Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 38, NWS Fort Worth, TX

March 14, 1990Dallas County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this flash flood warning at Mar 14, 1990, 10:25 AM CST for Dallas County, Texas. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 14, 1990, 10:25 AM CST (16:25 UTC)
Expired
Mar 14, 1990, 12:30 PM CST
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Dallas 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, 4.4 hours before the alert went out and 138 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 1990-03-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 279 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 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 12:00Z on 1990-03-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 295 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
279 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-57 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1137 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
69 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
295 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
376 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFTW 141626
FFWFTW
TXC113-141830-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1025 AM CST WED MAR 14 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1230 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...DALLAS COUNTY
 
AT 1023 AM CST... REPORTS FROM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
OFFICIALS IN DALLAS COUNTY INDICATE FLOOD PROBLEMS BEGINNING IN MANY
LOW WATER AREAS. TURTLE CREEK AT FITZHUGH IN NORTH DALLAS HAD HIGH
WATER REPORTED... AND I-35 AT TRINITY MILLS ROAD WAS EXPERIENCING
FLOOD PROBLEMS. RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAINS CONTINUING
OVER DALLAS COUNTY AT 1020... WITH MORE RAIN EXPECTED UNTIL AT LEAST
1100 AM. ADDITIONAL FLOOD PROBLEMS ARE THEREFORE EXPECTED OVER DALLAS
COUNTY AND THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
 
MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING 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.

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, Mar 14, 7:34 AM CST, 2 hours 51 minutes before
TXZ021-022-023-025-026-027-141200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
730 AM CST WED MAR 14 1990

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL
TEXAS AND THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST TEXAS. THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH
METROPLEX AND THE CITIES OF GAINESVILLE...SHERMAN...PARIS...DENTON...
MCKINNEY...SULPHUR SPRINGS....CANTON...CORSICANA...CLEBURNE...AND
WEATHERFORD ARE IN THE WATCH AREA.

AT 725 AM...WEATHER RADARS INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME
STRONG...EXTENDING FROM BETWEEN WICHITA FALLS AND GAINESVILLE SOUTHWARD
TO NEAR MINERAL WELLS AND FARTHER SOUTH TO BETWEEN COMANCHE AND HAMILTON.
MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME STRONG...WERE MAINLY EAST OF A WACO...BONHAM
LINE. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO
TAKE SAFETY MEASURES.

STAY TU<NED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 7:58 AM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes before
TXZ031-141500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
755 AM CST WED MAR 14 1990

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1045 AM CST FOR LIMESTONE
COUNTY OF CENTRAL TEXAS...
...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL TEXAS UNTIL
100 PM CST...

AT 750 AM CST STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...EXTENDED
NORTH/SOUTH THROUGH CENTRAL LIMESTONE COUNTY...MOVING NORTHEAST 40
MPH.

OTHERWISE...THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN
WERE SCATTERED JUST TO THE WEST OF CENTRAL TEXAS...10 TO 20 MILES
WEST OF BOSQUE AND CORYELL COUNTIES. THESE STORMS WERE DRIFTING
SLOWLY TO THE EAST...WHILE INDIVIDUAL SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST
40 MILESd AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN LIMESTONE COUNTY SHOULD BE ALERT TO FLASH FLOODING  OF
LOW LYING..FLOOD PRONE AREAS...INCLUDING ROADWAYS AND STREAM BEDS.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO..TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS
OR WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 9:13 AM CST, 1 hour 12 minutes before
TXZ031-037-141615-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
911 AM CST WED MAR 14 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 AM CST FOR
BOSQUE AND MCLENNAN COUNTIES...
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 AM CST FOR
CORYELL COUNTY...
...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LIMESTONE COUNTY UNTIL
1045 AM CST...
...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 PM CST FOR ALL OF CENTRAL
TEXAS...

AT 905 AM CST POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN NORTHERN
CORYELL...SOUTHERN BOSQUE AND WESTERN MCLENNAN COUNTIES. MOVEMENT
WAS TO THE NORTHEAST 35 MILES AN HOUR.

OTHERWISE...MOSTLY LIGHT RAIN WAS SCATTERED THROUGH BRAZOS...LEON
AND ROBERTSON COUNTIES MOVING NORTHEAST 35 MPH.

