Tropical Storm Chris (2006)

**Tropical Storm Chris** was the fourth tropical storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season. Forming on July 31 in the Atlantic Ocean east of the Leeward Islands from a tropical wave, Chris moved  to the west-northwest, skirting the northern fringes of the Caribbean islands. Chris was a short-lived storm, reaching a peak intensity with winds at 65&nbsp;mph (100&nbsp;km/h) on August 2, while north of St. Martin. The storm gradually weakened before finally dissipating on August 5, near eastern Cuba.

Overall impact was minimal, amounting to moderate amounts of rainfall throughout its path. No deaths were reported.

## Storm history
A tropical wave moved westward off the coast of Africa on July 27.  Dvorak classifications began on July 30 in response to an increase in vertical depth and organization of the convection. On July 31 a buoy recorded a change of wind direction from northeast to west, indicating a small low pressure area formed. Convective organization rapidly increased as it turned to the northwest, and the system developed into Tropical Depression Three on August 1 while located about 235 miles (375&nbsp;km) east-southeast of Barbuda.

Forecasters originally predicted wind shear from an upper level low would prevent strengthening and cause dissipation within three days. However, the depression continued to organize as deep convection continued to develop near the circulation despite moderate amounts of wind shear, and the system strengthened into Tropical Storm Chris six hours after developing. The convection slowly covered the entire system, and by late on the 1st Chris reached winds of 60&nbsp;mph (95&nbsp;km/h) while passing 50&nbsp;miles (80&nbsp;km) north of the northern Leeward Islands. The structure of Chris continued to improve and become more symmetrical, and an upper level eye feature developed early on August 2. The storm reached a peak intensity of 65&nbsp;mph (100&nbsp;km/h) shortly thereafter while 120&nbsp;miles (195&nbsp;km) east of St. Thomas. Upper level shear dissipated the well-defined inner core of the storm, and Chris started to weaken.

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Early on August 3, strong wind shear over Chris removed the deep convection from the low level circulation, while a building ridge to its north turned the storm towards the west into an area of drier air. By mid-day on the 3rd the circulation was devoid of any convection within 85&nbsp;miles (135&nbsp;km), while the deeper convection spread across Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. Late on August 3, deep convection developed over the center of circulation again, though persistent vertical shear weakened Chris to a tropical depression on August 4.Convection remained minimal, and Chris degenerated into a remnant area of low pressure late on August 4. When the depression strengthened to Tropical Storm Chris, Tropical Storm Warnings were also issued for Saba, Sint Eustatius, Saint-Barthélemy, and Saint Martin. Three Royal Caribbean cruise ships changed their paths to avoid the storm. FEMA representatives coordinated with local emergency management officials in the United States Virgin Islands to determine if preparation necessities would be needed. In St. Thomas, all jet flights were cancelled in and out of the island, though small airlines were permitted to fly during the storm. Ferry service from Saint Martin to Anguilla was cancelled for a short period of time. Saint Martin officials recommended citizens to secure all loose items, for coastal residents to prepare for high surf, and for construction sites to secure all loose equipment. A small craft advisory was also issued for coastal waters of Saint Martin due to strong waves from the storm.

On August 1, officials in Puerto Rico issued a tropical storm warning for the island. The next day, about 600 tourists evacuated the islands of Vieques and Culebra. On August 2, the government of the Bahamas issued a Hurricane Watch for the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Acklins and Crooked Islands, Ragged Island, Inagua, and Mayaguana. Officials urged citizens to stock up on hurricane supplies, while boat owners in Staniel Cay secured their boats. Natural gas prices rose considerably on August 2. Anticipation of a threat to supply by a potential Hurricane Chris coupled with high demand during an ongoing heat wave were cited as part of the reasons in the price move. In New Orleans, officials including Mayor Ray Nagin prepared for a possible evacuation of the city if Chris entered the Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane to avoid a re-occurrence of Hurricane Katrina around 1 year prior. Florida Emergency Management requested 10 mobile recovery centers, and placed hospitals in the Florida Keys on standby for evacuation. Officials in Mississippi identified the need for 110 to assist in an evacuation process in case of a possible landfall. Though impact was minimal in Saint Martin, Governor Franklyn Richards recognized the storm preparations served as a wake up call for citizens who were not ready for the hurricane season. Rainfall peaked at 3.09&nbsp;inches (78&nbsp;mm) in Fajardo.

Rainfall reached up to 2&nbsp;inches (50&nbsp;mm) across portions of Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, and eastern Cuba, and reached 4&nbsp;inches (100&nbsp;mm) in some mountainous areas. In Santo Domingo  heavy rainfall caused severe flooding. Las Américas reported 5.01&nbsp;inches/127&nbsp;mm of rainfall. Several people were left temporarily homeless from the flood waters entering their households. The flooding left many roads impassable near the capital city, and also resulted in landslides. The flooding also covered rice fields in the northeastern portion of the country. The National Office of Meteorology issued flood warnings for residents in low-lying areas and near rivers in the northeast and southeast portions of the country. Despite the flooding, overall damage was minor, and there are no casualties associated with Chris.

## Related pages
* 2006 Atlantic hurricane season

## References
## Other websites
* National Hurricane Center's archive on Tropical Storm Chris