Three fatalities were reported in the Port Arthur, Texas area; two deaths were from separate car accidents and another occurred after a partially paralyzed woman died in a house fire.

In mid-June, a mid-level center of circulation formed in association with a quasi-stationary cold front that stretched across northern Florida and the extreme northeast Gulf of Mexico.

On June 20, a weak and disorganized area of low pressure developed in conjunction with the front and it passed by Tampa Bay, Florida the following day.

Upon moving into the eastern Gulf of Mexico, there was little convection observed on satellite imagery, although a distinguishable wind-shift was noted by an offshore buoy.

Moving generally west to west-northwestward across the central Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center sent a reconnaissance plane into the tropical depression at 1500 UTC on June 24, at which time winds of 60 mph (97 km/h) were found.

During the afternoon hours of June 26, Bonnie reached its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (137 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 990 mbar (990 hPa; 29 inHg).

While accelerating towards the northwest, the hurricane retained this intensity until landfall near High Island, Texas at 1000 UTC on June 26.

[1] Upon the system being classified as a tropical depression, a high risk of landfall near Port Arthur, Texas was noted, giving federal officials sufficient lead time to warn local residents about a possible approaching hurricane.

As the system neared landfall, tropical cyclone watches and warnings were issued for the Gulf Coast of the United States.

[9] Heavy rains caused by Bonnie also lead a small dam collapse in northeastern Liberty County, Texas, resulting in severe flooding.

[8] In addition to rain and flooding, winds damaged more homes and businesses, and a tornado was spawned a few miles southwest of Port Arthur.

The storm left broken windows, scattered tree limbs, and debris filled streets in Port Arthur and Beaumont.

At the latter, strong winds toppled a radio tower at the Texas Department of Public Safety building, while several schools suffered damage to the roof and windows.

[11] Interstate 20 was closed from Shreveport to the Louisiana-Texas state line due to flooding, with as much as 5 ft (1.5 m) of standing water near Greenwood.

[6] A tornado spawned in the city overturned an airplane at Shreveport Downtown Airport, damaged a roof from a house, and shattered a number of windows.