breeze showers are also a contributor to the North American Monsoon. Sleet and freezing rain are more common than snow in the Houston area. While accumulating snow events are rare in Houston, brief snow flurries occur every winter in the greater Houston area. These usually have no impacts on travel as they are light, brief and isolated. Hail can accumulate but only in small quantities. Extreme weather Houston has occasional severe weather, mostly flooding. Hurricanes that have the potential to landfall bring severe damage to the area. Seven major hurricanes have hit the Galveston and Houston areas in the past 100 years. Four have done significant damage to Houston. Hurricanes and tropical storms Because Houston is on the Gulf of Mexico, the city has a high chance of being hit by hurricanes or tropical storms every hurricane season (June through November). In 1837, the Racer's Storm passed just to the south of the town, raising water levels four feet. The Great Hurricane of 1900 destroyed the nearby (and then much bigger) city of Galveston, which is situated on a barrier island southeast of downtown Houston. That hurricane weakened to a tropical storm by the time it reached Houston. The periphery of Hurricane Carla hit the city in 1961, causing major damage to Houston. At the time of landfall, Carla was the most powerful tropical system to hit the Texas coast in over 40 years. In 1983, the city was struck squarely by Hurricane Alicia, causing $1 billion of damage to the city during a down period in the city's economy. Tropical Storm Allison dumped up to of rain on parts of the city over a five-day period in 2001, and was the most destructive and costly natural disaster in Houston history prior to Hurricane Harvey. Area flooding was catastrophic and widespread. The storm completely overwhelmed the flood control system and caused 22 deaths in Houston and $6.05 billion (2006 USD) in damage. It was the only tropical storm in history to have its name retired until Tropical Storm Erika in Dominica in 2015. Tropical Storm Erin made landfall in August 2007 with heavy rainfall. A total of of rain fell elsewhere than George Bush Intercontinental Airport on August 16, and many roads and neighborhoods were flooded. Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas, halted its light rail and bus services in view of the effects. Four deaths in the city