Hurricane Barry was an asymmetrical tropical cyclone that was the wettest on record in Arkansas and the fourth-wettest in Louisiana. The second tropical or subtropical storm and first hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season, Barry originated as a mesoscale convective vortex over southwestern Kansas on July 2. The system eventually emerged into the Gulf of Mexico from the Florida Panhandle on July 10, whereupon the National Hurricane Center (NHC) designated it as a potential tropical cyclone. Early on July 11, the system developed into a tropical depression, and strengthened into a tropical storm later that day. Dry air and wind shear caused most of the convection, or thunderstorms, to be displaced south of the center. Nevertheless, Barry gradually intensified. On July 13, Barry attained its peak intensity as a Category 1 hurricane with 1-minute sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of . At 15:00 UTC, Barry made its first landfall at Marsh Island, and another landfall in Intracoastal City, Louisiana, both times as a Category 1 hurricane. Barry quickly weakened after landfall, falling to tropical depression status on July 15. The storm finally degenerated into a remnant low over northern Arkansas on the same day, subsequently opening up into a trough on July 16. The storm's remnants persisted for another few days, while continuing its eastward motion, before being absorbed into another frontal storm to the south of Nova Scotia on July 19.
Barry was one of four hurricanes to strike Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane in the month of July, the others being Bob in 1979, Danny in 1997, and Cindy in 2005. Numerous tropical storm watches and warnings were issued for Mississippi and Louisiana ahead of the storm. Several states declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm. Though Barry only produced hurricane-force winds in a small area of Louisiana, more than 153,000 customers lost power in the state. As Barry drifted westward over the Gulf of Mexico, storm surge caused widespread coastal flooding in Mississippi and Alabama. The storm's large circulation produced heavy rainfall over a large area, reaching near Ragley, Louisiana, and near Dierks, Arkansas. The latter value was the highest amount of rainfall recorded in Arkansas related to a tropical cyclone. Many roads, including Interstate highways, were flooded. Dozens of water rescues were carried out in Louisiana and Arkansas, where the most significant flooding occurred. In parts of the Northeastern United States and Ontario, Canada, severe thunderstorms from Barry's remnants caused an additional 160,000 power outages and spawned a few weak tornadoes. The storm caused two fatalities: one in Florida from rip currents, and one in Connecticut from fallen trees and wires. Damage from Barry was estimated to be about $600 million (2019 USD).
Meteorological history
The origins of Barry can be traced to a mesoscale convective vortex – a complex of thunderstorms – that formed over southwestern Kansas on July 2. On July 5, the Climate Prediction Center noted the possibility for this disturbance to interact with a trough of low pressure over the Southeastern United States, eventually triggering the formation of a low pressure area over the Gulf of Mexico. The following day, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) highlighted a low likelihood of tropical cyclogenesis while the disturbance was still centered well-inland over Tennessee, anticipating that the weather system would track into the northern Gulf of Mexico. Over the next few days, the system drifted southeastward towards Georgia, steered by a low- to mid-level ridge to its west. By July 8, the NHC assessed a high probability of a tropical cyclone developing due to favorable conditions in the Gulf. On July 9, a broad area of low pressure exited the Florida Panhandle and tracked into the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, accompanied by scattered convection. It moved southwestward and curved to the west on the east side of the ridge. On July 10, the NHC initiated advisories on the system as Potential Tropical Cyclone Two, due to its threat the system posed to the United States. At that time, the low pressure area was experiencing some northerly wind shear, which was expected to decrease. Sea surface temperatures of allowed the system to gradually organize.
At 00:00 UTC on July 11, the system developed into a tropical depression about 200 mi (320 km) south of Mobile, Alabama. The depression intensified into Tropical Storm Barry six hours later as the convection had increased to the south of the system's circulation. The storm's convection organized into a large rainband south of an elongated circulation, though mid-level dry air and northerly wind shear prevented thunderstorms from forming near the center. On July 12, data from two hurricane hunter reconnaissance aircraft found that Barry had quickly intensified, with its central pressure dropping. Due to a slight decrease in shear on the morning of July 13, the storm's outflow expanded and the banding increased. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument also found cloud tops colder than mostly south of the center. Barry attained Category 1 hurricane status by 12:00 UTC that day, with a small area of hurricane-force winds occurring east of the center. Simultaneously, the storm reached its peak intensity, with a minimum central pressure of . At 15:00 UTC that day, Barry made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on Marsh Island, Louisiana. Barry was one of four hurricanes to hit Louisiana at Category 1 intensity in the month of July, the others being Bob in 1979, Danny in 1997, and Cindy in 2005.
