Hurricane Debra (1959)

Rainfall produced by Hurricane Debra

The highest reported winds were estimated at 80–90 mph (130–140 km/h), with gusts up to 105 mph (169 km/h) at the Brazos River floodgates near Freeport.[13] Tides were 3 to 5 feet (0.91 to 1.52 m) at Galveston Bay; Morgan Point measured the highest tides, at 7.9 feet (2.4 m) above normal.[1] Overall, the storm surge was about 7 feet (2.1 m) high; near Harrisburg, Houston, its height was approximately 9.6 feet (2.9 m); around the Kemah-Seabrook area, the storm surge was 7 feet (2.1 m), while along the Dickinson Bayou they were 7 to 9 feet (2.1 to 2.7 m) above average.[5][14] Alongside the Gulf Coast, especially in Texas, there were widespread measurements of heavy rainfall, which included a total of 15.89 inches (404 mm) at Orange, Texas, which led to the inundation low-lying streets; this total was the highest attributed to Debra.[9][15] A daily rainfall record of 3.62 inches (92 mm) was achieved at Beaumont, and hurricane-force winds stretched 100 miles (160 km) inland.[16]

The simultaneous occurrence of a storm surge and heavy rainfall wrought by Debra led to widespread flooding on highways, including that on Highway 75 northwest of Galveston on July 25 which caused the detachment of Galveston Island from the mainland for several hours. Other major roadways flooded were Highway 6 between Hitchcock and Galveston; Highway 146 from Kemah to Seabrook; and Farm to Market Road 518 extending from Kemah through League City.[5] An unconfirmed report indicated that a funnel cloud briefly touched down roughly 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport at approximately 0027 UTC, though no damage occurred.[17]

A plane thrown into a ditch by the hurricane

The majority of private piers situated upon the western and northern ends of Galveston Bay were destroyed as a result of Debra's storm surge. Damage primarily constituted to roofs, glass, sign boards, antennas, and certain sea vessels; abundant damage was caused by rising waters due to torrential rains. Approximately 90 cattle were killed on the western edge of Galveston Island.[8][14] Furniture was thrown from the luxury Buccaneer Hotel into its swimming pool, shattering a large window. In Fort Worth, the entrance to the Tabernacle Baptist Church was completely destroyed, with its remnants littering the adjacent road.[11] The largest quantity of damage to sea vessels was consolidated near the Kemah-Baytown area.[14] Widespread damage from winds and tides was evident in the Hitchcock area, where three men were rescued after attempting to endure the hurricane at a fishing camp, although they were later rescued.[18] In the Houston area, damage was limited to power lines and downed trees.[19] At the former Houston International Airport, air transport was terminated, and water transportation was impeded as vast ships remained in ports.[9] Onlookers were advised not to touch downed power lines, and electricity was knocked out at a hospital and roads were immersed in floodwaters.[20] Most rail and road traffic in Houston was significantly interrupted.[21]

One person went missing in Texas City, and several others were unaccounted for at other areas. There, damage to houses and other structures totaled several hundreds of thousands of dollars. Although 16 shops were damaged, no homes suffered any damage. Crop damage in Brazoria County also reached hundreds of thousands of dollars. A boat captain was hurt when his vessel crashed into a rock jetty under waves of 15 feet (4.6 m).[9][11][20] A tower 75 feet (23 m) tall utilized for the purpose of hoisting storm warning flags in Freeport was demolished, and damage within the city involved broken windows and roof shingles, in addition to the power outages that occurred.[22][23] Automobiles were blown onto the city's roads, and Second Street, the city's primary street, was below 3.5 feet (1.1 m) of floodwaters; the costs of the overall effects from Debra in Freeport were estimated at $300,000,[11] although then-mayor Jim Russell claimed that damage could reach $1.5 million. Damage at La Marque (then known as Lamarque) totaled to as much as $1 million.[21] Reports asserted that one person was engulfed and died offshore the Freeport area, but they were unconfirmed; another individual and their daughter previously listed as missing in the city were discovered at Houston.[20] Several other individuals were reported as missing, including four on a vessel offshore Freeport and one in Texas City. Another two were unaccounted for in Green Lake.[24] A night club at Clute burst into flames during the hurricane and winds created the possibility of the blaze spreading, although it was dealt with after several firemen came to the location.[11] Debra destroyed approximately 1,000 piers of a small size at La Porte.[21]

A shrimp boat and two other watercraft were known to be in difficult situations, while another sent out a distress call claiming that the boat's fuel tank had dismantled from it and its crew was anticipating an explosion. A Coast Guard aircraft searched for the shrimping boat Rosina after it had begun to dismantle while a Coast Guard buoy identified as the Blackthorn probed for the Cain Hoy,[23] although the three on board the Rosina were later recovered. All vessels reported as missing were recovered by the Coast Guard on July 25.[20] A ship known as Hope with a crew of three was thrown ashore 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Freeport, but the United States Coast Guard was incapable of rescuing the craft and its shipmembers.[22] Tornadoes touched down near the then-Jefferson County Airport, Sebastian, and Kenedy, with the first associated with the precursor to Debra.[25]

In all, damage in Brazoria, Galveston, and the eastern part of Harris counties totaled $6.7 million, while damage elsewhere increased the total to $7 million. 10 people suffered minor injuries in Brazoria County,[1][16] in addition to one off the coast.[9]

In Oklahoma, torrential rainfall produced floods in small areas of the state, especially the southeast, east-, north-, and north-central portions of the state.[26] Two tornadoes touched down in Kiowa and Caddo counties, with the prior tracking 20 miles (32 km), resulting in minimal damage.[25] In Stillwater, three consecutive hours of torrential rains led to an inundation of 8 inches (200 mm) as observed by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.[21] Heavy rainfall also occurred in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama,[15] Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.[27] Debra sparked high-level thunderstorms in Montana and northern Idaho, eventually leading to wildfires.[4]