Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1986

Flash Flood Warning 12, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 25, 1986Bexar County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this flash flood warning at May 25, 1986, 4:28 PM CDT for Bexar County, Texas. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 25, 1986, 4:28 PM CDT (21:28 UTC)
Expired
May 25, 1986, 8:30 PM CDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Bexar 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

Victoria Regiona, TX (KVCT), launched 12:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 171 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, Victoria Regiona, TX at 12:00Z on 1986-05-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2210 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, Victoria Regiona, TX at 12:00Z on 1986-05-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 3 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
2210 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
557 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
72 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSAT 252128
FFWSAT
TXC029-260130-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
428 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 830 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF

SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...BEXAR

AT 415 PM CDT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED BY RADAR OVER
NORTHWEST BEXAR COUNTY THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE PRODUCED OVER
3 INCHES OF RAIN WITH THE LAST HOUR.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN
REPORTED.  TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS AS REQUIRED TO PROTECT LIFE
AND PROPERTY.

REMEMBER..DEATHS DURING FLASH FLOODING ARE FREQUENTLY RELATED TO
MOTORISTS DRIVING INTO FLOODED LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES..YOU SHOULD GO TO A SAFE PLACE
IMMEDIATELY.  YOU SHOULD ASK THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
TO RELAY YOUR SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS TO THE LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OFFICE.

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

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, May 25, 10:43 AM CDT, 5 hours 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
11 AM CDT SUN MAY 25 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE IN THE TEXAS HILL
   COUNTRY AND ADJOINING AREAS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

CONDITIONS IN THE ATMOSPHERE ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE FORMATION OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT IN THE
TEXAS HILL COUNTRY AND ADJOINING AREAS.  DEEP GULF MOISTURE..WHICH HAS
MOVED OVER THE AREA..AND A DISTURBANCE IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE ARE
EXPECTED TO CAUSE THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS LATE TODAY.

SKIES OVER THE HILL COUNTRY WILL BE PARTLY CLOUDY DURING THE AFTERNOON
WITH TEMPERATURES CLIMBING INTO THE MID TO UPPER 80S.  HOWEVER..THE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN TO FORM BY LATE AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO
THE NIGHT HOURS.

ANYONE PLANING ON PICNICING..CAMPING..BOATING OR ANY ACTIVITY IN THE
TEXAS HILL COUNTRY AND ADJACENT AREAS THIS AFTERNOON OR TONIGHT SHOULD
BE ALERT FOR THE FORMATION OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.  IF POSSIBLE..
MONITOR RADIO OR TELEVISION.  IF THUNDERSTORMS BEGIN TO FORM IN
YOUR AREA SEEK SAFETY IMMEDIATELY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS WHICH COULD
CAPSIZE BOATS.  VERY HEAVY RAINS WILL ACCOMPANY THE THUNDERSTORMS
AND COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODS ON SMALL STREAMS.

IF WEATHER CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP..FLASH FLOOD AND SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCHES MAY BE REQUIRED LATER TODAY FOR THE TEXAS
HILL COUNTRY AND ADJOINING AREAS.
Special weather statement, May 25, 11:58 AM CDT, 4 hours 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
1158 AM CDT SUN MAY 25 1986

 ...THUNDERSTORMS HAVE STARTED TO DEVELOPE IN NORTHERN VAL VERDE
COUNTY...

THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED FROM NORTH OF JUNO TO NORTH
OF SONORA TEXAS.  MOVEMENT WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EARLIER THIS MORNING DUMPED HEAVY RAINS IN THE
JUNO AREA..ALONG THE DEVILS RIVER.   THE DEVILS RIVER PEAKED AT 7.6
FEET AT BAKERS CROSSING.  THIS IS SLIGHTLY OVER THE BRIDGE ON HIGHWAY
163..12 MILES SOUTH OF JUNO.  TRAFFIC IS STILL PASSABLE AND RIVER
LEVEL SHOULD BE ON THE WAY DOWN.  HOWEVER MORE HEAVY RAINFALL IS
EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

BOATERS ON THE RIVERS AND LAKE AMISTAD SHOULD HAVE A PLANNED SAVE
HARBOR AS THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WILL LIKELY PRODUCE
STRONG GUSTY WINDS WHICH CAN CAPSIZE YOUR BOAT.

