Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1997

Flash Flood Warning 235, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

October 11, 1997Caldwell County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this flash flood warning at Oct 11, 1997, 8:22 PM CDT for Caldwell County, Texas. It was in force for 2 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Oct 11, 1997, 8:22 PM CDT (01:22 UTC)
Expired
Oct 11, 1997, 10:30 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Caldwell County, TX

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 236 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 1997-10-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1037 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Corpus Christi, TX at 00:00Z on 1997-10-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -16 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
1037 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
541 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-16 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
18 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 KSAT 120121
FFWSAT
TXC055-120315-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
822 PM CDT SAT OCT 11 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...CALDWELL COUNTY
 
RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF SHOWERS WITH HEAVY RAIN MOVING ACROSS
CALDWELL COUNTY. RAINFALL RATES WERE NEAR ONE AND A HALF INCHES IN
THE HEAVIER SHOWERS. MORE HEAVY RAIN WAS INDICATED TO THE SOUTH OVER
GONZALES COUNTY MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH.  RESIDENTS AND TRAVELERS IN
THE LULING AND LOCKHART AREAS SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AS THE
HEAVIEST RAIN WILL MOVE ACROSS THESE AREAS AND OVER THE EASTERN
PORTION OF THE COUNTY.
 
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 TO ESCAPE RISING WATER DURING THREATENING
RAINS.
 
FLOOD PRONE URBAN AREAS FILL WITH WATER QUICKLY.  CLOGGED STORM
DRAINS MAY CAUSE OTHER AREAS TO FLOOD.  STAY AWAY FROM STORM DRAINS.|
 
RELAY INCIDENTS OF FLOODING TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR RELAY TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER NEWS
MEDIA FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS.

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 11, 5:50 PM CDT, 2 hours 32 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-121100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
550 PM CDT SAT OCT 11 1997

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY RAIN AND
FLOODING IN OR NEAR THE WATCH AREA.

A STRONG WEATHER SYSTEM TO THE WEST...COMBINED WITH TROPICAL MOISTURE
AND WEATHER SYSTEMS TO THE SOUTH WILL PRODUCE RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES...
TONIGHT AND SUNDAY.  THE RISK OF FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODING WILL
REMAIN HIGH OVER SOUTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL TEXAS...PLUS THE TEXAS
HILL COUNTRY.

MANY AREAS WILL RECEIVE 1 TO 3 INCHES OF MORE RAIN TONIGHT...WITH
ISOLATED TOTALS OF 5 INCHES POSSIBLE.  ADDITIONAL RAIN...HEAVY AT
TIMES...IS POSSIBLE SUNDAY...AVERAGING AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES
MORE RAIN OVER THE AREA...PLUS ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES.

THE RAINS SUNDAY WILL FALL AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL
MOVE INTO TEXAS.  IN THE WAKE OF THIS FRONT...DURING THE DAY MONDAY
AND CONTINUING THROUGH WEDNESDAY...DRIER WEATHER IS FORECAST TO
FOLLOW...WITH COOLER...MORE FALL LIKE TEMPERATURES.

IN THE MEANTIME HEAVY RAINS...WITH FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODING IS
POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE
THROUGH FLOODED LOW WATER CROSSINGS OR FLOODED LOW LYING AREAS IN
THE ROAD...THAT CAN BECOME LIFE THREATENING.  LOW LYING AREAS NEAR
STREAMS...CREEKS AND RIVERS WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE FLOODING WHERE
HEAVY RAINS AND ASSOCIATED RUNOFF OCCURS.

NEARBY HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOKS INCLUDE:
FOR SOUTHWEST TEXAS...FROM MIDLAND...LBBSPSMAF
FOR THE CONCHO VALLEY...FROM SAN ANGELO...LBBSPSSJT
FOR NORTH TEXAS...FROM FORT WORTH...FTWSPSFTW
FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS...FROM HOUSTON/GALVESTON...SATSPSHOU
FOR COASTAL BEND/RIO GRANDE PLAINS...FROM CORPUS CHRISTI...SATSPSCRP.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NORMALLY WILL BE UPDATED BY MEANS OF
THE ZONE FORECASTS...SHORT TERM FORECAST...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND
ADVISORIES.  THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ITSELF WILL BE UPDATED
ONLY IF UNEXPECTED HAZARDOUS WEATHER DEVELOPS OR IF EXPECTED
HAZARDOUS WEATHER NO LONGER IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP.
Special weather statement, Oct 11, 5:51 PM CDT, 2 hours 31 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-121100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
550 PM CDT SAT OCT 11 1997

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY RAIN AND
FLOODING IN OR NEAR THE WATCH AREA.

A STRONG WEATHER SYSTEM TO THE WEST...COMBINED WITH TROPICAL MOISTURE
AND WEATHER SYSTEMS TO THE SOUTH WILL PRODUCE RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES...
TONIGHT AND SUNDAY.  THE RISK OF FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODING WILL
REMAIN HIGH OVER SOUTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL TEXAS...PLUS THE TEXAS
HILL COUNTRY.

MANY AREAS WILL RECEIVE 1 TO 3 INCHES OF MORE RAIN TONIGHT...WITH
ISOLATED TOTALS OF 5 INCHES POSSIBLE.  ADDITIONAL RAIN...HEAVY AT
TIMES...IS POSSIBLE SUNDAY...AVERAGING AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES
MORE RAIN OVER THE AREA...PLUS ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES.

THE RAINS SUNDAY WILL FALL AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL
MOVE INTO TEXAS.  IN THE WAKE OF THIS FRONT...DURING THE DAY MONDAY
AND CONTINUING THROUGH WEDNESDAY...DRIER WEATHER IS FORECAST TO
FOLLOW...WITH COOLER...MORE FALL LIKE TEMPERATURES.

IN THE MEANTIME HEAVY RAINS...WITH FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODING IS
POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE
THROUGH FLOODED LOW WATER CROSSINGS OR FLOODED LOW LYING AREAS IN
THE ROAD...THAT CAN BECOME LIFE THREATENING.  LOW LYING AREAS NEAR
STREAMS...CREEKS AND RIVERS WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE FLOODING WHERE
HEAVY RAINS AND ASSOCIATED RUNOFF OCCURS.

NEARBY HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOKS INCLUDE:
FOR SOUTHWEST TEXAS...FROM MIDLAND...LBBSPSMAF
FOR THE CONCHO VALLEY...FROM SAN ANGELO...LBBSPSSJT
FOR NORTH TEXAS...FROM FORT WORTH...FTWSPSFTW
FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS...FROM HOUSTON/GALVESTON...SATSPSHOU
FOR COASTAL BEND/RIO GRANDE PLAINS...FROM CORPUS CHRISTI...SATSPSCRP.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NORMALLY WILL BE UPDATED BY MEANS OF
THE ZONE FORECASTS...SHORT TERM FORECAST...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND
ADVISORIES.  THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ITSELF WILL BE UPDATED
ONLY IF UNEXPECTED HAZARDOUS WEATHER DEVELOPS OR IF EXPECTED
HAZARDOUS WEATHER NO LONGER IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 11, 7:31 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXGonzales119 min
Oct 11, 8:50 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXTravis115 min
Oct 11, 9:04 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXLavaca116 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.