Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1997

Flash Flood Warning 13, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

March 12, 1997Colorado County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this flash flood warning at Mar 12, 1997, 1:44 AM CST for Colorado 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
Mar 12, 1997, 1:44 AM CST (07:44 UTC)
Expired
Mar 12, 1997, 3:45 AM CST
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Colorado County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 141 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:48 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

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 7.7 hours before the alert went out and 225 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 1997-03-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 8 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 1997-03-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 175 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
8 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-654 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
534 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
175 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
406 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 KHOU 120750 COR
FFWHOU
TXC089-120945-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING...CORRECTED EBS TO EAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
144 AM CST WED MAR 12 1997

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  345 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...

IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS

   ...EASTERN COLORADO COUNTY

AT 140 AM...RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTAINING VERY
HEAVY RAIN ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS SLOWLY TO THE
EAST...RESULTING IN VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. RADAR ESTIMATES THAT 2 TO 3
INCHES OF RAIN IS FALLING PER HOUR WITH THESE STORMS...AND THIS WILL
LIKELY LEAD TO SOME FLOODING.  THE EAGLE LAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT
INDICATED THAT HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL...AND SEVERAL ROADS ARE
ABOUT TO FLOOD.

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 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.

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Mar 11, 7:52 PM CST, 5 hours 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 11, 7:52 PM CST, 5 hours 52 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
751 PM CST TUE MAR 11 1997

CURRENT FORECAST LOOKS GOOD AS BIG BEND UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO EDGE
THIS WAY.  RADAR PICTURES SHOW ABUNDANT AREAS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE
RAIN ACROSS MOST OF S AND SE TX...WITH A GENERAL N TO NE MOVEMENT.
EXPECT THESE RAINS TO GET THE GROUND WET DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS.  THEN...EXPECT ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP
OVERNIGHT ACROSS S TX AND MOVE TO THE N ACROSS THE AREA.  AT THIS
TIME...WILL WAIT AND SEE WHERE AND TO WHAT EXTENT THE NEW STORMS
DEVELOP BEFORE ISSUING A FLASH FLOOD WATCH.  THANKS CRP AND SAT FOR
COORDINATION CALLS.

OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WILL REMA,IN IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S ACROSS THE
AREA.

42

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 11, 9:25 PM CST, 4 hours 19 minutes before
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-121100-

HEAVY RAINFALL OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
925 PM CST TUE MAR 11 1997

...HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS TONIGHT AND
WEDNESDAY...

A HEAVY RAINFALL OUTLOOK REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS
FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.  THE OUTLOOK AREA INCLUDES THE CITIES OF
BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION...GALVESTON...AND THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN
AREA.  THE COMMUNITIES OF EDNA...WHARTON...BRENHAM...CONROE...
MADISONVILLE...HUNTSVILLE...LIBERTY...AND CROCKETT ARE ALSO IN THE
OUTLOOK AREA.

A WARM AND EXTREMELY MOIST ATMOSPHERE REMAINS IN PLACE OVER SOUTHEAST
TEXAS.  AS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE NEAR THE TEXAS BIG BEND SLOWLY
TRACKS NORTHEAST THROUGH TEXAS ALONG A STATIONARY FRONT...MODERATE TO
HEAVY RAINS WILL DEVELOP THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON OVER
SOUTHEAST TEXAS.  AN EXPANDING AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS
DEVELOPING BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO AND FREEPORT...AND IS MOVING TO THE
NORTH AND NORTHEAST TOWARD SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

WIDESPREAD RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF NEAR 1 INCH WILL BE LIKELY WITH
ISOLATED TOTALS NEAR 3 INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING.
WITH THE GROUND OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS ALREADY SATURATED...ANY RAIN
WILL RUN OFF AND POSSIBLY TRIGGER FLOODING OVER THE AREA.

THE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR THE HILL COUNTRY AND PORTIONS OF
SOUTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL TEXAS.  AT THIS TIME...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH
IS NOT IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS...BUT ONE MAY BE REQUIRED FOR
PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.

RESIDENTS ALONG MAJOR RIVERS AND TRIBUTARIES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATORS NEED TO KEEP ABREAST OF THIS
DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.  STAY TUNED TO
NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER WEATHER NEWS SOURCES FOR FURTHER UPDATES.
Special weather statement, Mar 11, 9:26 PM CST, 4 hours 18 minutes before
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-121100-

HEAVY RAINFALL OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
925 PM CST TUE MAR 11 1997

...HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS TONIGHT AND
WEDNESDAY...

A HEAVY RAINFALL OUTLOOK REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS
FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.  THE OUTLOOK AREA INCLUDES THE CITIES OF
BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION...GALVESTON...AND THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN
AREA.  THE COMMUNITIES OF EDNA...WHARTON...BRENHAM...CONROE...
MADISONVILLE...HUNTSVILLE...LIBERTY...AND CROCKETT ARE ALSO IN THE
OUTLOOK AREA.

A WARM AND EXTREMELY MOIST ATMOSPHERE REMAINS IN PLACE OVER SOUTHEAST
TEXAS.  AS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE NEAR THE TEXAS BIG BEND SLOWLY
TRACKS NORTHEAST THROUGH TEXAS ALONG A STATIONARY FRONT...MODERATE TO
HEAVY RAINS WILL DEVELOP THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON OVER
SOUTHEAST TEXAS.  AN EXPANDING AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS
DEVELOPING BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO AND FREEPORT...AND IS MOVING TO THE
NORTH AND NORTHEAST TOWARD SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

WIDESPREAD RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF NEAR 1 INCH WILL BE LIKELY WITH
ISOLATED TOTALS NEAR 3 INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING.
WITH THE GROUND OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS ALREADY SATURATED...ANY RAIN
WILL RUN OFF AND POSSIBLY TRIGGER FLOODING OVER THE AREA.

THE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR THE HILL COUNTRY AND PORTIONS OF
SOUTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL TEXAS.  AT THIS TIME...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH
IS NOT IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS...BUT ONE MAY BE REQUIRED FOR
PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.

RESIDENTS ALONG MAJOR RIVERS AND TRIBUTARIES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATORS NEED TO KEEP ABREAST OF THIS
DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.  STAY TUNED TO
NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER ,WEATHER NEWS SOURCES FOR FURTHER UPDATES.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 12, 2:10 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXWharton3 hr
Mar 12, 3:05 AM CSTTornado WarningHGXFort Bend40 min
Mar 12, 8:00 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXHarris110 min
Mar 12, 9:48 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXHarris3 hr
Mar 12, 12:50 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXGalveston, Harris24 hr
Mar 12, 12:55 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXGalveston, Harris3 hr
Mar 12, 3:55 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXHarris3 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.