Tropical Storm Imelda

Losses, 2024 dollars

$6.2 billion

Losses at the time

$5.0 billion

Deaths

5

The losses and deaths are NCEI’s, counting everything the disaster did. The episodes below are only what the Weather Service filed in its Storm Events record, which counts damage differently and often not at all, so the two never add up and are shown apart.

• Tornado and Flash Flooding in Arizona, September 16, 2019$75,000 · EF0 · 5 eventsScattered thunderstorms moved east across Pima and Pinal counties during the afternoon and evening. Storms formed a haboob in Pinal County and caused wind damage in Eloy. Flash flooding was also reported in Chuichu and Picture Rocks. A landspout tornado formed south of Chuichu.
• Flash Flood in Arizona, September 16, 2019$10,000 · 1 eventScattered monsoon thunderstorms developed across the central and western portions of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area during the evening hours on September 16th. Some of the stronger storms generated intense rainfall with peak rain rates well in excess of one inch per hour.
• Flash Flood in Arizona, September 16, 2019$2,000 · 1 eventScattered thunderstorms developed across the central deserts, including to the southwest of central Phoenix, during the evening hours on September 16th. Some of the stronger storms generated intense rainfall with peak rain rates well in excess of one inch per hour.
• Flood in South Dakota, September 17 to 20, 2019$5,000 · 1 eventSpurred by a period of excessive precipitation from September 10-12 that resulted in 5 to 10 inches of rainfall in the upper reaches of the Big Sioux River Basin and 2 to 5 inches from Sioux Falls southward, rises occurred mid-month that routed downstream to cause minor flooding…
• Flood in Iowa, September 17 to 20, 2019$5,000 · 1 eventSpurred by a period of excessive precipitation from September 10-12 that resulted in 5 to 10 inches of rainfall in the upper reaches of the Big Sioux River Basin and 2 to 5 inches from Sioux Falls southward, rises occurred mid-month that routed downstream to cause minor flooding…
• Flood and Damaging Winds in Montana, September 17, 201961 kt wind · 6 eventsA small, but compact storm system moving through eastern Montana combined with an unstable atmosphere to form strong thunderstorms - a few of which became severe through Wibaux, Dawson, and Richland Counties.
• Flooding in South Dakota, September 18 to 30, 2019$20,000 · 3 eventsDespite a dry period in late September with less than a quarter inch on average across the Missouri River Basin, flooding returned to areas below Fort Randall Dam late in the month with increased releases.
• Tornado and Flash Flooding in Texas, September 18 to 19, 20192 deaths · 3 injured · $565 million · EF1 · 32 eventsA weak surface low pressure system strengthened into Tropical Storm Imelda just after noon on September 17th around 15 miles south southwest of Freeport. Imelda moved onshore near Freeport and quickly weakened to a tropical depression.
• Flood in South Dakota, September 18 to 21, 2019$10,000 · 1 eventSpurred by a period of excessive precipitation that saw from 4 to 8 inches of rainfall between September 10-12 in upper portions of the Vermillion River Basin, rises into moderate stages occurred mid- to late-month.
• Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in California, September 18, 20195 eventsA relatively vigorous upper-level trough impacted the Pacific Northwest during mid September. Cold air aloft associated with the upper trough yielded an unstable airmass supportive of strong showers and a few thunderstorms.
• Flash Flooding in Texas, September 18 to 19, 20193 deaths · $360 million · 5 eventsImelda moved inland southwest of Galveston, Texas as a minimal tropical storm then meandered over Southeast Texas over the next couple days while weakening.
• Flash Flood in Michigan, September 19, 20191 eventA slow-moving cold front interacting with a moist and unstable air mass produced heavy rainfall of three to six inches and flash flooding over portions of Menominee County on the morning of the 19th.
• Flash Flooding in Nebraska, September 19, 20193 eventsStrong thunderstorms developed during the nighttime and lingered into the morning. Several flash flood warnings were issued between Wayne and Omaha. Thunderstorms produced 3.75 inches of rain at Lyons, 4.3 inches south of Pilger, and 4 inches at Pender.
• Flash Flood and Heavy Rain in Iowa, September 19, 2019$5,000 · 2 eventsThunderstorms with heavy rain moved across northeast Iowa during the early morning hours of September 19th. These storms dropped between 2 and 4 inches of rain that caused some gravel roads to washout across northern Howard County.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Wisconsin, September 19 to 24, 2019$15,000 · 12 eventsThunderstorms with heavy rain moved across southwest Wisconsin during the early morning hours of September 19th. These storms dropped between 2 and 4 inches of rain that caused water to go over roads in and near Lancaster, Beetown and Ellenboro (Grant County).
• Flood and Heavy Rain in Minnesota, September 19, 2019$1,000 · 2 eventsThunderstorms with heavy rain moved across southeast Minnesota during the morning of September 19th. These storms dropped between 2 and 4 inches of rain with the resulting runoff producing some flooding.
• Tornado and Flash Flood in Louisiana, September 19, 2019$20,000 · EF0 · 2 eventsTropical Storm Imelda made landfall well into Texas, however the effects were still felt in far Southwest Louisiana.
• Flash Flood in Alabama, September 19, 2019$100,000 · 1 eventA backdoor cold front moving from east to west across the area as high pressure built across the Mid-Atlantic states. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of this boundary.
• Flooding and Hail in Texas, September 19, 20191.5 in hail · 8 eventsDeep trough over the western half of the United States funneled moisture northeast into the Panhandles.
