Unprecedented Rarity: Analyzing Hurricane Barry’s Exceptional Storm Track

Hurricane Barry: A Storm That Took the Road Less Traveled

Remember Hurricane Barry back in July 2019? It wasn’t just another storm; it was a bit of a head-scratcher, meteorologically speaking. Unlike your typical hurricane that brews way out in the Atlantic, Barry had a rather unusual start – over land!

Picture this: a cluster of thunderstorms, what weather folks call a mesoscale convective system, formed right over the central US. This thing then drifted southward, eventually stumbling its way over the Gulf of Mexico from the Florida Panhandle around July 10th. Talk about an unconventional entrance!

Initially, Barry was a bit of a mess. Strong winds high up (wind shear) and dry air kept it from really getting its act together. The thunderstorms were all over the place, mostly hanging out south of the center. But, the Gulf’s warm waters were like a shot of espresso, providing the energy Barry needed. Slowly but surely, it perked up, finally becoming a tropical storm on July 11th.

Now, here’s where it gets really interesting. Barry’s track across the Gulf was just plain weird. It moseyed along, heading west-northwest, before finally making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane near Marsh Island and Intracoastal City, Louisiana, on July 13th. It packed winds of about 75 mph and its central pressure dipped to 993 millibars. Not a monster storm, but definitely not something you’d want to picnic in.

The thing about these storms is that once they hit land, they start to fizzle out. And that’s exactly what happened to Barry. It quickly weakened, becoming a tropical storm and then a tropical depression as it lumbered inland over western Louisiana. By July 15th, it was pretty much a goner, just a remnant low hanging out over northern Arkansas. The last we saw of it, its remnants got swallowed up by a frontal system south of Nova Scotia on July 19th. End of the road for Barry.

So, what made Barry so rare? Well, it’s all about that landlocked beginning and then its surprising transformation into a hurricane over the Gulf. Sure, pressure systems sometimes wander into the Gulf, but it’s not every day they decide to bulk up and become hurricanes. Barry’s land-to-sea-to-land journey was definitely an oddball.

Even the weather models had a tough time figuring Barry out. They were all over the place with their predictions, with some forecasting landfall way east of where it actually happened. Apparently, a westerly wind pattern and some extra thunderstorm activity on the east side of the storm threw them for a loop. It just goes to show you, Mother Nature always has a few surprises up her sleeve!

Even though Barry wasn’t a super-strong hurricane, it still managed to dump a ton of rain, causing some serious flooding, especially in Louisiana and Arkansas. One spot near Ragley, Louisiana, got drenched with almost 24 inches of rain! And, of course, there were power outages galore, with over 114,000 homes and businesses in Louisiana left in the dark. In the end, Barry racked up an estimated $600 million in damages. Not cheap!

In short, Hurricane Barry was one for the record books, not because of its sheer power, but because of its bizarre journey. From its birth over land to its unexpected hurricane status in the Gulf and the forecasting headaches it caused, Barry was a storm that definitely took the road less traveled. It’s a good reminder that when it comes to weather, you can never say never!