Hurricane and Tropical Storm in Texas, August 27, 2020

Name: Hurricane and Tropical Storm in Texas, August 27, 2020
Start: 2020-08-27T04:00
End: 2020-08-27T12:00
Location: Texas

August 27, 2020 · NWS SHV · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS SHV wrote it up.

Major Hurricane Laura tracked north northwest across the Central and Northern Gulf of Mexico from the Central Carribean Sea near Cuba, making landfall in Southwest Louisiana near Cameron around 1 am on August 27th as a strong Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 150 mph, and a minimum central pressure of 938 mb. Laura remained a hurricane as it tracked north across Southwest and Central Louisiana and into Natchitoches Parish, before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved northeast across Northcentral Louisiana and Southcentral Arkansas. Despite being on the west side of Laura's center, portions of extreme Eastern Texas observed wind gusts between 45-60+ mph, mainly across Sabine, San Augustine, Angelina, Shelby, Rusk, Panola, and Harrison Counties. These winds downed trees and power lines over these areas during the morning, before winds weakened in the afternoon with the departure of Laura into Southern Arkansas. Rainfall amounts ranged from 1.50-3.00 inches across the eastern border counties with Louisiana. Higher amounts of 3-6+ inches were observed across Southern Panola, Shelby, San Augustine, and Sabine Counties. However, no flooding was reported across East Texas from Hurricane Laura.

Here are the peak wind gusts at various automated stations across the affected areas of East Texas:

Marshall (Harrison County), 48 mph|Carthage (Panola County), 47 mph|Sabine South RAWS (Sabine County), 44 mph |San Augustine (San Augustine County), 36 mph.

Here are the known damage across various counties affected in East Texas:

Angelina County: Scattered trees and power lines down countywide.

San Augustine County: Scattered trees and power lines down countywide.

Sabine County: Numerous trees down across the eastern half of the county with more sporadic damage across the western half of the county. The roof of a Ashley Furniture store collapsed in Hemphill. The damage otherwise was mostly uprooted trees and large broken branches, with trees falling through homes in the McGee's Landing area. A pine tree fell into a single wide mobile home and killed a 54 year old man in the Pendleton Harbor subdivision near Toledo Bend Reservoir. The tree fall was generally to the south-southwest to south-southeast.

Shelby County: Scattered trees and power lines down countywide.

Panola County: Sporadic trees down in Carthage and southwest of De Berry.

Rusk County: Numerous trees and power lines down countywide.

Harrison County: A tree was blown down onto a house in Waskom. Sporadic trees were also downed across various locations in the county.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 27, 3:33 AM CST, 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 27, 3:33 AM CST, 27 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
433 AM CDT Thu Aug 27 2020

.SHORT TERM.../Today through Friday/

...Hurricane Laura made landfall as a massive Category 4 storm
around midnight near Cameron, Louisiana...

Bottom line up front...Laura will likely set the standard for a
near worst case scenario with a landfalling tropical system in our
region. Several factors are contributing to this outlook, namely
the strength of Laura at landfall combined with movement at near
15 mph almost due northward, which will bring the northern eyewall
into lower Toledo Bend around 6 AM this morning with winds still
expected to be easily hurricane force by this time. Based on this
current movement, the threat of hurricane force winds is becoming
a greater concern up to the I-20 corridor in NW Louisiana so have
expanded the Hurricane Warning to add additional parishes farther
north and east to include Caddo, Bossier, Webster, Claiborne,
Bienville, Lincoln, Jackson, Winn and Grant. Meanwhile, Angelina
and Nacogdoches counties in East Texas were both downgraded to a
Tropical Storm Warning due to the stronger winds being more east
of Laura's center of circulation. This aligns well with NHC's new
track guidance forecast with Laura still a minimal hurricane over
NW Louisiana by late morning approaching the midday timeframe.
Farther west, Cherokee and Morris counties were dropped from the
Tropical Storm Warning and replaced with a Wind Advisory. Finally,
a few counties were dropped from the Flash Flood Watch including
Wood, Smith, and Cherokee in East Texas. Farther east, the threats
of flash flooding remain across much of the region and tornadoes
mainly across our eastern half to the east of Laura's center where
SPC has a Slight Risk highlighted through the rest of today.

