Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1997

Flash Flood Warning 240, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

October 13, 1997Fayette County, Lavaca County, Lee County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this flash flood warning at Oct 13, 1997, 1:02 AM CDT for Fayette County, Lavaca County, Lee County, Texas. It was in force for 3 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 13, 1997, 1:02 AM CDT (06:02 UTC)
Expired
Oct 13, 1997, 4:00 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

Counties Fayette County, TX, Lavaca County, TX, Lee County, TX

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 240 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 1997-10-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1346 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 1997-10-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 113 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
1346 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
699 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
113 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
219 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.9
Supercell composite
7.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSAT 130602
FFWSAT
TXC149-285-287-130900-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
102 AM CDT MON OCT 13 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  400 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...FAYETTE COUNTY...LAVACA COUNTY...LEE COUNTY
 
AT 1 AM CDT...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER
LAVACA...FAYETTE AND LEE COUNTIES...WHERE HEAVY RAINS THE PAST
FEW DAYS HAVE CAUSED FLOODING.
 
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN...WILL
CONTINUE TO AFFECT LAVACA...FAYETTE AND LEE COUNTIES FOR THE
NEXT 1 TO 2 HOURS.
 
LOW WATER CROSSINGS OR LOW LYING AREAS COULD FLOOD EASILY...
AS RAINS SINCE THE EARLY PART OF LAST WEEK HAVE SATURATED
THE SOILS...MAKING FOR EASIER RUNOFF.
 
AVOID ALREADY FLOODED AREAS.  TRAVELERS SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO
CROSS FLOODED ROADS.  IF YOUR VEHICLE STALLS...LEAVE IT AND MOVE
IMMEDIATELY TO HIGHER GROUND IF YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.
 
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.

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 12, 8:52 PM CDT, 4 hours 10 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-131100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
852 PM CDT SUN OCT 12 1997

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY...

THE CHANCE OF RAIN LINGERS OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
TONIGHT...AHEAD OF AN OCTOBER COOL FRONT OVER WEST TEXAS.  AFTER THE
COOL FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT AND TOWARD MORNING
THE CHANCE OF RAIN WILL DIMINISH.

ANY RAIN THAT DEVELOPS FROM SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY A FEW THUNDERSTORMS...
MAY CAUSE SOME FLOODING AT LOW WATER CROSSINGS OR LOW LYING AREAS.

A SUNNY...BRIGHT AUTUMN DAY IS EXPECTED MONDAY...IN THE WAKE OF THE
COOL FRONT...WITH COOL NORTH WINDS.  DAYTIME HIGHS ARE FORECAST TO BE
IN THE 70S TO NEAR 80.  THE MID OCTOBER SUN WILL BRING A RELIEF FROM
THE CONTINUOUS STRING OF CLOUDY DAYS THE AREA HAS EXPERIENCED SINCE
OCTOBER 6TH.  THE RAINFALL RALLY OF EARLY TO MID OCTOBER OF 1997
HAS LEFT 4.68 INCHES FOR AUSTIN FOR THE MONTH...AS OF 5 PM TODAY.
COORESPONDING VALUES FOR DEL RIO AND SAN ANTONIO ARE 1.77 INCHES
FOR DEL RIO... AND 3.05 INCHES FOR SAN ANTONIO.

SUNNY...AUTUMN SKIES ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AND PREVAIL TUESDAY...
WITH EARLY MORNING LOWS NEAR 40 OVER THE HILL COUNTRY...NEAR 40 TO
40S OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.  AFTERNOON HIGHS ARE FORECAST TO BE
IN THE 70S.  THE DRY WEATHER TREND IS EXPECTED TO LAST INTO THE
LATTER PART OF THE WEEK AND POSSIBLY THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND.

IN THE MEANTIME...FOR TONIGHT RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD VARY FROM
LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH TO POSSIBLY ONE HALF TO ONE INCH IN
ISOLATED AREAS.
Special weather statement, Oct 12, 11:40 PM CDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-131100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
1140 PM CDT SUN OCT 12 1997

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY...
...COOLER WEATHER COMING TO THE HILL COUNTRY AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...

RAIN WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ON A STRONG OCTOBER
COLD FRONT LOCATED NEAR DEL RIO TO NORTHWEST OF AUSTIN.  BRIEF HEAVY
RAINS AND GUSTY WINDS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED ALONG THE FRONT.  WINDS GUSTED
TO 45 MPH AT LAUGHLIN AFB EAST OF DEL RIO AND 37 MPH AT DEL RIO.

