HISTORICAL WEATHER EVENTS - 24 August

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

• ...1906...A cloudburst deluged Guinea, VA with 9.25 inches of rain in just forty minutes, which represents the nation's 40-minute maximum rainfall record. (David Ludlum) (National Weather Service files)
• ...1968...Lightning struck the Crawford County fairgrounds in northwest Pennsylvania killing two persons and injuring 72 others. (The Weather Channel)
• ...1987...Autumn-like weather prevailed across the north central and northeastern U.S. Seven cities reported record low temperatures for the date, including Saint Cloud, MN with a low of 37 degrees. Temperatures in Florida soared to 98 degrees at Pensacola and 99 degrees at Jacksonville. Thunderstorms produced heavy rain in the Southern High Plains Region, with 5.40 inches at Union, NM, and 7.25 inches reported west of Anthony, NM. (The National Weather Summary)
• ...1988...Thunderstorms in the Delaware Valley of eastern Pennsylvania produced wind gusts to 95 mph around Philadelphia, and gusts to 100 mph at Warminster. A tropical depression drenched the Cabo Rojo area of southwestern Puerto Rico with up to ten inches of rain. San Juan received 5.35 inches of rain. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
• ...1989...Late afternoon and evening thunderstorms produced severe weather in eastern Montana and western sections of the Dakotas. Thunderstorms in Montana produced wind gusts to 76 mph at Jordan, and golf ball size hail at Rock Springs, which collected three to four feet deep in ditches. Lewiston, ID reported a record 1.50 inches of rain for the date, and a record rainfall total for August of 2.63 inches. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• ...1990...Thunderstorms dropped 5 to 7 inches of rain over Long Island, NY closing major highways. (Intellicast)
• ...1991...Severe thunderstorms produced very large hail in eastern North Dakota. Near Lisbon, conglomerate hail nearly 6 inches in diameter was reported. The hail smashed windows, caused very heavy damage to cars, punched holes in buildings and damaged or destroyed 16,000 acres of crops. (Intellicast)
• ...1992...Hurricane Andrew made landfall near Homestead, FL with a central pressure of 922 mb (27.22 inches of mercury). Fowey Rocks coastal marine buoy recorded maximum sustained winds of 141 mph and a peak gust of 169 mph and the National Hurricane Center in Coral Gables had sustained winds of 115 mph with a peak gust of 164 mph. A storm surge of 16.7 feet occurred in Biscayne Bay. Homestead AFB was practically wiped out. More than 120,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, leaving 250,000 homeless. Forty-one people died and damage exceeded $25 billion, making Andrew by far the most costly hurricane in U.S. history until Hurricane Katrina in 2005. At the time, Andrew was the third most intense hurricane to strike the mainland behind Camille (1969) and the Labor Day Hurricane (1935) (Intellicast)