Harold — 2023

A tropical wave that moved off Africa in early August crossed the Atlantic and Caribbean before entering the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. The system developed a closed low-level circulation and became a tropical depression at 1800 UTC 21 August about 360 nautical miles east of Brownsville, Texas, and strengthened into Tropical Storm Harold around 0600 UTC 22 August. Harold moved generally west-northwestward, accelerated toward the South Texas coast, made landfall near Big Shell Beach on Padre Island around 1500 UTC 22 August, weakened over extreme South Texas and northern Mexico on 22–23 August, moved back into Texas, and dissipated as a remnant low over the Big Bend region on 23 August. Harold’s single U.S. landfall occurred near Big Shell Beach on Padre Island, Texas, at about 1500 UTC 22 August while the storm’s intensity was 50 knots (58 mph sustained). After landfall the system quickly weakened to a tropical depression and moved over extreme northern Mexico on 23 August before degenerating inland later that day. The storm’s maximum sustained winds were 50 knots (about 58 mph) at 1200–1500 UTC 22 August, with a minimum measured pressure of 995 mb (from nearby NOAA buoy 42020). Those values correspond to a moderate tropical storm — Harold never reached hurricane strength. Harold produced a 1 to 3 foot storm surge along portions of the Texas coast. Notable peak water levels above Mean Higher High Water included 2.59 ft in Nueces Bay, 2.43 ft at Viola Turning Basin, and 2.01 ft at the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi Bay; nearby gauges at Galveston Pier 21, San Luis Pass, and Port Lavaca recorded about 1.9–2.0 ft MHHW. Rainfall was concentrated in a narrow band near the track, with a maximum official report of 6.98 inches near Orange Grove, Texas; several locations in and around Corpus Christi reported 4–6 inches. There were no direct deaths attributed to Harold. Damage in South Texas was reported as generally minor: more than 35,000 customers lost power, there was some tree damage, and two weak (EF0) tornadoes in Live Oak and Jim Wells Counties produced mostly minor damage. Monetary damage estimates were not available but were described as likely relatively low. Forecasts captured Harold’s genesis location well and warnings began early: a Tropical Storm Warning was issued about 23 hours before tropical-storm-force winds arrived. The observed peak storm surge and the narrow inland rainfall pattern generally verified the forecasts; intensity and track forecast verification had too few cases to draw broader conclusions.