Nationwide
On September 11, Francine became the third and strongest hurricane of the season to strike the U.S. Gulf Coast, following Beryl (in Texas) in early July and Debby (in Florida) in early August. Francine briefly achieved sustained winds near 100 mph while making landfall around 5 pm CDT in Louisiana’s Terrebonne Parish. Hurricane-force wind gusts (74 mph or higher) spread as far inland as New Orleans, where a gust of 78 mph was clocked at Louis Armstrong International Airport.
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Meanwhile, antecedent dryness minimized flooding in the Mississippi Delta, although rainfall topped 4 inches in many locations and localized wind gusts briefly topped 50 mph. As the former hurricane drifted farther inland, days of locally heavy showers led to pockets of flash flooding, extending as far east as Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Less than a week later, on September 16, Potential Tropical Storm Eight moved ashore in northeastern South Carolina and delivered flooding rainfall (locally a foot or more) across southeastern North Carolina. By the morning of September 17, the end of this drought-monitoring period, much of North Carolina and portions of neighboring states had received significant rain. The remainder of the country largely experienced dry weather, leaving widespread soil moisture shortages across the Plains and Midwest—a classic late-summer and early-autumn flash drought.
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In the western U.S., a cooling trend was accompanied by some rain and high-elevation snow, heaviest across the northern Rockies and environs. As the long-running Western heat wave subsided, late-season warmth replaced previously cool conditions across the Plains, Midwest, and Northeast. Nationally, nearly one-half (46%) of the rangeland and pastures were rated in very poor to poor condition on September 15, according to the USDA, up from an early-summer minimum of 19%.
The West
Despite widespread precipitation in the northern Rockies and environs, only slight drought improvement was introduced, as concerns related to poor vegetation health and water-supply shortages were ongoing.
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In one piece of good news, however, a summer-long Western heat wave effectively ended. On September 17, the maximum temperature of 93 F in Phoenix, Arizona, halted a record-setting 113-day streak (May 27 – Sept. 16) with afternoon readings of 100 F or greater. The wildfire threat has diminished in some areas due to the turn toward cooler weather and the gradual increase in cool-season precipitation.
In southern California, however, the Airport, Bridge, and Line Fires collectively burned more than 115,000 acres of vegetation earlier this month. On September 15, topsoil moisture in agricultural regions ranged from 54-80% very short to short in eight of eleven Western States—all but California, Arizona, and Utah. Similarly, rangeland and pastures were rated 40-70% very poor to poor in eight Western States—all but California, Utah, and Colorado.
The High Plains
Warm, mostly dry weather led to a general expansion of abnormal dryness (D0) and various drought categories.
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Across the six-state region, topsoil moisture rated very short to short on September 15 ranged from 30% in North Dakota to 80% in Wyoming. In fact, values were above 50% in all states except North Dakota. Some of the worst conditions—extreme drought (D3)—existed across northeastern Wyoming and southeastern Montana, an area still recovering from last month’s Remington and House Draw Fires, which collectively burned across more than 370,000 acres of vegetation, including rangeland. Wyoming led the region on September 15, with 70% of its rangeland and pastures rated very poor to poor, followed by Nebraska at 45% and South Dakota at 42%.
The South
Hurricane Francine delivered heavy rain across much of Mississippi, as well as parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee. On September 11, daily record totals included 7.33 inches in New Orleans, LA, and 4.14 inches in Gulfport, MI.
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For New Orleans, it was the second-wettest September day on record, behind only 7.52 inches on Sept. 25, 2002. On Sept. 12, Apalachicola, FL, received a daily-record sum of 6.29 inches, helping to boost the 3-day (September 11-13) total to 12.77 inches. Elsewhere on the 12th, daily-record totals reached 4.22 inches in Memphis, TN; 3.95 inches in Jonesboro, AR; and 3.05 inches in Tupelo, MI. By Sept. 13, rain loosely associated with the remnants of Francine spread as far east as Georgia, where Columbus collected a daily-record total of 3.22 inches. Daily record amounts for Sept. 14 in Alabama totaled 4.72 inches in Muscle Shoals and 3.63 inches in Birmingham.
A separate area of heavy rain, before Francine’s arrival, soaked a small geographic area in southeastern Oklahoma, northeastern Texas, and southwestern Arkansas. However, areas outside the range of these downpours largely experienced worsening drought conditions. On Sept. 15, Oklahoma led the region with topsoil moisture rated 61% very short to short, followed by Texas at 54%. Meanwhile, Texas led the region with rangeland and pastures, which rated 48% very poor to poor, followed by Oklahoma at 35%. On that date, Texas led the country with 36% of its cotton, rated very poor to poor, well above the national value of 26%.
Several patches of extreme drought (D3) continued to affect key agricultural regions of both Oklahoma and Texas. In Texas’ northern panhandle, record-setting highs for Sept. 13 included 102 F in Borger and 101 F in Amarillo. For Amarillo, it was the latest triple-digit reading on record, supplanting 101 F on Sept. 11, 1910. Both Borger (101 F) and Amarillo (100 F) logged triple-digit, daily-record highs again on Sept. 14. Meanwhile, Texas led the region with rangeland and pastures rated 48% very poor to poor, followed by Oklahoma at 35%. On that date, Texas led the country with 36% of its cotton, rated very poor to poor, well above the national value of 26%.
Several patches of extreme drought (D3) continued to affect key agricultural regions of both Oklahoma and Texas. In Texas’ northern panhandle, record-setting highs for September 13 included 102 F in Borger and 101 F in Amarillo. For Amarillo, it was the latest triple-digit reading on record, supplanting 101 F on Sept. 11, 1910. Both Borger (101 F) and Amarillo (100 F) logged triple-digit, daily-record highs again on Sept. 14. —UNL Drought Monitor
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