Tropical Storm Beta (2020)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

September 17, 2020 to September 25, 2020

Peak strength

Tropical Storm, 55 kt (63 mph)

Lowest pressure

993 mb (29.32 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

3.5

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

170 nmi (315 km, 196 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

40 nmi (74 km, 46 mi)

Overall size

215 nmi (398 km, 247 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Peak gust in the best track

60 kt (69 mph)

Fastest the center moved

14 kt (16 mph)

Identifier

AL222020

Radar at KCRP as it neared land, Sep 22, 02:45 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

0

Property damage

$1.4 million

Crop damage

none recorded

Events recorded

99 in 17 reports from 7 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

36 storm surge/tide, 19 marine thunderstorm wind, 18 flash flood, 7 marine tropical storm, 5 flood, 5 coastal flood, 4 tropical storm, 2 thunderstorm wind, 2 strong wind, 1 astronomical low tide.

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 2,565 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 15.77 inches (401 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.

Wx Flow Mesonet station at Bayou Bienvenue measured sustained winds of 34 knots with a peak wind gust of 40 knots on the 21st at 1030 CDT. NOAA NOS station SHBL1 - Shell Beach measured sustained winds of 34 knots on the 20th at 1312 CDT with a peak wind gust of 41 knots on the 20th at 1230 CDT.

Lake Borgne, Gulf of Mexico · Marine Tropical Storm · Sep 20, 19:12 UTC

A tide gage at Baffin Bay, just north of the Kenedy/Kleberg County line, peaked at 2.34 feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL) around 8 PM CST September 21, and continued above 2 feet above MSL through 5 PM CST on the 23rd. Though tide levels inside Laguna Madre remained high through the 23rd, the lack of landward push of water from Beta that day as the cyclone had already made landfall on the 22nd along the central Texas coast, well north of Port Mansfield, suggested that the push may have ended earlier. However, since northern Kenedy County was much closer to the outswell from slow-moving Beta for several days, it's possible that additional run-up to or just into the dunes occurred for two or more day period.

Coastal Kenedy County, Texas · Storm Surge/Tide · Sep 21, 06:00 UTC

KXPY - Port Fourchon AWOS reported sustained winds of 30kt on the 21st at 0015 CDT with a peak gust of 44kt on the 21st at 1935 CDT. LOPL1- Louisiana Offshore Oil Port measured sustained winds of of 41 knots on the 19th at 2319 CDT with a peak gust of 49 knots on the 19th at 1619 CDT. BURL1 - NOAA C-MAN SW PASS measured sustained winds of 44 knots on the 20th at 1900 CDT with a peak wind gust of 50 knots on the 20th at 1900 CDT. KDLP - West Delta 27A Platform measured sustained winds of 42 knots on the 19th at 2015 CDT and peak wind gust of 48 knots on the 20th at 2015 CDT.

Coastal Waters From Southwest Pass of The Mississippi River To Port Fourchon Louisiana Out 20 Nm, Gulf of Mexico · Marine Tropical Storm · Sep 21, 06:15 UTC

Reports of minor to moderate storm surge inundation across coastal Hancock County, MS with observations ranging form 2.86 MHHW at the NOS site WYCM6 in Waveland, MS on the 21st at 03:24 CDT to 4.81 NAVD88 at the USGS site EPCM6 at Claiborne on the 21st at 05:15 CDT.

Hancock, Mississippi · Storm Surge/Tide · Sep 21, 09:24 UTC

Minor to moderate storm surge inundation occurred across Orleans Parish with water levels ranging from 3.83 ft MHHW at the NOS New Canal site NWCL1 on the 21st at 1318 CDT to 4.66 ft NAVD88 at the GIWW Paris Road PRSL1 USACE station on the 21st at 800 CDT.

Orleans, Louisiana · Storm Surge/Tide · Sep 21, 12:00 UTC

Multiple reports from broadcast media of street flooding due to higher than normal tides. Areas include Hendricks Isle in Fort Lauderdale and portions of Las Olas Riverfront. Water was seen half way up parked car wheels, neighboring driveways, and overtopping docks.

Coastal Broward County, Florida · Coastal Flood · Sep 21, 15:00 UTC

A thunderstorm wind gust of 42 mph / 36 kt was recorded by the Government Cut (XGVT) mesonet site. Site elevation is 75 feet.

Deerfield Beach To Ocean Reef Fl, Atlantic South · Marine Thunderstorm Wind · Sep 21, 15:52 UTC

Multiple reports from broadcast media of coastal flooding along coastal portions of Palm Beach County, including storm drains bubbling up intracoastal water and water rushing over seawalls causing street flooding. Areas include the intersection of South Flagler Drive, Washington Road, and Greenwood Drive along with areas north of Flagler and Banyan Street.

Coastal Palm Beach County, Florida · Coastal Flood · Sep 21, 16:00 UTC

A tide gage at Port Mansfield (inside Laguna Madre) rose above 1.5 feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL) around 6:30 PM September 21, and continued well above 1.5 feet through the 23rd, peaking at 1.80 MSL at 3:24 PM on the 22nd. Though tide levels inside Laguna Madre remained high through the 23rd, the lack of landward push of water from Beta that day as the cyclone had already made landfall on the 22nd along the central Texas coast, well north of Port Mansfield, suggested that landward push of water had ended much earlier. An NWS survey on South Padre Island found significant beach erosion during the high tide cycle during the evening of the 20th, a result of continuing strong landward push of high seas and swell. It was likely that additional minor erosion affected the northern coast of Willacy County into the high tide over September 21/22.

Coastal Willacy, Texas · Storm Surge/Tide · Sep 21, 23:30 UTC

Observations in lower Lafourche Parish reporting minor to moderate storm surge inundation ranging from 2.09 ft MHHW at PTFL1 Port Fourchon NOS Station on the 22nd at 01:18 CDT to 4.03 ft NAVD88 from HACL1 in Hackberry Bay USGS Site HACL1 on the 22nd at 00:00 CDT.

Lower Lafourche, Louisiana · Storm Surge/Tide · Sep 22, 06:00 UTC

Flooding occurred across Dermott, where a vehicle stalled and had to be removed from Highway 35. Water covered portions of North Main Street. Portions of Highway 35 east was also covered and closed. About 8 to 10 roads around the city were inundated. Several county roads were also flooded.

Chicot, Arkansas · Flash Flood · Sep 23, 11:30 UTC

Flooding occurred on US Highway 84 east of McCall Creek. A car was stalled in the floodwater and had to be pushed out by a truck. A campground near the river was flooded and several trailers had water in them. One trailer was floating and a man was inside. At least three rescues occurred. A car was floating at MS Highway 556 and a person was rescued. Bert Jordan Road was washed out between Highways 84 and 98. Up to six inches occurred in the northeastern part of the county.

Franklin, Mississippi · Flash Flood · Sep 24, 03:25 UTC

A thunderstorm wind gust of 43 mph / 37 kt was recorded by the Port Everglades XPEG mesonet site. Site elevation is 135 feet.

Deerfield Beach To Ocean Reef Fl, Atlantic South · Marine Thunderstorm Wind · Sep 25, 17:25 UTC

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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.

• Tropical cyclone report, National Hurricane Center
• Every advisory and discussion NHC issued while it was live
• Best track as KMZ, National Hurricane Center
• Best track as a shapefile, National Hurricane Center
• Wikipedia article: Tropical Storm Beta