Tropical Storm Debra (1978)

A flash flood watch was issued in advance of Debra for the whole of Louisiana.[11] ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, and other oil companies shut down operations and evacuated about 1,000 employees from offshore oil rigs in Texas and Louisiana.[12][13] Despite these evacuations, a 15-foot (4.6 m) wave killed a person at a rig 80 miles (130 km) offshore from Cameron.[14][15] Three evacuation centers in Lake Charles, were set up to help those needing shelter and departing the Cameron area,[16] and the Red Cross opened four shelters at the Calcasieu Parish Public Schools.[12] In Louisiana, more than six thousand people were evacuated from Cameron Parish,[17][18] as well as an undetermined number from Vermilion Parish.[1]

Louisiana had moderate flooding, especially in Rapides Parish.[19] Rainfall amounted to 6 inches (15 cm) at Lake Charles and Lafayette, 3 inches (7.6 cm) at Shreveport, and 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) at Monroe.[20] Flash flood warnings were issued during the storm for Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee.[21] By dawn on August 29, all rainwater had receded from the streets and tides were back to normal levels.[20]

A confirmed tornado at the Ike settlement in Vernon Parish, knocked over a trailer.[4][17] The greatest amount of rainfall caused by Debra, 10.81 in (275 mm), was recorded in Freshwater Bayou Lock.[2][22] More than 6 in (150 mm) was recorded across Louisiana,[2][4][23] and tides between Atchafalaya Bay and Vermilion Bay were 5.7 ft (1.7 m) above normal.[2][4] At Grand Chenier, a wind gust of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) was recorded,[15][16] and there were reports of downed trees and damage to roofs in Lake Charles and New Orleans.[13] Tides at Lake Pontchartrain were 2 feet (0.61 m) to 3 feet (0.91 m) above normal.[24]

Gale warnings were prompted from Galveston, Texas, through to Grand Isle, Louisiana, at 18:00 GMT on August 28.[1][25] A confirmed tornado in Hardin County, Texas,[26] damaged a trailer home and power lines. More than 6 inches (150 mm) of rainfall was recorded within Texas[4] and 7 inches (180 mm) in the Beaumont – Port Arthur area caused minor street flooding.[14][19] Tides were 1 ft (0.30 m) above normal at Corpus Christi, while tides at Galveston were 2.2 ft (0.67 m) above normal.[2][4]

A tornado spawned in Turkey Creek, Mississippi, destroyed three mobile homes and a house, killing one person and seriously injuring another; this tornado tracked on to Crystal Springs, Mississippi.[27][28] Many rice stands were knocked over because of the gusts of wind from Tropical Storm Debra.[29] Rainfall of more than 6 in (15 cm) was recorded in locations across Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois.[2][4][15] Tornadoes were reported in Memphis, Tennessee; Little Rock, Arkansas; Starkville, Springdale, Cedarbluff and Flora in Mississippi; Livingston and Ascension parishes[30] and north Lafayette in Louisiana.[11][31] One person was hurt in the Memphis tornado.[31] Power was knocked out at four blocks of the Memphis International Airport,[31] gas supplies were cut off in Memphis, and downed trees and power poles blocked many streets.[31] Overall damage caused by Debra was minimal.[17][32]