2007 — Aug 16-20, Tropical Storm Erin, Lamar, TX landfall to OK and MO — 18
— 18 Blanchard tally based on State and local breakouts below.
— >16 Wikipedia. “Tropical Storm Erin (2007).”
Missouri ( 1)
— 1 Sleeper vic., Laclede County, Aug 20. Drowning; man drove vehicle into flood water.[1]
Oklahoma ( 6)
— 6 Statewide. Reuters. “Six dead as storm’s remains drench Oklahoma.” 8-20-2007.
— 1 Carnegie vic., Hwy 58, Caddo Co., Aug 19. Drowning; van driven into water, woman, 76.[2]
— 1 Carnegie vic., Hwy 58, Caddo Co., Aug 19. Drowning; van driven into water, woman 37.[3]
— 1 Carnegie vic., Hwy 58, Caddo Co., Aug 19. Drowning; van driven into water, woman, 17.[4]
— 1 Fort Cobb vic., Caddo County, Aug 19. Drowning, home cellar, woman.[5]
— 1 Kingfisher vic., Hwy 33, Kingfisher Co. Drowning; man, 52, drives vehicle into water.[6]
— 1 Seminole, Seminole Co.. Drowning; car swept into flooded drainage ditch, woman, 67.[7]
Texas (11)
–11 Statewide. Blanchard tally based on locality breakouts below.
–11 “ Wikipedia. “Tropical Storm Erin (2007).”
–10 “ UPI.com. “At Least 10 Die in Texas in Latest Floods.” 8-19-2007.
— 9 “ Roth, David (NWS). Texas Hurricane History. 1-17-2010 update, p. 72.
— 8 “ Fox News. “Floodwaters in Southwest, Midwest, Claim 20 Lives.” 8-20-2007.
— 7 “ UPI.com. “Tropical Storm Erin Leaves 7 Dead in Texas,” 8-17-2007.
—>6 “ Chicago Tribune. “Missing sought as state braces for new storm.” 8-19-2007.[8]
— 3 Harris County. NWS Houston/Galveston. Post Tropical Cyclone Report…Erin. 8-22-2007.
— 1 Clear Lake City, Harris Co., Aug 16. Roof collapse due to heavy rain, male killed.[9]
— 1 Clear Lake City, Harris Co. Roof collapse, heavy rain, male employee (Whitt, 26) killed.[10]
— 1 Coronado’s Camp area, Taylor Co. near Abilene, Aug 18. Drowning; woman (Johns), 34.[11]
— 1 Laporte vic., Harris Co., Aug 16. Drowning; man, 50s, drives 18-wheeler into retention pond.[12]
— 3 New Braunfels vic., U.S. 281, Comal County. Vehicular head-on collision.[13]
— 1 San Antonio. Drowning in creek; man (David A. Diaz), 19, got out of car, swept away.[14]
— 1 San Antonio, Aug 16. Drowning; woman[15] swept away, vehicle went into drainage ditch.[16]
— 2 Sisterdale, Kendall Co. Drowning; pickup washed over bridge into creek, males, 48, 28.[17]
Cause:
Blunt-Force Trauma, roof collapse: (2)
–1 TX. Clear Lake City, Harris Co., Aug 16. Roof collapse due to heavy rain, male killed.
–1 TX. Clear Lake City, Harris Co. Roof collapse, heavy rain, male employee (Whitt, 26) killed.
Drowning: ( 1)
–1 OK. Fort Cobb vic., Caddo County, Aug 19. Drowning, home cellar, woman.
Drowning, Vehicular-Related: (12)
–1 MO. Sleeper vic., Laclede County, Aug 20. Drowning; man drove vehicle into flood water.
–1 OK. Carnegie vic., Caddo Co., Aug 19. Drowning; van driven into water, woman, 76.
–1 OK. Carnegie vic., Caddo Co., Aug 19. Drowning; van driven into water, woman 37.
–1 OK. Carnegie vic., Caddo Co., Aug 19. Drowning; van driven into water, woman, 17.
