Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1988
Flash Flood Warning 23, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this flash flood warning at Sep 17, 1988, 9:00 PM CDT for Val Verde County, Texas. It was in force for 4 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Sep 17, 1988, 9:00 PM CDT (02:00 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 18, 1988, 1:00 AM CDT
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Val Verde 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 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 66 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2067 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -2 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 572 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 153 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 259 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.4
- Supercell composite
- 10.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KDRT 180157 FFWDRT TXC465-180600- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVITATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX 900 PM CDT SAT SEP 171988 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 100 AM CDT SUNDAY MORNING FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY... IN SOUTHCENTRAL TEXAS...VAL VERDE. AT 900 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN COVER MOST OF VAL VERDE COUNTY EXTENDING MORE THAN 90 MILES SOUTH INTO MEXICO. MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT. TWO TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN OVER MOST OF VAL VERDE COUNTY TODAY. ANOTHER THREE INCHES OR MORE RAIN IS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE NIGHT. PERSONS LIVING IN LOW FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD MAKE PREPARATIONS TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR REPORTED DURING THE NIGHT. SEVERAL LOW LYING AREAS AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS IN DEL RIO ARE FLOODED NOW. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE EXTREME CAUTION. A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES..DIPS..OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM..EVEN A SMALL ONE..ON FOOT. TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY AND A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM CDT SUNDAY MORNING. PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO...TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS REGARDING THIS SERIOUS WEATHER 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, Sep 17, 4:16 PM CDT, 4 hours 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX 415 PM CDT SAT SEP 17 1988 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS UNTIL 500 PM... ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY AND ADJACENT SECTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS UNTIL 800 PM... ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WEST AND CENTRAL SECTIONS OF SOUTH TEXAS THROUGH SUNDAY... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED BY WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT 410 PM THIS AFTERNOON OVER CENTRAL TEXAS. THE MOST CONCENTRATED AREA WAS BETWEEN JUNCTION...AUSTIN...SAN ANTONIO...EAGLE PASS AND BACK TO JUNCTION. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHWEST AT 25 MPH. A THREAT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES CONTINUES THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR MOST OF CENTRAL TEXAS. THE SIGHTINGS OF TORNADOES HAVE DECREASED SINCE NOON TODAY...A VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS AND DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE CONTINUE THE POSSIBILITY FOR A FEW HOURS YET. THESE THUNDERtSTORMS ARE ALSO QUITE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF BUT VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. WITH THE SOIL IN MANY SECTIONS OF THE WATCH AREA ALREADY SATURATED...THERE WILL BE A THREAT OF FLOODING AS WELL THROUGH TONIGHT.
Special weather statement, Sep 17, 4:49 PM CDT, 4 hours 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX 4:45 PM CDT SAT SEPT 17 1988 ...FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT INTO SUNDAY FOR GILLSIPIE... LLANO...LAMPASAS...SAN SABA AND MILLS COUNTY. ...TORNADO WATCHES NUMBER 424 IS IN EFFECT UNTILL 9 PM...WITH NUMBER 423 IN EFFECT UNTILL 8 PM FOR SOUTHWEST..CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS. THESE INCLUDE TRAVIS AND ALL COUNTIES SURROUNDING TRAVIS COUNTY. AUSTIN RADAR CONTINUES TO INDICATE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WEST OF BUDA... NORTH OF GEORGETOWN AND WEST OF HARPER AND LAKE BUCHANAN. NUMEROUS LIGHT TO MODERATE BANDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS WERE NOTED WITHIN 100 MILES OF AUSTIN MOSTLY TO THE SOUTHWEST THROUGH NORTH OF AUSTIN MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTHWEST AT 20 TO 25 MPH. WITH EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AIR ACOSS CENTRAL TEXAS...RESIDENTS SHOULD KEEP ALERT TO THE THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS AS WELL AS HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING. MOSTLY LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS WERE NOTED NORTHEAST THROUGH SOUTHEAST OF AUSTIN AND THESE WERE WIDELY SCATTERED.