PERSONS IN THE AREAS MENTIONED SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS TO FLASH FLOODING
AND POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO..TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS
OR WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 10:03 AM CST, 22 minutes before
TXZ019>033-141800-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1000 AM CST WED MAR 14 1990

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THODAY OVER THE
NORTHEAST PART OF NORTH TEXAS... GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE THROUGH
PARIS...DALLAS...AND WACO. THIS INCLUDES THE GREENVILLE...
SUPPHUR PRINGS... CORSICANA... PALESTINE...JACKSONVILLE...
AND TYLER/LONGVIEW AREAS.

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTH TEXAS TODAY.
THE AIRMASS NEAR THE SURFACE IS CHARACTERIZED BY DEEP MOISTURE...
WARM AIR... AND STRONG WINDS. THE COMBINATION OF THESE FACTORS...
ALONG WITH A STRONG DIVERGENT JET ALOFT... CREATES AND VERY UNSTABLE
ATMOSPHER AND IS CONSIDERED FAVORABLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE
HAIL... STRONG WINDS... AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES.

AT MID MORNING THUNDERSTORMS WERE ACTIVE IN A BROAD BAND ACROSS
NORTHEAST TEXAS FROM TEXARKANA TO NEAR DALLAS AND WACO. A BOUNDARY
AIR EXTENDED FROM NEAR TEXARKANA TO TYLER AND WEST TO NEAR WACO.
IT IS NEAR AND ALONG THIS BOUNDARY THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPEAR
MOST LIKELY THROUGH MID AFTERNOON... AND A TORNADO WATCH WAS IN
EFFECT FOR PART OF THE AREA UNTIL 100 PM.

EARLIER THIS MORNING... STRONG WINDS OCCURRED IN A NARROW BAND FROM
THE WACO AREA NORTHEAST THROUGH PARTS OF ELLIS...NAVARRO...HENDERSON...
AND SMITH COUNTIES. GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MPH WERE COMMON WITH
SOME DAMAGE REPORTED TO TREES AND POWER LINES. THIS WAS CAUSED BY
A STRONG DIFFERENCE IN THE PRESSURE FIELD THAT DEVELOPED BETWEEN
THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND A LOW PRESSURE AREA
OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS. THIS PRODUCED A STRONG JET OF LOW LEVEL
WINDS AT THE SURFACE THAT CONTINUED FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE STRONG
WINDS DIMINISHED AROUND 700 AM AS THE THUNDERSTORMS IN EAST TEXAS
WEAKENED AND THE PRESSURE GRADIENT RELAXED.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...SPOTTERS... AND RESIDENTS OVER THE
EASTERN HALF OF NORTH TEXAS WILL WANT TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH LATEST
WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS TODAY. ACTIVATION WILL OCCUR OVER THE EAST
CENTRAL PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS THROUGH MIDDAY...AND OVER THE EASTERN
PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS BY MID AFTERNOON. HEAVY RAINS ARE ALSO LIKELY...
SO RESIDENTS AND SPOTTERS WILL WANT TO AVOID FLOODED LOW WATER AREAS.
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST TEXAS
FOR TODAY.

OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH AREA... THE
SEVERE WEATHER RISK SHOULD DIMINISH BY EARLY AFTERNOON AS COOLER
AND DRIER AIR MOVES INKTO THE REGION.
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 10:13 AM CST, 12 minutes before
TXZ019>033-141800-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS...CORRECTION THIRD PARA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1000 AM CST WED MAR 14 1990

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THODAY OVER THE
NORTHEAST PART OF NORTH TEXAS... GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE THROUGH
PARIS...DALLAS...AND WACO. THIS INCLUDES THE GREENVILLE...
SUPPHUR PRINGS... CORSICANA... PALESTINE...JACKSONVILLE...
AND TYLER/LONGVIEW AREAS.

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTH TEXAS TODAY.
THE AIRMASS NEAR THE SURFACE IS CHARACTERIZED BY DEEP MOISTURE...
WARM AIR... AND STRONG WINDS. THE COMBINATION OF THESE FACTORS...
ALONG WITH A STRONG DIVERGENT JET ALOFT... CREATES AND VERY UNSTABLE
ATMOSPHER AND IS CONSIDERED FAVORABLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE
HAIL... STRONG WINDS... AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES.

