The 1954 season was an above average hurricane season with 16 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. One reason for above average activity was a La Nina and positive ASO. The 1954 season was infamous for 4 very destructive hurricanes Alice, Carol, Edna, and Hazel. I'm spotlighting Alice the first of 4 destructive hurricanes from 1954.
Alice was a classical June tropical storm as it developed in the Gulf of Mexico. Normally for June if any tropical systems develop they develop in the Gulf, Western Caribbean or around the Gulf Stream. A tropical low emerged in the Gulf of Mexico. This low had its origins in the Campeche area of Mexico. One the low moved northward and tapped into the warm waters of the Gulf it quickly developed. On June 24th The National Hurricane Center flew into the system and determined that the low had become a tropical storm with winds of 50 mph. It was given the name Alice. Originally, it was thought to be the first named storm of the season. However, in the reanalyze project it wad determined to the the 4th as three unnamed storms where discovered.
On June 25th Alice became a hurricane with winds up to 75 mph and continued to strengthen. Later that night winds had increased to 100 mph making Alice a category 2 hurricane. Strengthening continued until early June 26th when the hurricane made landfall in Northeast Mexico. Alice made landfall as a 110 mph category 2 hurricane, just 1 mph shy of being a major hurricane. Had Alice had more time over water it likely would have strengthened into a category 3 major hurricane.
Alice came ashore in a rural area of Mexico resulting in minor damage. However, Alice did most of its damage inland. The hurricane weakened as it moved inland but produced historic flooding. Alice caused historic flooding along the Rio Grande River. While the US state of Texas flooded they where better equipped to handle the flooding. Disaster struck in Northern Mexico.
In Northern Mexico Alice caused mudslides in the hilly terrain. In addition, the Rio Grande flooded out of its river banks. Flooding occurred on the Texas side but in Coahuila Mexico flooding caused dames to burst releasing more water. Piedras Negras was one of the cities that when the dam busted it flooded.
In Texas Alice caused 2 feet of rain along the Rio Grande. Ozona Texas reported 24 inches of rain in a 24 hour period. The Pecos River which also flows into the Rio Grande also flooded. However, Texas's dams held up and they avoided a crisis unlike their neighbors to the south. Still, the floods in Texas from Alice killed 15 people.
In Northern Mexico some cities reported 36 inches of rain, which is 3 feet. The hilly terrain squeezed out more moisture which added to the rainfall totals. In addition, the extra foot of rain made it to where the dams could not keep up. In Mexico Alice killed 138 people and caused severe damage.
Overall, Alice caused 153 deaths with 15 of those occurring in the USA and 138 occurring in Northern Mexico. Damage was estimated at 2 million. Most of the destruction occurred farther inland. Almost all the deaths where due to flooding and mudslides.
For unknown reasons the name Alice was not retired when the rotating naming lists where formatted. The two more likely reasons Alice was not retired was Mexico did not requests its retirement. Another reason is that Alice was overshadowed by Hurricanes Carol, Edna, and Hazel. Carol was the costliest hurricane of the season while Hazel was the deadliest. In my opinion due to the high death toll this name should have been retired along with Carol, Edna, and Hazel.
In conclusions, Hurricane Alice was a deadly June Hurricane that caused historic flooding in Northern Mexico and Texas, with Northern Mexico getting the worse of it. The Rio Grande area on both Texas and Mexico is very prone to flooding. Also in some cases the soil does not soak up the water that well because it is sandy in some spots. 56 years later another Hurricane named Alex in 2010 produced similar results causing $1 Billion in damage to Mexico and 500 million in the USA. If a hurricane like Alice struck the same reason today it would likely be a multi Billion dollar disaster. Moreover, Alice proved that hurricanes can be destructive inland due to flooding.
The 1954 season was an above average hurricane season with 16 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. One reason for above average activity was a La Nina and positive ASO. The 1954 season was infamous for 4 very destructive hurricanes Alice, Carol, Edna, and Hazel. I'm spotlighting Alice the first of 4 destructive hurricanes from 1954.
Alice was a classical June tropical storm as it developed in the Gulf of Mexico. Normally for June if any tropical systems develop they develop in the Gulf, Western Caribbean or around the Gulf Stream. A tropical low emerged in the Gulf of Mexico. This low had its origins in the Campeche area of Mexico. One the low moved northward and tapped into the warm waters of the Gulf it quickly developed. On June 24th The National Hurricane Center flew into the system and determined that the low had become a tropical storm with winds of 50 mph. It was given the name Alice. Originally, it was thought to be the first named storm of the season. However, in the reanalyze project it wad determined to the the 4th as three unnamed storms where discovered.
On June 25th Alice became a hurricane with winds up to 75 mph and continued to strengthen. Later that night winds had increased to 100 mph making Alice a category 2 hurricane. Strengthening continued until early June 26th when the hurricane made landfall in Northeast Mexico. Alice made landfall as a 110 mph category 2 hurricane, just 1 mph shy of being a major hurricane. Had Alice had more time over water it likely would have strengthened into a category 3 major hurricane.
Alice came ashore in a rural area of Mexico resulting in minor damage. However, Alice did most of its damage inland. The hurricane weakened as it moved inland but produced historic flooding. Alice caused historic flooding along the Rio Grande River. While the US state of Texas flooded they where better equipped to handle the flooding. Disaster struck in Northern Mexico.
In Northern Mexico Alice caused mudslides in the hilly terrain. In addition, the Rio Grande flooded out of its river banks. Flooding occurred on the Texas side but in Coahuila Mexico flooding caused dames to burst releasing more water. Piedras Negras was one of the cities that when the dam busted it flooded.
In Texas Alice caused 2 feet of rain along the Rio Grande. Ozona Texas reported 24 inches of rain in a 24 hour period. The Pecos River which also flows into the Rio Grande also flooded. However, Texas's dams held up and they avoided a crisis unlike their neighbors to the south. Still, the floods in Texas from Alice killed 15 people.
In Northern Mexico some cities reported 36 inches of rain, which is 3 feet. The hilly terrain squeezed out more moisture which added to the rainfall totals. In addition, the extra foot of rain made it to where the dams could not keep up. In Mexico Alice killed 138 people and caused severe damage.
Overall, Alice caused 153 deaths with 15 of those occurring in the USA and 138 occurring in Northern Mexico. Damage was estimated at 2 million. Most of the destruction occurred farther inland. Almost all the deaths where due to flooding and mudslides.
For unknown reasons the name Alice was not retired when the rotating naming lists where formatted. The two more likely reasons Alice was not retired was Mexico did not requests its retirement. Another reason is that Alice was overshadowed by Hurricanes Carol, Edna, and Hazel. Carol was the costliest hurricane of the season while Hazel was the deadliest. In my opinion due to the high death toll this name should have been retired along with Carol, Edna, and Hazel.
In conclusions, Hurricane Alice was a deadly June Hurricane that caused historic flooding in Northern Mexico and Texas, with Northern Mexico getting the worse of it. The Rio Grande area on both Texas and Mexico is very prone to flooding. Also in some cases the soil does not soak up the water that well because it is sandy in some spots. 56 years later another Hurricane named Alex in 2010 produced similar results causing $1 Billion in damage to Mexico and 500 million in the USA. If a hurricane like Alice struck the same reason today it would likely be a multi Billion dollar disaster. Moreover, Alice proved that hurricanes can be destructive inland due to flooding.
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