Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1997

Flash Flood Warning 78, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 27, 1997Val Verde County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this flash flood warning at May 27, 1997, 8:13 PM CDT for Val Verde 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
May 27, 1997, 8:13 PM CDT (01:13 UTC)
Expired
May 27, 1997, 10:15 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Val Verde County, TX

The nearest sounding before it

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 00:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 66 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, Del Rio, TX at 00:00Z on 1997-05-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 5979 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Del Rio, TX at 00:00Z on 1997-05-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 11 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
5979 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
887 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
11 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
91 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
6.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSAT 280113
FFWSAT
TXC019-465-280315-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
813 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...BANDERA COUNTY...VAL VERDE COUNTY
 
AT 810 PM...RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY
HEAVY RAIN BETWEEN DEL RIO AND LOMA ALTA NEAR HIGHWAY 277 AND THE
DEVILS RIVER.  RADAR INDICATED THIS SYSTEM HAS PRODUCED OVER 3
INCHES OF RAIN SINCE 5 PM.  ADDITIONAL RAIN WILL OCCUR UNTIL 9 PM.
 
OVER EASTERN BANDERA COUNTY...RAINFALL OF 2 TO 3 INCHES HAS OCCURRED
IN ONE HOUR.  HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES BETWEEN BANDERA... PIPE CREEK
AND BEXAR COUNTY ALONG AND NEAR HIGHWAY 16.
 
THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SLOWLY EAST AND SOUTH AT 10 TO 15 MPH.
 
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.
 
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

Local storm report, May 27, 4:45 PM CDT, 3 hours 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TEXAS
445 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0405 PM    JARRELL                   TX   TORNADO
05/27/97   WILLIAMSON                     REPORTS OF FATALITIES AND
                                          MULTIPLE INJURIES

0415 PM    CEDAR PARK                     TX   TORNADO
05/27/97   WILLIAMSON                     REPORT OF GROCERY STORE
                                          COLLAPSE IN CEDAR PARK.
                                          REPORTS OF FATALITIES AND
                                          MULTIPLE INJURIES
Special weather statement, May 27, 5:05 PM CDT, 3 hours 8 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-281000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
506 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
AND THE HILL COUNTRY...

A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL BECOME STATIONARY ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
TONIGHT AND PROVIDE THE FOCUS FOR SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

THE ATMOSPHERE IS VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE ACROSS THE REGION THIS
EVENING AND CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF
SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WINDS...
ISOLATED TORNADOES AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL.

THIS ACTIVITY WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AND DECREASE IN
SEVERITY LATER TONIGHT.  THIS SYSTEM WILL EVOLVE INTO A HEAVY RAIN
EVENT OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS... THE HILL COUNTRY
AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WITH ISOLATED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE FROM 1/2 TO 1 INCH WITH ISOLATED TOTALS
NEAR 3 INCHES POSSIBLE WHERE THUNDERSTORMS MERGE OR REDEVELOP ACROSS
A PARTICULAR LOCATION.  A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MAY BE REQUIRED LATER
TONIGHT ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH TEXAS.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL NORMALLY BE UPDATED BY MEANS OF
THE ZONE FORECAST...SHORT TERM FORECAST...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND
ADVISORIES.  THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ITSELF WILL BE UPDATED
ONLY IF UNFORECAST HAZARDOUS WEATHER DEVELOPS OR IF FORECAST
HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NO LONGER EXPECTED.
Special weather statement, May 27, 5:06 PM CDT, 3 hours 7 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-281000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
506 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
AND THE HILL COUNTRY...

A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL BECOME STATIONARY ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
TONIGHT AND PROVIDE THE FOCUS FOR SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

THE ATMOSPHERE IS VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE ACROSS THE REGION THIS
EVENING AND CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF
SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WINDS...
ISOLATED TORNADOES AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL.

THIS ACTIVITY WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AND DECREASE IN
SEVERITY LATER TONIGHT.  THIS SYSTEM WILL EVOLVE INTO A HEAVY RAIN
EVENT OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS... THE HILL COUNTRY
AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WITH ISOLATED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE FROM 1/2 TO 1 INCH WITH ISOLATED TOTALS
NEAR 3 INCHES POSSIBLE WHERE THUNDERSTORMS MERGE OR REDEVELOP ACROSS
A PARTICULAR LOCATION.  A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MAY BE REQUIRED LATER
TONIGHT ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH TEXAS.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL NORMALLY BE UPDATED BY MEANS OF
THE ZONE FORECAST...SHORT TERM FORECAST...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND
ADVISORIES.  THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ITSELF WILL BE UPDATED
ONLY IF UNFORECAST HAZARDOUS WEATHER DEVELOPS OR IF FORECAST
HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NO LONGER EXPECTED.
Special weather statement, May 27, 8:07 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
TXZ169>173-280415-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
809 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN CLEARED FROM THE TORNADO WATCH...
KIMBLE...MASON...LLANO...BURNET AND WILLIAMSON.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT WITH
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE.
Special weather statement, May 27, 8:09 PM CDT, 4 minutes before
TXZ169>173-280415-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
809 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN CLEARED FROM THE TORNADO WATCH...
KIMBLE...MASON...LLANO...BURNET AND WILLIAMSON.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT WITH
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 27, 7:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXEdwards, Kerr, Val Verde98 min
May 27, 7:27 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBlanco, Kendall3 hr
May 27, 7:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGonzales56 min
May 27, 7:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXFrio97 min
May 27, 7:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXMedina68 min
May 27, 8:00 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBexar60 min
May 27, 8:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar60 min
May 27, 8:01 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXGonzales59 min
May 27, 8:13 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBandera2 hr
May 27, 8:18 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXFrio57 min
May 27, 8:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXAtascosa56 min
May 27, 8:29 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXGonzales3 hr
May 27, 8:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXDeWitt, Lavaca65 min
May 27, 8:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXKarnes, Wilson65 min
May 27, 8:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde69 min
May 27, 8:58 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXFrio2 hr
May 27, 9:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXDimmit85 min
May 27, 9:39 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXKarnes3 hr
May 27, 9:56 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXFayette3 hr
May 27, 10:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde102 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.