Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1997
Tornado Warning 10, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Mar 12, 1997, 3:05 AM CST for Fort Bend County, Texas. It was in force for 40 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Mar 12, 1997, 3:05 AM CST (09:05 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 12, 1997, 3:45 AM CST
- In force
- 40 min
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Fort Bend County, TX
The radar
The Houston radar (KHGX), 67 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:09 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 3:30 AM CST | Tornado F0 | Needville, TX |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.
The nearest sounding before it
Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 252 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
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KHOU 120908 RRA TORHOU TXC157-120945- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 305 AM CST WED MAR 12 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 345 AM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS ...SOUTHERN FORT BEND COUNTY AT 302 AM...RADAR INDICATED A DEVELOPING TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM IN EXTREME SOUTHERN FORT BEND COUNTY 3 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF NEEDVILLE. MOVEMENT WAS EAST NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. NEEDVILLE IS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION. ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO... GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON TnHE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE. AVOID WINDOWS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at Mar 12, 2:14 AM CST, 51 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 12, 2:14 AM CST, 51 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 212 AM CST WED MAR 12 1997 UPR LVL LOW OVR SW TX WILL OPEN UP AND MV ACRS THE FA TDY. MDLS SHOW ASSOCIATED VORT MX'S TRACKING SLWLY UP FM S CNTRL TX AND ACRS FA THRU-OUT THE DAY BEFORE MVG INTO W LA SOMETIME AFTER MDNGT TNGT. A POCKET OF COLD AIR WRAPPED ARND THE LOW COUPLED WITH WAA AT THE SFC WILL ADD TO AREA INSTABILITY AND THE CONTINUED STRENGTHENING AND REDEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND TSTMS THRU-OUT TDY...ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTN HRS. ALSO ADDING TO OUR PROBLEMS IS A SFC LOW THAT MVS UP FM BRO AND TRACKS ACRS THE FA ON ITS WAY TO NE TX BY EARLY THU MRNG. THE SFC TROFING ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW WILL HELP PROVIDE FOCUS FOR REDEVELOPING STORMS AS WELL AS ASSIST THE CONTINUED TAP OF GULF MOISTURE AS PW'S ARE EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE 2 INCH MARK BY THIS AFTN. CRNTLY...A STRNG IMPULSE CONTS TO PUSH A LINE OF SLOW MVG SHOWERS & TSTMS INTO THE WRN SECTIONS OF FA. THIS WILL CONT TO MV THRU THIS MRNG AND ADD TO AN ALREADY SATURATED SE TX. WITH ADDITIONAL TSTMS EXPECTED TO MV UP FM BRO LATER TDY...AM EXPECTING WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF ARND 5 INCHES OR MORE PSBL BEFORE MDNGT. HAVE PLACED ALL OF SE TX UNDER A FLASH FLOOD WATCH THRU TDY AS EXPECTED RAINFALL TOTALS EXCEED FFG FOR MOST AREAS AND SOME RIVERS AND TRIBUTARIES (SUCH AS THE TRININTY) ARE ALREADY NEAR OR EXCEED THIER FLOOD STAGE. RAINS SHUD END BY ARND MDNGT OR SHRTLY AFTR AS SYSTEM MVS OFF TO NE. WILL GET A SHRT BREAK BEFORE NXT SYSTEM DRAGS CF INTO AREA ON SAT. PRELIMS NXT. 39 CLL T/C/E 66/62/72 +84 IAH T/C/E 67/63/74 +84 GLS T/C/E 66/65/70 +84
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Mar 11, 9:25 PM CST, 5 hours 40 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, 5 hours 39 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 1:44 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Colorado | 2 hr |
| Mar 12, 2:10 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Wharton | 3 hr |
| Mar 12, 8:00 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Harris | 110 min |
| Mar 12, 9:48 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Harris | 3 hr |
| Mar 12, 12:50 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Galveston, Harris | 24 hr |
| Mar 12, 12:55 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Galveston, Harris | 3 hr |
| Mar 12, 3:55 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Harris | 3 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Texas, 1997Every tornado warning in 1997Tornadoes 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.