Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1997
Flash Flood Warning 17, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this flash flood warning at Apr 3, 1997, 10:36 PM CST for Gillespie County, Texas. It was in force for 69 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 3, 1997, 10:36 PM CST (04:36 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 3, 1997, 11:45 PM CST
- In force
- 69 min
- Issued by
- NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Gillespie County, TX
The radar
The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 112 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:40 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.
The nearest sounding before it
Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 00:00Z, 4.6 hours before the alert went out and 211 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
- 252 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -91 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 496 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 74 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 268 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 314 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.3
- Supercell composite
- 1.8
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KSAT 040438 FFWSAT TXC171-040545- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 1036 PM CST THU APR 3 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS ...GILLESPIE COUNTY DOPPLER RADAR IS INDICATING AN AREA OF HEAVY RAINS MOVING NORTH INTO GILLESPIE COUNTY AT 40 MPH ALONG STATE HIGHWAY 16. RAINFALL IS ESTIMATED AT OVER 2 INCHES AN HOUR. 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. 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 RI|SING WATER DURING THREATENING RAINS.
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, Apr 3, 5:59 PM CST, 4 hours 37 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-041200- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 600 PM CST THU APR 3 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT AND FRIDAY FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY RAIN... FLASH FLOODING... AND RIVER FLOODING IN OR NEAR THE WATCH AREA. AN INTENSE UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM CENTERED OVER NORTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA IS BEGINNING TO MOVE SLOWLY EASTWARD LATE THIS AFTERNOON. WIND PATTERNS CONTINUE TO PUMP UNUSUALLY HIGH MOISTURE LEVELS FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN INTO TEXAS. A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES AHEAD OF THE MAIN SYSTEM WILL INTERACT WITH THE MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS TO CONTINUE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE HILL COUNTRY AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. RAINFALL TOTALS WILL AVERAGE 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED TOTALS APPROACHING 5 INCHES TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. THE MAIN STORM SYSTEM WILL PICK UP SPEED ON FRIDAY AND BE LOCATED JUST WEST OF THE BIG BEND BY LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. THE AIRMASS IS EXPECTED TO BECOME EXTREMELY UNSTABLE BY THAT TIME. AS A RESULT... A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IN ADDITION TO THE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. AREAS WET FROM RECENT HEAVY RAINS ARE AT PRIME RISK OF FLOODING IF HEAVY RAIN DEVELOPS. THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NORMALLY WILL BE UPDATED BY MEANS OF THE ZONE FORECASTS...SHORT TERM FORECASTS...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES. THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ITSELF WILL BE UPDATED ONLY IF UNFORECAST HAZARDOUS WEATHER DEVELOPS OR IF FORECAST HAZARDOUS WEATHER NO LONGER IS EXPECTED.
Special weather statement, Apr 3, 6:00 PM CST, 4 hours 36 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-041200- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 600 PM CST THU APR 3 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT AND FRIDAY FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY RAIN... FLASH FLOODING... AND RIVER FLOODING IN OR NEAR THE WATCH AREA. AN INTENSE UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM CENTERED OVER NORTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA IS BEGINNING TO MOVE SLOWLY EASTWARD LATE THIS AFTERNOON. WIND PATTERNS CONTINUE TO PUMP UNUSUALLY HIGH MOISTURE LEVELS FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN INTO TEXAS. A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES AHEAD OF THE MAIN SYSTEM WILL INTERACT WITH THE MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS TO CONTINUE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE HILL COUNTRY AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. RAINFALL TOTALS WILL AVERAGE 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED TOTALS APPROACHING 5 INCHES TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. THE MAIN STORM SYSTEM WILL PICK UP SPEED ON FRIDAY AND BE LOCATED JUST WEST OF THE BIG BEND BY LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. THE AIRMASS IS EXPECTED TO BECOME EXTREMELY UNSTABLE BY THAT TIME. AS A RESULT... A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IN ADDITION TO THE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. AREAS WET FROM RECENT HEAVY RAINS ARE AT PRIME RISK OF FLOODING IF HEAVY RAIN DEVELOPS. THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NORMALLY WILL BE UPDATED BY MEANS OF THE ZONE FORECASTS...SHORT TERM FORECASTS...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES. THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ITSELF WILL BE UPDATED ONLY IF UNFORECAST HAZARDOUS WEATHER DEVELOPS OR IF FORECAST HAZARDOUS WEATHER NO LONGER IS EXPECTED.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 8:33 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Dimmit | 42 min |
| Apr 3, 8:33 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Dimmit | 42 min |
| Apr 3, 9:18 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Medina, Zavala | 57 min |
| Apr 3, 10:47 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Kerr | 58 min |
| Apr 3, 11:10 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Bexar | 65 min |
| Apr 3, 11:32 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Comal | 58 min |
| Apr 3, 11:55 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Hays | 65 min |
| Apr 4, 12:25 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Williamson | 65 min |
| Apr 4, 12:25 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Williamson | 65 min |
| Apr 4, 12:43 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Hays | 62 min |
| Apr 4, 1:17 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | DeWitt, Lavaca | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 1:34 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Travis, Williamson | 116 min |
| Apr 4, 5:36 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Lavaca | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 6:23 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Travis, Williamson | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 6:31 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Blanco | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 6:43 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Kendall | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 9:24 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Travis, Williamson | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 10:12 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | DeWitt | 2 hr |
| Apr 4, 11:30 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Val Verde | 60 min |
| Apr 4, 2:34 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Uvalde | 56 min |
| Apr 4, 2:40 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Real | 65 min |
| Apr 4, 3:00 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Real | 2 hr |
| Apr 4, 3:25 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Bandera | 65 min |
| Apr 4, 3:25 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Bandera | 65 min |
| Apr 4, 3:32 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Uvalde | 58 min |
| Apr 4, 3:32 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Uvalde | 58 min |
| Apr 4, 3:53 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Kerr | 2 hr |
| Apr 4, 4:24 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Bandera | 2 hr |
| Apr 4, 4:34 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Medina | 56 min |
| Apr 4, 5:11 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Bexar, Kendall | 79 min |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 1997Every flash flood warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.