Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1997
Tornado Warning 28, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at May 23, 1997, 2:42 PM CDT for Harris County, Texas. It was in force for 33 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 23, 1997, 2:42 PM CDT (19:42 UTC)
- Expired
- May 23, 1997, 3:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Harris County, TX
The radar
The Houston radar (KHGX), 52 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:44 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 12:00Z, 7.7 hours before the alert went out and 213 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
- 180 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -100 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1053 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 13 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 68 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 85 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
684 WFUS1 KHOU 231945 RRA TORHOU TXC201-232015- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 242 PM CDT FRI MAY 23 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 315 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS ...NORTHWESTERN HARRIS COUNTY AT 240 PM...RADAR INDICATED A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM ALONG HIGHWAY 290 BETWEEN CYPRESS AND WALLER. THIS STORM IS MOVING TO THE NORTHWEST AT 15 MPH. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION. ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO... GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE 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 May 23, 1:51 PM CDT, 51 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 23, 1:51 PM CDT, 51 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 150 PM CDT FRI MAY 22 1997 STRONG THUNDERSTORMS GOING ON OVER THE AREA MAINLY ALONG THE SEABREEZE FRONT...AND A SECOND AREA OF MORE ORGANIZED CONVECTION OVER WATER. UPPER FLOW SHOULD KEEP THIS AREA OVER THE WATER TREKKING OFF TO THE NORTHEAST...WITH LITTLE IMPACT EXCEPT ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST. SEABREEZE WILL LIKELY PRODUCE A WIDE COVERAGE OF RAIN...WITH THE HEAVIER AMOUNTS OVER THE EASTERN ZONES. PATCHY FOG WILL CROP AGAIN TONIGHT AREAS IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ZONES. THE EXITTING OF THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL TAP A GOOD DEAL OF THE POTENTIAL OVER LAND FOR SATURDAY. UPPER DIFFLUENT JET AND MAIN VORT MAX WILL FOCUS THE MAJORITY OF THE STORMS OVER THE WATER FOR TOMORROW. WILL GO EASY ON THE POPS FOR SATURDAY. WILL LET THE FFA EXPIRE TONIGHT AS FOCUS FOR PRECIP ALONG THE STATIONARY FRONT WILL HAVE LIFTED FAR ENOUGH NORTH THAT THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN WILL BE UNLIKELY. MAIN VORT MAX WILL BE THROUGH THE AREA BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON...AND WITH MORE SWRLY WINDS WILL UP TEMPS FROM PREV PACKAGE. SUNDAY SHOULD BE WARM/HOT WITH MC-PC SKIES. WIDELY SCATTERED SEABREEZE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONFINED TO THE COASTAL TIER OF COUNTIES. PRELIMS... (FFA THRU TNGT FOR ALL SE TX) CLL TEEB 67/84/67/91 5221 IAH CEEB 70/83/68/90 5332 GLS CEEB 69/81/73/82 5433
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 23, 1:01 PM CDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
TXZ211-237-210-227-198-213-236-199-212-226-214-238-235-240000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 101 PM CDT FRI MAY 23 1997 THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER EXSISTS OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. DAYTIME HEATING WILL COMBINE WITH THE MOIST ATMOSPHERE TO PRODUCE A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT BE RAPID AND WITH THE ADDITION OF A LAYER OF DRIER AIR IN THE MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE WORKING ITS WAY IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST STRONG BUT BRIEF DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE AREA IN THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE MAINLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM BELLVILLE TO CONROE TO LIBERTY. THIS WILL INCLUDE THE CITIES OF EDNA...WHARTON...ANGLETON...GALVESTON...RICHMOND...HEMPSTEAD AND THE HOUSTON METRO AREA. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND SKYWARN SPOTTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
Special weather statement, May 23, 1:01 PM CDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
TXZ211-237-210-227-198-213-236-199-212-226-214-238-235-240000- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 101 PM CDT FRI MAY 23 1997 THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER EXSISTS OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. DAYTIME HEATING WILL COMBINE WITH THE MOIST ATMOSPHERE TO PRODUCE A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT BE RAPID AND WITH THE ADDITION OF A LAYER OF DRIER AIR IN THE MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE WORKING ITS WAY IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST STRONG BUT BRIEF DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE AREA IN THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE MAINLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM BELLVILLE TO CONROE TO LIBERTY. THIS WILL INCLUDE THE CITIES OF EDNA...WHARTON...ANGLETON...GALVESTON...RICHMOND...HEMPSTEAD AND THE HOUSTON METRO AREA. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND SKYWARN SPOTTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
Special weather statement, May 23, 1:06 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before
TXZ211-237-210-227-198-213-236-199-212-226-214-238-235-240000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 101 PM CDT FRI MAY 23 1997 THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER EXSISTS OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. DAYTIME HEATING WILL COMBINE WITH THE MOIST ATMOSPHERE TO PRODUCE A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT BE RAPID AND WITH THE ADDITION OF A LAYER OF DRIER AIR IN THE MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE WORKING ITS WAY IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST STRONG BUT BRIEF DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE AREA IN THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE MAINLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM BELLVILLE TO CONROE TO LIBERTY. THIS WILL INCLUDE THE CITIES OF EDNA...WHARTON...ANGLETON...GALVESTON...RICHMOND...HEMPSTEAD AND THE HOUSTON METRO AREA. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND SKYWARN SPOTTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
Special weather statement, May 23, 1:06 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before
TXZ211-237-210-227-198-213-236-199-212-226-214-238-235-240000- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 101 PM CDT FRI MAY 23 1997 THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER EXSISTS OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. DAYTIME HEATING WILL COMBINE WITH THE MOIST ATMOSPHERE TO PRODUCE A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT BE RAPID AND WITH THE ADDITION OF A LAYER OF DRIER AIR IN THE MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE WORKING ITS WAY IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST STRONG BUT BRIEF DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE AREA IN THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE MAINLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM BELLVILLE TO CONROE TO LIBERTY. THIS WILL INCLUDE THE CITIES OF EDNA...WHARTON...ANGLETON...GALVESTON...RICHMOND...HEMPSTEAD AND THE HOUSTON METRO AREA. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND SKYWARN SPOTTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.