The storm quickly weakened after landfall, falling to tropical storm status late on July 13. The storm moved slowly, leading to widespread flooding in Louisiana and Arkansas. Barry further weakened to a tropical depression at 00:00 UTC on July 15 just south of the Louisiana-Arkansas border. Satellite imagery showed that the cyclone had become elongated by that time. At 12:00 UTC that same day, Barry degenerated into a remnant low over northern Arkansas. The remnant low continued to spin down and degenerated into a trough at 12:00 UTC a day later, over southern Missouri. Over the next few days, Barry's remnants continued moving northeastward and then eastward, reaching Pennsylvania on July 18 and linking up with a cold front, and moving off the coast of Long Island late that day. On July 19, Barry's remnants were absorbed into another extratropical storm to the south of Nova Scotia.
Preparations National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) On July 10, the NHC (which is part of the NOAA) began issuing various warnings and watches, including a hurricane watch for the Louisiana coast from Cameron to the Mississippi River Delta, a tropical storm watch from the Mississippi Delta to the mouth of the Pearl River, and a storm surge watch from the mouth of the Pearl River to Morgan City, Louisiana. After the disturbance became a tropical storm on July 11, the NHC issued a tropical storm warning from the mouth of the Pearl River to Morgan City, and a tropical storm watch eastward to the Mississippi/Alabama border, including the New Orleans metro area, Lake Pontchartrain, and Lake Maurepas. The agency also issued a storm surge warning from the mouth of the Atchafalaya River to Shell Beach, Louisiana. On the afternoon of July 11, the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for coastal Louisiana between Intracoastal City to Grand Isle, Louisiana. All tropical cyclone watches and warnings were discontinued at 21:00 UTC on July 14. The NHC started giving emergency management direct support from July 9 to July 14. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hurricane Liaison Team coordinated storm briefings to Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, along with FEMA regions 4 and 6. The Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch of the NHC also assisted the U.S. Coast Guard in their operations during Barry. More than 80 live briefings and 50 phone interviews were broadcast in local and national television. A total of 11 live briefings were also provided by the NHC on Facebook; those briefings received more than 400,000 views.
The National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm watches and flash flood watches for several counties in Connecticut.
Louisiana
The United States Army Corps of Engineers feared that levees would be overtopped in Plaquemines Parish by storm surge and historically high river levels. Thus, a mandatory evacuation was ordered for the parish was implemented on the morning of July 11, affecting approximately 8,000–10,000 residents. An evacuation order was issued for low-lying areas of Jefferson Parish; the mayor of Grand Isle issued a mandatory evacuation as well. Due to the storm threat, the Carnival Valor changed its disembarking point from New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama. Royal Dutch Shell evacuated non-essential personnel from its offshore oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Curfews were enacted in several Louisiana communities across five parishes on July 12. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell urged residents to "shelter in place" but did not order evacuations, citing Category 3 status as the threshold.
In a 24-hour span between July 10 and 11, 28 parishes issued emergency declarations. After declaring a state of emergency and deploying search and rescue assets, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards requested a federal disaster declaration for the entire state on July 11, citing the potential for widespread flooding; the request was granted by President Donald Trump later that day. On July 12, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared a public health emergency in Louisiana to prepare for Barry's potential impacts. In addition to making this declaration, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) worked with FEMA and positioned approximately 100 medical and public health personnel from various agencies, and provided medical equipment for medical teams. On July 12, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency, allocating state resources for storm relief and activating the state's emergency operations center. The Mississippi Urban Search and Rescue Task Force dispatched two 12-person water rescue crews to Pike County and Camp Shelby to assist local emergency units. Airbnb activated its Open Homes program, which provides temporary housing to evacuees or storm victims, for parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Dozens of Airbnb hosts signed up to shelter displaced people and rescue workers.
Impact
High water levels occurred from the Florida Panhandle to the upper Texas Coast. Total economic losses from Barry are estimated at $600 million (2019 USD), with public and private insurers paying out nearly $300 million. More than 50,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Most of these losses were due to flooding along the Gulf Coast and in Arkansas.
Louisiana
While Barry was in its formative stages, it dropped of rainfall across the New Orleans area, causing flooding. An expansive thunderstorm inundated streets and businesses over a six-hour period on the morning of July 10. Portions of the French Quarter were flooded and public transportation was disrupted. The impacts were exacerbated by an elevated Mississippi River amid a prolonged period exceeding flood stage. Officials declared a flash flood emergency in New Orleans, as flooded streets forced businesses and government buildings to close. A EF1 tornado was reported near New Orleans on July 10, snapping several trees and ripping the roof off a house; this tornado caused $300,000 in damage.