Tropical Storm and Flash Flooding in Texas, July 16 to 17, 2003

Tropical Storm Claudette's center of circulation (as best located through use of visible satellite imagery and sparse surface observations) crossed the Rio Grande River/U.S.-Mexican border in eastern Brewster County around 1215 CST, or about 35 miles southwest of the Terrell County Airport (K6R6). The K6R6 ASOS measured a fastest two minute sustained wind of 44 MPH (38 kt) from the east at 1158 CST. A peak gusts of 58 MPH (50 kt) was also recorded at that time. K6R6 was north of the westward moving center of circulation, in an area favored for high winds. Claudette likely weakened below tropical storm criteria over Brewster County during the early to mid afternoon. Due to a lack of surface observations from this remote area of the West Texas Big Bend, however, wind measurements at K6R6 are the furthest inland (roughly 355 miles from the coast) evidence of tropical storm force winds. Claudette also resulted in heavy rainfall across most of the Lower Trans Pecos and the Big Bend. Radar estimates indicate rainfall totals bewteen four to six inches across parts of Terrell County.

An automated observation site on top of Mount Locke in the Davis Mountains recorded strong east to northeast winds as the center of Tropical Depression Claudette moved across the Big Bend of West Texas. A peak wind of 53 MPH was recorded at 1220 CST. Maximum sustained winds reached 28 MPH at 1225 CST. Frequent gusts between 40 and 50 MPH were common. Strong east winds were also recorded by automated observing systems in the Guadalupe Mountains as Tropical Depression Claudette moved south of that mountain range. Channeling of east winds through Guadalupe Pass (5,500 feet MSL) resulted in localized topographically enhanced tropical storm force winds, but these winds were not representative of the storm's ambient wind strength at that time. Such winds were observed at 2151 CST when sustained winds reached 41 MPH (36 kt) with gusts to 46 MPH (40 kt), and again at 2351 CST with sustained winds of 44 MPH (38 kt) with gusts to 52 MPH (45 kt). Winds which were more representative of the ambient gradient wind were measured at The Bowl (7,755 feet MSL) where maximum sustained winds reached 35 MPH (30 kt) at 2104 CST. Gusts at The Bowl reached 70 MPH (61kt) at 0104 CST.

Flash flooding resulted in high water covering Highway 385 south of Marathon.

A thunderstorm in Claudette's outer convective band resulted in damaging winds near Mentone. A porch was blown off of a mobile home, and a power pole was blown down.

Thunderstorms trained across parts of Terrell County for several hours as convection developed in one of Claudette's bands along the Serranias del Burro Mountains in northern Mexico, and moved north around the back side of the storm's circulation. Radar estimated storm total precipitation of four to six inches across parts of the county were likely underestimated given the tropical nature of the environment. Flash flooding resulted in high water that covered Farm to Market Roads 2886 and 2400.