Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1997
Tornado Warning 12, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Apr 4, 1997, 1:40 PM CST for Houston County, Texas. It was in force for 60 min. 4 reports 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
- Apr 4, 1997, 1:40 PM CST (19:40 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 4, 1997, 2:40 PM CST
- In force
- 60 min
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Houston County, TX
The radar
The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 195 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:42 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1:50 PM CST | Tornado F1 | Lovelady, TX | |
| Apr 4, 2:05 PM CST | Tornado F0 | Crockett, TX | |
| Apr 4, 2:15 PM CST | Tornado F1 | Latexo, TX | |
| Apr 4, 2:30 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind | Kennard, 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
Shreveport, LA (KSHV), launched 12:00Z, 7.7 hours before the alert went out and 204 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 533 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 21 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 154 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 237 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KHOU 041939 RRA TORHOU TXC225-042040- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 140 PM CDT FRI APR 4 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 240 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS ...HOUSTON COUNTY AT 136 PM CST...A DEVELOPING TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY HOUSTON/GALVESTON DOPPLER RADAR 1 MILE SOUTHEAST OF LOVELADY MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. CROCKETT IS IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. USE BLAlNKETS...PILLOWS...OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.
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 Apr 4, 9:24 AM CST, 4 hours 16 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 4, 9:24 AM CST, 4 hours 16 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 923 AM CST FRI APR 4 1997 LOOKS LIKE WE ARE GETTING A BREAK IN THE WX OVER SE TX ATTM. HOWEVER IT LOOKS LIKE SOME OF THE AREA WATERSHED PROBLEMS WILL BE SLOW TO CORRECT THEMSELVES. FURTHER TO OUR WEST...MORE CONVECTION STARTING TO FIRE UP AS THE COLD FRONT SLOWLY TREKS THIS WAY ALONG WITH THAT PESKY UPPER LOW. IN THE MEANWHILE...NUMEROUS OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES ABOUND ACROSS SE TX IN THE WAKE OF LAST NIGHT'S ACTIVITY WITH PWs CONTINUING TO INCREASE. 12Z UA PLOTS ALSO SHOWING A DEEPENING MOISTURE LAYER AS WELL AS AN 110KT JET ROUNDING ITS WAY INTO W/SC TX. QUICK LOOK AT LATEST MODELS INDICATES THAT OUTPUT ON TARGET WITH THEY WERE GOING WITH FROM PREVIOUS RUNS. HAVING SAID ALL THAT...NO CHANGES TO CURRENT FCST APPEARS NECESSARY THIS UPDATE. ONE LAST NOTE, WE ARE CURRENTLY AT/NEAR LOW TIDE IN SOME COASTAL POINTS WITH HIGH TIDES EXPECTED THIS AFTN. WITH OBSERVED TIDE HGTS RUNNING SOME 1 TO NEAR 2 FT ABOVE PREDICTED HGTS...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH ON TRACK AS WELL. 41 PRELIMS... CLL TTBB 73/60 79/58 +9-- (HVY RAIN/SVR TDY/TONIGHT) IAH TTBB 74/63 80/56 +9-- (HVY RAIN/SVR TDY/TONIGHT) GLS TTBB 728/69 77/60 +92- (HVY RAIN/SVR TDY/TONIGHT)
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 9:30 AM CST, 4 hours 10 minutes before
TXZ176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-050400- SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1030 AM CDT FRI APR 4 1997 THERE IS A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. ALL CITIES ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS ARE IN THE MODERATE RISK AREA. A VOLATILE WEATHER SITUATION IS SETTING UP FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS LATER TODAY AND ON INTO TONIGHT. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE IN NORTHERN MEXICO WILL MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST TODAY AND DESTABLIZE THE WARM AND VERY MOIST ATMOSPHERE ACROSS THE REGION. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTH AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. AS UPPER LEVEL ENERGY APPROACHES FROM THE WEST...THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP INTO A SQUALL LINE AND HEAD TOWARD SOUTHEAST TEXAS. ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY BECOME SEVERE ALONG THIS SQUALL LINE AS IT NEARS THE COLLEGE STATION AREA IN THE LATE EVENING HOURS...AND MOVES TOWARD THE COAST THROUGH THE LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE PRIMARY THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SQUALL LINE WILL LIKELY CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAIN. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE 1 TO 3 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED TOTALS NEAR 5 INCHES POSSIBLE. HEAVY RAINFALL OVER ALREADY SATURATED GROUND WILL ENHANCE THE ALREADY HIGH POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING OVER THE AREA. CREEKS AND BAYOUS ALREADY NEAR BANKFULL WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY HANDLING THESE HEAVY RAINS...LEADING TO A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FLOOD SITUATION. RESIDENTS ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS ARE URGED TO STAY INFORMED ON THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION TODAY AND TONIGHT. STORM SPOTTERS... SKYWARN OFFICIALS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS SHOULD BE READY FOR ACTIVATION AS EARLY AS THIS AFTERNOON. MARINERS ON THE BAYS AND COASTAL WATERS SHOULD BE ALERT TO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THAT ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT. THE SQUALL LINE IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE COAST TOWARD SUNRISE SATURDAY MORNING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER WEATHER NEWS SOURCES FOR FUTURE WATCHES AND WARNINGS ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 10:30 AM CST, 3 hours 10 minutes before
TXZ176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-050400- SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1030 AM CDT FRI APR 4 1997 THERE IS A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. ALL CITIES ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS ARE IN THE MODERATE RISK AREA. A VOLATILE WEATHER SITUATION IS SETTING UP FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS LATER TODAY AND ON INTO TONIGHT. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE IN NORTHERN MEXICO WILL MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST TODAY AND DESTABLIZE THE WARM AND VERY MOIST ATMOSPHERE ACROSS THE REGION. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTH AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. AS UPPER LEVEL ENERGY APPROACHES FROM THE WEST...THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP INTO A SQUALL LINE AND HEAD TOWARD SOUTHEAST TEXAS. ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY BECOME SEVERE ALONG THIS SQUALL LINE AS IT NEARS THE COLLEGE STATION AREA IN THE LATE EVENING HOURS...AND MOVES TOWARD THE COAST THROUGH THE LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE PRIMARY THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SQUALL LINE WILL LIKELY CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAIN. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE 1 TO 3 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED TOTALS NEAR 5 INCHES POSSIBLE. HEAVY RAINFALL OVER ALREADY SATURATED GROUND WILL ENHANCE THE ALREADY HIGH POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING OVER THE AREA. CREEKS AND BAYOUS ALREADY NEAR BANKFULL WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY HANDLING THESE HEAVY RAINS...LEADING TO A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FLOOD SITUATION. RESIDENTS ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS ARE URGED TO STAY INFORMED ON THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION TODAY AND TONIGHT. STORM SPOTTERS... SKYWARN OFFICIALS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS SHOULD BE READY FOR ACTIVATION AS EARLY AS THIS AFTERNOON. MARINERS ON THE BAYS AND COASTAL WATERS SHOULD BE ALERT TO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THAT ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT. THE SQUALL LINE IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE COAST TOWARD SUNRISE SATURDAY MORNING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER WEATHER NEWS SOURCES FOR FUTURE WATCHES AND WARNINGS ON THIS POTEN"TIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 2:59 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Jackson | 2 hr |
| Apr 4, 3:04 AM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Jackson | 56 min |
| Apr 4, 3:39 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Wharton | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 4:32 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Fort Bend | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 4:49 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Jackson | 116 min |
| Apr 4, 5:35 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Harris | 115 min |
| Apr 4, 6:32 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Liberty | 118 min |
| Apr 4, 7:29 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Harris | 2 hr |
| Apr 4, 2:05 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Trinity | 60 min |
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.