Humberto Lands in Texas, Moves Into Louisiana

September 13, 2007

Hurricane Humberto, a category 1 hurricane that formed quickly off the coast of Texas, plowed into the southeast corner of the state bringing with it heavy rains and 80 miles per hour winds. It made landfall near where Hurricane Rita hit two years ago.

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco declared a state of emergency and activated the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) activated its Crisis Action Team (CAT) to monitor the storm, the governor's office said.

State agencies working within the Emergency Operations Center include Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana National Guard, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, the Louisiana Department of Social Services and the Division of Administration.

According to Claire Souch, senior director of model management at Risk Management Solutions (RMS), "Humberto developed near the Texan coast, so it did not have the opportunity to gather momentum and reach major hurricane status. If the storm had formed further south in the Gulf, where waters are warmer and deeper, it would have had more time to intensify before striking land."

According to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, most damage from Humberto is likely to be the result of flooding, however, insurance adjusters are prepared to settle a variety of claims stemming from both wind and water losses.