Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 48, NWS Fort Worth, TX

April 24, 1990Bell County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this flash flood warning at Apr 24, 1990, 6:37 PM CDT for Bell County, Texas. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 24, 1990, 6:37 PM CDT (23:37 UTC)
Expired
Apr 24, 1990, 9:45 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Bell 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, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 144 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 1990-04-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 985 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, Stephenville/Cla, TX at 12:00Z on 1990-04-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 14 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
985 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
599 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-40 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 KACT 242239
FFWACT
TXC027-250245-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
637 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WACO HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  945 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...BELL COUNTY
 
AT 6:30 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY
RAINFALL IN SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF BELL COUNTY. WATER IS REPORTED
OVER HIGHWAY 95 JUST NORTH OF HOLLAND IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF
THE COUNTY. RUNOFF WILL CONTINUE HEAVY FOR THE NEXT HOUR OR SO
AS ADDITIONAL STORMS MOVE INTO BELL COUNTY FROM THE SOUTH.
 
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, Apr 24, 3:03 PM CDT, 3 hours 34 minutes before
TXZ031-037-242103-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
302 PM CDT MON APR 24 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUE OVER CENTRAL AND
   SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 250 PM CDT AN AREA OF RAIN...WITH NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
...SOME WITH HEAVY TO VERY HEAVY RAIN...WAS EAST OF A LINE...FROM DALLAS
...TO MARLIN...TO 10 MILES EAST OF KILLEEN TO BASTROP. THE THUNDERSTORMS
WITH THE HEAVIER RAINFALL WERE IN CENTRAL BELL COUNTY...WHERE PEA SIZE
HAIL HAD BEEN REPORTED AT LITTLE RIVER ACADEMY.

ANOTHER 10 MILE WIDE BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...WAS
FROM MILANO...TO NEW BADEN TO 5 MILES EAST OF GROESBECK.

RESIDENTS IN BELL...ROBERTSON AND EASTERN LIMESTONE COUNTIES CAN EXPECT
BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...
AND OCCASIONAL SMALL HAIL.<

ELSEWHERE...ISOLATED SHOWERS WERE OVER CENTRAL CORYELL AND WESTERN
BOSQUE COUNTY.

THE AREA OF RAINFALL CONTINUES TO MOVE EAST ABOUT 20 MILES AN HOUR...
WHILE THE HEAVIER THUNDERSTORMS TRACK NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN
HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS.

07
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 3:45 PM CDT, 2 hours 52 minutes before
TXZ019>033-250300-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FT WORTH TX
340 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990

A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS FOR THE REMAINDER
OF THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FOR THAT PART OF NORTH TEXAS WEST
OF A A LINE THROUGH WICHITA FALLS AND ABILENE. A SLIGHT RISK AREA
ALSO CONTINUES EAST OF THE MODERATE RISK AREA BUT WEST OF A LINE
THROUGH SHERMAN-DALLAS-LAMPASAS.

AT 330 PM THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING ALONG THE DRY LINE IN
WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND THE TEXAS PANHANDLE FROM WEST OF GAGE TO
WEST OF CHILDRESS TO NEAR LUBBOCK. SURFACE TEMPERATURES HAD WARMED
INTO THE LOW 80S OVER THIS AREA... PRODUCING LIFTED INDEX VALUES...
A MEASURE OF INSTABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE... IN THE MINUS 8 TO
MINUS 10 RANGE... WHICH IS CONSIDERED TO BE MODERATELY UNSTABLE.
A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY EVENTUALLY REACH SEVERE LEVELS...MAINLY
WITH LARGE HAIL... BUT POSSIBLY A TORNADO. THE NATIIONAL SEVERE
STORMS FORECAST CENTER WILL MONITOR THIS SITUATION AND ISSUE A
SEVERE WEATHER WATCH IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.

ADDTIONAL THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED THIS AFTERNOON OVER EASTERN
PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS...  FROM PARIS SOUTH TO TYLER AND PALESTINE.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO DEVELOPING IN RESPONSE TO SURFACE
HEATING AND MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIR... BUT THE CHANGES IN WIND
SPEEDS AND DIRECTIONS WITH HEIGHT WERE SMALL AND NOT EXPECTED
TO BE FAVORABLE FOR LARGE HAIL OR TORNADOES. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS
HOWEVER... MAY APPROACH SEVERE LIMITS WITH SMALL HAIL OR GUSTY
WINDS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS IN WEST TEXAS WILL MOVE EASTWARD... AFFECTING
THE WESTERN PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS BETWEEN 500 AND 900 PM. SOME
THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTINUE AFTER 900 PM INTO THE SLIGHT RISK
AR"EA BEFORE DECREASING LATER TONIGHT.

SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS OVER THE WESTERN
PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS WILL WANT TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH LATER
WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS TONIGHT.
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 4:21 PM CDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before
TXZ031-037-242230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
415 PM CDT MON APR 24 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER BELL COUNTY IN CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 4:05 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN...EXTENDED FROM CANTON...TO GROESBECK...TO KILLEEN
AND SOUTHEAST TOWARD GIDDINGS. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
THE BELL/FALLS COUNTY LINE EAST OF TEMPLE. OTHER STRONG STORMS WERE
WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF BELTON IN BELL COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST.

