Tropical Storm (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Surface weather analysis of Debbie in the northern Gulf of Mexico
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Formed | September 24, 1965 |
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Dissipated | September 30, 1965 |
Highest winds |
1-minute sustained: 50 mph (85 km/h) |
Lowest pressure | 1001 mbar (hPa); 29.56 inHg |
Fatalities | None reported |
Damage | $25 million (1965 USD) |
Areas affected | Honduras, Mexico, United States Gulf Coast |
Part of the 1965 Atlantic hurricane season |
Tropical Storm Debbie of the 1965 Atlantic hurricane season broke the daily rainfall record in Mobile, Alabama, despite dissipating offshore. It developed on September 24 in the western Caribbean Sea, and moved northwestward for several days without intensifying. On September 27, Debbie turned toward the northeast in the Gulf of Mexico, and the next day briefly attained tropical storm status. However, the intrusion of cooler air imparted weakening, and the storm dissipated on September 30 just off the east coast of Louisiana. It initially threatened areas of Louisiana that sustained significant damage from Hurricane Betsy in early September, although Debbie only caused light rainfall and some flooding in the state. In southern Alabama, the storm dropped 17.2 in (440 mm) of rainfall, which resulted in significant flooding of roads and cars. Damage totaled $25 million in the Mobile, Alabama area, although there was little damage elsewhere.
A low-pressure area developed into a weak tropical depression on September 24 off the north coast of Honduras in the western Caribbean Sea. It was initially disorganized, without a well-developed circulation. On September 25, while still a tropical depression, the system was named Debbie. Without intensifying further, the depression crossed the northeastern Yucatán Peninsula on September 26. The next day, the depression turned toward the north in the central Gulf of Mexico before beginning a northeast motion. On September 28, Debbie intensified into a tropical storm, attaining peak winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). This occurred after the storm developed two distinct spiral rainbands.
As Debbie approached the northern Gulf Coast, it failed to intensify, despite warm sea surface temperatures, abundant moisture, and an anticyclone aloft. In addition, the storm never developed good outflow, partially due to stable air related to Tropical Storm Hazel in the eastern Pacific Ocean. After maintaining peak winds for about 12 hours, Debbie weakened due to cooler, drier air, deteriorating to a tropical depression on September 29. That day, it turned to the northwest, passing just east of the Mississippi Delta. On September 30, the circulation of Debbie dissipated just offshore Mississippi. Its remnants made landfall, accelerated northeastward, and were eventually absorbed by an extratropical cyclone.