Claudette began as a tropical wave in the far eastern Atlantic and strengthened into a tropical storm as she moved into the central Caribbean Sea.  As Claudette passed the Yucatan Channel and entered the Gulf of Mexico on Friday July 12th, the steering currents relaxed and she slowed her northwesterly movement. Claudette produced tropical storm force winds and heavy rains primarily on her eastern quadrant, which spanned a large portion of the central Gulf and produced wave heights up to 15 feet.  As early as Sunday July 13th large swells were reaching the sand dunes on Padre Island.  Claudette wobbled slowly toward the middle Texas coast in very weak steering currents.  The upper level shear in this system relaxed as expected providing the environment for Claudette to strengthen into a Hurricane. Claudette made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir/Simpson Scale near Port O'Connor, Texas (Calhoun County) on Tuesday July 15th around 1030 am.  Just prior to landfall storm surge was 5 feet at Port O'Connor in combination with high astronomical tides.  Wind speeds along the Northern Coastal Bend were generally sustained around 65 mph at landfall with gusts to 80 mph.  Maximum sustained winds at the time of landfall were estimated by the National Hurricane Center at 90 mph.  The Formosa Plant in Point Comfort recorded maximum sustained winds of 80 mph with a gust to 100 mph.  The minimum central pressure of Claudette at the time of landfall was 981 MB (28.37 Inches).  Claudette produced a brief tornado in Port Lavaca.  Damage was not attributed directly to this tornado, rather to the hurricane winds.Claudette continued inland during the afternoon of the 15th across Victoria, Goliad and Bee counties weakening to a Tropical Storm.  Claudette continued moving west across Live Oak, McMullen and La Salle counties during the evening and into EWX CWA.  Claudette continued into Northwestern Mexico and into the Big Bend of Texas before dissipating on July 17th.Damages for all of Texas at the time of this writing stood at 45.7 million dollars in uninsured losses and 90.0 million in insured losses.  These losses do not include crop damage, which were still pending at the time of this writing.  In the State of Texas two indirect fatalities were also attributed to Claudette and six indirect injuries.  One of the indirect fatalities occurred in the CRP CWA in Victoria when a woman was killed by a falling tree limb while surveying damage to her house.  Over twenty thousand homes received damage across the CRP County Warning Area, most of which was classified as minor damage in Victoria County.  Over six hundred homes received major damage, again most of which occurred in Victoria County.  Over sixty homes were completely destroyed, mostly in Calhoun County.The heaviest rainfall with Claudette fell across Bee, Goliad and Refugio Counties.  Widespread 4 to 6 inch amounts were estimated across these counties by CRP WSR-88D.  Elsewhere along the path of Claudette totals ranged from 2 to 5 inches.  Further south in CRP southern CWA totals remained under 1 inch expect for a thin band of 4 to 6 inch amounts stretching from the Padre Island National Seashore north into Refugio County.

Hurricane (Typhoon) in CALHOUN, TEXAS
From 15-JUL-03 08:30:00 to 15-JUL-03 14:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY

Hurricane (Typhoon) in REFUGIO, TEXAS
From 15-JUL-03 10:00:00 to 15-JUL-03 14:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY

Hurricane (Typhoon) in SAN PATRICIO, TEXAS
From 15-JUL-03 10:00:00 to 15-JUL-03 14:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY

Flood in LIVE OAK, TEXAS
From 17-JUL-03 08:45:00 to 19-JUL-03 04:45:00 (CST)
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY

The Nueces River at Bluntzer crested at 24.29 feet (flood stage 18.00 feet). The Nueces River at Three Rivers crested at 29.33 feet (flood stage 25.00 feet).The Atascosa River at Whitsett crested at 24.51 feet (flood stage 20.00 feet).The Aransas River at Skidmore crested at 13.62 feet (flood stage 13.00 feet). Associated with rainfall from Hurricane Claudette.