Local storm report, Sep 17, 6:02 PM CDT, 2 hours 58 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX 600 PM CDT SAT SEP 17 1988 540 PM CDT SEP 17...TORNADOES ON GROUND WITH 10 HOMES PLUS DAMAGED. 3 HOMES AND UNKNOWN MOBILE HOMES DESTROYED. INJURIES KNOWN BUT DO NOT KNO TO WHAT EXTEND.
Special weather statement, Sep 17, 6:39 PM CDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX 6:30 PM CDT SAT SEPT 17 1988 ...FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT INTO SUNDAY FOR GILLSIPIE... LLANO...LAMPASAS...SAN SABA AND MILLS COUNTY. ...TORNADO WATCHES...NUMBER 424 IS IN EFFECT UNTILL 9 PM....NUMBER 423 IS IN EFFECT UNTILL 8 PM..FOR SOUTHWEST..CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS. THESE INCLUDE TRAVIS AND ALL SURROUNDING COUNTIES. AUSTIN RADAR INDICATES STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NORTHWEST OF LAKE BUCHANAN AND NORTH OF MULLIN. THESE MAY PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND GUSTY WINDS. NUMEROUS LIGHT TO MODERATE BANDS OF SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSHOWERS WERE NOTED WEST THROUGH NORTH OF AUSTIN. MOVEMENT WAS TOWARDS THE NORTHWEST AT 20 TO 25 MPH. ONLY WIDELY SCATTERED MOSTLY LIGHT SHOWERS WERE INDICATED NORTH THROUGH EAST THROUGH SOUTH OF AUSTIN. WITH EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AIR ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS...RESIDENTS SHOULD KEEP ALERT TO THE THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS AS WELL AS HEA5VY RAINS AND FLOODING. ...NO SEVERE WEATHER OR FLOODING WAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE AUSTIN WEATHER SERVICE WITHIN THE PAST HOUR....
Special weather statement, Sep 17, 7:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX 8 PM CDT SAT SEPT 17 1988 ...FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT INTO SUNDAY FOR GILLSIPIE... LLANO...LAMPASAS...SAN SABA AND MILLS COUNTY. ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 423 IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT... ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 424 IS IN EFFECT UNTILL 9PM FOR THE COUNTIES OF LAMPASAS AND MILAM... ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 425 IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTILL 2 AM SUNDAY FOR THE COUNTIES OF MILLS...SAN SABA AND GILLSIPIE... SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS DECREASING IN INTENSITY AND AREA COVERAGE IN ALL DIRECTIONS OF AUSTIN. ONLY LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS WERE NOTED...WIDELY SCATTERED FROM SOUTH TO WEST TO NORTH OF AUSTIN AND NONE FROM THE NORTH NORTHEAST THROUGH THE SOUTH SOUTHEAST. MOVEMENT WAS TOWARDS THE NORTHWEST AT 20 TO 25 MPH. WITH EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AIR ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS...RESIDENTS SHOULD KEEP ALERT TO THE THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS AS WELL AS HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING. ...NO SEVERE WEATHER OR FLOODING WAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE AUSTIN WEATHER SERVICE WITHIN THE PAST HOUR....
Special weather statement, Sep 17, 8:58 PM CDT, 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX 9 PM CDT SAT SEPT 17 1988 ...FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT INTO SUNDAY FOR GILLSIPIE... LLANO...LAMPASAS...SAN SABA AND MILLS COUNTY. ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 424 IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT... ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 425 IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTILL 2 AM SUNDAY FOR THE COUNTIES OF MILLS...SAN SABA AND GILLSIPIE... AUSTIN RADAR INDICATES ONLY WIDELY SCATTERED LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS FROM NEAR LOCKHART AND LULING TO SAN ANTIONIO AND BOERNE TO HARPER AND LAMPASAS AND BRADY. MOVEMENT WAS TOWARDS THE NORTHWEST AT NEAR 20 MPH. WITH EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AIR ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS...RESIDENTS SHOULD KEEP ALERT TO THE THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS AS WELL AS HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING. ...NO SEVERE WEATHER OR FLOODING WAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE AUSTIN WEATHER SERVICE WITHIN THE PAST HOUR....
The office that day
Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 7:25 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Val Verde | 75 min |
| Sep 18, 9:30 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Val Verde | 4 hr |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 1988Every flash flood warning in 1988
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.