–1 OK. Kingfisher vic., Hwy 33, Kingfisher Co. Drowning; man, 52, drives vehicle into water.
–1 OK. Seminole, Seminole Co. Drowning; car swept into flooded drainage ditch, woman, 67.
–1 TX. Coronado’s Camp area, Taylor Co. near Abilene, Aug 18. Drowning; woman (Johns), 34
–1 TX. Laporte vic., Harris Co., Aug 16. Drowning; man, 50s, drives 18-wheeler into retention pond.
–1 TX. San Antonio. Drowning in creek; man (David A. Diaz), 19, got out of car, swept away.
–1 TX. San Antonio, Aug 16. Drowning; woman swept away, vehicle went into drainage ditch.
–2 TX. Sisterdale, Kendall Co. Drowning; pickup washed over bridge into creek, males, 48, 28.
Vehicular Accident: ( 3)
–3 TX. New Braunfels vic., U.S. 281, Comal County. Vehicular head-on collision.
Texas
NWS WFO Houston/Galveston: “Harris…feeder band from TX Erin set up across mainly eastern Harris County and produced rainfall amounts of up to 9 inches. This rainfall resulted in widespread street flooding and also caused several creeks and bayous in the area to exceed their banks and flood numerous homes in the same area. There were three deaths as a result of this inland flooding….
“Harris….Moderate flooding occurred mainly over eastern portions of Harris County. Over 400 homes…over 100 apartment units and 40 businesses were flooded mainly in the cities of Pasadena and La Porte. Numerous creeks and bayous exceeded their banks along with widespread street flooding was observed throughout eastern Harris County. There were three deaths that was caused by Erin. A portion of a roof of a Randall’s Food Store collapsed, two men who were working in the load docks area [died]. A third death occurred when a truck driver drove his vehicle into a retention pond and drowned in the cab of the truck.” (NWS WFO, Houston/Galveston. Post Tropical Cyclone Report…Erin. 8-22-2007.)
Roth: “August 14-22nd, 2007 (Erin): A broad low pressure area formed near the Yucatan channel. The system organized as it moved through the central and western Gulf of Mexico, becoming a tropical depression and then tropical storm as it headed towards southern Texas. The system moved inland and weakened to a tropical depression. As is typical for a non-sheared tropical cyclone, thunderstorms developed near the center each night. Early on the morning of the 19th, a shortwave moved by to its north which significantly enhanced divergence over the tropical depression and led to significant strengthening. Beginning at 1 am CDT, maximum sustained winds reached tropical storm force, peaking at 50 mph between 2 and 3 am with gusts near 80 mph as the system briefly formed an eye feature. The central pressure of the depression dipped from 1007 hpa to at least 1000 hpa per observations from the Oklahoma mesonet.
“After sunrise, the shortwave that led to the deepening moved by to the east and began to shear the cyclone from the northwest. The system weakened back into a tropical depression by noon and its low level circulation was gone by 4 pm CDT. Its remnant mid level circulation led to one last burst of very heavy rainfall over Missouri. Thereafter, the shortwave accelerated eastward and its associated rainfall dropped off significantly. Flooding in Houston led to 400 homes and 40 businesses becoming submerged. Nine died due to Erin in Texas. Damages were minimal from this storm.” (Roth, David (NWS). Texas Hurricane History. 1-17-2010 update, pp. 71-72.)
Aug 17, UPI: “Houston , Aug. 17 (UPI) — At least seven people were killed when the tail end of Tropical Storm Erin roared through Texas, flooding roads and leaving thousands of commuters stranded. A Randalls grocery store employee and a Coca-Cola delivery man were killed on a loading dock at a Clear Lake-area store after a roof collapsed and an unidentified man drowned when he drove his 18-wheeler truck into a retention pond Thursday, a Harris County sheriff’s spokesman told the Houston Chronicle.
“Three people were killed in a crash on rain-slicked U.S. 281 in Comal County near New Braunfels and the body of a 19-year-old man was recovered from a creek in San Antonio.
“In Houston, the storm flooded streets and disrupted light rail and bus service for hours and what was described as a flash flood washed vehicles onto train tracks near Reliant Park, the newspaper said….