Hurricane (Typhoon) in ARANSAS, TEXAS
From 15-JUL-03 10:00:00 to 15-JUL-03 14:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY

High Wind in GOLIAD, TEXAS
From 15-JUL-03 11:00:00 to 15-JUL-03 15:00:00 (CST)
Magnitude: 65 EG
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Inland winds associated with Hurricane Claudette:Victoria County - 83 mph recorded gustLive Oak - 63 mph recorded gustMcMullen - 61 mph recorded gustLa Salle - 53 mph recorded gust

High Wind in BEE, TEXAS
From 15-JUL-03 12:00:00 to 15-JUL-03 17:00:00 (CST)
Magnitude: 60 EG
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Inland winds associated with Hurricane Claudette:Victoria County - 83 mph recorded gustLive Oak - 63 mph recorded gustMcMullen - 61 mph recorded gustLa Salle - 53 mph recorded gust

High Wind in LIVE OAK, TEXAS
From 15-JUL-03 14:00:00 to 15-JUL-03 18:00:00 (CST)
Magnitude: 55 MG
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Inland winds associated with Hurricane Claudette:Victoria County - 83 mph recorded gustLive Oak - 63 mph recorded gustMcMullen - 61 mph recorded gustLa Salle - 53 mph recorded gust

High Wind in MCMULLEN, TEXAS
From 15-JUL-03 16:00:00 to 15-JUL-03 21:00:00 (CST)
Magnitude: 53 MG
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Inland winds associated with Hurricane Claudette:Victoria County - 83 mph recorded gustLive Oak - 63 mph recorded gustMcMullen - 61 mph recorded gustLa Salle - 53 mph recorded gust

High Wind in LA SALLE, TEXAS
From 15-JUL-03 21:22:00 to 15-JUL-03 21:22:00 (CST)
Magnitude: 50 EG
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Inland winds associated with Hurricane Claudette:Victoria County - 83 mph recorded gustLive Oak - 63 mph recorded gustMcMullen - 61 mph recorded gustLa Salle - 53 mph recorded gust

Flash Flood in BEE, TEXAS
From 15-JUL-03 14:00:00 to 15-JUL-03 16:00:00 (CST)
Location: BEEVILLE
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

County officials reported flooding all across Bee County associated with Hurricane Claudette.

Flood in BEE, TEXAS
From 16-JUL-03 09:15:00 to 16-JUL-03 17:15:00 (CST)
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY

The Nueces River at Bluntzer crested at 24.29 feet (flood stage 18.00 feet). The Nueces River at Three Rivers crested at 29.33 feet (flood stage 25.00 feet).The Atascosa River at Whitsett crested at 24.51 feet (flood stage 20.00 feet).The Aransas River at Skidmore crested at 13.62 feet (flood stage 13.00 feet). Associated with rainfall from Hurricane Claudette.

High Wind in VICTORIA, TEXAS
From 15-JUL-03 10:00:00 to 15-JUL-03 14:00:00 (CST)
Magnitude: 72.17 MG
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Inland winds associated with Hurricane Claudette:Victoria County - 83 mph recorded gustLive Oak - 63 mph recorded gustMcMullen - 61 mph recorded gustLa Salle - 53 mph recorded gust

Tornado in CALHOUN, TEXAS
From 15-JUL-03 10:45:00 to 15-JUL-03 10:45:00 (CST)
Location: PORT LAVACA
Tornado F-scale: F0
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Brief tornado touchdown associated with Hurricane Claudette.  NWS Post Storm Survey Team concluded no direct damage associated with tornado.  All damage around the area was associated with Hurricane Force winds from Claudette.

Flood in LIVE OAK, TEXAS
From 16-JUL-03 19:45:00 to 20-JUL-03 21:45:00 (CST)
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY

The Nueces River at Bluntzer crested at 24.29 feet (flood stage 18.00 feet). The Nueces River at Three Rivers crested at 29.33 feet (flood stage 25.00 feet).The Atascosa River at Whitsett crested at 24.51 feet (flood stage 20.00 feet).The Aransas River at Skidmore crested at 13.62 feet (flood stage 13.00 feet). Associated with rainfall from Hurricane Claudette.

Flood in NUECES, TEXAS
From 18-JUL-03 16:00:00 to 25-JUL-03 02:15:00 (CST)
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY

The Nueces River at Bluntzer crested at 24.29 feet (flood stage 18.00 feet). The Nueces River at Three Rivers crested at 29.33 feet (flood stage 25.00 feet).The Atascosa River at Whitsett crested at 24.51 feet (flood stage 20.00 feet).The Aransas River at Skidmore crested at 13.62 feet (flood stage 13.00 feet). Associated with rainfall from Hurricane Claudette.