The third destructive aspect of a hurricane is rainfall-induced flooding.
The heavy rains associated with a hurricane are responsible not only for major flooding in areas where the storm initially strikes, but can also affect areas hundreds of miles from where the storm originally made landfall.
While Hurricane Camille devastated the coast of Mississippi on landfall, the storm moved inland, flooding areas of Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia. Almost half of the 256 people killed by Camille died in floods away from the coast. Intense flooding can also occur from tropical depressions and storms that do not reach the intensity levels associated with hurricanes.
After Tropical Storm Alberto made landfall near Destin, Florida on July 3, 1994, residents and summer vacationers breathed a sigh of relief. The storm, packing sustained winds of just 55 miles per hour, never reached hurricane proportions. Damage on the coast was generally minor, and except for some disruption of pre-Fourth of July activities, life returned to its usual course.
Alberto's destruction was just beginning.
For four days, the storm lazily lingered over eastern Alabama and western Georgia, deluging the area with torrential rains, causing widespread flooding of both the Flint and Ocmulgee Rivers in Georgia.
Americus, Georgia was particularly hard hit. A record breaking 21 inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period. Macon also suffered Alberto's relentless rains. Over ten inches of rain were recorded over the same period.
The heavy rains and floods associated with Alberto proved costly. Over $500 million of property damage was reported in connection with the storm. Twenty-eight people in Georgia and two in Alabama lost their lives.
