Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Lake Charles, LA

May 17, 1989Nacogdoches County, Texas

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this flash flood warning at May 17, 1989, 10:12 PM CDT for Nacogdoches County, Texas. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 17, 1989, 10:12 PM CDT (03:12 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 1989, 1:15 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Whole counties

County Nacogdoches 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

Longview/Gregg, TX (KGGG), launched 00:00Z, 3.2 hours before the alert went out and 82 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, Longview/Gregg, TX at 00:00Z on 1989-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1023 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, Longview/Gregg, TX at 00:00Z on 1989-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 287 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
1023 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
554 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
75 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
287 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
292 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.0
Supercell composite
9.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBPT 180312
FFWBPT
TXC347-199-241-457-180615-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX
1012 PM CDT WED MAY 17 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PORT ARTHUR HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  115 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTHEAST TEXAS
          ...NACOGDOCHES
IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
          ...HARDIN...JASPER...TYLER
 
A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING EAST THROUGH TYLER AND HARDIN
COUNTIES AT 10 PM CDT. THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS CAUSING FLOODING
IN WOODVILLE IN TYLER COUNTY.
 
THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE DROPPING HEAVY RAINS ACROSS HARDIN AND TYLER
COUNTIES AND THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING INTO NORTHERN JASPER COUNTY
AT 1010 PM CDT AND WILL INTER SOUTHERN JASPER COUNTY IN THE NEXT HOUR.
 
FLOODING COUNTINUES IN NACOGDOCHES COUNTY AND THE LA NANA AND BONITO
CREEKS CONTINUE TO RISE RAPIDLY.
 
 
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.
 
NNNN

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 17, 6:38 PM CDT, 3 hours 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
635 PM CDT WED MAY 17 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM CDT THIS WEDNESDAY FOR
CENTRAL LOUISIANA...AND PARTS OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA EXCEPT FOR
CAMERON AND VERMILLION PARISHES...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR VERNON PARISH
IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...

AT 626 PM CDT... STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SHOWN ABOUT 15 MILES NORTH OF
LIVINGSTON TEXAS AND WEST OF MANY OR OVER CENTRAL TOLEDO BEND RESERVOIR.

ELSEWHERE ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AND PATCHES OF HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED
TO THE NORTH OF A GALVESTON...KIRBYVILLE...CENTRAL GRANT PARISH LINE.
NO RAIN OR THUNDERSTORMS WERE NOOTED IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AT THIS TIME.

ALL MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.O
Special weather statement, May 17, 7:25 PM CDT, 2 hours 47 minutes before
TTAAOO KESF 180025
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALEXANDRIA LA
725 PM CDT WED MAY 17 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR RAPIDES...GRANT AND LASALLE
PARISHES OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA UNTIL 11PM TONIGHT...

AT 720 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED NO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THESE PARISHES...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE
LOCATED TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF THE PARISHES AND WILL BE WATCHED
CLOSELY FOR DEVELOPMENT AND MOVEMENT...

PERSONS IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY
OF SEVERE WEATHER LATER TONIGHT IN THE WATCH AREA AND BE PREPARED TO
TAKE NECESSARY ACTION IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.
Special weather statement, May 17, 7:37 PM CDT, 2 hours 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
740 PM CDT WED MAY 17 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM CDT THIS WEDNESDAY FOR
CENTRAL LOUISIANA...AND PARTS OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA EXCEPT FOR
CAMERON AND VERMILLION PARISHES...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR VERNON PARISH
IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...

AT 726 PM CDT... STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SHOWN OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS
FROM WEST OF HOUSTON TO OVER LAKE LIVINGSTON TO LUFKIN AND RAYBURN LAKE
NORTHEAST TO CENTRAL TOLEDO BEND TO NORTHEAST OF WINNFIELD.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT NEAR 30 MPH.

