Tropical Storm Mindy (2003)

Tropical Storm Mindy was a weak tropical storm during October of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. Forming from a tropical wave near the Mona Passage, Mindy encountered moderate amounts of wind shear throughout its life. The storm reached a peak intensity of 45 mph (75 km/h) as the system developed into a tropical cyclone, and steadily weakened as it moved northwestward. After passing near the Bahamas, Mindy weakened to a tropical depression, turned sharply eastward, and dissipated on October 14. The precursor tropical wave dropped moderate amounts of rainfall across Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, causing light damage.

Meteorological history
A tropical wave exited the coast of Africa on October 1 and moved westward. By October 6, the wave was located 900 miles (1,450 km) east of the Lesser Antilles, and upper level wind shear was forecast to become more favorable for gradual development. On October 8, thunderstorms spread across the Lesser Antilles, and the wave slowly became better organized. It turned west-northwestward through a weakness in the subtropical ridge, and despite strong southwesterly wind shear developed a closed surface circulation over eastern Hispaniola; accordingly, it was classified Tropical Storm Mindy late on October 10 with peak winds of 45 mph (75 km/h).

Although it was initially forecast to intensify to winds of 65 mph (105 km/h), strong wind shear caused the thunderstorms to diminish as Mindy tracked northwestward. The center passed near the Turks and Caicos Islands on October 11, with the worst weather passing east of the islands. Continued vertical shear weakened Mindy to a minimal tropical storm late on the 11th, and on October 12 the system degenerated to a tropical depression as it turned to the north. An approaching short-wave trough turned Mindy sharply eastward late on the 12th. Devoid of deep convection, the circulation continued eastward until dissipating on October 14 about 445 miles (715 km) south-southwest of Bermuda.

Preparations and impact
The precursor tropical wave to Mindy produced rainfall throughout the northern Lesser Antilles. The rainfall reached 2.98 inches (75 mm) in Christiansted in Saint Croix, and 7.13 inches (181 mm) in Corral Viejo near Ponce, Puerto Rico. Strong winds downed power poles and lines in northeastern Puerto Rico, leaving around 29,000 people without power. The rainfall caused a bridge collapse in Las Piedras and Guayama,  and led to flooded streams, downed trees, and rockslides that closed four roads or highways. One car was swept away,    and a few houses were flooded. The damage total was at least $46,000 (2003 USD).

Tropical Storm Mindy dropped moderate amounts of rainfall in the Dominican Republic, including a maximum of 2.63 inches (60 mm) in Santiago Rodríguez. The rainfall caused flooding and overflown rivers, and damaged 320 houses in Santiago Rodríguez with two feet of mud. A tropical storm warning was issued for the Southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands, but as the storm passed east of the area, winds reached only 31 mph (50 km/h) at Grand Turk Island. Initially, Mindy was forecast to threaten Bermuda later in its lifetime. Mindy produced 2 to 3-foot (0.6 to 0.9 m) swells along the U.S. Atlantic coast from Florida through North Carolina, while areas further northward experienced minor waves.