Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1986

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 10, 19864 counties in Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this flash flood warning at May 10, 1986, 7:09 AM CDT for 4 counties in Texas. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 10, 1986, 7:09 AM CDT (12:09 UTC)
Expired
May 10, 1986, 11:00 AM CDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

Counties Bandera County, TX, Edwards County, TX, Kerr County, TX, Real 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

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 12:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 127 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 1986-05-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2567 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 1986-05-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 208 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
2567 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-20 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
606 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
208 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
284 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.4
Supercell composite
11.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSAT 101209
FFWSAT
TXC019-137-259-265-385-101600-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
709 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 1986

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

SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...BANDERA...EDWARDS...KENDALL...KERR AND REAL

AT 7 AM CDT..A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM NORTH OF DEL
RIO TO ROCKSPRINGS TO JUNCTION..THEN NORTHEASTWARD INTO CENTRAL
TEXAS.  THIS LINE WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

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.

DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS OFTEN ACCOMPANY FLASH FLOOD
PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS.

 SINCE THE GROUND IS SATURATED FROM LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS ON FRIDAY..
 ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL NOT SOAK IN BUT RUN OFF RAPIDLY INTO
 ALREADY SWOLLEN OR FLOODED CREEKS AND RIVERS..GREATLY ADDING TO
 THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING.

 A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TODAY FOR THE HILL COUNTRY..
 EDWARDS PLATEAU AND ADJACENT AREAS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

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 10, 6:01 AM CDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
545 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 1986

...DENSE FOG DEVELOPING AROUND THE CAPITAL AREA...

YESTERDAYS AND LAST NIGHTS HEAVY RAINS LEFT A RIPE ENVIRONMENT FOR
FOG THIS MORNING.  MANY SPOTS COULD TEMPORAIRILY EXPERIENCE VISIBILITIES
BELOW 1 MILE EARLY THIS MORNING.

THE MAIN THREAT OR CONCERN IN TODAYS WEATHER IS NOT NECESSARILY THE
FOG.  WE HAD VERY HEAVY..FLASH FLOODING RAINS YESTERDAY OVER MANY PARTS
OF TRAVIS AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES.  THAT TOO LEAVES A DANGEROUS
ENVIRONMENT FOR ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING..ESPECIALLY IF THE LIKELIHOOD
FOR MORE HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS REMAINS FAIRLY HIGH..AND IT DOES TODAY.

MANY PEOPLE WILL BE TRYING TO ENJOY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES..AND THAT PUTS
A GREAT MANY OF US IN DANGER OF BEING IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG
TIME.  LAKES..RIVERS..CREEKS AND STREAMS COLLECT THE RUNOFF FROM
HEAVY RAINS.  BEING ON..NEAR..OR DRIVING BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THEM
MIGHT BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH.  WATCH THE WEATHER CLOSELY TODAY.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 9, 8:24 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBurnet, Lampasas, Travis, Williamson3 hr
May 9, 8:24 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBastrop3 hr
May 10, 7:09 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXKendall4 hr
May 10, 7:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXFrio59 min
May 10, 8:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXAtascosa, McMullen55 min
May 10, 10:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGoliad60 min
May 10, 10:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVictoria63 min
May 10, 11:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXCalhoun59 min
May 10, 11:32 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXCalhoun, Jackson68 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.