Preparations and Impact
The low that eventually became Arlene prompted wind warnings and small craft advisories for both coasts in southern Florida on May 27. The small craft advisory was significantly expanded the next day when the low was upgraded to Tropical Storm Arlene. The new warnings stretched from Sabine Pass, Texas to Saint Marks, Florida. Gale warnings were also issued upon the upgrade from Morgan City, Louisiana to Pascagoula, Mississippi. Rough seas and tides of two to four feet (0.6 to 1.2 metres)—also known as storm surge—were expected in the areas under the gale warning. By May 29, all craft were advised not to leave port in Louisiana. Memories of Hurricane Audrey led to numerous residents evacuating coastal areas upon hearing about Arlene. In Pierre, 50 families evacuated to higher grounds. Officials reported that 25 families were also evacuated from low-lying areas in Vermilion Parish. As Arlene neared landfall, the small craft advisory was canceled from Pensacola, Florida southward. The new warnings extended from Pensacola to Galveston, Texas. The gale warnings shifted more towards the west, now extending from Galveston, Texas to Grand Isle, Louisiana.
Arlene produced winds up to 55 mph (90 km/h) with gusts up to 75 mph (120 km/h) upon landfall. The lowest pressure recorded on land was 999.7 mbar (hPa; 29.52 inHg), which was rounded up to 1000 mbar (hPa; 29.53 inHg) for the minimum pressure of the storm. Minor storm surge up to three feet was recorded at Weeks Island and Point Au Fer, Louisiana. Heavy rains fell across much of the southeastern Louisiana coastline. During a 24 hour span, 10.92 in (277 mm) of rain fell in Moisant International Airport. Roughly 2 ft (0.61 m) of water flooded the control tower at the airport, forcing traffic control workers to relocate to the new tower which was under-construction. A state maximum rainfall of 13.13 in (334 mm) fell in Houma. Along the coast, a few towns reported downed trees and electrical lines from high winds, resulting in scattered power outages.
At the height of the storm, several of the main roads in New Orleans were shut down due to flooding. At least 100 homes were flooded by the storm. In Baton Rouge, dozens of people were evacuated from a flooded home via ambulance and wagon to safer areas. In nearby Mississippi, rainfall from the storm was mainly confined to the southeastern counties; however, significant accumulations, peaking at 13.55 in (344 mm), were recorded. Rain from the remnant low spread into Georgia. Some stream flooding and crop damage were reported but overall, the damage was minor. In all, Arlene caused $500,000 ($3.7 million 2010 USD) in damage. One death was related to Arlene; a man drowned in rough surf off the Galveston coast. After the initial low dissipated over the southeastern United States, the extratropical remnants of Arlene brought moderate rainfall to parts of the Mid-Atlantic States and New England.
Read more about this topic: Tropical Storm Arlene (1959)
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