Hurricane Alicia was a significant tropical cyclone that made landfall on the Texas coast, becoming one of the most costly storms in the region’s history. This hurricane was the first named storm and the first hurricane of its season, marking the end of a long period without a major storm strike on the continental United States. Its path took it directly over a rapidly growing metropolitan area, which amplified the resulting damage.
Formation and Landfall Timeline
Alicia originated from a stalled frontal trough over the northern Gulf of Mexico in mid-August 1983. This disturbance strengthened into Tropical Depression Three on August 15, approximately 120 miles south of the Louisiana coast. The depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Alicia later that afternoon as it began a slow, westward drift.
Alicia moved slowly, allowing it to intensify over the warm Gulf waters with little wind shear present. By the evening of August 16, it reached hurricane strength. As a mid-level ridge shifted, the storm began a turn toward the northwest, aiming for the Texas coast, and underwent a period of rapid intensification in the final 24 hours before landfall.
The hurricane made landfall on the Upper Texas Coast near San Luis Pass, on the southwestern end of Galveston Island, around 2:00 AM CDT. Alicia then quickly tracked inland, with its eye passing directly over the western side of the Houston metropolitan area in the early morning.
Meteorological Characteristics
Hurricane Alicia was classified as a Category 3 major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The storm reached its peak strength just as it hit the coast, with maximum sustained winds measured at 115 mph. Its lowest central pressure was recorded by aircraft reconnaissance at 962 millibars.
Alicia was a relatively small, compact storm, which concentrated its most destructive winds over a limited area. The most intense gusts, estimated as high as 130 mph, occurred within the eastern eyewall as it moved ashore over the southwestern part of Galveston Island. This small size, combined with the high ambient pressure in the Gulf, contributed to higher wind speeds than are typically observed in storms with a similar minimal central pressure.
After striking the coast, the storm weakened swiftly as it moved inland over Texas. It was downgraded to a tropical storm by midday on August 18 and became a tropical depression by midnight on August 19, passing west of the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The remnant system continued to move north-northwest, becoming an extratropical low over Oklahoma before dissipating over eastern Nebraska by August 21.
Immediate Impact and Aftermath
Alicia’s primary destructive force came from its intense winds and significant storm surge. A storm surge of 8 to 12 feet above mean sea level inundated coastal areas, peaking at 12.6 feet near San Luis Pass and 11.3 feet at Seabrook on Galveston Bay. This surge caused major erosion and structural damage, particularly along the 19-mile stretch of Galveston Island west of the seawall.
The hurricane resulted in 21 direct fatalities, many of which were related to accidents from fallen power lines or during evacuation. The storm caused an estimated $2.6 billion to $3 billion in damage in 1983 dollars, making it the costliest tropical cyclone in Texas history at the time. Wind-related damage was especially severe in the Houston-Galveston area.
In downtown Houston, wind-driven debris shattered thousands of glass panels in high-rise buildings. Nearly 750,000 homes were left without electricity, and the widespread power outages, coupled with the August heat, were a major concern for weeks after the storm. Federal agencies and the Red Cross provided immediate support, assisting over 63,000 people with food and shelter.