Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1997

Tornado Warning 10, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

April 26, 1997Duval County, Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this tornado warning at Apr 26, 1997, 3:37 AM CDT for Duval County, Texas. It was in force for 38 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
Apr 26, 1997, 3:37 AM CDT (08:37 UTC)
Expired
Apr 26, 1997, 4:15 AM CDT
In force
38 min
Issued by
NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Duval County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 99 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:41 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
Apr 26, 3:45 AM CDTHail 0.75Freer, TX

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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 26, 1:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 115 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 1997-04-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3687 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 1997-04-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 17 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
3687 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
518 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
17 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
91 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCRP 260837 RRA
TORCRP
TXC131-260915-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
337 AM CDT SAT APR 26 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS UPGRADED TO A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  415 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY......
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...DUVAL COUNTY
 
RADAR SHOWS A POSSIBLE TORNADO BETWEEN SAN DIEGO AND FREER.
MOVEMENT OF THE TORNADO WAS EAST AND NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
 
PERSONS NEAR SAN DIEGO SHOULD TAKE COVER.
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

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.

NWS Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Apr 26, 2:03 AM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 26, 2:03 AM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
COASTAL BEND FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
200 AM CDT SAT APR 26 1997

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF SOUTH TX...

STRONG UPPER LOW IN NORTHERN MEXICO WILL CAUSE SEVERE/FLASH FLOOD
EVENT FOR SOUTH TX THE NEXT 36 HOURS.  LOW WILL REMAIN NEARLY
STATIONARY OR EVEN SINK A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH BEFORE IT KICKS
OUT TO THE NORTHEAST TONIGHT AND SUNDAY.

AT THE SFC...COOL FRONT WILL REMAIN JUST SOUTH OF SOUTH TX AND
ALONG THE TEXAS COAST.  THIS BOUNDRY WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR VERY
HEAVY RAINS.  ECHO TRAINING LIKELY.

UPPER LOW WILL BE SENDING OUT NUMEROUS DISTURBANCES TOWARD SOUTH
TEXAS WITH HIGH UVVS.  DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE SFC FRONT LOW
LEVEL CONVERGENCE WILL BE BEST OVER THE AREA.  THUS TSRA WILL BE
NUMEROUS.   PWS WILL BE NEAR THE 1.5 RANGE.  THUS FLASH FLOODING
POSSIBLE.  WILL ISSUE FFA FOR ALL AREAS.  3 TO 5 INCH RAINS LIKELY
ESPECIALLY CRP AND VCT AREAS.

RAIN TO END FROM WEST TO EAST LATE ON SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT...

ZONES...FFA ALL AREAS...SEVERE ALL AREAS TODAY...CRP AND VCT TONIGHT...

VCT...TODAY...CLOUDY 90 CHANCE RA/TSRA.  NORTHEAST 10-20 MPH.
TONIGHT...CLOUDY 60 CHANCE OF RA/TSRA.  NORTHEAST 15 MPH.
SUNDAY...CLOUDY 70 CHANCE RA/TSRA.  NORTHEAST WIND 15 MPH.

CRP...TODAY...CLOUDY 90 CHANCE RA/TSRA.  NORTHEAST WIND 15-20 MPH.
TONIGHT...CLOUDY 60 CHANCE OF RA/TSRA.  NORTHEAST 15-20.
SUNDAY...CLOUDY 70 CHANCE OF RA/TSRA.  NORTHEAST WIND 15-20.

LRD...TODAY...CLOUDY 80 CHANCE RA/TSRA. NORTH 15 MPH.
TONIGHT...CLOUDY 50 CHANCE RA/TSRA.  NORTH WIND 10-15.
SUNDAY...CLOUDY 60 CHANCE RA/TSRA.  NORTH 10-20 MPH.

TEMPS AND POPS...
CRP  070/062 070/055 9673    NGP  070/062 068/058
VCT  069/059 066/052 9674
LRD  073/059 070V/055 8562

LUNA...0074

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 25, 11:59 PM CDT, 3 hours 38 minutes before
TXZ229-230>234-239>247-260600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1159 PM CDT FRI APR 25 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM
CDT FOR NUECES...SAN PATRICIO...REFUGIO...ARANSAS...BEE...
VICTORIA...GOLIAD...AND CALHOUN COUNTIES HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

NO SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS OCCURRING IN THE CORPUS
CHRISTI OR VICTORIA AREAS AT THIS TIME...HOWEVER STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED JUST SOUTHEAST OF LAREDO DURING
THE PAST HOUR.  OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR
DEL RIO AND EXTEND SOUTHWESTWARD INTO MEXICO.

THIS ACTIVITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG UPPER-LEVEL LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SHOWERS AND
POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT
AS WELL AS SATURDAY.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS...
OR POSSIBLE WATCHES OR WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 12:00 AM CDT, 3 hours 37 minutes before
TXZ229-230>234-239>247-260600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1159 PM CDT FRI APR 25 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM
CDT FOR NUECES...SAN PATRICIO...REFUGIO...ARANSAS...BEE...
VICTORIA...GOLIAD...AND CALHOUN COUNTIES HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

NO SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS OCCURRING IN THE CORPUS
CHRISTI OR VICTORIA AREAS AT THIS TIME...HOWEVER STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED JUST SOUTHEAST OF LAREDO DURING
THE PAST HOUR.  OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR
DEL RIO AND EXTEND SOUTHWESTWARD INTO MEXICO.

THIS ACTIVITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG UPPER-LEVEL LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SHOWERS AND
POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT
AS WELL AS SATURDAY.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS...
OR POSSIBLE WATCHES OR WARNINGS.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 25, 8:58 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningCRPDuval4 hr
Apr 25, 9:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPMcMullen58 min
Apr 26, 12:06 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPWebb54 min
Apr 26, 12:59 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPLa Salle, Webb61 min
Apr 26, 2:00 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningCRPWebb4 hr
Apr 26, 2:40 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPMcMullen65 min
Apr 26, 2:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPDuval67 min
Apr 26, 4:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPJim Wells31 min
Apr 26, 4:38 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPSan Patricio37 min
Apr 26, 4:43 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPLive Oak32 min
Apr 26, 4:59 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPBee46 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 1997Every tornado warning in 1997Tornadoes in 1997

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.