Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1998

Flash Flood Warning 30, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

March 15, 1998Edwards County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this flash flood warning at Mar 15, 1998, 8:45 PM CST for Edwards County, Texas. It was in force for 3 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
Mar 15, 1998, 8:45 PM CST (02:45 UTC)
Expired
Mar 15, 1998, 11:45 PM CST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Edwards County, TX

The radar

The Laughlin AFB radar (KDFX), 79 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:49 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

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 00:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 86 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, Del Rio, TX at 00:00Z on 1998-03-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1211 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Del Rio, TX at 00:00Z on 1998-03-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 88 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1211 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-26 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
840 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
68 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
88 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
123 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.8
Supercell composite
3.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KSAT 160245
FFWSAT
TXC137-160545-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
845 PM CST SUN MAR 15 1998
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...EDWARDS COUNTY
 
AT 845 PM CST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING FROM NEAR JUCTION TO DEL RIO. MOVEMENT WAS TOWARDS THE EAST AT
15 MPH. RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE AND A HALF INCHES PER HOUR WERE
ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
 
THIS LINE WILL MOVE SLOWLY EASTWARD PRODUCING RAINFALL TOTALS OF 2 TO 3
INCHES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED
ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGpINS RISING.

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.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 15, 6:00 PM CST, 2 hours 45 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-161200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
600 PM CST SUN MAR 15 1998

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT INTO MONDAY
MORNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY.  A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR ALL
OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY.

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER WEST
TEXAS.  THE ATMOSPHERE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HILL
COUNTRY HAS BECOME VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE.  THIS COMBINATION WILL
LEAD TO WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING THIS EVENING AND
CONTINUING THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND MONDAY MORNING.  SOME OF
THE STORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS POSSIBLE.

AS THE THUNDERSTORMS BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD TONIGHT...CONDITIONS WILL
BECOME FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY RAINFALL.  GENERAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS
TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING WILL AVERAGE 1 TO 2 INCHES.  SCATTERED
AREAS WILL SEE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES WITH ISOLATED TOTALS
GREATER THAN 5 INCHES POSSIBLE FROM THE SLOWER MOVING STORMS OR WHERE
SEVERAL STORMS TRAVEL OVER THE SAME LOCATION.  THESE AMOUNTS WILL
LIKELY PRODUCE FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODING.

THE STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE
TEXAS HILL COUNTRY DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS ON MONDAY.  AS A
RESULT...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER ACROSS
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS MONDAY AFTERNOON.  RAINFALL WILL AVERAGE LESS
THAN HALF AN INCH MONDAY AFTERNOON.

THE STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA BY MONDAY NIGHT WITH
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ENDING MONDAY EVENING.

RESIDENTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS SHOULD MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...
LOCAL RADIO AND TV...AND CABLE TV STATIONS FOR THE LATEST WEATHER
FORECASTS AND ADVISORIES UNTIL THIS STORM PASSES.

NEARBY HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOKS INCLUDE:
FOR SOUTHWEST TEXAS...FROM MIDLAND...LBBSPSMAF
FOR THE CONCHO VALLEY...FROM SAN ANGELO...LBBSPSSJT
FOR NORTH TEXAS...FROM FORT WORTH...FTWSPSFTW
FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS...FROM HOUSTON/GALVESTON...SATSPSHOU
FOR COASTAL BEND/RIO GRANDE PLAINS...FROM CORPUS CHRISTI...SATSPSCRP.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NORMALLY WILL BE UPDATED BY MEANS OF
THE ZONE FORECASTS...SHORT TERM FORECAST...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND
ADVISORIES.  THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ITSELF WILL BE UPDATED
ONLY IF UNEXPECTED HAZARDOUS WEATHER DEVELOPS OR IF EXPECTED
HAZARDOUS WEATHER NO LONGER IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP.

ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS HOME PAGE OF THE INTERNET
WORLD WIDE WEB AT www.srh.noaa.gov/ewx OR TUNE TO THE CLOSEST NOAA
WEATHER RADIO STATION OPERATING ON A FREQUENCY BETWEEN 162.400 MHz
AND 162.550 MHz.
Special weather statement, Mar 15, 6:00 PM CST, 2 hours 45 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-161200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
600 PM CST SUN MAR 15 1998

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT INTO MONDAY
MORNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY.  A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR ALL
OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY.

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER WEST
TEXAS.  THE ATMOSPHERE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HILL
COUNTRY HAS BECOME VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE.  THIS COMBINATION WILL
LEAD TO WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING THIS EVENING AND
CONTINUING THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND MONDAY MORNING.  SOME OF
THE STORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS POSSIBLE.

AS THE THUNDERSTORMS BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD TONIGHT...CONDITIONS WILL
BECOME FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY RAINFALL.  GENERAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS
TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING WILL AVERAGE 1 TO 2 INCHES.  SCATTERED
AREAS WILL SEE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES WITH ISOLATED TOTALS
GREATER THAN 5 INCHES POSSIBLE FROM THE SLOWER MOVING STORMS OR WHERE
SEVERAL STORMS TRAVEL OVER THE SAME LOCATION.  THESE AMOUNTS WILL
LIKELY PRODUCE FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODING.

THE STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE
TEXAS HILL COUNTRY DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS ON MONDAY.  AS A
RESULT...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER ACROSS
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS MONDAY AFTERNOON.  RAINFALL WILL AVERAGE LESS
THAN HALF AN INCH MONDAY AFTERNOON.

THE STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA BY MONDAY NIGHT WITH
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ENDING MONDAY EVENING.

RESIDENTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS SHOULD MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...
LOCAL RADIO AND TV...AND CABLE TV STATIONS FOR THE LATEST WEATHER
FORECASTS AND ADVISORIES UNTIL THIS STORM PASSES.

NEARBY HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOKS INCLUDE:
FOR SOUTHWEST TEXAS...FROM MIDLAND...LBBSPSMAF
FOR THE CONCHO VALLEY...FROM SAN ANGELO...LBBSPSSJT
FOR NORTH TEXAS...FROM FORT WORTH...FTWSPSFTW
FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS...FROM HOUSTON/GALVESTON...SATSPSHOU
FOR COASTAL BEND/RIO GRANDE PLAINS...FROM CORPUS CHRISTI...SATSPSCRP.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NORMALLY WILL BE UPDATED BY MEANS OF
THE ZONE FORECASTS...SHORT TERM FORECAST...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND
ADVISORIES.  THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ITSELF WILL BE UPDATED
ONLY IF UNEXPECTED HAZARDOUS WEATHER DEVELOPS OR IF EXPECTED
HAZARDOUS WEATHER NO LONGER IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP.

ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS HOME PAGE OF THE INTERNET
WORLD WIDE WEB AT www.srh.noaa.gov/ewx OR TUNE TO THE CLOSEST NOAA
WEATHER RADIO STATION OPERATING ON A FREQUENCY BETWEEN 162.400 MHz
AND 162.550 MHz.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 15, 7:57 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXVal Verde2 hr
Mar 15, 11:44 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXDimmit, Zavala3 hr
Mar 15, 11:53 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXZavala67 min
Mar 16, 12:28 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXFrio62 min
Mar 16, 12:46 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXBandera, Bexar, Frio, Medina3 hr
Mar 16, 12:46 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXGillespie, Kendall, Kerr3 hr
Mar 16, 12:46 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXBlanco, Comal3 hr
Mar 16, 12:46 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXBurnet, Llano3 hr
Mar 16, 1:31 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXAtascosa59 min
Mar 16, 2:32 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXComal58 min
Mar 16, 3:01 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGuadalupe, Hays59 min
Mar 16, 3:01 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWilson59 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 1998Every flash flood warning in 1998

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.