TROPICAL STORM ERIKA FORMS IN GULF OF MEXICO

National Hurricane Center (through weatherunderground.com) ^ | August 14, 2003 | Lixion Avila

[John H K]

Tropical Storm Erika Advisory Number 1

Statement as of 5:00 PM EDT on August 14, 2003

...Erika...the fifth tropical storm of the season forms in the Gulf of Mexico...

Tropical Storm Erika could threaten southern Texas or northeastern Mexico within the next 36 to 48 hours. Watches or warnings will likely be issued tonight or early Friday. Consult statements issued by local government and National Weather Service offices for recommended actions in your area.

Reports from a reconnaissance plane and satellite images indicate that the area of disturbed weather in the Gulf of Mexico has become Tropical Storm Erika...the fifth tropical storm of the season.

At 5 PM EDT...2100z...the poorly-defined center of Tropical Storm Erika was located near latitude 26.2 north...longitude 84.4 west or about 350 miles ...565 km southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Erika is moving toward the west near 21 mph...33 km/hr...and this motion is expected to continue during the next 24 hours.

Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph... 65 km/hr...with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 70 miles...110 km to the north of the center. Stronger winds...especially in gusts...are likely to affect oil rigs near and to the north of Erika.

Minimum central pressure reported by an Air Force plane was 1011 mb...29.85 inches.

Repeating the 5 PM EDT position...26.2 N... 84.4 W. Movement toward...west near 21 mph. Maximum sustained winds... 40 mph. Minimum central pressure...1011 mb.

For storm information specific to your area...please monitor products issued by your local weather office.

The next advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 11 PM EDT.

Forecaster Avila

[Paleo Conservative]

[texgal]

It could have aslo run up the ?Texas coast-as have lesser stroms. The death toll there could have been beyond our comprehension.

I live near the coast and I remember Gilbert. It was a storm that should have had all of us running for cover. I remember that it was hundreds of miles away, we had cloud cover from it for over a week here in the Houston/Galveston area. It was so big that it completely covered the entire Gulf of Mexico. I remember cutting classes at U of H to stand in line to get bread, water and formula for my daughter. We were most fortunate that it didn't hit in our highly populated area. Entire villages in Mexico were flattened. The floods and mudslides were devastating.