Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1997
Tornado Warning 40, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Jun 17, 1997, 12:13 PM CDT for Chambers County, Texas. It was in force for 62 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
- Jun 17, 1997, 12:13 PM CDT (17:13 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 17, 1997, 1:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 62 min
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Chambers County, TX
The radar
The Houston radar (KHGX), 47 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 1:15 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind | Anahuac, TX | Mobile home sustained wind damage. |
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 watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 10:30 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 5.2 hours before the alert went out and 149 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
- 3576 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -2 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 642 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 85 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 111 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.9
- Supercell composite
- 12.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KHOU 171714 RRA TORHOU TXC071-171815- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1213 PM CDT TUE JUN 17 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 115 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS ...CHAMBERS COUNTY... AT 1210 PM...A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER HARRIS COUNTY BETWEEN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON AND CROSBY MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. THE STORM WILL REACH MOUNT BELVIEU BY 1225 PM. STRONG...DAMAGING WINDS ARE LIKELY WITH THIS STORM. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE... MOVE TO A SHELTER... PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM 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 Jun 17, 9:40 AM CDT, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 17, 9:40 AM CDT, 2 hours 33 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 939 AM CDT TUE JUN 17 1997 REAL BUSY WITH SVR TSTMS. CF (APRG A TYR...CLL...SAT LN) DIPPING INTO NRN SECTIONS OF FA WITH STRNG UPR LVL SHRT WV TREKING ACRS OK/N TX. 50H-20H ANALYSIS SHOWS SPD MX PULLING ARND BOTTOM OF SHRT WV AND PLACING CNTL-E TX IN FAVORABLE RRQ. MRNG SOUNDINGS SHOW PLENTY OF INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE WITH 5000+ CAPES...-11 LI'S AND NEAR 2 INCH PW'S. CF SHUD STALL ACRS FA AND PROVIDE FOCUS FOR CONT TSTM DEVELOPMENT THRU AFTN HTG TDY. BACK BLDG ALONG FNT TO WSW WILL LIKELY PERSIST AS 85H SHOWS MOIST AXIS FM NEAR LCH BACK ACRS S CNTL TX TO SOUTH OF SAT. CRNT FCST ON TREK FOR TDY WITH MENTION OF SVR AND HVY RAINS. MDLS SHOW ANOTHER WEAK PIECE OF ENERGY IN THE NW FLOW RIDING ACRS TX LATER TNGT. HARD TO PICK OUT IN WV LOOP AND FEEL ONCE UPR SPD MX PULLS OUT TO NE...FA WILL BE OUT OF THE SVR WX THREAT FOR TNGT. WILL WAIT FOR NXT MDL RUN TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS WITH PSBL SVR AND HVY RAINS FOR TNGT. NO CHANGES ATTM. FFA FOR SE TX THRU AT LEAST TDY STILL OK. 39 PRELIMS... CLL EEBB 087/073/091/074 7332 IAH EEBE 089/076/091/075 6332 GLS EEBE 087/081/088/080 6443
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 6:30 AM CDT, 5 hours 43 minutes before
TXZ163-164-177>179-199-200-171635- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 631 AM CDT TUE JUN 17 1997 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL NOON... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEST TEXAS THIS MORNING UNTIL NOON. THE COUNTIES IN THE WATCH INCLUDE: HOUSTON...TRINITY...LIBERTY...POLK...MONTGOMERY...SAN JACINTO AND WALKER. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE CONTINUED TO MOVE INTO THE VERY WARM MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER THE REGION. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS LIKELY LATER THIS MORNING AS HEATING FURTHER DESTABILIZES THE ATMOSPHERE. WINDS SHEARS DO INDICATE THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED TORNADOES. HOWEVER...THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT SHOULD BE FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT PRODUCE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS WHICH COULD KNOCK DOWN TREES AND POWER LINES. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 6:31 AM CDT, 5 hours 42 minutes before
TXZ163-164-177>179-199-200-171635- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 631 AM CDT TUE JUN 17 1997 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL NOON... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEST TEXAS THIS MORNING UNTIL NOON. THE COUNTIES IN THE WATCH INCLUDE: HOUSTON...TRINITY...LIBERTY...POLK...MONTGOMERY...SAN JACINTO AND WALKER. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE CONTINUED TO MOVE INTO THE VERY WARM MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER THE REGION. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS LIKELY LATER THIS MORNING AS HEATING FURTHER DESTABILIZES THE ATMOSPHERE. WINDS SHEARS DO INDICATE THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED TORNADOES. HOWEVER...THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT SHOULD BE FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT PRODUCE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS WHICH COULD KNOCK DOWN TREES AND POWER LINES. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 10:21 AM CDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-511-513-172125- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1021 AM CDT TUE JUN 17 1997 THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A LARGE PORTION OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 4 PM CDT. SOME OF THE CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA ARE...BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION... COLUMBUS...BAY CITY...GALVESTON...CONROE...LIVINGSTON AND THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA. REMEMBER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 80 MPH...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HAIL UP TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER. THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REPLACES THE TORNADO WATCH EARLIER ISSUED UNTIL NOON FOR SOME COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS. AT SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...TOWERING THUNDERHEADS...DARKENING SKIES...LIGHTNING AND INCREASING WINDS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY. TUNE IN NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 10:40 AM CDT, 1 hour 33 minutes before
TXZ163-164-175>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-511-513-172125- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...COR REMOVE MAD CNTY...ADD HVY RAIN... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1045 AM CDT TUE JUN 17 1997 THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A LARGE PORTION OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 4 PM CDT. SOME OF THE CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA ARE...BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION... COLUMBUS...BAY CITY...GALVESTON...CONROE...LIVINGSTON AND THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA. REMEMBER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 80 MPH...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HAIL UP TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER. VERY HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS AND FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REPLACES THE TORNADO WATCH EARLIER ISSUED UNTIL NOON FOR SOME COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS. AT SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...TOWERING THUNDERHEADS...DARKENING SKIES...LIGHTNING AND INCREASING WINDS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY. TUNE IN NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. IF WIND DAMAGE...LARGE HAIL OR FLOOD2ING IS OBSERVED...PLEASE CONTACT YOUR COUNTY SHERIFF OR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 10:45 AM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
TXZ163-164-175>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-511-513-172125- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...COR REMOVE MAD CNTY...ADD HVY RAIN... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1045 AM CDT TUE JUN 17 1997 THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A LARGE PORTION OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 4 PM CDT. SOME OF THE CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA ARE...BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION... COLUMBUS...BAY CITY...GALVESTON...CONROE...LIVINGSTON AND THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA. REMEMBER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 80 MPH...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HAIL UP TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER. VERY HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS AND FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REPLACES THE TORNADO WATCH EARLIER ISSUED UNTIL NOON FOR SOME COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS. AT SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...TOWERING THUNDERHEADS...DARKENING SKIES...LIGHTNING AND INCREASING WINDS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY. TUNE IN NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. IF WIND DAMAGE...LARGE HAIL OR FLOODING IS OBSERVED...PLEASE CONTACT YOUR COUNTY SHERIFF OR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 5:28 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Madison | 62 min |
| Jun 17, 5:38 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Houston | 22 min |
| Jun 17, 5:52 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Trinity | 68 min |
| Jun 17, 6:14 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Polk | 61 min |
| Jun 17, 7:26 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Austin, Grimes, Waller, Washington | 64 min |
| Jun 17, 7:46 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Harris, Montgomery | 59 min |
| Jun 17, 8:09 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Polk | 36 min |
| Jun 17, 8:43 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto | 62 min |
| Jun 17, 9:08 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Burleson, Washington | 67 min |
| Jun 17, 10:05 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Austin, Washington | 55 min |
| Jun 17, 10:19 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Montgomery, Waller | 56 min |
| Jun 17, 10:46 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Austin, Colorado | 59 min |
| Jun 17, 11:18 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Harris | 57 min |
| Jun 17, 11:24 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Austin, Colorado | 66 min |
| Jun 17, 11:52 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | HGX | Harris | 68 min |
| Jun 17, 12:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Galveston | 56 min |
| Jun 17, 12:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Brazoria | 63 min |
| Jun 17, 1:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Chambers, Galveston | 67 min |
| Jun 17, 6:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Wharton | 66 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.