Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1986

Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Fort Worth, TX

February 3, 1986Denton County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this flash flood warning at Feb 3, 1986, 3:00 AM CST for Denton County, Texas. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 3, 1986, 3:00 AM CST (09:00 UTC)
Expired
Feb 3, 1986, 6:00 AM CST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Denton 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

Stephenville/Cla, TX (KSEP), launched 00:00Z, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 143 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, Stephenville/Cla, TX at 00:00Z on 1986-02-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 563 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, Stephenville/Cla, TX at 00:00Z on 1986-02-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 96 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
563 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
826 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
96 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
181 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
1.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFTW 030902
FFWFTW
TXC121-031200-

FLASH FLOOD WARNING -- EBS ACTIVATION/IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
300 AM CST  MON FEB 3 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH

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, Feb 2, 9:11 PM CST, 5 hours 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
915 PM CST SUN FEB 2 1986

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 51 DAYS...RAIN HAS BEEN RECORDED AT THE
DALLAS-FORT WORTH AIRPORT. FIVE HUNDRETHS /0.05/ WAS LOGGED
BETWEEN SIX AND NINE PM THIS SUNDAY EVENING.

THE LAST TIME RAIN WAS RECORDED AT THE OFFICIAL MEASURING POINT
AT DFW WAS DECEMBER 11...1985. THE FIFTY ONE DAY SPELL WITHOUT
RAIN WAS THE FOURTH LONGEST STRETCH WITHOUT RAIN. THE PREVIOUS
DRY PERIODS WERE:

1.  59 DAYS...MAY 25 THROUGH JULY 21, 1934
2.  57 DAYS...NOVEMBER 4 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 1950
3.  54 DAYS...OCTOBER 6 THROUGH NOVEMBER 29, 1955

RADAR REPORTS SUGGEST THAT MOST OF THE METROPLEX AREA AND MUCH
OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS HAS RECEIVED MEASURABLE RAIN TONIGHT. RAINFALL
TOTALS HAVE NOT BEEN HEAVY...ALTHOUGH A FEW SPOTS MAY HAVE RECEIVED
AS MUCH AS ONE-HALF INCH OF RAIN.

AND MORE IS ON THE WAY. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS
WILL LIKELY OCCUR OVER THE METROPLEX BEFORE MIDNIGHT...AND MORE
ARE POSSIBLE ON MONDAY.
Special weather statement, Feb 2, 11:17 PM CST, 3 hours 43 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1116 PM CST SUN FEB 2 1986

HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
LATE THIS SUNDAY EVENING.

AT 1115 PM RAIN MIXED WITH A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WAS OCCURRING IN A
BROAD AREA FROM SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA INTO NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS.
THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED SOUTH OF PARIS...IN LAMAR
COUNTY...NEAR GREENVILLE...IN HUNT COUNTY...AND NEAR FORT WORTH.n
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 30 MPH.

SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS.
RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN ON THE ALERT IN CASE STRONG WINDS ARE
EXPERIENCED OR A WARNING ISSUED.
Local storm report, Feb 3, 12:37 AM CST, 2 hours 23 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1235 AM CST  MON FEB 3 1986

943 PM CST...PARKER COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED SEVERAL MOBILE
HOMES DAMAGED...ONE DESTROYED...ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTH OF I-20 NEAR BROCK
IN SOUTHWEST PARKER COUNTY. ONE INJURY DESCRIBED AS NON-SERIOUS. ALSO
DESTROYED WAS A BOAT...A BOAT HOUSE...AND A HOUSE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
DAMAGE FROM POSSIBLE TORNADO OCCURRED AROUND 940 PM.

945 PM CST...WSMO REPORTS WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGE IN STEPHENVILLE
/ERATH COUNTY/.  POWER OUTAGE APPARENTLY DUE TO LIGHTNING. NO WIND
DAMAGE REPORTED SO FAR.

950 PM CST...HOOD COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE IN GRANBURY REPORTS STRONG
WINDS IN GRANBURY AT THAT TIME BUT FOLLOW UP REPORT FA1ILS TO TURN UP
ANY DAMAGE SO FAR.
Special weather statement, Feb 3, 1:04 AM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
100 AM CST MON FEB 3 1986

HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
EARLY THIS MONDAY MORNING.

AT 100 AM CST..NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA
OF RAIN MIXED WITH A FEW HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM PARIS..TO
GREENVILLE..TO THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH METROPLEX..TO JUST WEST OF
MINERAL WELLS. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE BETWEEN PARIS AND
GREENVILLE. AN ISOLATED HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WAS ALSO DETECTED NEAR
THE DALLAS FORT WORTH AIRPORT OVER THE NORTHERN BORDER OF DALLAS
AND TARRANT COUNTIES. MOVEMENT OF THE RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS TO
THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

HEAVIEST RAINFALL AMOUNTS ENDING AT 1 AM WERE NEAR ONE AND ONE HALF
INCH AT WEATHERFORD /1.50/..AND BOONEVILLE /1.55/..NEAR 2 INCHES AT
SHERMAN /2.05/..AND AN UNOFFICIAL REPORT OF UP TO 3 INCHES AT PILOT
POINT.
<
SOME OF THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG
GUSTY WINDS..AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. HOWEVER..NO REPORTS OF SEVERE
WEATHER HAVE BEEN RECEIVED AT THE WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE
DURING THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS.

RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO REMAIN ON THE ALERT IN THEE EVENT STRONG WINDS
ARE EXPERIENCED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA.
Special weather statement, Feb 3, 2:41 AM CST, 19 minutes before
^FTWSPSACT

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
 240 AM CST MON FEB 3 1986

...RAIN AND SHOWERS MOVING INTO CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 230 AM CST WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND
SCATTERED SHOWERS.  THE LEADING EDGE OF THE PRECIPITATION EXTENDED
FROM DALLAS TO MERIDIAN AND SOUTHWEST INTO THE HILL COUNTRY.  A FEW
SHOWERS WERE NOTED IN CORYELL COUNTY NORTH OF GATESVILLE AND IN CENTRAL
BOSQUE COUNTY EAST AND SOUTH OF MERIDIAN.  THE AREA IS MOVING SLOWLY
SOUTHEAST.  EVEN THOUGH GROUNDS ARE DRY..HEAVY..CONTINUOUS RAINS HAVE
CAUSED FLASH FLOODING IN SOME COUNTIES OF NORTH TEXAS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS THAT WILL BE
ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Fort Worth, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 2, 9:45 PM CSTTornado WarningFWDParker30 min
Feb 2, 9:55 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDJohnson, Tarrant35 min
Feb 2, 9:55 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHood35 min
Feb 3, 2:15 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDFannin4 hr
Feb 3, 6:00 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDDenton3 hr
Feb 3, 6:00 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDFannin3 hr
Feb 3, 9:25 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDDenton, Fannin95 min
Feb 3, 10:00 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDCollin2 hr
Feb 3, 12:00 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDCamp, Upshur, Wood3 hr
Feb 3, 2:15 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDFalls, Limestone4 hr
Feb 3, 3:00 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDAnderson, Freestone3 hr
Feb 3, 3:00 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDHenderson, Rains, Smith, Van Zandt, Wood3 hr
Feb 3, 3:00 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDCamp, Upshur3 hr

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.