Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1986

Flash Flood Warning 14, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 27, 1986Bexar County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this flash flood warning at May 27, 1986, 8:16 AM CDT for Bexar County, Texas. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 27, 1986, 8:16 AM CDT (13:16 UTC)
Expired
May 27, 1986, 11:00 AM CDT
In force
3 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, 1.3 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 1986-05-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1582 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 1986-05-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 55 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1582 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
601 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
55 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
58 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSAT 271316
FFWSAT
TXC029-271600-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
816 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF

SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...BEXAR

AT 815 AM THIS MORNING AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING
SLOWLY THROUGH BEXAR COUNTY.  BETWEEN ONE AND TWO INCHES OF RAIN
IS EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE
AREA.  RAIN THIS HEAVY WILL CAUSE MANY LOW WATER CROSSINGS
AND DRAINAGE DITCHES TO FLOOD.  PEOPLE ARE URGED TO NOT
ENTER FLOODED LOW WATER CROSSINGS OR FLOODED DITCHES.

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 27, 2:43 AM CDT, 5 hours 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
245 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 1986

...HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE DEL RIO AREA...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT 240 AM INDICATED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS..SOME VERY HEAVY..EXTENDING FRON WESTERN EDWARDS COUNTY
SOUTHWEST THROUGH EASTERN AND SOUTHERN VAL VERDE COUNTY.  THESE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AND WILL BE MOVING THROUGH
DEL RIO DURING THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO.  STRONG GUSTY WINDS..BRIEF HEAVY
RAIN AND SOME SMALL HAIL ARE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS.
Special weather statement, May 27, 3:45 AM CDT, 4 hours 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
345 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 1986

..HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH EDWARDS..KINNEY AND REAL COUNTY..

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT 340 AM INDICATED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS..SOME VERY HEAVY..EXTENDING FRON JUST SOUTH OF DEL RIO
TO THE WESTERN EDGE OF REAL COUNTY AND INTO THE NORTHEAST CORNOR OF
EDWARDS COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST ABOUT
35 MILES AN HOUR.  STRONG GUSTY WINDS..BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND SOME SMALL
HAIL ARE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS.  PEA SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED AS THESE
STORMS MOVED THROUGH THE DEL RIO AREA.
Special weather statement, May 27, 4:45 AM CDT, 3 hours 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
445 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 1986

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARD SAN ANTONIO...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT 440 AM INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF
NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS FROM THE HILL COUNTRY SOUTHWARD
TO THE RIO GRANDE.  THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS LARGE PRECIPITATON AREA
WAS MARKED BY A BAND OF MODERATE TO HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING
FROM KERR COUNTY SOUTHWEST THROUGH REAL..UVALDE..ZAVALA AND MAVERICK
COUNTIES.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AND MAY PRODUCE
STRONG GUSTY WIND..BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY SMALL.
Special weather statement, May 27, 4:50 AM CDT, 3 hours 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
445 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 1986

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARD SAN ANTONIO...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT 440 AM INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF
NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS FROM THE HILL COUNTRY SOUTHWARD
TO THE RIO GRANDE.  THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS LARGE PRECIPITATON AREA
WAS MARKED BY A BAND OF MODERATE TO HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING
FROM KERR COUNTY SOUTHWEST THROUGH REAL..UVALDE..ZAVALA AND MAVERICK
COUNTIES.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AND MAY PRODUCE
STRONG GUSTY WIND..BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL.
Special weather statement, May 27, 6:00 AM CDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
600 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 1986

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS MOVING INTO WESTERN BEXAR COUNTY...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT 545 AM CDT INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS WEST OF SAN ANTONIO OVER THE HILL COUNTRY.
THIS ACTIVITY WAS MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE WESTERN PARTS OF BEXAR
COUNTY.  RESIDENTS OF BEXAR COUNTY CAN EXPECT LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINS
FOR THE NEXT TWO TO THREE HOURS AS THIS SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS.

SINCE THIS RAIN WILL OCCUR DURING THE RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC..MOTORISTS
ARE URGED TO SLOW DOWN ON THE WET ROADS THIS MORNING AND ALLOW EXTRA
TIME IN GETTING THEIR DESTINATIONS.

ADDITIONAL STA_TEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS NESSESARY.
Special weather statement, May 27, 7:47 AM CDT, 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
750 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 1986

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH BEXAR COUNTY...

A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING SLOWLY THROUGH BEXAR
COUNTY.  THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS ARE LOCATED OVER THE WEST AND
SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY BUT ALL THE AREA IS COVERED BY LIGHT TO
MODERATE RAIN.

RAIN WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS IS SUFFICIENT TO FLOOD DRAINAGE DITCHES
AND SOME LOW WATER CROSSINGS.  REMEMBER THAT MANY PEOPLE DROWN BY
DRIVING OR ENTERING FLOODED LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND DITCHES.
YOU MAY BE LATE BUT ENTERING A FLOODED AREA MAY RESULT IN YOU
NEVER REACHING YOUR DESTINATION.

THE RAIN SHOULD MOVE THROUGH BEXAR AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES THIS
MORNING WITH SKIES BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY BY AFTERNOON.  ANOTHER
ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

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.