Tropical Storm Harold (2023)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

August 21, 2023 to August 23, 2023

Peak strength

Tropical Storm, 50 kt (58 mph)

Lowest pressure

995 mb (29.38 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

0.6

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

100 nmi (185 km, 115 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

30 nmi (56 km, 35 mi)

Overall size

120 nmi (222 km, 138 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Peak gust in the best track

50 kt (58 mph)

Fastest the center moved

21 kt (24 mph)

Identifier

AL092023

Radar at KCRP as it neared land, Aug 22, 15:00 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

1 (1 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

0

Property damage

$584,000

Crop damage

none recorded

Events recorded

69 in 17 reports from 8 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

22 tropical storm, 13 flash flood, 11 marine tropical storm, 9 flood, 6 thunderstorm wind, 3 storm surge/tide, 2 tornado, 2 debris flow, 1 heavy rain.

2 tornadoes recorded in the United States, strongest first.

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.

As Tropical Storm Harold passed over the Lower Texas Coastal waters on August 22nd, this portion of the Gulf waters saw tropical storm-force winds between 8:00AM CDT and 10:30AM CDT. While there are no observations in this portion of waters, both Buoy 42020 and TCOON RSJT2 reported sustained wind and frequent gusts to tropical storm-force, and these station surround this coastal zone.

Coastal Waters From Baffin Bay To Pt Mansfield Tx Out 20 Nm, Gulf of Mexico · Marine Tropical Storm · Aug 22, 13:00 UTC

Satellite and radar observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred over the region during the morning hours as Tropical Storm Harold moved toward a landfall south of Baffin Bay. Mesonet observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. Winds gusted as high as 55 knots (63 mph) at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi.

Corpus Christi and Nueces Bays, Gulf of Mexico · Marine Tropical Storm · Aug 22, 14:00 UTC

Tide levels became elevated around Corpus Christi and Nueces Bays. Tides reached 2.6 feet MHHW at Nueces Bay TCOON site, 2.43 feet MHHW at the Viola Turning Basin in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, and 2.01 feet MHHW at the USS Lexington on Corpus Christi Bay. Tides flooded the Highway 181 turnaround on North Beach. Many roads were closed due to flooding on North Beach along Surfside Boulevard. The high tides flooded the parking lot of the South Texas Art Museum and North Shoreline Boulevard.

Coastal Nueces County, Texas · Storm Surge/Tide · Aug 22, 15:00 UTC

Tropical Storm Harold made landfall along Coastal Kenedy County on August 22nd around 10AM CDT. While there are no observations in this zone, it is reasonable to use the the Texas Coastal Ocean Observing Network (TCOON) site at Rincon del San Jose (RSJT2) on the other side of the Laguna Madre along with the Mesonet station in Sarita in Inland Kenedy County. Tropical storm-force winds were recorded between 10:24AM CDT and 10:36AM CDT at Rincon del San Jose (RSJT2) and the Sarita station measured them between 10:40AM CDT and 11:50AM CDT.

Coastal Kenedy, Texas · Tropical Storm · Aug 22, 15:20 UTC

An observer in La Luz recorded 3.33 inches of rain on the afternoon of the 23rd. Additional heavy rain reports included 2.43 inches in Cloudcroft, 2.35 inches about a mile northwest of High Rolls and 2.14 inches in High Rolls. Several other locations in and around the Sacramento Mountains reported an inch and a half to 2 inches of rain.

Otero, New Mexico · Heavy Rain · Aug 23, 19:00 UTC

Flash flooding occurred on the Strip, which was described as a river, as well as nearby roads. Water came into at least two Strip casinos through light fixtures and/or failed ceilings. One person drowned after being swept down the Flamingo Wash, and another person was reported missing.

Clark, Nevada · Flash Flood · Aug 24, 04:00 UTC

Rock slide reported on Highway 82 just west of Mountain Park near the Tunnel Vista observation site due to the heavy rain that fell the previous afternoon/evening. The road remained closed for approximately 2 days.