“At the storm’s peak, as many as 20,000 CenterPoint Energy customers were without power, officials said…” (UPI.com. “Tropical Storm Erin Leaves 7 Dead in Texas,” Aug 17, 2007.)
Aug 19, UPI: “San Antonio, Aug. 19 (UPI) — Tropical Storm Erin killed at least 10 people as it moved across Texas. One of the victims, Evelin Luna, was apparently swept away after she drove into a drainage ditch in San Antonio late Thursday. The young woman apparently did not realize in the darkness that her Hummer was surrounded by a six-foot deep torrent, The San Antonio Express-News reported. Her body was found 2 miles away after a 16-hour search. Four passengers, including a 1-year-old baby, survived. “It’s times like these, for a firefighter, that really breaks your heart,” District Fire Chief Patrick Zepeda said.
“In Sisterdale, a small town about 45 miles from San Antonio, a Mexican businessman and his adult son were also swept away. Would-be rescuers were close to reaching them after their truck stalled on a bridge over sister creek. The body of Juan Ramon Zaragoza of Nuevo Laredo was found less than a mile from the bridge over Sister Creek where he was trapped with his son, Pablo, who was still missing early Saturday.
“Other victims included a San Antonio 18-year-old whose sport utility vehicle skidded into a creek Thursday; three people who died in a head-on collision on U.S. 281 in Comal County; two people killed in a roof collapse in Houston; and a truck driver whose tractor-trailer went into a retention pond in Harris County.” (UPI.com. “At Least 10 Die in Texas in Latest Floods.” 8-19-2007.)
Wikipedia: “Tropical Storm Erin was the second tropical cyclone to make landfall in the United States in the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. The fifth named storm of the season, it formed in the Gulf of Mexico on August 14 from a persistent area of convection. It attained tropical storm status the next day, and on August 16 Erin made landfall near Lamar, Texas, and persisted over land across Texas before moving northward into Oklahoma. The storm resulted in at least 16 fatalities and worsened an already-severe flooding issue in Texas….
“In Clear Lake City [TX], heavy rainfall collapsed a portion of a grocery store roof, killing two workers. The precipitation caused moderate flooding across eastern portions of Harris County; over 400 homes and 40 businesses were flooded.[18] Flooding across the Greater Houston area briefly halted the METRORail and closed several state roads. One person drowned after driving into a retention pond.[19] Several people required rescue assistance, and in Comal County a car accident caused three fatalities. The passage of the storm temporarily left about 20,000 electrical customers without power, though most outages were quickly restored. In San Antonio, one body was recovered from a creek and another died after driving into a flooded road and was swept into a drainage ditch in which four others survived. In Sisterdale, two people were killed when they were swept away stalled over Sister Creek.[20] In Taylor County, near Abilene, flooding killed one person and forced the evacuation of about 2,000 people.[21] Damage in Texas totaled over $45 million (2007 USD).” (Wikipedia. “Tropical Storm Erin (2007).”
