Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1997

Flash Flood Warning 60, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

June 10, 1997Burleson County, Washington County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this flash flood warning at Jun 10, 1997, 10:14 AM CDT for Burleson County, Washington 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
Jun 10, 1997, 10:14 AM CDT (15:14 UTC)
Expired
Jun 10, 1997, 12:15 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Whole counties

Counties Burleson County, TX, Washington County, TX

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 12:00Z, 3.2 hours before the alert went out and 285 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, Fort Worth, TX at 12:00Z on 1997-06-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 109 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, Fort Worth, TX at 12:00Z on 1997-06-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -9 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
109 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-131 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
723 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-9 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-8 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 101519
FFWHOU
TXC051-477-101715-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1014 AM CDT TUE JUN 10 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1215 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
 
   ...BURLESON COUNTY...WASHINGTON COUNTY
 
AT 1014 AM...RADAR ESTIMATES INDICATE UP TO 3 INCHES RAINFALL IN
PORTIONS OF BURLESON AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IS
LIKELY FOR THE NEXT 2 HOURS. WITH AREA GROUNDS ALREADY SATURATED...
ADDITIONAL RUNOFF WILL CAUSE MORE STREET FLOODING AND CAUSE AREA CREEKS
AND STREAMS TO RISE QUICKLY.
 
BURLESON SHERIFF REPORTED WATER COVERING LOW LYING ROADWAYS ALONG
HIGHWAY 36 NEAR SOMERVILLE.
 
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 Jun 10, 9:40 AM CDT, 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 10, 9:40 AM CDT, 34 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
939 AM CDT TUE JUN 10 1997

OUTFLOW BOUNDARY HAS MADE IT THROUGH IAH TO NEAR BRENHAM.
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 15 MPH WITH ONE CELL
NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF OUTFLOWS IN WALLER COUNTY MOVING SOUTHEAST
WITH A DEEP BUT WEAKENING MESOCYCLONE WILL BE WATCHING THIS STORM FOR
REDEVELOPMENT. MOISTURE CONVERGENCE AXIS NOTED IN VIS SATEL MOVING
ONSHORE THROUGH BRAZORIA COUNTY. 12Z SOUNDING AT HGX SHOWS A CAPE OF
AROUND 2000...2600 MODIFIED FOR NOONTIME HEATING...PW 1.75/K INDEX OF
32 WITH WEAK WNW MID LEVEL FLOW DEVELOPING THIS WOULD FAVOR A HEAVY
RAIN EVENT THIS AFTERNOON.  WILL HOLD OFF ON FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR
THE TIME BEING.  WILL ALTER PREV PACKAGE SIGNIFICANTLY BASED ON
CURRENT TREND AND THIS EVENING AND INCLUDE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL
POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR THE CENTRAL AND COAST TIER OF
COUNTIES.

PRELIMS...
CLL EBBBB 081/068 090/072 090 4232
IAH CBBB 082/070 090/073 091 8532
GLS CBBB 084/075 087/077 088 8532

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 10, 4:22 AM CDT, 5 hours 52 minutes before
TXZ176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-511-513-102125-

SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
422 AM CDT TUE JUN 10 1997

A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS OVER MUCH OF
SOUTHEAST TEXAS TODAY.  THE SLIGHT RISK AREA IS ALONG AND EAST OF A
LINE FROM GALVESTON TO HUNTSVILLE TO APPLE SPRINGS IN EASTERN
TRINITY COUNTY.  THERE IS ALSO THE CHANCE FOR HEAVY RAINFALL OVER
ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING EARLY THIS MORNING ALONG AND SOUTH OF A
STATIONARY FRONT OVER NORTH TEXAS.  THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL DRIFT
SOUTHWARD INTO THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS THIS
MORNING.  SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND
STRONG WINDS IN EXCESS OF 55 MILES AN HOUR.  THESE STORMS WILL ALSO
PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

OUTFLOWS FROM THESE STORMS WILL THEN INTERACT WITH THE SEABREEZE
FRONT NEAR THE COAST LATER TODAY AND WITH A WEAK UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE ALOFT.  THIS COMBINATION WILL THEN LEAD TO THE
GENERATION OF MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
MOISTURE LEVELS ACROSS THE AREA WILL CONTINUE QUITE HIGH AS THE
SOUTHEAST SURFACE WINDS MOVE OVER THE REGION FROM THE GULF.  HOWEVER
UPPER LEVEL WINDS OVER THE AREA WILL BE LIGHT.  THUS...ANY STORMS
THAT DO DEVELOP LATER TODAY WILL BE SLOW MOVING AND PRODUCING
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

RAINFALL FROM THUNDERSTORMS WILL AVERAGE 1/2 TO 1 INCH THROUGH EARLY
THIS EVENING.  ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.

MARINERS SHOULD BE ALERT TO THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT OVER THE BAYS
AND COASTAL WATERS TODAY.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE
STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 35 KNOTS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...
FREQUENT CLOUD TO WATER LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF WATERSPOUTS.  MARINERS
AND OPERATORS OF SMALL CRAFT SHOULD BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND MOVE TO PORT IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND UPDATES.
Special weather statement, Jun 10, 4:23 AM CDT, 5 hours 51 minutes before
TXZ176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-511-513-102125-

SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
422 AM CDT TUE JUN 10 1997

A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS OVER MUCH OF
SOUTHEAST TEXAS TODAY.  THE SLIGHT RISK AREA IS ALONG AND EAST OF A
LINE FROM GALVESTON TO HUNTSVILLE TO APPLE SPRINGS IN EASTERN
TRINITY COUNTY.  THERE IS ALSO THE CHANCE FOR HEAVY RAINFALL OVER
ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING EARLY THIS MORNING ALONG AND SOUTH OF A
STATIONARY FRONT OVER NORTH TEXAS.  THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL DRIFT
SOUTHWARD INTO THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS THIS
MORNING.  SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND
STRONG WINDS IN EXCESS OF 55 MILES AN HOUR.  THESE STORMS WILL ALSO
PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

OUTFLOWS FROM THESE STORMS WILL THEN INTERACT WITH THE SEABREEZE
FRONT NEAR THE COAST LATER TODAY AND WITH A WEAK UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE ALOFT.  THIS COMBINATION WILL THEN LEAD TO THE
GENERATION OF MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
MOISTURE LEVELS ACROSS THE AREA WILL CONTINUE QUITE HIGH AS THE
SOUTHEAST SURFACE WINDS MOVE OVER THE REGION FROM THE GULF.  HOWEVER
UPPER LEVEL WINDS OVER THE AREA WILL BE LIGHT.  THUS...ANY STORMS
THAT DO DEVELOP LATER TODAY WILL BE SLOW MOVING AND PRODUCING
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

RAINFALL FROM THUNDERSTORMS WILL AVERAGE 1/2 TO 1 INCH THROUGH EARLY
THIS EVENING.  ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.

MARINERS SHOULD BE ALERT TO THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT OVER THE BAYS
AND COASTAL WATERS TODAY.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE
STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 35 KNOTS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...
FREQUENT CLOUD TO WATER LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF WATERSPOUTS.  MARINERS
AND OPERATORS OF SMALL CRAFT SHOULD BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND MOVE TO PORT IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND UPDATES.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 10, 4:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHouston59 min
Jun 10, 5:12 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningHGXHouston63 min
Jun 10, 5:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHouston63 min
Jun 10, 5:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXTrinity59 min
Jun 10, 5:50 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXMadison55 min
Jun 10, 6:08 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXPolk, San Jacinto67 min
Jun 10, 6:25 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningHGXHouston2 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.