Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1997
Flash Flood Warning 245, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this flash flood warning at Dec 20, 1997, 8:31 PM CST for Travis County, Texas. It was in force for 119 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
- Dec 20, 1997, 8:31 PM CST (02:31 UTC)
- Expired
- Dec 20, 1997, 10:30 PM CST
- In force
- 119 min
- Issued by
- NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Travis County, TX
The nearest sounding before it
Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 293 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
- 968 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -7 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 587 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 52 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 123 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 105 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.3
- Supercell composite
- 2.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KSAT 210232 FFWSAT TXC453-210430- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 831 PM CST SAT DEC 20 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS ...TRAVIS COUNTY AT 830 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING OVER TRAVIS COUNTY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 20 MPH BUT HAVE CONTINUED TO REFORM OVER TRAVIS COUNTY DURING THE LAST HOUR. NEAR 2 INCHES OF RAIN IN THE LAST TWO HOURS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO RUNOFF IN THE AUSTIN AREA FOR THE NEXT ONE TO TWO HOURS. RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO END FROM THE WEST AFTER 9 PM HOWEVER RUNOFF WILL CONTINUE FOR SOME TIME FLOODING LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND LOW LYING AREAS. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION TONIGHT. 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.
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, Dec 20, 5:04 PM CST, 3 hours 27 minutes before
TXZ186>190-204>206-219-220-210000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 504 PM CST SAT DEC 20 1997 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR MOST OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY... AT 500 PM A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD FORMED ALONG A LINE FROM COTULA TO VANDERPOOL TO NEAR HARPER. THESE STORMS WERE RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING AND MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN SMALL HAIL...GUSTY THUNDERSTORM WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL. THIS LINE WILL MOVE INTO THE SAN ANTONIO AREA BY 600 PM. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATING WEATHER AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE A PLACE OF SAFETY IF SUCH IS SIGHTED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.
Special weather statement, Dec 20, 5:05 PM CST, 3 hours 26 minutes before
TXZ186>190-204>206-219-220-210000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 504 PM CST SAT DEC 20 1997 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR MOST OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY... AT 500 PM A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD FORMED ALONG A LINE FROM COTULA TO VANDERPOOL TO NEAR HARPER. THESE STORMS WERE RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING AND MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN SMALL HAIL...GUSTY THUNDERSTORM WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL. THIS LINE WILL MOVE INTO THE SAN ANTONIO AREA BY 600 PM. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATING WEATHER AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE A PLACE OF SAFETY IF SUCH IS SIGHTED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.
Special weather statement, Dec 20, 6:00 PM CST, 2 hours 31 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-210000- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 600 PM CST SAT DEC 20 1997 ...TORNADO WATCH TIL 11 PM PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS... ...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ALSO POSSIBLE TONIGHT... OCCASIONAL RAIN...MIXED WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY IS IS LIKELY TONGIHT. THIS WILL CAUSE SOME FLOODING AT LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND LOW LYING AREAS. IN ADDITION...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE...SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE WITH A CHANCE OF HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF ONE HALF TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT. LATER TONIGHT RAIN WILL BEGIN TO END FROM THE WEST...GIVING WAY TO A PARTLY CLOUDY DAY ON SUNDAY...WITH NO RAIN EXPECTED. AT 6 PM...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...SOME OF THE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE. STRONG GUSTY WIND SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE...ALONG WITH HAIL... IN THE STRONGER STORMS. 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, Dec 20, 6:01 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-210000- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 600 PM CST SAT DEC 20 1997 ...TORNADO WATCH TIL 11 PM PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS... ...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ALSO POSSIBLE TONIGHT... OCCASIONAL RAIN...MIXED WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY IS IS LIKELY TONGIHT. THIS WILL CAUSE SOME FLOODING AT LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND LOW LYING AREAS. IN ADDITION...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE...SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE WITH A CHANCE OF HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF ONE HALF TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT. LATER TONIGHT RAIN WILL BEGIN TO END FROM THE WEST...GIVING WAY TO A PARTLY CLOUDY DAY ON SUNDAY...WITH NO RAIN EXPECTED. AT 6 PM...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...SOME OF THE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE. STRONG GUSTY WIND SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE...ALONG WITH HAIL... IN THE STRONGER STORMS. 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, Dec 20, 6:02 PM CST, 2 hours 29 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-210600- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 600 PM CST SAT DEC 20 1997 ...TORNADO WATCH TIL 11 PM PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS... ...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ALSO POSSIBLE TONIGHT... OCCASIONAL RAIN...MIXED WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY IS IS LIKELY TONGIHT. THIS WILL CAUSE SOME FLOODING AT LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND LOW LYING AREAS. IN ADDITION...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE...SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE WITH A CHANCE OF HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF ONE HALF TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT. LATER TONIGHT RAIN WILL BEGIN TO END FROM THE WEST...GIVING WAY TO A PARTLY CLOUDY DAY ON SUNDAY...WITH NO RAIN EXPECTED. AT 6 PM...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...SOME OF THE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE. STRONG GUSTY WIND SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE...ALONG WITH HAIL... IN THE STRONGER STORMS. 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 20, 6:17 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Burnet, Williamson | 3 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.