  mill ion ▁in ▁damage . ▁Coast al ▁flo oding ▁over ran ▁the ▁coast s ▁of ▁Louisiana ▁and ▁Texas , ▁which ▁w ors ened ▁river ▁flo oding ▁across ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁Federal ▁dis aster ▁declarations ▁were ▁made ▁for ▁the ▁states ▁of ▁Louisiana ▁and ▁Texas ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 3 ▁for ▁damage ▁rel ating ▁to ▁this ▁tropical ▁cy clone . ▁ ▁Dam age ▁tot aled ▁US $ 5 0 0   mill ion ▁( 1 9 9 8 ▁dollars ), ▁mainly ▁from ▁flo oding . ▁ ▁There ▁was ▁one ▁direct ▁death ▁and ▁one ▁indirect ▁death ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁tropical ▁storm . ▁ ▁Frances ▁was ▁the ▁second ▁tropical ▁cy clone ▁to ▁hit ▁Texas ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁season , ▁with ▁Char ley ▁being ▁the ▁other . ▁ ▁Meteor ological ▁history ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁storm ▁formed , ▁sea ▁surface ▁temper atures ▁were ▁above ▁normal ▁in ▁the ▁Bay ▁of ▁Campe che ▁and ▁tropical ▁eastern ▁Pacific ▁Ocean . ▁After ▁H urr icane ▁Earl ▁developed ▁and ▁moved ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁region , ▁a ▁broad ▁area ▁of ▁low ▁pressure ▁formed ▁in ▁the ▁south west ▁Car ib bean ▁on ▁September ▁ 4 . ▁It ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁north west ▁and ▁slowly ▁organized ▁in ▁the ▁G ulf ▁of ▁Mexico , ▁although ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁tropical ▁waves ▁prevent ed ▁rapid ▁development . ▁By ▁September   8 , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁large ▁area ▁of ▁con ve ction ▁located ▁over ▁the ▁western ▁G ulf ▁of ▁Mexico . ▁That ▁day , ▁the ▁system ▁developed ▁into ▁Trop ical ▁De pression ▁Six ▁while ▁