Tropical Storm — Upper Plaquemines, Louisiana

2004-10-09 to 2004-10-10 · Upper Plaquemines, Louisiana

Wider weather episode

Tropical Storm Matthew developed from a tropical depression in the southwest Gulf of Mexico on October 8 and initially moved to the east northeast across the western and central Gulf of Mexico before gradually turning to the northeast and north. Matthew made landfall as minimal tropical storm along the south central Louisiana coast near Cocodrie on October 10 and weakened to a tropical depression shortly after moving inland. Matthew continued north and moved across southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi as a tropical depression on the 10th before dissipating over extreme southeast Arkansas on October 11.Tropical storm force winds associated with Matthew were mainly confined to the coastal areas of Terrebonne, Lafourche, Jefferson, and Plaquemines Parishes and around Lake Pontchartrain in the form of gusts. The highest sustained wind recorded in southeast Louisiana was at the NOAA automated weather station at the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River with sustained winds of 42 knots (48 mph) with gusts to 48 knots (55 mph). The weather instruments at this location are located approximately 100 ft above sea level. The lowest pressure recorded was 999.7 mb at Tambour Bay on October 10th 0400 CST.Most of the damage associated from Matthew was the result of a combination of heavy rain and coastal flooding. Rainfall amounts generally ranged from 5 to 10 inches with a few locations in Terrebonne, Lafourche and St. John the Baptist Parishes reporting amounts up to 13 to 16 inches. The storm surge was 2 to 4 feet above normal, but locally higher in some locations. The highest storm surge recorded was at Frenier on Lake Pontchartrain with a reading of 5.85 ft NGVD. The greatest damage occurred in Terrebonne Parish where at estimated 20 homes sustained damage from heavy rain and storm surge in an area from Chauvin to Dulac, Montegut, and Pointe Aux Chene. In Lafourche several homes were flooded outside the flood gates from storm surge while within the flood gates several homes in Golden Meadow, Galliano, and Cutoff were flooded due to heavy rain. Law enforcement reported a brief tornado touchdown near Golden Meadow at 0349 CST on October 10th that tore half of the roof off of a trailer. Coastal flooding was observed around the shores of Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas and in most coastal areas outside of hurricane protection levees. Many roads were closed due to storm tide flooding in Lower Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Bernard, and extreme eastern Orleans Parishes. Several roads in Slidell and Mandeville in St. Tammany Parish and around Laplace in St. John the Baptist Parish were also flooded.Based on observed damage, damages described by media and emergency management, and using a comparison of similar tropical storm events, total storm damage was estimated around 255 thousand dollars with approximately $50 thousand in damage from wind, $100 thousand in damage from storm surge, $100 thousand in damage from flooding as a result of heavy rain, and $5 thousand in damage from a brief tornado touchdown.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5430989. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.