Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Lubbock, TX

July 27, 1990Lubbock County, Texas

NWS Lubbock, TX issued this flash flood warning at Jul 27, 1990, 9:50 PM CDT for Lubbock County, Texas. It was in force for 115 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 27, 1990, 9:50 PM CDT (02:50 UTC)
Expired
Jul 27, 1990, 11:45 PM CDT
In force
115 min
Issued by
NWS Lubbock, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Lubbock 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

Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 00:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 180 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, Amarillo Airport, TX at 00:00Z on 1990-07-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 648 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, Amarillo Airport, TX at 00:00Z on 1990-07-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 3 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
648 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-74 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1873 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
45 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 KLBB 280252
FFWLBB
TXC303-280445-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
950 PM CDT FRI JUL 27 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LUBBOCK HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTHWEST TEXAS
 
   ...LUBBOCK COUNTY
 
AT 950 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL MOVING INTO THE CITY OF LUBBOCK. MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS WAS
TO THE NORTH AT 10 MPH.  THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER OF THE CITY
OF LUBBOCK REPORTS WIDESPREAD FLOODING OF MAJOR INTERSECTIONS AND
LOW WATER CROSSINGS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO
LIMIT NON-EMERGENCY TRAVEL UNTIL THE HEAVY RAINS EXIT THE AREA AND
FLOOD WATERS SUBSIDE.
 
HEAVY RAINFALL EARLIER THIS EVENING HAS CAUSED SATURATED CONDITIONS
ACROSS THE AREA AND ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL RESULT IN RAPID
RUNOFF AND RENEWED FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING A<REAS.
 
 
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, Jul 27, 5:34 PM CDT, 4 hours 16 minutes before
TXZ007>012-280130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
530 PM FRIDAY JULY 27 1990

AT 525 PM WEATHER RADAR CONTINUED TO SHOW SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN ACROSS NORTHEAST AND THE CENTRAL SOUTH PLAINS.  HEAVY
RAIN WAS REPORTED LUBBOCK...MOTLEY...AND CROSBY COUNTIES.

OVER THE PAST HOUR AND A HALF MORE THAN 1.3 INCHES OF RAIN HAD FALLEN AT
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN LUBBOCK.  WIDESPREAD STREET HAS
ALSO BEEN REPORTED WITH SOME CARS STALLED ON CITY STREETS.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE VERY STRONG GUSTY WIND...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING AND HAIL.

MOTORIST SHOULD USE EXTREME CAUTION AND AVOID AREAS WERE WATER COVERS
THE ROAD.
                                                                     >
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.
Special weather statement, Jul 27, 8:14 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before
TXZ007-008-009-010-011-012-280315-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
812 PM CDT FRI JUL 27 1990

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR LUBBOCK COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

AT 810 PM RADAR INDICATED THAT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAD DECREASED
IN INTENSITY AND AREAL COVERAGE ACROSS LUBBOCK COUNTY REDUCING THE
IMMEDIATE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING.

ELSEWHERE IN THE SOUTH PLAINS A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
30 MILES WIDE CONTINUED FROM MATADOR SOUTHWEST ACROSS CROSBYTON TO
JUST NORTHWEST OF POST.  THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WAS OCCURRING IN GARZA
COUNTY 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF POST.  RAINFALL FROM SOME OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING
AREAS.  MOTORIST ARE URGED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION AND AVOID AREAS
WHERE WATERS COVERS THE ROADWAY.

ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM THE WESTERN PARTS OF THE
PANHANDLE ACROSS CLOVIS SOUTHWEST THROUGH EASTERN NEW MEXICO.  THIS
AREA WAS MOVING VERY SLOWLY TO THE EAST AND MAY EFFECT PARTS OF THE
WESTERN SOUTH PLAINS LATER THIS EVENING.

DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ... STRONG GUSTY WINDS... AND SMALL HAIL ARE
POSSIBLE WITH ANY OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.
Special weather statement, Jul 27, 9:24 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
TXZ007-008-009-010-011-012-280330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
922 PM CDT FRI JUL 27 1990

AT 920 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE
SOUTHWARD ALONG THE TEXAS-NEW MEXICO STATE LINE.  THE STRONGEST
STORMS ON THE SOUTH PLAINS WERE LOCATED IN BAILEY COUNTY...AND
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS
ARE LIKELY THERE FOR THE NEXT ONE TO TWO HOURS. MOVEMENT OF THESE
STORMS WAS TO THE SOUTH SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

ANOTHER AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED ACROSS THE
CENTRAL COUNTIES OF THE SOUTH PLAINS. THE STRONGER STORMS IS THIS
AREA WERE LOCATED OVER TERRY...LYNN..LUBBOCK AND CROSBY COUNTIES.
MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS IN THIS AREA WAS TO THE NORTH AT 10 MPH.

FLOODING OFF STREETS AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS IS LIKELY ACROSS THE
SOUTH PLAINS THIS EVENING DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS
AND ASSOCIATED HEAVY RAINFALL RATES.

STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS
OR WARNINGS.

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.