RECREATIONERS IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF VAL VERDE COUNTY..ESPECIALLY
JUNO AREA..SOUTH TO COMSTOCK..AND ALONG THE DEVILS RIVER SHOULD LISTEN
TO LOCAL RADIO STATIONS AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADIO FOR FUTHER
STATEMENTS.

PERSONS PLANNING TO TRAVEL NORTHWARD FROM DEL RIO TONIGHT SHOULD
LISTEN TO LOCAL RADIO STATIONS IN 7CASE THERE PLANNED ROUTES HAVE BEEN
CLOSED DUE TO  HEAVY RAINFALL OR FLOODED LOW WATER CROSSINGS ALONG
THEIR ROUTE BEFORE LEAVING THE DEL RIO AREA.
Special weather statement, May 25, 1:52 PM CDT, 2 hours 36 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
145 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 1986

...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY AND IN
   PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON...

DURING THE PAST HOUR..NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS HAVE BEEN PICKING
UP DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE HILL COUNTRY FROM ROCKSPRINGS TO
JUNCTION..AND NEAR CANYON LAKE..JUST NORTH OF SAN ANTONIO. REPORTS FROM
NEAR CANYON LAKE INDICATED WINDS GUSTING TO 45 MILES AN HOUR. ADDITIONAL
SHOWERS WERE INDICATED FROM BASTROP TO CORPUS CHRISTI AND VICTORIA.

CONDITIONS IN THE ATMOSPHERE ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE FORMATION OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT IN THE
TEXAS HILL COUNTRY AND ADJOINING AREAS.  DEEP GULF MOISTURE..WHICH HAS
MOVED OVER THE AREA..AND A DISTURBANCE IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE ARE
EXPECTED TO CAUSE THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP LATE TODAY.

SKIES OVER THE HILL COUNTRY AND AROUND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS ARE PARTLY

CLOUDY THIS AFTERNOON. WITH THE TEMPERATURE RISING INTO THE MID AND
UPPER 80S..RAPID DEVELOPMENT CAN BE EXPECTED. PLEASE MONITOR RADIO
TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS WHICH COULD
CAPSIZE BOATS.  VERY HEAVY RAINS WILL ACCOMPANY THE THUNDERSTORMS AND
COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODS ON SMALL STREAMS.

IF WEATHER CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP..FLASH FLOOD AND SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCHES MAY BE REQUIRED LATER TODAY FOR THE TEXAS
HILL COUNTRY AND ADJOINING AREAS.
Special weather statement, May 25, 3:55 PM CDT, 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
355 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 1986

   ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO WESTERN BEXAR COUNTY...

HONDO RADAR INDICATES STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO WESTERN BEXAR
COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 10 MILES.
AT THIS RATE OF MOVEMENT..THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE OVER MUCH OF THE CITY
OF SAN ANTONIO WITHIN THE HOUR.

FREQUENT LIGHTNING..STRONG GUSTY WINDS..POSSIBLE HAIL AND VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

MUCH OF SOUTH TEXAS..INCLUDING BEXAR COUNTY..IS UNDER A FLASH FLOOD
WATCH. THIS MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR FLASH FLOODING.
HEAVY RAINFALL CAN FLOOD UNDERPASSES..LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND
OTHER FLOOD PRONE AREAS. THEREFORE MOTORISTS ESPECIALLY ARE ADVISED
TO EXERCISE CAUTION SHOULD DRIVING BE NECESSARY THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT.

STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO..TV..OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR OTHER
STATEMENTS OR WARNIsNGS WHICH WILL BE ISSUED AS NEEDED.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 24, 8:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXLampasas, Mills55 min
May 25, 5:55 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde60 min
May 25, 6:50 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde60 min
May 25, 6:11 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXGoliad64 min

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.