Tropical Storm Hermine Brings Rain, Tornadoes to Oklahoma

A University of Oklahoma student walks on the South

Oval Wednesday afternoon as the remnants of Tropical

Storm Hermine affect the state. (Photo by Kasey Chapman)

It was a wet walk to class for University of Oklahoma students on Wednesday as the remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine brought flooding rainfall and short-lived tornadoes to the state.

Hermine, which came ashore as a tropical storm earlier this week in Mexico, quickly moved north and affected areas from Texas to Missouri. In an e-mail interview, KWTV meteorologist Michael Armstrong said the system led to at least one fatality in eastern Oklahoma.

Hermine also spawned three tornadoes in southern Oklahoma and brought nearly a foot of rain to eastern parts of the state, leading Gov. Brad Henry to declare a state of emergency for 13 counties that sustained damage from the storm.

According to the Oklahoma Mesonet, Norman received just 2.27 inches of rain from the tropical system – a total well below the maximum recording of 11.5 inches in Stigler, Okla., Armstrong said.

Although the storm’s impact was not centered on Norman, University College freshman Shaqual Moore experienced Hermine’s effects firsthand.

“I fell this morning in the rain, but I guess it was OK because people were nice and they helped me up,” she said. “But my umbrella flew like halfway across the street, and my glasses fell off my face. I was very embarrassed.”

Tropical systems aren’t too unusual for Oklahoma, Armstrong said, as eight storms have affected the state in the past 30 years. However, Hermine makes only the sixth storm since 1900 to affect the state from the Gulf of Mexico. Other storms have moved in from the Pacific Ocean.

“The latest was Tropical Storm Erin in 2007, and she produced over nine inches of rain in Fort Cobb, and an overflowing rain gauge in Geary produced ‘over’ 11 inches,” Armstrong said. “Both totals were recorded in just a few hours!”

As the remnants of Hermine moved out of the state, even its biggest critics found a silver lining.

“The climate of the rain is nice and cool, so hopefully I won’t be as hot,” Moore said.

Rain from the remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine pours down

on the University of Oklahoma campus Wednesday. (Photo by

Kasey Chapman)

University College freshman Shaqual Moore (Photo by Kasey

Chapman)