AT MID MORNING THUNDERSTORMS WERE ACTIVE IN A BROAD BAND ACROSS
NORTHEAST TEXAS FROM TEXARKANA TO NEAR DALLAS AND WACO. A BOUNDARY
OF RAIN-COOLED
AIR EXTENDED FROM NEAR TEXARKANA TO TYLER AND WEST TO NEAR WACO.
IT IS NEAR AND ALONG THIS BOUNDARY THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPEAR
MOST LIKELY THROUGH MID AFTERNOON... AND A TORNADO WATCH WAS IN
EFFECT FOR PART OF THE AREA UNTIL 100 PM.

EARLIER THIS MORNING... STRONG WINDS OCCURRED IN A NARROW BAND FROM
THE WACO AREA NORTHEAST THROUGH PARTS OF ELLIS...NAVARRO...HENDERSON...
AND SMITH COUNTIES. GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MPH WERE COMMON WITH
SOME DAMAGE REPORTED TO TREES AND POWER LINES. THIS WAS CAUSED BY
A STRONG DIFFERENCE IN THE PRESSURE FIELD THAT DEVELOPED BETWEEN
THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND A LOW PRESSURE AREA
OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS. THIS PRODUCED A STRONG JET OF LOW LEVEL
WINDS AT THE SURFACE THAT CONTINUED FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE STRONG
WINDS DIMINISHED AROUND 700 AM AS THE THUNDERSTORMS IN EAST TEXAS
WEAKENED AND THE PRESSURE GRADIENT RELAXED.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...SPOTTERS... AND RESIDENTS OVER THE
EASTERN HALF OF NORTH TEXAS WILL WANT TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH LATEST
WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS TODAY. ACTIVATION WILL OCCUR OVER THE EAST
CENTRAL PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS THROUGH MIDDAY...AND OVER THE EASTERN
PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS BY MID AFTERNOON. HEAVY RAINS ARE ALSO LIKELY...
SO RESIDENTS AND SPOTTERS WILL WANT TO AVOID FLOODED LOW WATER AREAS.
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS THUND IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST
TEXAS FOR TODAY.

OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH AREA... THE
SEVERE WEATHER RISK SHOULD DIMINISH BY EARL^Y AFTERNOON AS COOLER
AND DRIER AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION.
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 10:17 AM CST, 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1020 AM CST WED MAR 14 1990

JUST AFTER 10 AM...THUNDERSTORMS IN HILL COUNTY PRODUCED A POSSIBLE
TORNADO.  THIS THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE INTO ELLIS COUNTY NEAR WAXAHACHIE BY
11 AM CST.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS...OVER DALLAS COUNTY...WERE ALSO PRODUCING HEAVY
RAINS AND STREET FLOODING IN DALLAS.  WINDS GUSTED TO 40 MILES AN HOUR
INm RICHARDSON JUST AFTER 10 AM.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 13, 6:06 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDWichita69 min
Mar 13, 6:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFisher, Stonewall60 min
Mar 13, 7:08 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDWichita52 min
Mar 13, 7:23 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFisher, Jones, Nolan67 min
Mar 13, 8:13 PM CSTTornado WarningFWDWilbarger47 min
Mar 14, 12:18 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHardeman42 min
Mar 14, 2:29 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDClay31 min
Mar 14, 3:23 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDBell, Falls67 min
Mar 14, 3:42 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDLimestone, McLennan63 min
Mar 14, 4:22 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHenderson53 min
Mar 14, 7:38 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDLimestone3 hr
Mar 14, 8:14 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDHenderson3 hr
Mar 14, 8:23 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCoryell67 min
Mar 14, 9:00 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDBosque, McLennan60 min
Mar 14, 9:51 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHill, McLennan69 min
Mar 14, 10:04 AM CSTTornado WarningFWDHill56 min
Mar 14, 10:36 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFalls, Limestone69 min
Mar 14, 11:04 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDKaufman41 min
Mar 14, 11:34 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHunt, Rains56 min
Mar 14, 11:49 AM CSTTornado WarningFWDRains, Van Zandt41 min
Mar 14, 11:55 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDelta, Hopkins, Lamar65 min
Mar 14, 12:54 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFalls66 min
Mar 14, 2:37 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCherokee, Smith53 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 1990Every flash flood warning in 1990

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.