ANY RAIN THAT DEVELOPS FROM SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY A FEW THUNDERSTORMS...
MAY CAUSE SOME FLOODING AT LOW WATER CROSSINGS OR LOW LYING AREAS
ACROSS THE HILL COUNTRY AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL
TEXAS...THAT HAVE RECEIVED MORE THAN NORMAL RAIN FOR THE PAST WEEK.

AS THE COOL FRONT MOVES THROUGH CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WILL COOL TO NEAR 50 OVER THE NORTHERN
HILL COUNTRY TO 50S AND NEAR 60 OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE TENTH TO ONE HALF INCH ARE POSSIBLE...WITH
HEAVIER AMOUNTS FORECAST TO NEAR ONE TO ONE AND A HALF INCHES.

A SUNNY...BRIGHT AUTUMN DAY IS EXPECTED MONDAY...IN THE WAKE OF THE
COOL FRONT...WITH COOL NORTH WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH.  DAYTIME HIGHS
ARE FORECAST TO BE IN THE 70S TO NEAR 80.  THE MID OCTOBER SUN WILL
BRING A RELIEF FROM THE CONTINUOUS STRING OF CLOUDY DAYS THE AREA HAS
EXPERIENCED SINCE OCTOBER 6TH.

SUNNY...AUTUMN SKIES ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AND PREVAIL TUESDAY...
WITH EARLY MORNING LOWS NEAR 40 OVER THE HILL COUNTRY...NEAR 40 TO
40S OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.  AFTERNOON HIGHS ARE FORECAST TO BE
IN THE 70S.  THE DRY WEATHER TREND IS EXPECTED TO LAST INTO THE
LATTER PART OF THE WEEK AND POSSIBLY THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND.
Special weather statement, Oct 12, 11:41 PM CDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-131100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
1140 PM CDT SUN OCT 12 1997

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY...
...COOLER WEATHER COMING TO THE HILL COUNTRY AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...

RAIN WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ON A STRONG OCTOBER
COLD FRONT LOCATED NEAR DEL RIO TO NORTHWEST OF AUSTIN.  BRIEF HEAVY
RAINS AND GUSTY WINDS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED ALONG THE FRONT.  WINDS GUSTED
TO 45 MPH AT LAUGHLIN AFB EAST OF DEL RIO AND 37 MPH AT DEL RIO.

ANY RAIN THAT DEVELOPS FROM SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY A FEW THUNDERSTORMS...
MAY CAUSE SOME FLOODING AT LOW WATER CROSSINGS OR LOW LYING AREAS
ACROSS THE HILL COUNTRY AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL
TEXAS...THAT HAVE RECEIVED MORE THAN NORMAL RAIN FOR THE PAST WEEK.

AS THE COOL FRONT MOVES THROUGH CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WILL COOL TO NEAR 50 OVER THE NORTHERN
HILL COUNTRY TO 50S AND NEAR 60 OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE TENTH TO ONE HALF INCH ARE POSSIBLE...WITH
HEAVIER AMOUNTS FORECAST TO NEAR ONE TO ONE AND A HALF INCHES.

A SUNNY...BRIGHT AUTUMN DAY IS EXPECTED MONDAY...IN THE WAKE OF THE
COOL FRONT...WITH COOL NORTH WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH.  DAYTIME HIGHS
ARE FORECAST TO BE IN THE 70S TO NEAR 80.  THE MID OCTOBER SUN WILL
BRING A RELIEF FROM THE CONTINUOUS STRING OF CLOUDY DAYS THE AREA HAS
EXPERIENCED SINCE OCTOBER 6TH.

SUNNY...AUTUMN SKIES ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AND PREVAIL TUESDAY...
WITH EARLY MORNING LOWS NEAR 40 OVER THE HILL COUNTRY...NEAR 40 TO
40S OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.  AFTERNOON HIGHS ARE FORECAST TO BE
I(N THE 70S.  THE DRY WEATHER TREND IS EXPECTED TO LAST INTO THE
LATTER PART OF THE WEEK AND POSSIBLY THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 13, 12:21 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXMaverick, Zavala69 min
Oct 13, 12:46 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXCaldwell, Guadalupe5 hr
Oct 13, 12:46 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBastrop5 hr
Oct 13, 1:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXZavala67 min
Oct 13, 3:35 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXDeWitt3 hr
Oct 13, 4:08 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXLavaca2 hr

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.