Sources
Associated Press. “Oklahoma Inundated by Remnants of Tropical Storm Erin.” FoxNews.com, 8-19-2007. At: http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/08/19/oklahoma-inundated-by-remnants-tropical-storm-erin/
Associated Press. “Oklahoma: Five dead after storm causes heavy rain, flooding.” Joplin Globe, MO, 8-19-2007. Accessed at: http://www.joplinglobe.com/statenews/x212081303/Oklahoma-Five-dead-after-storm-causes-heavy-rain-flooding
Fox News. “Floodwaters in Southwest, Midwest, Claim 20 Lives.” 8-20-2007. Accessed at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/08/20/floodwaters-in-southwest-midwest-claim-20-lives/
Hays Daily News, KS. “Erin brings torrential rain to Texas.” 8-17-2007, p. 7. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=143737272&sterm
Knabb, Richard D. Tropical Cyclone Report. Tropical Storm Erin (AL052007) 15-17 August 2007. Miami: National Hurricane Center, 4-7-2008. Accessed at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-AL052007_Erin.pdf
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Springfield, MO. “Preliminary Local Storm Report…” 8-21-2007. At: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/?n=aug19-20_2007_flooding_lsr
NewsOK.com. No headline. 8-20-2007. Accessed at: http://newsok.com/article/3106843
Rendon, Ruth, Rad Sallee and Lindsay Wise. “Second man dies in Clear Lake-store roof collapse.” Houston Chronicle, 8-16-2007. Accessed at: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Second-man-dies-in-Clear-Lake-store-roof-collapse-1541145.php
Reuters. “Six dead as storm’s remains drench Oklahoma.” 8-20-2007. Accessed at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/08/20/us-storm-erin-oklahoma-idUSN1962789920070820
Rhor, Monica (Associated Press). “Texas officials prepare for Hurricane Dean; flooding hits Abilene,” MyPlainview.com, Plainview, TX, 8-19-2007. Accessed at: http://www.myplainview.com/article_6fbf11e6-1ea4-522d-b202-4ccd6fa79bb7.html
Roth, David (National Weather Service). Texas Hurricane History. Camp Springs, MD: NWS. 1-17-2010 update. At: http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/txhur.pdf
UPI.com. “At Least 10 Die in Texas in Latest Floods.” 8-19-2007. Accessed 2-19-2011 at: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2007/08/19/At-least-10-die-in-Texas-in-latest-floods/UPI-28421187502729/
UPI.com. “Tropical Storm Erin Leaves 7 Dead in Texas,” 8-17-2007. Accessed 2-19-2011 at: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2007/08/17/Tropical-Storm-Erin-leaves-7-dead-in-Texas/UPI-46401187359498/
USA Today, “Soggy Texas braces for Hurricane Dean,” 8-18-2007. Accessed at: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/storms/2007-08-17-texas-flood_n.htm
Wikipedia. “Tropical Storm Erin (2007).” 2-19-2011 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Erin_(2007)
[1] “A body was recovered in rural northeast Laclede County at approximately 8 PM. Apparently a man drove into flood water where a bridge had been completely washed out.” NWS WFO Springfield, MO. “Preliminary Local Storm Report…” 8-21-2007. Cites local Emergency Manager for the information.
[2] Donita Horse. “The Bodies were found Sunday evening still inside the van, which was in a large pond about a quarter of a mile west of State Highway 58 near Carnegie, said Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Kera Philippi.” ‘There was rushing water on the roadway, about 3 feet deep, but on the surface it was calm,’ Philippi said. ‘There were two eyewitnesses that saw the vehicle get swept away. The victims were identified as the wife, daughter and a niece of Kiowa Chief Billy Horse, said Richard Kauahquo, a member of the tribe’s business committee. Donita Horse, 76, Helen Rae Horse, 37, both of Carnegie, and Rose Saddleblanket, 17, of Americas, Ga., were driving from Lawton about 12:30 a.m. when their car was swept from the roadway, Philippi said.” (AP. “Oklahoma: Five dead after storm causes heavy rain, flooding.” Joplin Globe, MO, 8-19-2007.) Also: “Officials near Carnegie found three women dead Sunday afternoon after their van was swept off the road early Sunday about 6 miles south of the community, said Capt. Chris West, spokesman for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.” NewsOK.com. 8-20-2007.
[3] Helen Rae Horse. (AP. “Oklahoma: Five dead after storm causes heavy rain…” Joplin Globe, 8-19-2007.)
[4] Rose Saddleblanket. (AP. “Oklahoma: Five dead after storm causes…flooding.” Joplin Globe, 8-19-2007.)
[5] Was thought “she sought shelter in her cellar from thunderstorms, which is the usual procedure for storms in tornado-prone Oklahoma.” (Reuters. “Six dead as storm’s remains drench Oklahoma.” 8-20-2007); NewsOK.com. 8-20-2007, citing Caddo County Emergency Management Director; date of death is from: AP. “Oklahoma Inundated by Remnants of Tropical Storm Erin.” FoxNews.com, 8-19-2007.
