Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1993

Tornado Warning 13, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

May 30, 1993Harris County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at May 30, 1993, 1:35 PM CDT for Harris County, Texas. It was in force for 40 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 30, 1993, 1:35 PM CDT (18:35 UTC)
Expired
May 30, 1993, 2:15 PM CDT
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Harris County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 52 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:39 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 30, 1:35 PM CDTTornado F0Harris, TXThe United States Coast Guard reported a tornado near Patrick's Bayou in eastern Harris county. No damage was reported.

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 6.6 hours before the alert went out and 213 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 12:00Z on 1993-05-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 561 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 12:00Z on 1993-05-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 23 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
561 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-19 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
655 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
11 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 KHOU 301836
TORHOU
TXC201-301915-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
135 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  215 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION......
 
IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
 
   ...EASTERN HARRIS COUNTY
 
AT 137 PM A TORNADO WAS NEAR PATRICKS BAYOU BY THE COAST GUARD VESSEL
TRAFFIC SERVICE. MOVING TOWARDS DEER PARK.
 
TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 30, 10:46 AM CDT, 2 hours 49 minutes before
TXZ032-037-045>047-049-301800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
1046 AM CDT SUN MAY 30 1993

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TODAY WITH A FEW BECOMING
SEVERE LATER THIS AFTERNOON.  THE COMBINATION OF AN APPROACHING UPPER
AREA OF LOW PRESSURE AND WARM TEMPERATURES FORECASTED IN THE UPPER
80S MAY TRIGGER THESE STORMS.

FOR THOSE OF YOU PLANNING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES...BE SURE TO KEEP YOUR
EYE ON THE SKY.  KEEP YOUR RADIO OR TELEVISION TUNED TO A NEWS SOURCE
WHEN THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA.

HAVE A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.
Special weather statement, May 30, 10:47 AM CDT, 2 hours 48 minutes before
TXZ032-037-045>047-049-301800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
1046 AM CDT SUN MAY 30 1993

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TODAY WITH A FEW BECOMING
SEVERE LATER THIS AFTERNOON.  THE COMBINATION OF AN APPROACHING UPPER
AREA OF LOW PRESSURE AND WARM TEMPERATURES FORECASTED IN THE UPPER
80S MAY TRIGGER THESE STORMS.

FOR THOSE OF YOU PLANNING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES...BE SURE TO KEEP YOUR
EYE ON THE SKY.  KEEP YOUR RADIO OR TELEVISION TUNED TO A NEWS SOURCE
WHEN THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA.

HAVE A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.
Special weather statement, May 30, 11:57 AM CDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
TXZ032-037-045>047-049-301800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
1157 AM CDT SUN MAY 30 1993

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING RAPIDLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST
TEXAS...

BETWEEN 11 AM AND 12 PM...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAD INCREASED
IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS.  AT 1147 AM...
AN AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL...WAS BETWEEN COLLEGE STATION...BEAMONT AND MATAGORDA
BAY.  THE INDIVIDUAL STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR
WHILE THE AREA WAS SHIFTING EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WAS MOVING INTO MATAGORDA COUNTY FROM MIDFIELD
TO PALACIOUS.

SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE BRIEF GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAINFALL...
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.  REMEMBER THAT LIGHTNING IS THE UNDER RATED
KILLER.
Special weather statement, May 30, 11:58 AM CDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before
TXZ032-037-045>047-049-301800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
1157 AM CDT SUN MAY 30 1993

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING RAPIDLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST
TEXAS...

BETWEEN 11 AM AND 12 PM...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAD INCREASED
IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS.  AT 1147 AM...
AN AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL...WAS BETWEEN COLLEGE STATION...BEAMONT AND MATAGORDA
BAY.  THE INDIVIDUAL STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR
WHILE THE AREA WAS SHIFTING EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WAS MOVING INTO MATAGORDA COUNTY FROM MIDFIELD
TO PALACIOUS.

SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY LPRODUCE BRIEF GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAINFALL...
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.  REMEMBER THAT LIGHTNING IS THE UNDER RATED
KILLER.
Special weather statement, May 30, 1:09 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
TXZ032-037-045>047-049-511-301915-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
109 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 1993

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO RUMBLE ACROSS SOUTHEAST
TEXAS...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS.  AT
1247 PM A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL EXTENDED
FROM CONROE THROUGH DOWNTOWN HOUSTON TO LEAGUE CITY.   A SECOND AREA
OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM MADISONVILLE TO WHARTON TO MATAGORDA BAY.

THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WAS FROM SURFSIDE TO NASA TO LIBERTY.  ANOTHER
AREA OF HEAVY RAINFALL WAS FROM CONROE TO DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT
15 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
SO KEEP AN EAR TO THE LOCALE NEWS AND AN EYE ON THE SKY.
Special weather statement, May 30, 1:09 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
TXZ032-037-045>047-049-511-301915-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
109 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 1993

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO RUMBLE ACROSS SOUTHEAST
TEXAS...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS.  AT
1247 PM A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL EXTENDED
FROM CONROE THROUGH DOWNTOWN HOUSTON TO LEAGUE CITY.   A SECOND AREA
OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM MADISONVILLE TO WHARTON TO MATAGORDA BAY.

THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WAS FROM SURFSIDE TO NASA TO LIBERTY.  ANOTHER
AREA OF HEAVY RAINFALL WAS FROM CONROE TO DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT
15 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
SO KEEP AN EAR TO THE LOCALE NEWS AND AN EYE ON THE SKY.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 30, 2:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazoria, Matagorda54 min
May 30, 2:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXLiberty60 min
May 30, 3:30 PM CDTTornado WarningHGXHarris30 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 1993Every tornado warning in 1993Tornadoes in 1993

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.