Hurricane Debra (1959)
| Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Satellite imagery of Debra shortly before coming ashore
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| Formed | July 23, 1959 |
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| Dissipated | July 28, 1959 |
| Highest winds |
1-minute sustained: 85 mph (140 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 984 mbar (hPa); 29.06 inHg |
| Fatalities | None |
| Damage | $7 million (1959 USD) |
| Areas affected | United States Gulf Coast, South Central, Midwest |
| Part of the 1959 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Debra was a destructive tropical cyclone that developed during the 1959 Atlantic hurricane season. The fifth tropical storm and third hurricane of the season, Debra originated from the interaction of a cold-core low and a tropical wave on July 15. The system was designated a tropical depression on July 23 when it was south of Louisiana and meandered westward while it swiftly intensified into a tropical storm along the Gulf Coast of the United States. A turn towards the northwest became evident as it attained Category 1 hurricane status on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale the following day while it organized into a developed storm. As the hurricane curved northward at a slow forward speed, strength was maintained as it approached the coast of Texas as a minimal hurricane. It came ashore during the evening of July 24 local time (0000 UTC on July 25) between Freeport and Galveston, Texas. It rapidly weakened into a tropical storm and later a depression as it moved inland, and dissipated on July 28 while it turned northwestward. The remnant moisture later sparked upper-level thunderstorms in late July and early August.
Prior to Debra's arrival in Texas, numerous hurricane warnings were issued and at least 8,600 individuals evacuated. Torrential rains were produced in southeastern Texas, which led to widespread flooding on highways. Sea vessels took the brunt of the storm, with many having become stranded or damaged. Forms of transportation such as air, rail, and road were significantly interrupted or even shut down. High winds from the storm caused expansive damage to buildings, windows, signs, and roofs. The hurricane resulted in 11 injuries but no deaths, and approximately 90 cattle drowned. Damage in Texas' Brazoria, Galveston, and Harris counties surmounted $6.685 million, and total damage from the storm reached $7 million. In the aftermath, the Weather Bureau was criticized for the lack of warning; the bureau's chief, Stephen Lichtblau, maintained that it was fortunate that any warnings were issued, and those that were had been delivered in a timely manner.
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