ELSEWHERE A LARGE PATCH OF RAIN WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MIXED IN
WAS TO THE NORTHEAST OF A HOUSTON...KIRBYVILLE...NATCHITOCHES LINE.
Special weather statement, May 17, 8:41 PM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
835 PM CDT WED MAY 17 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM CDT THIS WEDNESDAY FOR
CENTRAL LOUISIANA...AND PARTS OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA EXCEPT FOR
CAMERON AND VERMILLION PARISHES...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR VERNON PARISH
IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...

AT 827 PM CDT... STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SHOWN OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS
FROM NORTHWEST OF HOUSTON NORTHEASTWARD TO NORTHEAST OF NATCHITOCHES IN
NORTH LOUISIANA. HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING HAS OCCURRED IN THE LUFKIN AREA.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT NEAR 30 MPH.

A GOOD PART OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOME OF NORTH LOUISIANA TO THE NORTHEAST
OF A FREEPORT...HOUSTON...LEESVILLE...JENA LINE WAS BEING AFFECTED BY
THIS LARGE MASS OF RAIN WITH THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER MUCH
THE SAME AREAS AS EARLIER IN THE DAY..SO BE ON THE WATCH FOR FLOODING TO
OCCUR MAINLY IN PARTS OF oSOUTHEAST TEXAS.
Special weather statement, May 17, 9:43 PM CDT, 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
945 PM CDT WED MAY 17 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM CDT THIS WEDNESDAY FOR
CENTRAL LOUISIANA...AND PARTS OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA EXCEPT FOR
CAMERON AND VERMILLION PARISHES...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR VERNON PARISH
IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...

AT 931 PM CDT...HEAVY RAINFALL AND WIDELY SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
WERE SHOWN FROM SOUTHWEST OF HOUSTON TO CONROE TO EAST OF LUFKIN THEN
NORTHEAST OVER TOLEDO BEND TO NORTH OF WINNFIELD.

LITTLE MOVEMENT WAS SHOWN AS REGENERATION WAS TAKING PLACE.

IN SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA ONLY LIGHT RAIN WAS OCCURRING IN
NORTHWEST VERNON AND BEAUREGARDE PARISHES AND IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA IN
GRANT AND NORTHERN LASALLE PARISHES.
Special weather statement, May 17, 10:10 PM CDT, 2 minutes before
TTAAOO KESF 180310
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALEXANDRIA LA
1010 PM CDT WED MAY 17 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR RAPIDES...GRANT AND LASALLE
PARISHES OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA UNTIL 400AM THIS THURSDAY
MORNING...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF NORTHERN AND WEST CENTRAL
LOUISIANA INCLUDING RAPIDES...GRANT AND LASALLE PARISHES
FOR THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT...

AT 1010 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED NO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THESE PARISHES...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE
LOCATED TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF THE PARISHES AND WERE PRODUCING
VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE STRONG WINDS AND HAIL.

PERSONS IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY
OF SEVERE WEATHER LATER TONIGHT IN THE WATCH AREA AND BE PREPARED TO
TAKE NECESSARY ACTION IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lake Charles, LA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 8:07 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHAngelina, Nacogdoches, San Augustine2 hr
May 17, 10:12 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHHardin, Jasper, Tyler3 hr
May 17, 10:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHHardin66 min
May 17, 10:43 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHNewton3 hr
May 18, 1:29 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHNewton2 hr
May 18, 1:29 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHHardin, Jasper2 hr
May 18, 6:20 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHHardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Newton, Orange5 hr
May 18, 6:20 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHTyler5 hr
May 18, 11:09 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHHardin2 hr
May 18, 12:07 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHJasper, Newton2 hr
May 18, 12:22 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHOrange2 hr
May 18, 1:23 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHHardin2 hr
May 18, 2:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHJasper, Newton57 min
May 18, 2:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHTyler57 min
May 18, 2:09 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHJasper, Newton2 hr
May 18, 3:30 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHHardin3 hr
May 18, 4:21 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHNewton3 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.