florida · Flash Flood · Jul 1, 03:00 UTC

A large area of winds greater that 40 knots covered most of the offshore marine area for a couple of hours as Tropical Storm Bill moved ashore west of our area.

Pensacola Fl To Pascagoula Ms 20 To 60nm, Gulf of Mexico · Marine Thunderstorm Wind · Jul 1, 03:30 UTC

A large area of winds greater that 40 knots covered most of the offshore marine area for a couple of hours as Tropical Storm Bill moved ashore west of our area.

Destin To Pensacola Fl 20 To 60nm, Gulf of Mexico · Marine Thunderstorm Wind · Jul 1, 03:30 UTC

High waves, that were triggered as Tropical Storm Bill moved inland west of our area, caused some tidal flooding along the west end of Dauphin Island. This same area lost its dunes over the past few years as tropical systems washed the sand away. The road that leads to the west end of the Island had to be closed due to high water. High water was also reported in the inside lanes of the Bayway across Mobile Bay. The inside lane had to be closed for several hours due to the high water.

Lower Mobile, Alabama · High Surf · Jul 1, 09:00 UTC

A small tornado occurred with Tropical Storm Bill in southwestern Montgomery County. The tornado first touched down north-northwest of Pintlala on the west side of Windham Road east of US 31 and north of CR 24. The tornado moved on a north-northwesterly path taking it along a portion of Windham Road where trees were downed and several structures sustained minor damage. Trees fell on a mobile home, a permanent home, and two cars. The tornado continued north-northwest across Pintlala Creek and Interstate 65 where trees were downed. From Interstate 65 to CR 15 the tornado weakened fairly quickly with only a few trees down.Beg: 32 11.680/86 22.571 End: 32 15.573/86 23.410

Montgomery, Alabama · Tornado · Jul 1, 10:29 UTC

The Fulton county 911 center reported several times during the afternoon that heavy rainfall caused Peachtree Creek to be forced quickly above flood stage of 17 feet. Cheshire Bridge on La Vista Road was flooded and impassible, largely caused by a log jam of water against the bridge. Several roads and some homes along and near the creek were also flooded during the incident.

Fulton, Georgia · Flash Flood · Jul 1, 20:35 UTC

The News and Farmer-Jefferson Reporter of Louisville reported that thunderstorm winds, associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill, caused considerable damage to a home west of Louisville on Grange Road. A portion of the roof over the garage collapsed. The house also sustained other minor damage. A number of trees were blown down or split in half across the street and even up to one-third of a mile away. Several residents in the area reported seeing a tornado that was approximately 10 to 15 feet wide and traveled about 60 to 75 feet above the ground. One resident about four miles west of Louisville reported seeing two tornadoes.

Jefferson, Georgia · Thunderstorm Wind · Jul 1, 21:00 UTC

Torrential rains from the remains of Tropical Storm Bill caused extensive flooding throughout the county.As many as 40 homes were damaged by floodwaters. Streets in Lynn Haven, Springfield and Parkerwere closed. Several residents of an apartment complex in Parker were rescued by boat. Reported by the Panama City News Herald.

Bay, Florida · Flood · Jul 2, 09:00 UTC

• Tropical Storm AnaNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm50 kt · 994 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Depression30 kt · 1008 mb
• Hurricane ClaudetteNorth Atlantic · 2003Cat 180 kt · 979 mb
• Hurricane DannyNorth Atlantic · 2003Cat 165 kt · 1000 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Depression30 kt · 1010 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Depression30 kt · 1016 mb
• Hurricane ErikaNorth Atlantic · 2003 · 2 deaths · $12,000Cat 165 kt · 986 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Depression30 kt · 1007 mb
• Hurricane FabianNorth Atlantic · 2003Cat 4125 kt · 939 mb
• Tropical Storm GraceNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm35 kt · 1007 mb
• Tropical Storm HenriNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm50 kt · 997 mb
• Hurricane IsabelNorth Atlantic · 2003Cat 5145 kt · 915 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Depression30 kt · 1007 mb
• Hurricane JuanNorth Atlantic · 2003Cat 290 kt · 969 mb
• Hurricane KateNorth Atlantic · 2003Cat 3110 kt · 952 mb
• Tropical Storm LarryNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm55 kt · 993 mb
• Tropical Storm MindyNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm40 kt · 1002 mb
• Tropical Storm NicholasNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm60 kt · 990 mb
• Tropical Storm OdetteNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm55 kt · 993 mb
• Tropical Storm PeterNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm60 kt · 990 mb

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

The National Hurricane Center has published no tropical cyclone report for this storm.

• Every advisory and discussion NHC issued while it was live
• Wikipedia article: Tropical Storm Bill