Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1998
Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this flash flood warning at Jan 6, 1998, 4:48 AM CST for Brazoria County, Chambers County, Galveston County, Texas. It was in force for 2 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
- Jan 6, 1998, 4:48 AM CST (10:48 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 6, 1998, 6:50 AM CST
- In force
- 2 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Brazoria County, TX, Chambers County, TX, Galveston County, TX
The radar
The Houston radar (KHGX), 14 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:50 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 00:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 189 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
- 1260 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -12 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 770 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 32 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 23 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 76 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.1
- Supercell composite
- 0.9
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KHOU 061049 FFWHOU TXC039-071-167-061250- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 448 AM CST TUE JAN 6 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 650 AM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS ...BRAZORIA COUNTY ...CHAMBERS COUNTY ...GALVESTON COUNTY AT 445 AM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ALONG THE COAST FROM FREEPORT TO NEAR HIGH ISLAND...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM ALVIN TO LEAGUE CITY TO GALVESTON. RADAR ESTIMATES RAINFALL RATES OF 1 INCH PER HOUR WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE RELATIVE TO STREAMS...RIVERS...OR CREEKS WHICH CAN BECOME KILLERS IN HEAVY RAINS. CAMPERS SHOULD AVOID CAMPING ALONG STREA~MS OR CREEKS DURING THREATENING RAINS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
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.
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jan 6, 2:45 AM CST, 2 hours 3 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 6, 2:45 AM CST, 2 hours 3 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 245 AM CST TUE JAN 6 1998 VERY MST AIR MASS WL CONT OVR SETX FOR MOST OF THIS PD. CDFNT APRCHG FM THE NW WL THEN BE A CONCERN TONIGHT...AND FOR NOW WL COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE ETA AND AVN MVMNT OF THE FNT THRU THE FCST AREA. THIS WL PUT THE FNT AT THE CST ABT 09Z WED AM. THE H5 PATTERN LOOKS MORE IMPRESSIVE ON THE ETA AS DOES THE H2 JET. IF THE ETA PANS OUT...SOME SVR WX CANNOT BE RULED OUT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS SETX WL BE UNDER THE ENTERANCE RGN OF ONE DEPARTING JET MAX TO THE NE AND THE EXIT RGN OF AN APRCHG JET FM THE S. ON TOP OF THIS WL BE THE RNFL POTENTIAL. CURRENT 94Q LOOKS TO CORRELATE WITH THE ETA AND WITH THIS GDNC WL GO AHEAD AND KEEP THE FLOOD/FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TDY AND EXTEND IT THRU ALL OF TONIGHT. WL ISSUE A FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT AFTER COORDNATING WITH EWX...AND WL ALSO ISSUE A HVY RNFL/SVR WX OUTLOOK ON THESE POSSIBILITIES. IN THE SHORT TERM...SFC TROF FM NR TXK TO AUS WAS HELPING TO PRODUCE SOME SHRAS/TSTMS ATTM. WK SFC BNDRY NR THE CST WAS ALSO HELPING TO SOCK IN THE AREA WITH LOW CIGS AND VSBYS. XPC SOME IMPROVEMENT BY MID AM...THO SOME DRIER AIR WAS FILTERING THRU PARTS OF THE AREA AS EVIDENCED BY HOU/S CURRENT OB OF 6SM AND BKN005. AFT THE FNTL PASSAGE...WRAP AROUND OF THE SFC LOW MOVG UP THE APPLACHIANS WL KEEP LT RN AND DRZL IN PLACE INTO THU AM. HI PRES WL THEN BRING DRIER CONDS BY THU AFT. FOR TEMPS...WL GO CLOSE TO MOS OUPUT. PL/40 PRELIMS... PATCHY DENSE FOG THIS MORNING ALL ZONES CHC OF TSTMS THIS AFT AND EVE...SOME POSSIBLY SVR CLL F-R/T E/E 070/052 053/040 053 8942 IAH F-T/T E/E 072/054 056/040 054 8942 GLS F-T/T E/E 069/059 060/045 052 8942
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jan 6, 3:43 AM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes before
GMZ330-335-350-355-370-375-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214- 226-227-235>238-062115- SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 343 AM CST TUE JAN 6 1998 THE THREAT FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS TODAY AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE REGION COULD ALSO BE SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. A VERY MOIST TROPICAL AIRMASS WILL STAY IN PLACE OVER THE REGION THROUGH TONIGHT. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AS AN UPPER LEVEL JET MOVES OVERHEAD OF THE REGION AND AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES INTO WEST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON. THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BE FURTHER ENHANCED AS A COLD FRONT THEN APPROACHES THE AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. RAINFALL TOTALS THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS WILL AVERAGE FROM 1/2 TO 1 INCH. HOWEVER...ISOLATED TOTALS OF 3 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL THEN END AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT COULD REACH SEVERE LEVELS AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES AND MOVES INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND THE FAVORABLE REGION OF THE UPPER LEVEL JET MOVES OVERHEAD. