Tropical Storm — Inland Walton, Florida

2001-08-04 to 2001-08-06 · Inland Walton, Florida

Event narrative

Tropical Storm Barry, which formed as a tropical wave over the eastern Gulf of Mexico on 2 August, quickly intensified on 5 August and made landfall between Panama City and Destin, Florida, during the pre-dawn hours of 6 August. After landfall, Barry rapidly weakened to a tropical depression over southwest Alabama. Maximum sustained winds prior to landfall were measured at 39 knots with a peak gust to 54 knots at the Gulf data buoy 42039 (85 nautical miles south of Apalachicola, Florida) during the late afternoon of 5 August. As the center of Barry moved onshore, a peak wind gust of 55 knots was recorded at the Eglin AFB Range Station C-52 (10 miles northwest of Freeport, Florida, in Walton County) about 130 am CDT on 6 August. At the same location, the lowest sea-level pressure recorded was 994.2 mb at 1247 am CDT. Scattered wind damage was reported throughout Walton, Washington, Bay, Calhoun and Gulf counties as trees and limbs fell into power lines. Over 40,000 homes were without power. In Bay County, several homes were inundated by water due to roof damage.Due to its slow motion toward the Florida Panhandle coast, rainbands affected the coastal areas as early as the late afternoon of 4 August, with the heaviest rainfall observed on 5-6 August. Official storm totals ranged from 2.37 inches at Marianna to 8.91 inches at Tallahassee, Florida. An unofficial total of 11 inches was reported by WJHG-TV in Panama City, Florida.Maximum storm tides ranged from a foot in coastal Franklin County, to three feet in coastal Walton County where minor beach erosion was reported. Minor to no beach erosion was observed from coastal Bay, Gulf and Franklin counties. Significant flooding occurred in Leon County, including the Tallahassee area, as well as the northwest Apalachicola National Forest, where excessive rains flowed southward into the Cascade Lakes, Lake Bradford and Munson Slough. The Munson Slough rose to its highest level since the 1994 floods. Dozens of homes were affected, as well as horses, livestock, vehicles and equipment. Numerous county and secondary roads across Walton, Washington, and Bay counties were closed to floodwaters.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5264551. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.