000 ACUS74 KBRO 262023 PSHBRO TXZ248>257-272030- PRELIMINARY STORM REPORT HURRICANE RITA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 315 PM CDT MON SEP 26 2005 A.HIGHEST WINDS... BROWNSVILLE/SOUTH PADRE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT... 1-MINUTE 18 KNOTS FROM 10 DEGREES 1840 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005 PEAK GUST 23 KNOTS FROM 30 DEGREES 1839 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005 KBRO ASOS LOCATED AT BROWNSVILLE, CAMERON COUNTY,TX 25.5 N 97.25 W RIO GRANDE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT... 1-MINUTE 21 KNOTS FROM 340 DEGREES 1734 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005 PEAK GUST 26 KNOTS FROM 340 DEGREES 1733 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005 KHRL ASOS LOCATED AT HARLINGEN, CAMERON COUNTY, TX 26.1 N 97.34 W MCALLEN/MILLER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT... 1-MINUTE 18 KNOTS FROM 340 DEGREES 2023 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005 PEAK GUST 21 KNOTS FROM 350 DEGREES 2021 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005 KMFE ASOS LOCATED AT MCALLEN, HIDALGO COUNTY, TX 26.1 N 98.15 W NOAA BUOY STATION 42002... 1-MINUTE 30 KNOTS FROM 300 DEGREES 2250 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005 PEAK GUST 38 KNOTS FROM 300 DEGREES 2250 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005 NDBC STATION 42002 LOCATED 200 NM EAST OF PORT ISABEL, TX 25.17 N 94.42 W NOAA BUOY STATION 42020... 1-MINUTE 22 KNOTS FROM 320 DEGREES 2150 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005 PEAK GUST 28 KNOTS FROM 320 DEGREES 2150 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005 NDBC STATION 42020 LOCATED 50 NM SOUTHEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TX 26.9 N 96.7 W B.LOWEST PRESSURE... LOWEST PRESSURE BROWNSVILLE/SOUTH PADRE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 1002.4 MB AT 2148 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005 LOWEST PRESSURE RIO GRANDE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 1002.0 MB AT 2204 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005 LOWEST PRESSURE MCALLEN/MILLER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 1002.4 MB AT 2149 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005 LOWEST PRESSURE BUOY 42002 1001.3 MB AT 2050 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005 LOWEST PRESSURE BUOY 42020 1000.8 MB AT 2350 UTC SEPTEMBER 23 2005 C. RAINFALL... NO RAINFALL REPORTED. D. STORM TIDES... ISLA BLANCA STATE PARK 4.00 0500 UTC JUL 23 2005 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 4.00 0500 UTC JUL 23 2005 U.S. COAST GUARD PORT ISABEL 3.00 0500 UTC SEP 23 2005 E.BEACH EROSION... SEVERE BEACH EROSION WAS REPORTED IN CAMERON COUNTY, WITH A COMBINED STORM GENERATED SWELL AND ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDE CREATED A TIDAL EFFECT WELL ABOVE ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE GULF FACING BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND. THIS STORM TIDE CAUSED 10 TO 12 FEET OF EROSION IN THE DUNES AND THE BEACHES OF BOCA CHICA AND SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TX. THE BEACHES WERE REPORTED AS FLOODED BY 2000 UTC ON THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2005 AND REMAINED FLOODED THROUGH 2200 UTC SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2005. F.FLOODING... STORM TIDES (INCLUDING ASTRONOMICAL TIDE, STORM SURGE, AND WIND DRIVEN WAVES) CAUSED SIGNIFICANT FLOODING OF THE BEACHES ALONG THE LOWER TEXAS COAST FROM THE PORT MANSFIELD JETTIES SOUTHWARD TO THE RIO GRANDE. SEA WATER BREACHED THE DUNES AND MAN MADE BURMS IN SOUTH PADRE ISLAND. THIS CAUSED TEMPORARY FLOODING OF GULF BOULEVARD AND DEPOSITED SEVERAL INCHES OF BEACH SAND INTO SEVERAL HOTEL AND CONDOMINIUM SWIMMING POOLS. SEA WATER ALSO WASHED OVER STATE ROAD 100, APPROXIMATELY NORTH OF THE SOUTH PADRE ISLAND CITY LIMITS, WHERE ONLY THE BEACH AND NATURAL SAND DUNES EXIST. THIS FLOODING CAUSED THE CLOSURE OF ALL BEACH ACCESSES NORTH OF BEACH ACCESS NUMBER THREE. THE BUILDING OF ADDITIONAL BURMS ALONG THE BEACHES AND DUNES DID PREVENT MUCH OF THE SEA WATER FROM FLOODING WITHIN THE CITY OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND. THE COAST GUARD STATION AT SOUTH PADRE ISLAND REPORTED TEMPORARY FLOODING CONDITIONS WITH EIGHT INCHES OF STANDING WATER ON THE GROUNDS COINCIDENT WITH HIGH TIDE ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2005. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH REPORTS OF ABOVE NORMAL TIDAL CONDITIONS AND GIVEN THE PROXIMITY OF THE COAST GUARD STATION TO THE ISLAND JETTIES. WAVE ACTION IN THE SOUTH BAY OF THE LAGUNA MADRE WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO GENERATE THE TEMPORARY FLOODING CONDITIONS. G.TORNADOES... NO TORNADOES REPORTED. H.STORM EFFECTS... TORNADO0 FATALITIES0 INJURIES HURRICANE 0 FATALITIES0 INJURIES0 MISSING ONLY MINIMAL AND ISOLATED DAMAGE WAS REPORTED FROM LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ON SOUTH PADRE ISLAND. NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS WAS OBSERVED. SUBSIDENT FLOW ASSOCIATED WITH RITA RESULTED IN RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES ACROSS MUCH OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS FOR THE PERIOD OF SEPTEMBER 23RD THROUGH THE 25TH. KVS/JAH