Hurricane Alicia was a small but powerful tropical cyclone that caused significant destruction in the Greater Houston area of Southeast Texas in August 1983. Although Alicia was a relatively small hurricane, its track over the rapidly growing metropolitan area contributed to its $3 billion damage toll, making it the costliest Atlantic hurricane at the time. Alicia spawned from a disturbance that originated from the tail-end of a cold front over the northern Gulf of Mexico in mid-August 1983. The cyclone was named on August 14 when it became a tropical storm, and the combination of weak steering currents and a conducive environment allowed Alicia to quickly intensify as it drifted slowly westward. On August 17, Alicia became a hurricane and continued to strengthen, topping out as a Category 3 major hurricane as it made landfall on the southwestern end of Galveston Island. Alicia's eye passed just west of Downtown Houston as the system accelerated northwestwards across East Texas; Alicia eventually weakened into a remnant area of low pressure over Oklahoma on August 20 before they were last noted on August 21 over eastern Nebraska.
Hurricane Alicia made landfall near Galveston, Texas, causing $3 billion in damage and 21 fatalities.
On August 18, in the year 1983, Hurricane Alicia made landfall near Galveston, Texas, causing $3 billion in damage and 21 fatalities. This event is recorded as a Selected Events event in the history of August 18, a notable event in this corner of history.
Key Facts
- This event took place on August 18, 1983 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Selected Events event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 2 Wikipedia articles.
- Wikipedia source last updated on 22 July 2026.
On This Date in History
This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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