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE COLLEGE STATION AREA BY 9 PM... THEN IN THE HOUSTON AREA BEFORE MIDNIGHT...THEN TO THE COAST BETWEEN 3 AM AND 5 AM. THE COLD FRONT SHOULD THEN MOVE INTO THE UPPER TEXAS COASTAL WATERS BEFORE SUNRISE. THE MAIN THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. HEAVY RAINFALL THAT OCCURS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE PONDING OF WATER ACROSS LOW-LYING AREAS AND FEEDER ROADS. EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD BE READY FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION THROUGHOUT TODAY INTO THIS EVENING. BOATERS ACROSS THE BAYS AND UPPER TEXAS COASTAL WATERS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS LATER TODAY INTO TONIGHT. THESE STORMS SHOULD END AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE COAST LATER TONIGHT. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER NEWS SOURCES FOR LATER UPDATES...STATEMENTS...AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Jan 6, 3:43 AM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes before
GMZ330-335-350-355-370-375-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214- 226-227-235>238-062115- SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 343 AM CST TUE JAN 6 1998 THE THREAT FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS TODAY AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE REGION COULD ALSO BE SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. A VERY MOIST TROPICAL AIRMASS WILL STAY IN PLACE OVER THE REGION THROUGH TONIGHT. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AS AN UPPER LEVEL JET MOVES OVERHEAD OF THE REGION AND AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES INTO WEST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON. THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BE FURTHER ENHANCED AS A COLD FRONT THEN APPROACHES THE AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. RAINFALL TOTALS THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS WILL AVERAGE FROM 1/2 TO 1 INCH. HOWEVER...ISOLATED TOTALS OF 3 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL THEN END AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT COULD REACH SEVERE LEVELS AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES AND MOVES INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND THE FAVORABLE REGION OF THE UPPER LEVEL JET MOVES OVERHEAD. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE COLLEGE STATION AREA BY 9 PM... THEN IN THE HOUSTON AREA BEFORE MIDNIGHT...THEN TO THE COAST BETWEEN 3 AM AND 5 AM. THE COLD FRONT SHOULD THEN MOVE INTO THE UPPER TEXAS COASTAL WATERS BEFORE SUNRISE. THE MAIN THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. HEAVY RAINFALL THAT OCCURS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE PONDING OF WATER ACROSS LOW-LYING AREAS AND FEEDER ROADS. EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD BE READY FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION THROUGHOUT TODAY INTO THIS EVENING. BOATERS ACROSS THE BAYS AND UPPER TEXAS COASTAL WATERS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS LATER TODAY INTO TONIGHT. THESE STORMS SHOULD END AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE COAST LATER TONIGHT. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER NEWS SOURCES FOR LATER UPDATES...STATEMENTS...AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 6, 4:27 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Chambers | 63 min |
| Jan 6, 6:52 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Harris | 3 hr |
| Jan 6, 9:52 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Chambers, Liberty | 2 hr |
| Jan 6, 10:26 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Houston, Walker | 64 min |
| Jan 6, 10:32 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Madison | 28 min |
| Jan 6, 11:57 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Liberty | 2 hr |
| Jan 6, 2:14 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Brazos, Burleson | 2 hr |
| Jan 6, 2:29 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Houston, Trinity, Walker | 3 hr |
| Jan 6, 2:29 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Polk, San Jacinto | 3 hr |
| Jan 6, 2:29 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Montgomery | 3 hr |
| Jan 6, 3:03 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Liberty | 3 hr |
| Jan 6, 4:13 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Brazoria, Galveston | 3 hr |
| Jan 6, 4:13 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Chambers | 3 hr |
| Jan 6, 4:31 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Galveston, Harris | 44 min |
| Jan 6, 4:35 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Harris | 3 hr |
| Jan 6, 5:09 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Liberty, Polk, San Jacinto | 3 hr |
| Jan 6, 5:09 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Montgomery | 3 hr |
| Jan 6, 5:16 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Austin, Colorado, Jackson, Wharton | 3 hr |
| Jan 6, 5:16 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Fort Bend, Waller | 3 hr |
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.