Remembering Tropical Storm Allison

Southwest Freeway in Houston after Allison. Photo courtesy NWS Houston/Galveston

On this date in 2001, the remnants of Tropical Storm Allison had passed Houston three days earlier headed inland. But the storm would stall and reverse course. It headed back over the Houston area on this date in 2001 for a second round, causing flooding of near-Biblical proportions.

Some areas would pick up over forty inches during the five days of the storm. Even though flood warnings were issued in advance, the heavy rains that started about 5 o’clock on that Friday evening caught many Houston residents unawares.

Thousands of people would have to be rescued or evacuated as huge areas were turned into lakes and rivers. Sixteen people would die in Texas because of the flooding, as 28 counties were declared disaster areas by the President.

Continental Airlines cancelled one thousand flights in and out of George Bush Intercontinental Airport as crews could not make it to the airport. 45,000 homes and businesses received water damage.

Allison would become the costliest tropical storm in history ($5 billion) as it caused flooding all the way from Houston to Louisiana and up the East Coast. It would become the one and only tropical storm to ever have its name retired! A total of 41 people died.

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Category: Met 101/Weather History