THE PRECIPITATION AREA EXTENDED EAST BEYOND TYLER AND SOUTH TO
HEMPSTEAD. OTHER SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING FROM GLEN ROSE SOUTH ACROSS
BOSQUE AND CORYELL COUNTIES TO AUSTIN.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...AND PERIODS
OF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL SHOULD BE EXPECTED WITH THE LARGER STORMS AS
THEY MOVE THROUGH BELL...FALLS...ROBERTSON...LEON...AND POSSIBLY
<LIMESTONE COUNTIES DURING THE NEXT HOUR. PERSONS IN BELL COUNTY
0MAY EXPERIENCE SOME STREET FLOODING AND FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS
SINCE THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN TRACKING NORTHEAST ACROSS THAT
COUNTY AT 25 MPH DURING THE PAST TWO HOURS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 5:06 PM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
TXZ022-023-027-028-032-033-250000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FT WORTH TX
505 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990

AT 500 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATED NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS...WITH
VERY HEAVY RAINS...AND SCATTERED RAINSHOWERS OVER NORTHEAST TEXAS AND THE
EXTREME SOUTHEAST PART OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS. THE AREA OF PRECIPITATION
IS MAINLY EAST OF A FAIRFIELD...CANTON...PARIS LINE.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINS WERE IN A LINE FROM NEAR
CENTERVILLE...PALESTINE...TYLER TO QUITMAN. MOVEMENT OF ALL THE
PRECIPITATION WAS NORTH AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

CONSIDERABLE MOISTURE AT THE LOWER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE...AND A
PASSING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE...WAS PRODUCING THE^ SIGNIFICANT AREA
OF PRECIPITATION IN NORTHEAST TEXAS.

LOCALIZED FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS IS LIKELY WITH THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS ON THIS WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 5:43 PM CDT, 54 minutes before
TXZ031-037-242230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
535 PM CDT MON APR 24 1990

...MORE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN AND MARBLE SIZE HAIL
MOVING THROUGH BELL COUNTY OF CENTRAL TEXAS...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME ACCOMPANIED BY VERY HEAVY RAINFALL..
CONTINUE ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL TEXAS. AT
5:25 PM CDT...WACO RADAR SHOWED THE STRONGEST STORMS CONTINUING
IN BELL COUNTY. THESE STORMS ARE TRACKING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH...
AND ALONG A GENERAL PATH OTHER STORMS HAVE TAKEN DURING THE AFTERNOON.
AN UNOFFICIAL REPORT OF OVER THREE INCHES OF RAINFALL WAS RECEIVED
FROM THE ACADEMY AREA. ONE STORM HAS JUST MOVED OVER THE ACADEMY/
HEIDENHEIMER AREA OF BELL COUNTY OR JUST SOUTHEAST OF TEMPLE.
FURTHER SOUTH ANOTHER STORM IS LOCATED SOUTH OF SALADO AND JUST
NORTHWEST OF BARTLETT. MARBLE SIZE HAIL HAS JUST OCCURRED 3 MILES
NORTH OF BARTLETT BETWEEN 5:25 AND AND 5:30. THIS STORM IS MOVING
NORTHEAST.
<
SOME STREET FLOODING IS POSSIBLE ALONG WITH FLOODING OF DITCHES...
SMALL STREAMS...UNDERPASSES...AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS DURING THE
NEXT HOUR OR SO AS RUNOFF WILL CONTINUE FROM THESE HEAVY RAINS.
LOCAL OFFICIALS HAVE REPORTED NO PROBLEMS THUS FAR IN THE COUNTY.
NEVERTHELESS...MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION ESPECIALLY OVER THE
EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY.

SHOULD THE STORM OVER THE SOUTHERN PART OF BELL COUNTY MOVE OVER
THE SAME PATH AS THE PREVIOUS STORMS...A WARNING WILL LIKELY BE
NEEDED. PERSONS IN THAT COUNTY SHOULD BE EXPECIALLY ALERT FOR
FLOODING DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 5:49 PM CDT, 48 minutes before
TXZ022-023-027-028-032-033-250000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FT WORTH TX
545 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990

AT 540 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATED AN AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS...SOME PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS...OVER
NORTHEAST TEXAS MAINLY EAST OF A FAIRFIELD...SULPHUR SPRINGS...PARIS LINE.
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER SOUTHEAST ANDERSON AND SOUTHWEST CHEROKEE
COUNTIES...OVER SOUTHEAST AND NORTHEAST TYLER COUNTY...AND OVER NORTHEAST
WOOD...WESTERN CAMP AND SOUTH FRANKLIN COUNTIES. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST
AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

CONSIDERABLE MOISTURE AT THE LOWER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE...AND A
PASSING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE...WAS PRODUCING THE SIGNIFICANT AREA
OF PRECIPITATION IN NORTHEAST TEXAS.

LOCALIZED FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS IS LIKELY WITH THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 23, 8:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDTaylor59 min
Apr 23, 9:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDJones57 min
Apr 23, 9:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDTaylor65 min
Apr 24, 2:50 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDMitchell, Scurry55 min
Apr 24, 6:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDBrazos68 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.