Tropical Storm Amelia was a weak but catastrophic tropical storm that was the second-wettest tropical cyclone on record in the continental United States. Amelia developed from a tropical wave that moved through the Atlantic Ocean uneventfully. The disturbance then entered an area of the Gulf of Mexico that was conducive to tropical cyclogenesis and became the first tropical depression of the season, after which it was forecast to make landfall before any significant intensification. However, the tropical depression defied predictions, quickly strengthening into a weak tropical storm just hours before making landfall in Corpus Christi. The storm lasted roughly a day over land before becoming unidentifiable after being active for just under 48 hours. After dissipating, the storm caused a severe flooding disaster in Texas.
Amelia affected the Texas coast for two days which caused several shipping incidents and minor damage in Corpus Christi and South Padre Island. While active, there were no deaths linked to the storm. However, the biggest impact from the storm followed its dissipation, when its remnants contributed to record rainfall totals over the state. The state, already suffering from a previous drought, believed that the rain would help alleviate the conditions. However, the dry ground aided the flooding from the storm. The rainfall caused several rivers and creeks to flood, especially around the Texas Hill Country and northern Texas, leading to severe damage. Following the storm, President Jimmy Carter declared six counties in the state as federal disaster areas, allowing residents to seek aid from the government. Additional aid was brought in from as far away as New York. Overall, Amelia caused 33 fatalities with an estimated $110 million in damages in what then-governor Dolph Briscoe called one of the worst floods in the history of the state.
Meteorological history
A tropical wave moved off the African coast on July 19. The system headed westward through the Atlantic Ocean for the next week with no change in development. After entering the Caribbean Sea on July 26, convection began to come together two days later due to the influence of anticyclonic flow. The disturbance passed the Yucatan Peninsula on July 29 and entered the Gulf of Mexico. No circulation was found in the developing system, however. At this point, the presentation seen on satellite imagery had indicated that a tropical cyclone was beginning to form in the Gulf. After a reconnaissance aircraft went into the system, the cyclone was upgraded into the first tropical depression of the season that afternoon while south of Brownsville, Texas. When it formed, it was moving north-northwest at , which was thought at the time to inhibit further strengthening due to the depression moving onto land. Several hours later, the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Amelia, a decision that one forecaster said was made to be on the safe side. Amelia peaked at in wind speed when it was upgraded, with the system beginning to skirt the Texas coast.
Preparations
While the storm was over water, small craft advisories were issued by the Coast Guard in addition to cautioning people on vacation in South Padre Island to avoid the beaches. However, as it was a Sunday evening, most of the ships were already coming into port. Due to it forming in close proximity to the coast, warnings were issued as soon as the storm was named. As the state had been in the midst of a severe drought the previous six weeks, there was hope that Amelia would relieve the dry conditions. However, the drought conditions would benefit the floods from the storm due to the ground being rendered so dry that it was unable to soak up all the rain from the storm.
Impact
thumb|right|150px|The remnants of Amelia on August 3.
Effects from Amelia as a tropical cyclone ranged from winds in Brownsville to gusts of up to in Corpus Christi. Inland Texas fared much worse, though. The continuous flow of tropical moisture during Amelia's dissipation and remnant stage brought heavy flooding for two to three days, putting 25 counties under flash flood warnings. The orographic effect of the Edwards Plateau enhanced the flooding, leading to rainfall totals as high as in a two-day period. Although the showers stretched into Dallas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, any damages from the storm in these areas are unknown. The final toll from the storm was 33 dead, most of which occurred a week after the storm made landfall, and $110 million in damage. Most of the damage was located in two specific areas: an area consisting of the towns of Albany and Graham, and the Texas Hill Country, although light flooding was reported elsewhere.
Gulf of Mexico and the Texas Coast
In coastal areas of Texas, damage was limited to the sinking of several shrimp boats and the beaching of sail boats. One ship — the Mermaid of the Sea — was caught in the middle of the storm. A pleasure boat with three occupants and the two-man crew of a beached catamaran were all reported missing, but were later found. According to the Coast Guard, all nine ships that had been reported missing in the storm were later accounted for. Along with the ships, an oil drilling rig in the Gulf was ripped from its location and ran aground near Matagorda Island by the storm. The 19 crew members of the rig were rescued by helicopter. As the rig had not yet begun drilling, there was no threat from an oil spill. South Padre Island reported power outages after receiving over of rain and the Queen Isabella Causeway was rendered nearly impassable due to rainfall. During its time as a tropical cyclone, there were no deaths linked to Amelia. The death toll from Albany was set at nine dead and twelve missing, although the town sheriff said that four people who were missing would likely never be found due to several cave-ins along the creek, possibly burying them up to deep in mud. Rescue efforts here were hampered by overflowing creeks and a lack of communication. The rain was also responsible for carving a deep hole in an earthen dam at nearby Lake Throckmorton, but the water from the dam was safely taken up by a nearby creek. The town of Throckmorton itself was completely evacuated and, like Albany, had its fresh water supply contaminated.
North of Albany, the Brazos River also flooded, with the Clear Fork Brazos River becoming wide at one point, despite normally being a dry creek bed. Effects from the flooding in Graham ranged from 150 houses and 40–50 businesses being inundated to the loss of water and electrical utilities. No fatalities were reported, however, due to the water levels rising gradually, leaving time for residents to evacuate. The crest of the Brazos flood then headed for the Possum Kingdom Lake with a threat of lowland flooding, resulting in evacuations of riverside towns in Parker and Palo Pinto counties, although a report from Palo Pinto said that no flooding was expected. The flooding was alleviated at the Possum Kingdom Lake, as the lake was already down from normal and some of the floodgates there were opened, taking most of the water from the flood. Elm Creek, near Abilene, also swelled, flooding into the town, but the only reported damage there was street flooding. An additional death was reported in the town of Morse. The Guadalupe River became heavily flooded, rising in one hour. The rapid rise covered a bridge on U.S. Route 281, north of San Antonio and prompted evacuations in a area near the flood plains. The overflowing river was responsible for ten total deaths in Kendall and Kerr Counties and submerging Comfort under seven feet of water, killing four people there. The towns of Welfare and Center Point were also reported to be flooded. In nearby Hunt, a group of military personnel who entered the region to assist with rescues got stranded themselves. Near Stonewall, the Pedernales overflowed its banks, covering the area in up to of water and swamping the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. In Bandera, the Medina turned into a wall of water, which destroyed several of the trees along the river in addition to causing various items to litter the roads. In isolated areas, there was an odor from decaying livestock. At the request of Governor Dolph Briscoe, President Jimmy Carter declared Kendall, Kerr, and Bandera Counties as disaster areas, allowing citizens in these areas to receive federal aid. All three counties had previously been declared disaster areas due to the prior drought. In Bandera, 300 people applied for relief and 200 mobile homes were sent to help the homeless. The cafeteria of the junior high school was used as both a morgue and a Red Cross emergency center. In addition, a sheriff dispatch in the Texas town mentioned that aid was possibly being sent from several other towns with the same name as well as from other Texas towns like Abilene. A 12-hour total of of rain at Abilene was an extreme example of the precipitation.