• Coastal Flood in Puerto Rico, September 19 to 20, 20191 eventA strong northwesterly swell caused by distant Hurricane Humberto resulted in some coastal flooding across portions of northern beaches of Puerto Rico.
• Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Texas, September 19, 2019$107,000 · 52 kt wind · 6 eventsA convergence zone developed on the west side of a decaying tropical cyclone and thunderstorms developed in this region. Some of these storms moved toward the west through Bexar County and produced damaging wind gusts and flash flooding from heavy rain.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in North Dakota, September 20 to 21, 2019$1.9 million · 2.75 in hail · 17 eventsThunderstorms developed mid-day along and ahead of a slowly advancing cold front over northwestern North Dakota in an unseasonably moist and unstable atmosphere. The storms then spread south and east through the day.
• Flash Flood and Flood in Oklahoma, September 20, 2019$5,000 · 2 eventsNumerous thunderstorms along a stalled outflow boundary produced heavy rainfall and isolated severe wind gusts across southern Oklahoma and adjacent western North Texas on the evening of the 20th.
• Flooding in Texas, September 20, 20192 eventsThe remnants of Tropical Cyclone Imelda produced locally heavy rain. The heavy rain caused flooding in parts of the city of Sherman in Grayson County.
• Tornado and Flash Flooding in North Dakota, September 20 to 21, 2019$72 million · EF0 · 25 eventsBy the late afternoon of the 20th, a weak area of surface low pressure set up near Devils Lake, with the warm front extending out to the east-southeast. Temperatures had risen into the mid 70s to low 80s in the warm sector, with dew points in the upper 60s to lower 70s.
• Flash Flood in Missouri, September 20, 2019$20,000 · 1 eventA westward propagating cluster of thunderstorms developed in moderate to very unstable conditions within very weak mid level flow on the west side of a surface high pressure system. The westward propagating storms repeatedly moved over the same locations near Jackson, MO.
• Tornado and Hail in Nebraska, September 20, 20191.75 in hail · 10 eventsSevere thunderstorms moved across the Nebraska Panhandle producing large hail from nickel size to golf ball size. In addition, a supercell thunderstorm with associated outflow boundaries produced several gustnadoes along the outflow.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Minnesota, September 20 to 21, 2019$21 million · 1.25 in hail · 7 eventsBy the late afternoon of the 20th, a weak area of surface low pressure set up near Devils Lake, with the warm front extending out to the east-southeast. Temperatures had risen into the mid 70s to low 80s in the warm sector, with dew points in the upper 60s to lower 70s.
• Flood in Alaska, September 20 to 21, 20191 eventA deep trough of low pressure with a long fetch from the North Pacific to the Gulf of Alaska produced a very strong and wet weather system. The atmospheric river slammed into northern southeast Alaska panhandle from September 20th through the 21st.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, September 21 to 22, 2019$300 · 1 in hail · 30 eventsGenerally speaking, there was not much to write home about with regards to the synoptic setup for severe or highly impactful weather.
• Tornado in Minnesota, September 21, 2019$10,000 · EF0 · 2 eventsTwo storm chasers filmed a tornado in east central Minnesota, in Kanabec County. Earlier, a funnel cloud was documented northeast of St Cloud.
• Flooding and Hail in Texas, September 21, 20190.75 in hail · 3 eventsIsolated thunderstorms developed during the afternoon across the central Texas Panhandle, producing hail. Thunderstorms became more widespread during the evening across the southeast Texas Panhandle and produced minor flooding.
• Flooding in Texas, September 21, 2019$35,000 · 2 eventsA very moist atmosphere combined with a strong upper level jet streak to create widespread rainfall and flooding in some locations on the Caprock.
• Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Kansas, September 21, 2019$5,000 · EF1 · 4 eventsLate in the afternoon and early evening of the 21st, three short-lived tornadoes struck Southeast Kansas.
• Flash Flooding in Texas, September 21, 2019$50,000 · 2 eventsAn upper level trough was to the west of the region moving eastward. Pacific Hurricane Lorena was over Baja which provided mid and upper level moisture across the area. South to southeast surface winds had provided plentiful low-level moisture.
• Flash Flood and Heavy Rain in Missouri, September 22 to 23, 20193 eventsStorms moved into southeast Kansas during the early morning of the 22nd and spread across the Missouri Ozarks through the day and into the early morning hours of the 23rd. Flash flooding was reported in Nevada, Missouri where multiple roadways were flooded.
• Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Kansas, September 22 to 23, 20194 eventsStorms moved into southeast Kansas during the early morning of the 22nd and spread across the rest of the region through the afternoon leading to localized flash flooding.
• Flash Flood in Oklahoma, September 22, 20191 eventThunderstorms brought isolated flooding to portions of north-central Oklahoma.
• Tornado in Missouri, September 22, 2019EF0 · 1 eventIn otherwise sub-severe thunderstorms a brief tornado formed near Lake Lotawana. This tornado was filmed by a nearby resident, but the tornado itself remained in open country and no damage was reported.

Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2019The 2019 hurricane seasonTornadoes in 2019

NOAA NCEI, U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2025), https://doi.org/10.25921/stkw-7w73, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.