Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1994

Flash Flood Warning 26, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

October 18, 1994Karnes County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this flash flood warning at Oct 18, 1994, 12:23 AM CDT for Karnes County, Texas. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Oct 18, 1994, 12:23 AM CDT (05:23 UTC)
Expired
Oct 18, 1994, 3:30 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Karnes County, TX

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 5.4 hours before the alert went out and 140 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, Corpus Christi, TX at 00:00Z on 1994-10-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2656 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, Corpus Christi, TX at 00:00Z on 1994-10-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 114 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
2656 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
618 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
114 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
131 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.5
Supercell composite
8.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSAT 180521
FFWSAT
TXC255-180830-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
1223 AM CDT TUE OCT 18 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  330 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH TEXAS
 
   ...KARNES COUNTY
 
AT 1215 AM CDT...HEAVY RAINS OF BETWEEN TWO AND THREE INCHES OVER THE
EAST HALF OF KARNES COUNTY HAS RESULTED FLOODING OF SOME ROADS. THE
SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS FM81 SOUTH OF HELENA HAS NUMEROUS SPOTS WITH
WATER OVER THE ROAD. TRAVEL IS DISCOURAGED IN KARNES COUNTY AS THE
COMBINATION OF DARKNESS AND FLOODED ROADWAYS MAKES FOR A DEADLY
COMBINATION.
 
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO FORM SOUTH OF KARNES COUNTY THIS
MORNING AND ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE, ADDING TO THE CURRENT
FLOODING PROBLEMS.
 
 
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED
ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.
 
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IMMINENT.
MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
CROSS BRIDGES...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 DURING THREATENING RAINS.
 
FLOOD PRONhE URBAN AREAS FILL WITH WATER QUICKLY.  CLOGGED STORM
DRAINS MAY CAUSE OTHER AREAS TO FLOOD.  DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH
FLOOD WATERS AND STAY AWAY FROM STORM DRAINS.

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, Oct 17, 6:40 PM CDT, 5 hours 43 minutes before
TXZ142-155-156-180045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
639 PM CDT MON OCT 17 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS....

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR LAMPASAS...SAN SABA AND MILLS
COUNTY UNTIL 8 PM...

AT 636 PM...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE NORTHWEST OF GOLDTHWAITE OVER
BROWNWOOD...MOVING EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.  THESE STORMS WILL MOVE
THROUGH NORTHERN MILLS COUNTY BETWEEN 650 AND 750 PM.  STRONG GUSTY WIND
.DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED.

PEOPLE ELSEWHERE IN MILLS COUNTY SHOULD STAY ON THE ALERT FOR STRONG
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.

PEEK
Special weather statement, Oct 17, 7:35 PM CDT, 4 hours 48 minutes before
TXZ142-155-156-180130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
735 PM CDT MON OCT 17 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN PARTS OF CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 731 PM...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM SOUTH OF BROWNWOOD OVER
THE COLORADO RIVER TO SOUTHEAST OF BROWNWOOD TO SOUTH OF COMANCHE.
THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL MOVE INTO
NORTHERN AND WESTERN MILLS COUNTY.  NORTHERN SAN SABA COUNTY MAY
ALSO BE AFFECTED BETWEEN 745 AND 845 PM.

STRONG GUSTY WIND...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED
WITH THE STORMS.  SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE.

PEOPLE IN MILLS...SAN SABA AND LAMPASAS COUNTIES ARE STILL UNDER A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM.  STAY ON THE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.  CONTINUE TO MONITOR RADIO/TV STATIONS
FOR FURTHER UPDATES.
PEEK
Special weather statement, Oct 17, 7:36 PM CDT, 4 hours 47 minutes before
TXZ142-155-156-180130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
735 PM CDT MON OCT 17 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN PARTS OF CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 731 PM...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM SOUTH OF BROWNWOOD OVER
THE COLORADO RIVER TO SOUTHEAST OF BROWNWOOD TO SOUTH OF COMANCHE.
THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL MOVE INTO
NORTHERN AND WESTERN MILLS COUNTY.  NORTHERN SAN SABA COUNTY MAY
ALSO BE AFFECTED BETWEEN 745 AND 845 PM.

STRONG GUSTY WIND...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED
WITH THE STORMS.  SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE.

PEOPLE IN MILLS...SAN SABA AND LAMPASAS COUNTIES ARE STILL UNDER A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM.  STAY ON THE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.  CONTINUE TO MONITOR RADIO/TV STATIONS
FOR FURTHER UPDATES.
PEEK
Special weather statement, Oct 17, 8:45 PM CDT, 3 hours 38 minutes before
TXZ142-155-156-180245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
845 PM CDT MON OCT 17 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN A PART OF CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 842 PM...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM NORTH OF SAN SABA OVER
THE COLORADO RIVER TO NORTHWEST OF GOLDTHWAITE TO SOUTHEAST OF
COMANCHE...MOVING EAST AT 5 MILES AN HOUR.  THESE STORMS SHOWED
SHOWED SOME DECREASE IN INTENSITY.  NEVERTHELESS...THEY WILL STILL
PRODUCE DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WIND AND HEAVY RAIN OVER
EXTREME NORTHERN SAN SABA AND MILLS COUNTY.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MILLS...LAMPASAS AND SAN SABA COUNTIES
EXPIRED AT 8 PM.
PEEK
Special weather statement, Oct 17, 11:13 PM CDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
TXZ171-188-190-190600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
1113 PM CDT MON OCT 17 1994

...AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM FORMS OVER THE HILL COUNTRY...

AT 1110 PM THERE WAS A THUNDERSTORM 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF FREDERICKSBURG
WHICH WAS PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...AND OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING.

THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 20 MPH.

ALTHOUGH THE HILL COUNTRY IS NOT IN THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH AREA SOME FLOODING
IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.  MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID ENTERING
FLOODED HIGHWAY DIPS AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

WITH THE MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS FURTHER STORM DEVELOPMENT IS POSSIBLE.
PERSONS LIVING IN THE HILL COUNTRY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR CHANGING WEATHER
CONDITIONS.
WALSH
Special weather statement, Oct 17, 11:55 PM CDT, 28 minutes before
TXZ171-188-190-190600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
1155 PM CDT MON OCT 17 1994

...A FEW LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS REMAIN OVER THE HILL COUNTRY...

AT 1153 PM THE THUNDERSTORMS HAD DIMINISHED TO A FEW LIGHT TO MODERATE
SHOWERS IN SOUTHERN LLANO COUNTY.

THERE WERE ALSO LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS ALONG THE GULF COAST AND IN
THE VICINITY OF HONDO.

THE SHOWERS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

NO FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED UNLESS REDEVELOPMENT OCCURS.

WALSH

The office that day

Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 18, 9:29 AM CDTTornado WarningEWXVictoria46 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 1994Every flash flood warning in 1994

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.