Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1988

Flash Flood Warning 21, NWS Fort Worth, TX

July 12, 1988Dallas County, Kaufman County, Rockwall County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this flash flood warning at Jul 12, 1988, 6:04 PM CDT for Dallas County, Kaufman County, Rockwall County, Texas. It was in force for 116 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 12, 1988, 6:04 PM CDT (23:04 UTC)
Expired
Jul 12, 1988, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
116 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

Counties Dallas County, TX, Kaufman County, TX, Rockwall 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 12:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 162 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 12:00Z on 1988-07-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1113 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Stephenville/Cla, TX at 12:00Z on 1988-07-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 85 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
1113 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
632 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
85 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
93 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 KFTW 122306
FFWFTW
TXC113-257-397-130100-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
604 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 1988
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  800 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
          ...EXTREME EASTERN DALLAS...NORTHERN KAUFMAN...ROCKWALL
 
AT 6 PM CDT...ROCKWALL COUNTY OFFICIALS REPORTED FLOODING OF ROADWAYS
AND SOME HOUSES IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY NEAR HEATH. A LARGE
COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS...PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...ALSO
COVERED PARTS OF EASTERN DALLAS AND NORTHERN KAUFMAN COUNTY. IN
ADDITION TO HEAVY RAINFALL...THE THUNDERSTORMS CAN ALSO PRODUCE GUSTY
WINDS AND SMALL HAIL.
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

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, Jul 12, 1:16 PM CDT, 4 hours 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
110 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 1988

AT 102 PM CDT WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH
HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUED TO DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.
SOME OF THE HEAVIER SHOWERS WERE NORTHWEST OF JONESBORO...ALONG THE
CORYELL/HAMILTON COUNTY LINE...OVER BELL COUNTY...WEST OF KILLEEN AND
SOUTHWEST OF TEMPLE. A HEAVY RAINSHOWER WAS OVER THE CHINA SPRINGS AREA.

ELSEWHERE...A WIDESPREAD AREA OF RAIN...WITH WIDELY SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY TO VERY HEAVY SHOWERS...WERE EAST OF A
LINE...FROM GREENVILLE...TO TEAGUE...TO THE BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION AREA
...TO SCHULENBURG. SOME OF THE HEAVIER RAIN WAS IN AND AROUND THE CEDAR
CREEK RESERVOIR...EAST OF JEWETT...NEAR MADISONVILLE AND BETWEEN
CALDWELL AND SOMERVILLE. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

RESIDENTS IN LEON AND MADISON COUNTIES CAN EXPECT BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVaY
RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LOCAL RADIO OR TV FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS SHOULD THE NEED ARISE.

07
Special weather statement, Jul 12, 2:17 PM CDT, 3 hours 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
210 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 1988

AT 202 PM CDT WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUED TO FORM AND DISSIPATE OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTH
CENTRAL TEXAS. RADAR INDICATED HEAVY RAINSHOWERS NORTH OF MADISON COOPER
AIRPORT INTO THE MOUNT CALM AREA...OVER CENTRAL BELL COUNTY...AND ALONG
THE BOSQUE/HAMILTON COUNTY LINE. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE
MOVING EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR. RESIDENTS IN BELL...EASTERN MCLENNAN
AND WESTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY CAN EXPECT PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY
WINDS AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. MOTORISTS TRAVELING IN
THESE COUNTIES SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR RAPIDLY DECREASING VISIBILITIES
AND SHOULD TAKE CAUTION TO AVOID HYDRO-PLANE EFFECTS WHILE DRIVING. SOME
OF THESE HEAVIER SHOWERS HAVE THE CAPIBILITY OF PRODUCING ONE TO ONE AND
ONE HALF INCHES OF RAIN PER HOUR.

ELSEWHERE...A WIDESPREAD AREA OF RAIN...WITH WIDELY SCATTERED EMBEDDED
THUNDERSTORMS...WAS EAST OF A LINE...FROM PALESTINE...TO THE BRYAN/
COLLEGE STATION AREA...TO LA GRANGE. HEAVY RAIN WAS INDICATED EAST OF
COLLEGE STATION. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES
AN HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LOCAL RADIO OR TV FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS.

