Historical Weather Events

HISTORICAL WEATHER EVENTS - 18 August

From the files of the Aviation Weather Center, Kansas City, MO and Intellicast

...1910...The "Big Blow-up" of forest fires in Idaho finally ended. A record dry August fueled 1736 fires which burned 3 million acres, destroyed 6 billion board feet of timber and claimed 85 lives (78 firefighters). The smoke spread one-third the way around the world producing dark days in the U.S. and Canada. (Intellicast)
...1925...During the late morning hours a severe hailstorm struck southeastern Iowa completely destroying crops along a path six to ten miles wide and 75 miles long. The hail also injured and killed poultry and livestock, and caused a total of 2.5 million dollars damage. The hailstorm flattened fields of corn to such an extent that many had to leave their farms in search of other work. It was one of the worst hailstorms of record for the nation. (The Weather Channel)
...1936...Iowa had its hottest ever August day with the average high temperature for 113 stations being 106.5 degrees Fahrenheit. (Intellicast)
...1955...Remnants of Hurricane Diane killed 38 vacationers at Camp Davis near East Stroudsberg, PA when up to a foot of rain fell. (National Weather Service files)
...1983...Hurricane Alicia (a category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) ravaged southeastern Texas. The hurricane caused more than three billion dollars property damage, making it one of the costliest hurricanes in the history of the U.S. Just thirteen persons were killed, but 1800 others were injured. The hurricane packed winds to 130 mph as it crossed Galveston Island, created a storm surge of 12 feet and spawned twenty-two tornadoes in less than 24 hours as it made landfall. (The Weather Channel) (Storm Data) (Intellicast)
...1987...Thirteen cities in the eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date, including Orlando, FL with a reading of 98 degrees, and Portland, ME with a high of 94 degrees. Newark, NJ reached 90 degrees for the thirty-sixth time of the year, their second highest total of record. (The National Weather Summary)
...1988...Twenty-two cities, from the Carolinas to the Upper Ohio Valley, reported record high temperatures for the date, pushing the total number of daily record highs since the first of June above the 1100 mark. Afternoon highs of 102 degrees at Greensboro, NC and 105 degrees at Raleigh, NC equaled all-time records. Evening thunderstorms in Montana produced wind gusts to 75 mph at Scobey. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1989...Thunderstorms over the Middle Atlantic Coast Region and the Upper Ohio Valley produced torrential rains in eastern Virginia during the late morning and afternoon hours. Totals ranged up to twelve inches at Yorktown. Williamsburg, VA was deluged with 10.78 inches of rain between 6 AM and 10 AM, with 6.72 inches reported in just two hours. Flash flooding caused nearly twelve million dollars damage in Accomack County, VA. Early evening thunderstorms in the Central High Plains Region produced walnut size hail and wind gusts to 80 mph around Casper, WY. Thunderstorms produced locally heavy rains in the Yellowstone Park area, causing fifteen mudslides. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)