Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1997
Tornado Warning 5, NWS Corpus Christi, TX
NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this tornado warning at Apr 4, 1997, 9:25 PM CST for Webb County, Texas. It was in force for 35 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 4, 1997, 9:25 PM CST (03:25 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 4, 1997, 10:00 PM CST
- In force
- 35 min
- Issued by
- NWS Corpus Christi, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Webb County, TX
The radar
The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 179 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:28 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 9:30 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 60 | Laredo, TX | Public and DPS report of strong thunderstorm wind and an unconfirmed tornado. |
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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 9:15 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 3.4 hours before the alert went out and 196 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 3317 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -46 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 663 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 43 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 126 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 107 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 2.1
- Supercell composite
- 10.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
314 WFUS1 KCRP 050330 RRA TORCRP TXC479-050400- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 925 PM CST FRI APR 4 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...... IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS ...WEBB COUNTY AT 925 PM DOPPLER RADAR AND DPS REPORT OF A TORNADO NEAR THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY AND WILL AFFECT AREAS NORTH AND ALONG HIGHWAY 59. ANOTHER TORNADO WAS INDICATED AND IS MOVING TOWARD THE COMMUNITIES OF AGUILARES..MIRANDO CITY AND OILTON. . THE MOVEMENT OF THE TORNADO IS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS 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 4, 8:17 PM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 4, 8:17 PM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes before
COASTAL BEND FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 815 PM CST FRI APR 04 1997 DISCUSSION...WT 136 ISSUED FOR GOLIAD AND VICTORIA COUNTIES UNTIL 07Z. KCRP-88D REF DATA INDICATING 2 BANDS OF SHRA/TSRA ACTIVITY XTNDG FROM TILDEN-EWX-ACT ATTM WITH ANOTHER BAND IN PHASE WITH FRNTL POSITION ALONG A LRD-HDO LINE WHERE THE SECOND BAND OF CNVCTN IS ADVANCING. TEMP DROP OF 14 DEG OCCURRED OVR LRD WITH THE WSHFT AT 0125Z. ADAP ANALYSIS SUPPORTS THE NEWD CELL PROPAGATION IN PHASE WITH THE SFC MOISTURE CNVGNC AXIS XTNDG FROM LRD-LFK WITH STG COUPLET OF THETA ADVECTION ACROSS THE AREA WITH GRADIENT LOCATED WHERE RAPID TSTM DEVELOPMENT IS OCCURRING. CURRENT FCST IS IN LINE WITH THE PRESENT AND ANTICIPATED SITUATION WITH NO CHANGES REQUIRED. ETA TIME CROSS-SECTIONS REVEAL SHARP DRYING IN THE POST-FRONTAL ENVIRONMENT WITH PC-MS AND MILD CONDITIONS EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND. BML...76
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 3:30 PM CST, 5 hours 55 minutes before
TXZ229>234-239>247-512-050600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 330 PM CST FRI APR 4 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAINS POSSIBLE OVER THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS AND CROSS ROADS AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR LASALLE AND WEBB COUNTIES UNTIL 900 PM... A VOLATILE WEATHER SITUATION IS SETTING UP FOR SOUTH TEXAS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION AND TAP A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE IN PLACE. STORMS ARE ALREADY FORMING ALONG A COLD FRONT OVER WEST TEXAS NEAR DEL RIO EXTENDING SOUTHWEST INTO MEXICO. SEVERAL WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FROM DEL RIO TO UVALDE. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP OVER THE COASTAL BEND THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH TONIGHT...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ONCE AGAIN LIKELY AREA WIDE. SCATTERED SEVERE STORMS COULD PRODUCE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES. AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS AND SKYWARN SPOTTERS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION. WE REQUEST LOCAL CITIZENS REPORT INFORMATION TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OR DIRECTLY TO THE CORPUS CHRISTI NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS...WATCHES OR WARNINGS. METZ
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 3:38 PM CST, 5 hours 47 minutes before
TXZ229>234-239>247-512-050600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 330 PM CST FRI APR 4 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAINS POSSIBLE OVER THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS AND CROSS ROADS AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR LASALLE AND WEBB COUNTIES UNTIL 900 PM... A VOLATILE WEATHER SITUATION IS SETTING UP FOR SOUTH TEXAS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION AND TAP A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE IN PLACE. STORMS ARE ALREADY FORMING ALONG A COLD FRONT OVER WEST TEXAS NEAR DEL RIO EXTENDING SOUTHWEST INTO MEXICO. SEVERAL WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FROM DEL RIO TO UVALDE. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP OVER THE COASTAL BEND THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH TONIGHT...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ONCE AGAIN LIKELY AREA WIDE. SCATTERED SEVERE STORMS COULD PRODUCE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES. AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS AND SKYWARN SPOTTERS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION. WE REQUEST LOCAL CITIZENS REPORT INFORMATION TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OR DIRECTLY TO THE CORPUS CHRISTI NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS...WATCHES OR WARNINGS. METZ
The office that day
Everything else NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 8:30 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CRP | Webb | 60 min |
| Apr 4, 8:53 PM CST | Tornado Warning | CRP | Webb | 37 min |
| Apr 4, 9:26 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CRP | La Salle | 64 min |
| Apr 4, 9:39 PM CST | Tornado Warning | CRP | Duval | 51 min |
| Apr 4, 10:26 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CRP | Live Oak | 49 min |
| Apr 4, 10:40 PM CST | Tornado Warning | CRP | Bee, Live Oak | 50 min |
| Apr 4, 11:10 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CRP | Goliad | 65 min |
| Apr 4, 11:25 PM CST | Tornado Warning | CRP | San Patricio | 65 min |
| Apr 4, 11:31 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CRP | Victoria | 44 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.