[6] Bernard Ward’s body found about 14 miles west of Kingfisher. (AP. “Oklahoma: Five dead after storm causes heavy rain, flooding.” Joplin Globe, 8-19-2007.) Also: NewsOK.com. 8-20-2007. Cites Kingfisher County Sheriff.
[7] Reuters. “Six dead as storm’s remains drench Oklahoma.” 8-20-2007. Cites Daily Oklahoman.
[8] Notes one other person missing due to Erin’s thunderstorms and flash flooding.
[9] “A Randalls grocery store employee and a Coca-Cola delivery man were killed on a loading dock at a Clear Lake-area store after a roof collapsed…” UPI.com. “Tropical Storm Erin Leaves 7 Dead in Texas,” 8-17-2007. Date noted in: Rendon, et al. “Second man dies in Clear Lake-store roof collapse.” Houston Chronicle, 8-16-2007.
[10] Daniel Whitt (Rendon. “Second man dies in Clear Lake-store roof collapse.” Houston Chronicle, 8-16-2007.)
[11] Rita Johns. Her body was found several hours “after her vehicle was found washed off the road in an area called Coronado’s Camp…the 34-year-old woman was on her way to work when she drowned.” (Monica Rhor (AP). “Texas officials prepare for Hurricane Dean; flooding hits Abilene,” MyPlainview.com, Plainview, TX, 8-19-2007.)
[12] Cited is Harris County sheriff’s spokesman. UPI.com. “Tropical Storm Erin Leaves 7 Dead in Texas,” 8-17-2007. Another account notes the location as near state highways 225 and 146. (Rendon, et al. “Second man dies in Clear Lake-store roof collapse.” Houston Chronicle, 8-16-2007.)
[13] UPI.com. “Tropical Storm Erin Leaves 7 Dead in Texas,” 8-17-2007. Also: “Three people died in a head-on collision on a rainy highway in Comal County, but Department of Public Safety Trooper Rick Alvarez said the cause of the crash still was under investigation.” (Hays Daily News, KS. “Erin brings torrential rain to Texas.” 8-17-2007, p. 7); and, UPI.com. “At Least 10 Die in Texas in Latest Floods.” 8-19-2007.
[14] David Alexander Diaz. (USA Today, “Soggy Texas braces for Hurricane Dean,” 8-18-2007; UPI.com. “Tropical Storm Erin Leaves 7 Dead in Texas,” 8-17-2007.)
[15] Evelin Luna “…was apparently swept away after she drove into a drainage ditch in San Antonio late Thursday. The young woman apparently did not realize in the darkness that her Hummer was surrounded by a six-foot deep torrent…” (UPI.com. “At Least 10 Die in Texas in Latest Floods.” 8-19-2007); USA Today, “Soggy Texas braces for Hurricane Dean,” 8-18-2007.
[16] Fox News. “Floodwaters in Southwest, Midwest, Claim 20 Lives.” 8-20-2007.
[17] “Searchers in Kendall County found the body of one of two people missing after their pickup was washed over a bridge and into a creek just as rescuers tried to pull them out, sheriffs Chief Deputy Matt King said. The victim was identified as Juan Ramon Zaragoza, 48. His son, Juan Pablo Zaragoza, 28, was still missing, King said.” USA Today, “Soggy Texas braces for Hurricane Dean,” 8-18-2007. Also: UPI.com. “At Least 10 Die in Texas in Latest Floods.” 8-19-2007, which notes that the creek was Sister Creek in Sisterdale. Juan Pablo Zaragoza’s body was found on Aug 18. (Fox News. “Floodwaters in Southwest, Midwest, Claim 20 Lives.” 8-20-2007.)
[18] Cites: NWS Houston/Galveston. Post Tropical Cyclone Report…Erin. 8-22-2007.
[19] Cites: UPI.com. “Tropical Storm Erin Leaves 7 Dead in Texas,” Aug 17, 2007.
[20] Cites: UPI.com. “At Least 10 Die in Texas in Latest Floods.” Aug 19, 2007.
[21] Cites: UPI.com. “At Least 10 Die in Texas in Latest Floods.” Aug 19, 2007.