07
Special weather statement, Jul 12, 3:19 PM CDT, 2 hours 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
315 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 1988

AT 305 PM CDT WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO
DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL...AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. AREAL
COVERAGE AND INTENSITIES HAVE INCREASED DURING THE PAST HOUR. SOME OF
THE HEAVIER THUNDERSHOWERS WERE OVER BOSQUE COUNTY...NEAR WALNUT SPRINGS
...OVER MCLENNAN AND LIMESTONE COUNTIES...BETWEEN MCGREGOR AND MEXIA...
AND OVER BELL AND FALLS COUNTIES...BETWEEN TEMPLE AND MARLIN. RESIDENTS
IN MOST SECTIONS OF CENTRAL TEXAS CAN EXPECT BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN
...GUSTY WINDS...AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. MOTORISTS
TRAVELING IN CENTRAL TEXAS SHOULD ALSO BE PREPARED FOR REDUCED
VISIBILITIES TO AS LOW AS ONE QUARTER MILE IN SOME OF THE HEAVIER
SHOWERS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

ELSEWHERE...A WIDESPREAD AREA OF RAIN...WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS...
WAS EAST OF A LINE...FROM LAKE PALESTINE...TO COLLEGE STATION TO EAST
OF LAGRANGE. THE HEAVIER RAIN WAS EAST AND SOUTH OF MADISONVILLE.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LOCAL RADIO OR TV FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS.

07
Special weather statement, Jul 12, 4:21 PM CDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
415 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 1988

AT 405 PM CDT WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH NUMEROUS RAINSHOWERS
...SOME HEAVY TO VERY HEAVY...CONTINUE OVER CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL
TEXAS. WACO RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAINSHOWERS
...FROM VALLEY MILLS TO WEST...THEN EXTENDING SOUTHEAST TO MART. ALSO...
BETWEEN BELTON AND TEMPLE...AND ALONG THE HILL/JOHNSON COUNTY LINE...
NORTH OF ITASCA. NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO THE
WACO WEATHER OFFICE...HOWEVER...REPORTS OF NUMEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING STRIKES HAVE BEEN REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICES IN BELL
COUNTY. REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS DEFINED AS A STORM WHICH
HAS THREE QUARTER INCH HAIL OR GREATER...OR WINDS EQUAL TO OR GREATER
THAN 58 MILES AN HOUR.

RESIDENTS IN MCLENNAN AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES CAN EXPECT BRIEF PERIODS
OF HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING
...UNTIL THESE STORMS WEAKEN AN HOUR OR TWO AFTER SUNSET. SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

ELSEWHERE...A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS...EAST OF A LINE...
FROM CROCKETT...TO EAST OF COLLEGE STATIOrN...TO EAST OF LA GRANGE
CONTINUES TO MOVE INTO EAST AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO AND TV FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS.

07
Special weather statement, Jul 12, 5:22 PM CDT, 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
515 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 1988

AT 507 PM CDT WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...WITH NUMEROUS HEAVY TO
VERY HEAVY RAINSHOWERS...CONTINUED OVER CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL
TEXAS. SOME OF THE HEAVIER SHOWERS WERE NEAR VALLEY MILLS...EAST OF
BELLMEAD...BETWEEN KILLEEN AND ROSEBUD AND ALONG THE SOUTHERN BELL/
WILLIAMSON COUNTY LINE...TO NEAR MARBLE FALLS. RESIDENTS IN BELL COUNTY
...ESPECIALLY...CAN EXPECT BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS
AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING DURING THE NEXT HOUR. NO
REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO THE WACO OFFICE...
HOWEVER...SOME MINOR STREET FLOODING WAS REPORTED AT THE CRAVEN AVENUE
EXIT AT I-35 ABOUT 45 MINUTES AGO. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING
EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED RAIN AND THUMDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED OVER NORTH
CENTRAL TEXAS BETWEEN GRANBURY AND ENNIS...WITH SCATTERED RAIN AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE HILL COUNTRY. RAINFALL OVER THE EASTERN PORTION
OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS HAD MOVED INTO EAST AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO AND TV FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS.

07
Special weather statement, Jul 12, 5:34 PM CDT, 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TEXAS
435 PM CDT SUN JUL 10 1988

      ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP IN DALLAS COUNTY...

AT 430 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATED A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING BETWEEN DALLAS AND GREENVILLE.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS JUST
SOUTH OF ROCKWALL.  MOVEMENT WAS SLOWLY NORTHEAST.

HEAVY RAINS MAY OCCUR WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.  MOTORISTS SHOULD
AVOID FLOODED LOW WATER AREAS IF THEY ARE ENCOUNTERED.  WITH THE GROUND
ALREADY SOAKED FROM THIS MORNING'S HEAVY RAINS...IT WON'T TAKE MUCH MORE
RAIN TO CAUSE FURTHER FLOODING.

KEEP INFORMED OF THE WEATHER IN YOUR AREA AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER
RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 12, 8:24 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDDelta, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar3 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.