Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1997
Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this flash flood warning at Jan 27, 1997, 6:20 PM CST for 5 counties in 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
- Jan 27, 1997, 6:20 PM CST (00:20 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 27, 1997, 9:15 PM CST
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Brazoria County, TX, Chambers County, TX, Fort Bend County, TX, Harris County, TX, Liberty County, TX
The radar
The Houston radar (KHGX), 27 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:22 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
Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 200 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
- 1472 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -17 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 733 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 32 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 114 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 131 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.7
- Supercell composite
- 5.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KHOU 280023 FFWHOU TXC039-071-157-201-291-280315- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 620 PM CST MON JAN 27 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 915 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS ...NORTHERN BRAZORIA COUNTY...NORTHWESTERN CHAMBERS COUNTY ...FORT BEND COUNTY...HARRIS COUNTY...LIBERTY COUNTY AT 615 PM...HEAVY RAINS CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS FROM EASTERN FORT BEND COUNTY ACROSS THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA INTO LIBERTY COUNTY. MOST AREAS HAVE RECEIVED IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH OF RAIN WITH SOME AREAS HAVING IN EXCESS OF 3 INCHES. AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN IS LIKELY FROM NORTHERN BRAZORIA COUNTY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF HARRIS COUNTY INTO LIBERTY COUNTY BY 8 PM. THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN WILL CAUSE SERIOUS FLOODING OF ROADWAYS. AT 6 PM...SPOTTER REPORTS OF 3 FEET OF WATER OVER ALLANDALE AND OLD GALVESTON ROAD IN SOUTHEAST HARRIS COUNTY. NUMEROUS OTHER STREETS AND UNDERPASSES ARE EXPERIENCING MINOR TO MODERATE FLOODING. IF THE ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES...BAYOUS ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF HARRIS COUNTY COULD EXPERIENCE SOME LOW LAND FLOODING. MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR UNDERPASSES IF WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. &
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.
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jan 27, 9:40 AM CST, 8 hours 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 27, 9:40 AM CST, 8 hours 40 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 940 AM CST MON JAN 27 1997 THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL STILL APPEARS TO BE SHAPING UP FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND ON INTO TONIGHT. SEE SPCS UPDATED DAY 1 OUTLOOK FOR REASONING. CONSENSUS APPEARS TO BE FAVORING A FASTER FRONTAL MOVEMENT...AND THE CURRENT FORECAST COVERS THIS SCENARIO WELL. WILL UPDATE THE SPSHOU WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR. 42
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jan 27, 1:47 PM CST, 4 hours 33 minutes before
TXZ164-177>179-199-200-213-214-227-237-238-511-513-280100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 148 PM CST MON JAN 27 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS THROUGH 7 PM THIS EVENING... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR BRAZORIA...GALVESTON...CHAMBERS...HARRIS...FORT BEND... LIBERTY...MONTGOMERY...SAN JACINTO...WALKER...POLK AND TRINITY COUNTIES UNTIL 7 PM THIS EVENING. SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA ARE GALVESTON...ANGELTON...HOUSTON...RICHMOND...CONROE... LIBERTY...HUNTSVILLE AND LIVINGSTON. THE COMBINATION OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL INTERACT WITH A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE SOUTHEAST TEXAS AIRMASS TO PRODUCE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH COULD BECOME SEVERE. THE PRIMARY THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD KEEP A LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MARINERS SHOULD ALSO PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE STRONG OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE BAYS AND IMMEDIATE COASTAL WATERS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL NEW MEDIAS FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Jan 27, 1:48 PM CST, 4 hours 32 minutes before
TXZ164-177>179-199-200-213-214-227-237-238-511-513-280100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 148 PM CST MON JAN 27 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS THROUGH 7 PM THIS EVENING... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR BRAZORIA...GALVESTON...CHAMBERS...HARRIS...FORT BEND... LIBERTY...MONTGOMERY...SAN JACINTO...WALKER...POLK AND TRINITY COUNTIES UNTIL 7 PM THIS EVENING. SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA ARE GALVESTON...ANGELTON...HOUSTON...RICHMOND...CONROE... LIBERTY...HUNTSVILLE AND LIVINGSTON. THE COMBINATION OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL INTERACT WITH A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE SOUTHEAST TEXAS AIRMASS TO PRODUCE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH COULD BECOME SEVERE. THE PRIMARY THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD KEEP A LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MARINERS SHOULD ALSO PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE STRONG OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE BAYS AND IMMEDIATE COASTAL WATERS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL NEW MEDIAS FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Jan 27, 3:06 PM CST, 3 hours 14 minutes before
TXZ163-164-179-280210- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 306 PM CST MON JAN 27 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CST FOR A LARGE PORITON OF EAST TEXAS... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A LARGE PORTION OF EAST TEXAS INCLUDING TRINITY...POLK AND HOUSTON COUNTIES. SOME OF THE CITIES IN THE WATCH AREA ARE CROCKETT ...TRINITY...GROVETON...AND LIVINGSTON. THE COMBINATION OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL INTERACT WITH A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE SOUTHEAST TEXAS AIRMASS TO PRODUCE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. THE PRIMARY THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 7 PM CST. REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO/TV STATION FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Jan 27, 3:55 PM CST, 2 hours 25 minutes before
TXZ211-237-210-227-198-213-163-200-511-236-199-179-178-164-177- 212-197-226-196-195-214-238-235-176-280400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 355 PM CST MON JAN 27 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. THIS WATCH REPLACES THE PREVIOUS THAT WAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 95 MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF VICTORIA TO 25 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF LUFKIN. THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE INCLUDED...BURLESON...BRAZOS...MADISON... HOUSTON...TRINITY...POLK...SAN JACINTO...WALKER...GRIMES... WASHINGTON...AUSTIN...WALLER...MONTGOMERY...HARRIS...LIBERTY... CAHMBERS...GALVESTON...BRAZORIA...FORT BEND...COLORADO...WHARTON... JACKSON...MATAGORDA...AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA HAVE ALREADY PRODUCED HAIL AND TORNADOES. RESIDENTS ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE ADVANCED WARNING.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 27, 6:24 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Liberty | 51 min |
| Jan 27, 6:40 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Chambers, Harris | 65 min |
| Jan 27, 6:52 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Brazoria | 68 min |
| Jan 27, 7:06 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Galveston | 69 min |
| Jan 27, 7:14 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Chambers, Harris | 61 min |
| Jan 27, 7:36 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Chambers | 69 min |
| Jan 27, 8:10 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Galveston | 65 min |
| Jan 27, 8:24 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Galveston | 3 hr |
| Jan 27, 8:30 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Polk | 60 min |
| Jan 27, 9:03 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Harris, Liberty | 3 hr |
| Jan 27, 9:21 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Galveston | 69 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.