Tropical Storm Bill was a tropical cyclone that produced widespread rainfall across East Texas, Oklahoma, the Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic. The second named storm of the season, Bill developed from a broad area of low pressure over the northwestern Gulf of Mexico on June 16. Because the system was already producing tropical storm force winds, it was immediately classified as Tropical Storm Bill. Initially continuing northwestward, Bill re-curved west-northwestward later on June 16. Around 12:00 UTC, the storm peaked with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). Just under five hours later, Bill made landfall near on Matagorda Island, Texas, at the same intensity. The cyclone weakened to a tropical depression and turned northward early on June 17. Bill remained a tropical cyclone until late on June 18, when it degenerated into a remnant low. The remnant low moved east-northeastward until dissipating over West Virginia on June 21.
The precursor to Bill produced widespread heavy rain in Central America. In Guatemala, flooding affected more than 100 homes while a landslide killed two people. Two others died in Honduras due to flooding with two more missing. Heavy rains fell across parts of the Yucatán Peninsula, with accumulations peaking at in Cancún, the highest daily total seen in the city in nearly two years. One person died from electrocution in the city. In Texas, flooding was exacerbated by record rainfall in some areas in May. A number of roads were inundated and several water rescues were required in Alice and San Antonio. Major traffic jams occurred in the Houston and Dallas areas. Coastal flooding left minor damage, mostly in Galveston and Matagorda counties. One death occurred when a boy was swept into a culvert. In Oklahoma, numerous roads were also inundated by water. Interstate 35 was closed near Turner Falls due to a rockslide and near Ardmore because of high water. There were two fatalities in Oklahoma, both from drowning. There was also flooding in several others states. Across the United States, Bill was responsible for approximately $100 million in damage.
Meteorological history
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) first noted the potential of the formation of a tropical cyclone in the Gulf of Mexico during the mid-afternoon hours of June 12. At the time, an upper-level trough was producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms over the northwestern Caribbean Sea, Belize, and the Yucatán Peninsula. However, the NHC assessed a low probability as atmospheric conditions were assessed to be unfavorable in the Gulf of Mexico. Moving northwestward, the system tracked over the Yucatán Peninsula, and development chances increased as forecasts showed a more favorable environment within the Gulf of Mexico. Early on June 14, the trough began to interact with an upper-level low over the Gulf of Mexico, producing additional showers over portions of Central America. Later that day, Hurricane Hunters aircraft reconnaissance began investigating the system, and discovered an ill-defined but intact and broad low-pressure area over the south-central Gulf of Mexico. The system continued to possess an elongated circulation through June 15, but on June 16, reconnaissance aircraft indicated that the storm had become sufficiently organized to be considered a tropical cyclone. As winds were already found to have met the threshold for a tropical storm, the NHC began issuing advisories on Tropical Storm Bill at 03:00 UTC that day, skipping the tropical depression classification.