Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1998

Flash Flood Warning 28, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

January 21, 1998Chambers County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this flash flood warning at Jan 21, 1998, 9:34 PM CST for Chambers 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
Jan 21, 1998, 9:34 PM CST (03:34 UTC)
Expired
Jan 22, 1998, 12:35 AM CST
In force
3 hr
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 03:35 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, 3.6 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 1998-01-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1567 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 1998-01-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 120 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
1567 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
528 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
120 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
168 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.3
Supercell composite
6.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KHOU 220333
FFWHOU
TXC071-220635-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
934 PM CST WED JAN 21 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1235 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...

IN SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS

   ...NORTHERN CHAMBERS COUNTY

VERY HEAVY RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS NORTHERN CHAMBERS COUNTY DURING
THE PAST 3 HOURS. RADAR ESTIMATES 3-4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALREADY
FALLEN AND AN ADDITIONAL 1-2 INCHES OF RAIN IS LIKELY FROM
ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS MOVING FROM HARRIS COUNTY INTO NORTHERN
CHAMBERS COUNTY.

HIGHWAY 146 AT I-10 IS FLOODED AND CLOSED REPORTED BY CHAMBERS
COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE. MINOR FLOODING IS BEING REPORTED IN MANY
AREAS ACROSS NORTHERN CHAMBERS AND CONDITIONS WILL ONLY WORSEN AS
MORE RAIN IS FORECAST.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLASH FLOODING. IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.
MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO
FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED
QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

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 21, 7:55 PM CST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 21, 7:55 PM CST, 1 hour 39 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
755 PM CST WED JAN 21 1998

QUITE A HECTIC LATE AFTN-EVE W/OUTBREAK OF SUPERCELLS. 00Z LCH
SOUNDING QUITE POTENT W/ABOUT 2000J/KG. SR HELICITY 144. CONVECTION
SHOULD CONT ALL OF FA TONITE. RECOMMEND IST PD MINOR CHANGES AS
FOLLOWS...

CLL AREA...WND BCMG NORTHEAST.
IAH AREA...WIND BECMG NORTHEAST LATE.
GLS AREA...LOW UPPER 50S INLAND...NR 60 COAST.

37

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 21, 8:12 PM CST, 1 hour 22 minutes before
TXZ178-179-199-200-213-214-226-227-235>238-220805-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
812 PM CST WED JAN 21 1998

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST
TEXAS GENERALLY SOUTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM EDNA TO WHARTON
TO CONROE TO LIVINGSTON LINE. THIS THUNDERSTORM WATCH REPLACES THE
TORNADO WATCH THAT EXPIRED AT 800 PM.

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS ARE INCLUDED IN THE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH...JACKSON...WHARTON...BRAZORIA...CHAMBERS...FORT
BEND...GALVESTON...HARRIS...LIBERTY....MATAGORDA...MONTGOMERY...
POLK...SAN JACINTO AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS.

A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST INTO SOTUHEAST TEXAS
TONIGHT. THIS FRONT WILL BE MOVING INTO A VERY WARM MOIST UNSTABLE
AIRMASS. THIS COMBINATION WILL CONTINUE TO LEAD TO DEVELOPMENT OF
ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE CONTAINING
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IF A
STORM APPROACHES.  MOTORISTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR REDUCED
VISIBILITIES DURING DOWNPOURS OF RAIN.  STREETS MAY FLOOD QUICKLY.
Special weather statement, Jan 21, 8:12 PM CST, 1 hour 22 minutes before
TXZ178-179-199-200-213-214-226-227-235>238-220805-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
812 PM CST WED JAN 21 1998

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST
TEXAS GENERALLY SOUTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM EDNA TO WHARTON
TO CONROE TO LIVINGSTON LINE. THIS THUNDERSTORM WATCH REPLACES THE
TORNADO WATCH THAT EXPIRED AT 800 PM.

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS ARE INCLUDED IN THE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH...JACKSON...WHARTON...BRAZORIA...CHAMBERS...FORT
BEND...GALVESTON...HARRIS...LIBERTY....MATAGORDA...MONTGOMERY...
POLK...SAN JACINTO AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS.

A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST INTO SOTUHEAST TEXAS
TONIGHT. THIS FRONT WILL BE MOVING INTO A VERY WARM MOIST UNSTABLE
AIRMASS. THIS COMBINATION WILL CONTINUE TO LEAD TO DEVELOPMENT OF
ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE CONTAINING
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IF A
STORM APPROACHES.  MOTORISTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR REDUCED
VISIBILITIES DURING DOWNPOURS OF RAIN.  STREETS MAY FLOOD QUICKLY.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 21, 6:07 PM CSTTornado WarningHGXMatagorda, Wharton68 min
Jan 21, 6:18 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXGrimes, Walker2 hr
Jan 21, 6:21 PM CSTTornado WarningHGXGrimes, Montgomery49 min
Jan 21, 6:29 PM CSTTornado WarningHGXSan Jacinto, Walker61 min
Jan 21, 6:33 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXFort Bend3 hr
Jan 21, 6:46 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazoria, Harris64 min
Jan 21, 6:58 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXPolk62 min
Jan 21, 7:38 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXChambers62 min
Jan 21, 8:19 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHouston61 min
Jan 21, 8:25 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazoria65 min
Jan 21, 8:35 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXChambers, Liberty65 min
Jan 21, 8:48 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXGalveston, Harris62 min
Jan 21, 9:40 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXChambers35 min
Jan 21, 9:51 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXHarris3 hr
Jan 21, 10:27 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHarris33 min
Jan 21, 10:36 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXChambers64 min
Jan 21, 10:36 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXChambers64 min
Jan 21, 10:53 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXChambers67 min
Jan 22, 12:33 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXChambers, Harris4 hr
Jan 22, 4:27 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXChambers3 hr
Jan 22, 9:05 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXJackson55 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.