After we move into the afternoon and evening hours, Laura will
weaken to a tropical storm as the center moves into southern
Arkansas with winds and heavy rain gradually diminishing farther
south. In its wake, however, we will see the brunt of Laura's
impacts as widespread power outages are likely given the wind
speeds anticipated over much of the southern half of the region.
In addition, flooding may continue as well with runoff from the
heavy rain that is expected across areas in the Flash Flood Watch.
Therefore, safety will be paramount as damage assessments begin,
and those reminders include avoiding areas near any downed power
lines and flooded roadways. Look for the threat of scattered shwrs
to continue overnight as lift increases along the trailing edge of
Laura's remnants. Additional rainfall will only compound residual
flooding issues that may be ongoing, but the general trend should
be for a diminishing flood threat beyond tonight with the Flash
Flood Watch set to expire at 7 AM on Friday.

Any lingering convection will gradually begin to taper off from NW
to SE through the day on Friday with temperatures rebounding well
into the 80s and even some lower to mid 90s across our western
zones.

/19/

.LONG TERM.../Friday Night through Wednesday Night/

Elongated trough extending from the Texas coast into north Louisiana
and points northeastward will linger through the weekend providing
enough instability to support diurnally driven convection each day.
Best coverage for rainfall will be late in the weekend Sunday
afternoon as a low to mid-level trough translates east across the
northern gulf coast in conjunction with a couple of weak surface
boundaries. A surface low to deepen across the Red River Valley on
Tuesday supporting continued rain chances through the end of the
forecast period.

Temperatures each day to range from highs in the upper 80s to lower
90s and lows in the low to mid 70s. Lingering moisture from Laura to
possibly support heat index values around 100  degrees each
afternoon across portions of deep east Texas. /05/

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 136 AM CDT Thu Aug 27 2020/

AVIATION...

For the 27/06Z TAF period, the worst of Hurricane Laura's impacts on
all terminals will occur in the 27/12Z-21Z range with MVFR cigs down
briefly to IFR cigs as the center of circulation proceeds
northward across KSHV, KTXK, KELD and KMLU. Wind speeds will
range 35KT to 55KT, with G60KT+ and LLWS. The highest wind speed
impacts are expected near KSHV and eastern terminals. As
improvement to MVFR/VFR cigs begins after 00Z, trailing VCTS/VCSH
are still likely across all terminals. /16/

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SHV  78  73  92  75 / 100  60  50  10
MLU  85  75  90  75 / 100  60  70  20
DEQ  83  70  90  73 / 100  80  40  20
TXK  79  71  89  74 / 100  80  50  20
ELD  79  70  88  73 / 100  80  50  20
TYR  86  74  95  75 /  70  30  30  10
GGG  81  72  94  75 / 100  40  30  10
LFK  90  74  95  76 / 100  30  50  10

&&

.SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...Flash Flood Watch through Friday morning for ARZ050-051-059>061-
     070>073.

     Tropical Storm Warning for ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073.

LA...Hurricane Warning for LAZ001>005-010>013-017>020.

     Flash Flood Watch through Friday morning for LAZ001>006-010>014-
     017>022.

     Tropical Storm Warning for LAZ006-014-021-022.

OK...Flash Flood Watch through Friday morning for OKZ077.

     Wind Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for OKZ077.

TX...Hurricane Warning for TXZ153-166-167.

     Flash Flood Watch through Friday morning for TXZ096-097-108>112-
     125-126-137-138-150>153-165>167.

     Tropical Storm Warning for TXZ097-112-126-137-138-150>152-165.

     Wind Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for TXZ096-108>111-124-
     125-136-149.

&&

19/05/16

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 26, 11:30 AM CST, 16 hours 30 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
1230 PM CDT Wed Aug 26 2020

LAZ010-011-017-018-TXZ152-153-165>167-271730-
De Soto-Red River-Sabine-Natchitoches-Nacogdoches-Shelby-Angelina-
San Augustine-
1230 PM CDT Wed Aug 26 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northwest
Louisiana and east Texas.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight...

Major Hurricane Laura is expected to make landfall near the Texas
and Louisiana border overnight. A Hurricane Warning is in effect
through Thursday. Showers and thunderstorms will increase in
coverage from the south today with a break late day, then
conditions deteriorating after midnight as heavy precipitation
becomes more widespread across the region. Heavy rainfall, strong
winds with higher gusts and possible tornadoes are expected
overnight. A Flash Flood Watch is in effect from this evening
through Friday morning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday...

Hurricane Laura will continue to bring the brunt of heavy
rainfall, strong and gusty winds and the tornado threat Thursday
morning with conditions beginning to improve from the south during
Thursday afternoon. In the wake of Laura, afternoon thunderstorms
will remain possible through the weekend and into early next
week.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Remote activation of emergency management personnel, amateur
radio operators and storm spotters may be needed through
Thursday. Please relay any information about observed severe
weather to the NWS while following all local, state, and CDC
guidelines.

ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-012>014-019>022-TXZ097-
110>112-125-126-136>138-149>151-271730-
Sevier-Howard-Little River-Hempstead-Nevada-Miller-Lafayette-
Columbia-Union-Caddo-Bossier-Webster-Claiborne-Lincoln-Bienville-
Jackson-Ouachita-Winn-Grant-Caldwell-La Salle-Bowie-Camp-Morris-
Cass-Upshur-Marion-Smith-Gregg-Harrison-Cherokee-Rusk-Panola-
1230 PM CDT Wed Aug 26 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southern Arkansas, northern
and central Louisiana and for northeast Texas.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight...

Major Hurricane Laura is expected to make landfall near the Texas
and Louisiana border overnight. A Tropical Storm Warning is in
effect through Thursday. Showers and thunderstorms are forecast to
increase in coverage from the south today, and then a break this
evening with conditions further deteriorating after midnight and
especially in the predawn hours as heavy precipitation begins to
spread into the region. Heavy rainfall, strong and gusty winds,
and possible tornadoes are expected overnight. A Flash Flood
Watch is in effect from this evening through Friday morning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday...

Hurricane Laura will continue all day on Thursday, bringing the
brunt of heavy rainfall, strong and gusty winds, and the tornado
threat Thursday morning and afternoon with conditions beginning to
improve from the south by Thursday evening. In the wake of Laura,
afternoon thunderstorms will remain possible through the weekend
and into early next week.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Remote activation of emergency management personnel, amateur
radio operators and storm spotters may be needed through
Thursday. Please relay any information about observed severe
weather to the NWS while following all local, state, and CDC
guidelines.

OKZ077-TXZ096-108-109-124-271730-
McCurtain-Red River-Franklin-Titus-Wood-
1230 PM CDT Wed Aug 26 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast
Oklahoma and northeast Texas.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight...

Major Hurricane Laura is expected to make landfall near the Texas
and Louisiana border overnight. Showers and thunderstorms are
forecast to increase in coverage from the south today with a break
late today, then conditions deteriorating toward daybreak as
precipitation becomes more widespread across the region. Heavy
rainfall, gusty winds and isolated tornadoes are possible
overnight. A Flash Flood Watch is in effect from this evening
through Friday morning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday...

Hurricane Laura will bring the brunt of heavy rainfall, gusty
wind and isolated tornado threat Thursday with conditions
beginning to improve from the south on Thursday evening. In the
wake of Laura, afternoon thunderstorms will remain possible
through the weekend and into early next week.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Remote activation of emergency management personnel, amateur
radio operators and storm spotters may be needed through
Thursday. Please relay any information about observed severe
weather to the NWS while following all local, state, and CDC
guidelines.

24

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 tropical storm, 1 hurricane (typhoon). Local standard time, as filed.

Hurricane (Typhoon), Sabine

When: August 27, 4:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Sabine forecast zone
Category: 1
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 31.343, -93.852 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Observed scattered tree damage across the parish with more widespread damage across the southeastern corner of the parish and exposed areas to the open waters of Toledo Bend Reservoir in the far southwestern portion of the parish. Damage included snapped trees, roof damage to an apartment complex, and clusters of uprooted trees. Tree fall in the parish ranged from south to south-southeast. The damage survey estimated sustained winds were 50 to 60 mph with peak wind gusts in the 70 to 80 mph range in the southern portion of the county. Sustained winds were estimated to be 40 to 50 with gusts to the 60 to 70 mph range in the northern portion of the county.

Tropical Storm, San Augustine

When: August 27, 4:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: San Augustine forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 31.394, -94.168 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Angelina

When: August 27, 5:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Angelina forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 31.255, -94.612 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Shelby

When: August 27, 5:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Shelby forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 31.792, -94.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Rusk

When: August 27, 6:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Rusk forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 32.108, -94.762 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Panola

When: August 27, 6:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Panola forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 32.162, -94.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Harrison

When: August 27, 6:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Harrison forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 32.548, -94.371 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Hurricane (Typhoon), Sabine	2020-08-27	54	Male	Mobile/Trailer Home	Direct

What these are

Hurricane (Typhoon): A tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 64 knots (74 mph) or more, filed per forecast zone for its wind, and with separate events for its flooding, surge and tornadoes.
Tropical Storm: A tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73 mph).

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, August 2020 The 2020 hurricane season

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 908796, 908798, 908799, 908801, 908803, 908805, 908806.