Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1986

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Brownsville, TX

June 8, 1986Zapata County, Texas

NWS Brownsville, TX issued this flash flood warning at Jun 8, 1986, 9:20 PM CDT for Zapata County, Texas. It was in force for 115 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 8, 1986, 9:20 PM CDT (02:20 UTC)
Expired
Jun 8, 1986, 11:15 PM CDT
In force
115 min
Issued by
NWS Brownsville, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Zapata County, TX

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Brownsville Intl, TX (KBRO), launched 00:00Z, 2.3 hours before the alert went out and 214 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Brownsville Intl, TX at 00:00Z on 1986-06-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2577 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Brownsville Intl, TX at 00:00Z on 1986-06-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 49 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2577 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-14 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
889 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
49 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
60 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KBRO 090221 RRA
FFWBRO
TXC505-090515-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
920 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1115 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF

EXTREME SOUTH TEXAS...SOUTHERN ZAPATA

A FLOOD WARNING MEANS FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED OR IS IMMINENT
IN THE WARNED AREA. TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS IMMEDIATELY.

HIGHWAY 83 WAS FLOODED IN THREE SEPARATE AREAS OVER SOUTH ZAPATA
COUNTY. THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT REPORTED 4 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN IN
THE PAST TWO HOURS AND IT IS STILL COMING DOWN VERY HEAVY.

DO NOT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER IS OVER THE CURB. UNDERPASSES
AND BRIDGES OVER CREEKS AND DRAINAGE DITCHES CAN BE ESPECIALLY
DANGEROUS WHEN FLOODED. WHERE WATER IS NOT OVER THE CURB BUT
COVERS THE STREET TO A DEPTH OF A FEW INCHES...DRIVE SLOWLY TO
AVOID STALLING THE VEHICLE. REDUCE SPEEDS TO AVOID SLIDING OUT OF
CONTROL.

DO NOT LET CHILDREN SWIM OR PLAY IN FLOODED AREAS...OR NEAR STORM
DRAINS OR DITCHES. THEY COULD BE SWEPT AWAY IN STRONG CURRENTS...
OR GET SICK FROM POLLUTED WATER.

IF YOUR BUSINESS OR RESIDENCE HAS FLOODED IN PAST HEAVY RAIN
EVENTS...BE PREPARED TO TAKE FAST ACTION TO STACK FURNITURE UP
OFF THE FLOOR WHERE POSSIBLE...TURN OFF UTILITIES...AND MOVE
YOURSELF...FAMILY...PETS...CARS...ETC TO HIGH GROUND.

AT 900 PM CDT...BROWNSVILLE WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS. VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT
WAS NOTED IN THE PAST HOUR.

IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED...YOU SHOULD ASK THE NEAREST LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY TO RELAY YOUR LOCAL FLOOD REPORTS TO THE
BROWNSVILLE WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO..TV..OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR
LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS REGARDING THIS HEAVY RAIN EPISODE.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 8, 5:45 PM CDT, 3 hours 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
445 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 1986

AT 425 PM BROWNSVILLE RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN IN THE VICINITY OF BAFFIN BAY. THIS THUNDERSTORM
WAS MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 15 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAINS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING
...GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.

MARINE INTERESTS IN THE BAFFIN BAY AREA SHOULD AVOID THIS THUNDERSTORM
AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE HARBOR. DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE
THUNDERSTORM PERSONS IN LOW LYING FLOOD AREAS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

ELSEWHERE...AN AREA OF HEAVY THUNDERSHOWERS WERE FROM CORPUS CHRISTI
TO 40 MILES EAST OF LAREDO. THIS AREA IS MOVING WEST AT 10 MPH.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 6:45 PM CDT, 2 hours 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
645 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 1986

AT 625 PM BROWNSVILLE RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER KENEDY COUNTY. THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING
SOUTH AT 15 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAINS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...GUSTY
WINDS AND HAIL COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. PERSONS
DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 77 BETWEEN KINGSVILLE AND RAYMONDVILLE SHOULD
BE PREPARED TO STOP DUE TO GUSTY WINDS OR POOR VISIBILITIES DUE
TO HEAVY RAINS.

ALSO...ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WAS LOCATED
ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH OF ZAPATA. THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

ELSEWHERE...AN AREA OF STRONG T^HUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS DOTTED
MUCH OF NORTHEAST MEXICO. THIS AREA IS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 7:46 PM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
746 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 1986

AT 725 PM BROWNSVILLE RADAR INDICATED TWO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN IN SOUTH TEXAS. ONE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED
OVER SOUTH KENEDY COUNTY MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH. ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM
WAS LOCATED OVER ZAPATA COUNTY MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. VERY
HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS...HAIL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING COULD BE
ASSOCIATED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

ALSO...ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS
WAS LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF RIO GRANDE CITY TO 60 MILES NORTH OF
CIUDAD VICTORIA. THIS AREA WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 8:44 PM CDT, 36 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
844 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 1986

AT 825 PM BROWNSVILLE RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER SOUTH ZAPATA COUNTY. VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT WAS
NOTED. VERY HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS...HAIL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING
COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT
OF THE THUNDERSTORM LOW LYING AREAS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO
A PLACE OF SAFETY AS SOME MINOR FLOODING IS POSSIBLE.

ALSO...ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS
WAS LOCATED 10 MILES SOUTH OF RIO GRANDE CITY TO 60 MILES SOUTH OF
RIO GRANDE CITY. THIS AREA ALSO HAD VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 1986Every flash flood warning in 1986

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.