Tropical Storm Matthew (2004)

Tropical Storm Matthew

Tropical storm (SSHWS/NWS)
Tropical Storm Matthew off the coast of Louisiana
Formed	October 8, 2004
Dissipated	October 11, 2004 (Became extratropical on October 10)
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 45 mph (75 km/h)
Lowest pressure	997 mbar (hPa); 29.44 inHg
Fatalities	None
Damage	$305,000 (2004 USD)
Areas affected	Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio Valley
Part of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season

Tropical Storm Matthew was a weak tropical storm in the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season that made landfall on Louisiana. Matthew was the thirteenth tropical storm of the season and the ninth storm to affect the United States. Matthew formed over the western Gulf of Mexico on October 8 and struck south-central Louisiana two days later. The combination of this storm and an upper cyclone over the southern Plains brought heavy rains to much of the Gulf Coast, with the highest amounts reported lying over 15 inches (381 mm) in northern Louisiana. Damage was minimal, totaling $305,000 (2004 USD), and no casualties were reported.

A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on September 19. The wave moved westward, but was difficult to track due to its proximity to Hurricane Lisa and another large tropical wave. It passed through the Lesser Antilles, and slowly organized as convection increased due to an upper level low. On October 5, it entered the Gulf of Mexico, and developed an area of low pressure two days later. The system continued to organize, and on October 8, after developing a circulation, it developed into Tropical Depression Fourteen while located 205 miles (330 km) to the southeast of Brownsville, Texas.

The depression moved to the east-northeast, and quickly strengthened into Tropical Storm Matthew. Operationally, Matthew fluctuated between tropical depression and tropical storm status, but in post-season analysis, the storm remained a tropical storm. The storm turned to the northeast while moving around the periphery of a high pressure system over Texas, and attained a peak intensity of 45 mph (70 km/h) on October 9. Strong wind shear limited further strengthening, and on October 10, Matthew struck Cocodrie, Louisiana as a minimal tropical storm. It became an Extratropical cyclone, occluding near the time of landfall.

After it merged with the system, the storm moved inland over Arkansas, Tennessee and the Ohio Valley. While moving inland, Matthew spun off another low pressure system that formed over North Carolina on October 13. The low moved off the Mid-Atlantic coast before hitting Massachusetts two days later, and later merged with the original low pressure system of Matthew.