Otero, New Mexico · Flash Flood · Aug 24, 06:00 UTC

Heavy rain over the Schultz (2010) and Pipeline (2022) fire scars brought debris flowing over Copland Lane. A road grader was needed to clear the road.

Coconino, Arizona · Flash Flood · Aug 24, 23:50 UTC

Heavy rain from thunderstorms over the Grizzly Creek Fire burn scar resulted in the ponding of water along portions of I-70 with a mud and debris slide reported near mile marker 120.6 I-70 was closed in both directions from 1800 on the evening of the 24th to 0000 on the 25th.

Garfield, Colorado · Debris Flow · Aug 25, 00:00 UTC

A 38-year-old woman was swept away in a flash flood at Grand County���s Mary Jane Canyon as a result of heavy rains occurring upstream of the canyon. 30 minute rates looked to exceed 0.40 to 0.60 inches which then flowed downstream, flooding the slot canyon. The subject reported that she had been caught in the flood and carried ���150-200 feet��� down the canyon. She stated that she heard the flood coming and tried to get to higher ground. She reached a sand bank above the creek with her dog, but the rising water eroded the sand, sending both her and the dog into the flood waters. The woman and her dog were rescued by emergency services later with no injuries reported.

Grand, Utah · Flash Flood · Aug 25, 01:00 UTC

Heavy rain from thunderstorms moving south over the Paria River basin (including in Utah) caused flash flooding. The river gauge on the Paria River near the Colorado River (Lees Ferry) measured a rise in water the level 4.8 feet at 8:15 PM MST to 6.6 feet at 11:00 PM.

Coconino, Arizona · Flash Flood · Aug 25, 03:15 UTC

Minor flooding occurred in portions of Steamboat Springs as a result of heavy rain from thunderstorms. A CoCoRaHS observer located 1 mile north-northwest of town measured 1.18 inches of rain in 30 minutes.

Routt, Colorado · Flood · Aug 25, 21:00 UTC

• Unnamed tropical stormNorth Atlantic · 2023Tropical Storm60 kt · 976 mb
• Tropical Storm ArleneNorth Atlantic · 2023Tropical Storm35 kt · 998 mb
• Tropical Storm BretNorth Atlantic · 2023Tropical Storm60 kt · 996 mb
• Tropical Storm CindyNorth Atlantic · 2023Tropical Storm50 kt · 1004 mb
• Hurricane DonNorth Atlantic · 2023Cat 165 kt · 986 mb
• Tropical Storm EmilyNorth Atlantic · 2023Tropical Storm45 kt · 998 mb
• Tropical Storm GertNorth Atlantic · 2023Tropical Storm50 kt · 998 mb
• Hurricane FranklinNorth Atlantic · 2023 · 3 deathsCat 4130 kt · 926 mb
• Hurricane IdaliaNorth Atlantic · 2023 · 8 deaths · $3.6 billionCat 4115 kt · 942 mb
• Tropical Storm JoseNorth Atlantic · 2023Tropical Storm55 kt · 996 mb
• Tropical Storm KatiaNorth Atlantic · 2023Tropical Storm50 kt · 998 mb
• Hurricane LeeNorth Atlantic · 2023 · 4 deathsCat 5145 kt · 926 mb
• Hurricane MargotNorth Atlantic · 2023Cat 180 kt · 969 mb
• Hurricane NigelNorth Atlantic · 2023Cat 285 kt · 958 mb
• Tropical Storm OpheliaNorth Atlantic · 2023 · $450 millionTropical Storm60 kt · 981 mb
• Tropical Storm PhilippeNorth Atlantic · 2023Tropical Storm50 kt · 998 mb
• Tropical Storm RinaNorth Atlantic · 2023Tropical Storm45 kt · 999 mb
• Tropical Storm SeanNorth Atlantic · 2023Tropical Storm40 kt · 1005 mb
• Hurricane TammyNorth Atlantic · 2023Cat 295 kt · 965 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2023Tropical Depression25 kt · 1007 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2023Tropical Depression30 kt · 1004 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.

• 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 Harold