Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

January 29, 1989Bexar County, Medina County, Uvalde County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this flash flood warning at Jan 29, 1989, 10:34 AM CST for Bexar County, Medina County, Uvalde County, Texas. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jan 29, 1989, 10:34 AM CST (16:34 UTC)
Expired
Jan 29, 1989, 2:30 PM CST
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

Counties Bexar County, TX, Medina County, TX, Uvalde 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, 4.6 hours before the alert went out and 166 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 1989-01-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 1989-01-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 34 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1810 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
34 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
247 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 291643
FFWSAT
TXC019-029-091-259-265-325-463-292030-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
1034 AM CST SUN JAN 29 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 230 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN SOUTH TEXAS
          ...BANDERA...BEXAR...COMAL...KENDALL...KERR...MEDINA
          ...UVALDE
 
RAINFALL TOTALS IN EXCESS OF 3 INCHES HAVE BEEN RECEIVED IN SOME
SECTIONS TO THE NORTHWEST OF SAN ANTONIO NEAR THE BEXAR-KENDALL-
BANDERA-MEDINA COUNTY LINE SINCE EARLY THIS SUNDAY MORNING.  RADAR
SHOWS A LARGE OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...FROM
CARRIZO SPRINGS NORTHEASTWARD TO NORTH OF AUSTIN.  THIS AREA CONTINUES
TO MOVE TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.  ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF 1
TO 3 INCHES COULD OCCUR IN THE WARNED COUNTIES FROM THESE STORMS AS
THEY PASS OVER ALREADY-SATURATED GROUND.
 
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN
REPORTED.
 
REMEMBER...DEATHS DURING FLASH FLOODING ARE FREQUENTLY RELATED TO
MOTORISTS DRIVING INTO FLOODED LOW WATER CROSSINGS OR FROM CHILDREN
PLAYING NEAR FLOODED STREAMS OR DRAINAGE AREAS.
 
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS OFTEN ACCOMPANY FLASH FLOOD
PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS...ALONG WITH SMALL HAIL.  PEA-SIZED HAIL HAS
BEEN REPORTED IN SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND AROUND SAN ANTONIO
THIS MORNING.
 
PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO...TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO STATION
FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS REGARDING THIS SEVERE 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, Jan 29, 5:22 AM CST, 5 hours 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
520 AM CST SUN JAN 29 1989

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NEAR AUSTIN...

AN AREA OF SHOWERS WITH SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM
NEAR SAN ANTONIO TO AUSTIN TO COLLEGE STATION...THE AREA IS MOVING
NORTHWARD.

THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS
AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME...
BUT CONDITIONS WILL BE CLOSLEY W
ATCHED FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
Special weather statement, Jan 29, 5:52 AM CST, 4 hours 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
550 AM CST SUN JAN 29 1989

...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO RUMBLE ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED THIS MORNING ACROSS BEXAR COUNTY.
AT 545 AM CST...THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING ACROSS THE SAN
ANTONIO METROPOLITAN AREA.  SEVERAL REPORTS OF PEA- TO MARBLE-SIZED
HAIL WERE RECEIVED FROM RESIDENTS IN THE EAST AND CENTRAL SECTIONS OF
SAN ANTONIO.  IN ADDITION...FREQUENT VIVID LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAINFALL
WERE REPORTED.  AT THE WEATHER OFFICE NEAR THE AIRPORT...OVER A HALF AN
INCH OF RAIN HAD FALLEN WITHIN A THIRTY-MINUTE PERIOD.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE CONTINUING TO MOVE NORTH AT 115 MILES AN HOUR
AND WERE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO KENDALL AND COMAL COUNTIES WITHIN THE
HOUR.  ADDITIONAL UPDATES REGARDING THESE STORMS WILL BE ISSUED AS
CONDITIONS WARRANT.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO.
Special weather statement, Jan 29, 6:19 AM CST, 4 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
615 AM CST SUN JAN 29 1989

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN AND AROUND THE AUSTIN AREA...

AN AREA OF SHOWERS WITH SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM
SOUTH OF SAN ANTONIO TO AUSTIN TO NORTH OF COLLEGE STATION...THE AREA
IS MOVING NORTHWARD.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER AUSTIN AND BETWEEN AUSTIN
JOHNSON CITY AND SAN ANTONIO. THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY
RAIoNFALL...GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

LOW AREA AREAS AND SOME LOW WATER CROSSINGS MAY BECOME FLOODED FOR
A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME DUE TO THE HEAVY RAINFALL.
Special weather statement, Jan 29, 8:14 AM CST, 2 hours 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
815 AM CST SUN JAN 29 1989

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN AND AROUND THE AUSTIN AREA...

AN AREA OF HEAVY SHOWERS WITH SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED
FROM JUST NORTH OF TEMPLE  SOUTHWARD OVER AUSTIN TO THE SAN ANTONIO
AREA...THIS AREA IS MOVING NORTHWARD.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER AUSTIN AND JONHSON CITY
AND TO THE SOUTH OF JOHNSON CITY. THESE THUNDERST{ORMS MAY PRODUCE
HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS...AND FREQUENT LIGHTING FOR THE NEXT FEW
HOURS.

LOW AREAS AND SOME LOW WATER CROSSINGS MAY BECOME FLOODED FOR A SHORT
PERIOD OF DUE TO HEAVY RAINFALL.
Special weather statement, Jan 29, 8:24 AM CST, 2 hours 10 minutes before
BULLETIN
SMALL STREAM AND URBAN FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
820 AM CST SUN JAN 29 1989

SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING OF URBAN AREAS...ROADS...STREETS...LOW-
WATER CROSSINGS AND CREEKS CAN BE EXPECTED THIS SUNDAY MORNING
IN AND AROUND SAN ANTONIO...BEXAR AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES OF
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE ADJACENT HILL COUNTRY.

RAINFALL TOTALS OF 2 INCHES OR MORE HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN AND
AROUND BEXAR COUNTY DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS.  ALTHOUGH THE
GROUND HAS BEEN DRY...ANY ADDITIONAL RAIN WILL NOT SOAK IN BUT
RUN OFF AND POSE A THREAT FOR FLOODING OF LOW-LYING AREAS.

RADAR SHOWS A WIDE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH MODERATE TO
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...EXTENDING FROM JUST EAST OF EAGLE PASS TO
SAN ANTONIO TO AUSTIN.  BASED ON THIS OBSERVATION...THE RAIN SHOULD
PERSIST FOR SEVERAL MORE HOURS...AND ADD TO THE DAILY TOTALS.  OVER
AN INCH OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN AT THE SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT SINCE SHORTLY AFTER 5 AM.

MOTORISTS SHOULD EXERCISE CARE AND CAUTION WHILE DRIVING ON RAIN-
SLICKENED STREETS AND HIGHWAYS...AND APPROACH LOW-WATER CROSSINGS
WITH CAUTION.  PARENTS ARE URGED TO KEEP CHILDREN AWAY FROM FLOOD-
PRONE CREEKS...CULVERTS AND DRAINAGE DITCHES.  IN ADDITION...ANY
BOATERS ON AREA LAKES SHOULD BE ALERT FOR SUDDEN WIND SHIFTS AND
LIGHTNING.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED DURING THE DAY AS
CONDITIONS WARRANT...SO PLEASE STAY TUNED.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 29, 10:34 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXBandera, Kendall, Kerr4 hr
Jan 29, 10:34 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXComal4 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 1989Every flash flood warning in 1989

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.