Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1999

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Brownsville, TX

August 23, 1999Cameron County, Texas

NWS Brownsville, TX issued this flash flood warning at Aug 23, 1999, 11:59 AM CDT for Cameron County, Texas. It was in force for 4 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties.

The facts

Issued
Aug 23, 1999, 11:59 AM CDT (16:59 UTC)
Expired
Aug 23, 1999, 4:00 PM CDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Brownsville, TX
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Cameron County, TX

The radar

The Brownsville radar (KBRO), 17 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:00 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

Brownsville Intl, TX (KBRO), launched 12:00Z, 5.0 hours before the alert went out and 18 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, Brownsville Intl, TX at 12:00Z on 1999-08-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1033 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Brownsville Intl, TX at 12:00Z on 1999-08-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 95 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1033 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-21 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1044 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
95 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
144 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBRO 231702
FFWBRO
TXC061-232100-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
1159 AM CDT MON AUG 23 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN CAMERON COUNTY IN TEXAS
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF LAGUNA VISTA...LAGUNA HEIGHTS...AND PORT 
  ISABEL

* UNTIL 400 PM CDT

* AT 1154 AM CDT...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING TO THE 
SOUTHWEST OF BROWNSVILLE AND MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.  
RADAR ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT AS MUCH AS 5 TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN HAS 
ALREADY FALLEN IN THE LAGUNA VISTA AND LAGUNA HEIGHTS AREA...WHICH 
IS CAUSING SOME STREET FLOODING IN AND AROUND THE LAGUNA VISTA AND 
LAGUNA HEIGHTS AREAS.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF 
INTERSECTIONS AND LOW LYING AREAS.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. 
RESIDENTS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND 
PROPERTY. DO NOT TRY TO DRIVE YOUR CAR THROUGH FLOODED INTERSECTIONS.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN
BROWNSVILLE.

LAT...LON 2605 9763 2587 9741 2606 9718 2630 9721

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 Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Aug 23, 9:55 AM CDT, 2 hours 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 23, 9:55 AM CDT, 2 hours 4 minutes before
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
955 AM CDT MON AUG 23 1999

WILL MAKE SOME MINOR CHANGES TO THE WORDING OF THE ZONES...UNTIL
1200 PM WHEN MOST OF OUR WATCHES AND WARNINGS EXPIRE.  WILL
RE-EVALUATE WATCHES AND WARNINGS AT THAT TIME.  RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS
LIKE WE MIGHT DROP THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING EARLY THIS AFTERNOON
IF TPC SEES THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO SO.  WILL ALSO LIKELY LET THE
HIGH WIND WARNING EXPIRE UNLESS I SEE THE WINDS PICK UP.  CLOUD
COVER WILL LIKELY KEEP TEMPS DOWN A BIT SO WILL LIKELY LOWER MAX
NUMBERS THIS AFTERNOON.  NO REPORTS OF FLOODING AS OF YET IN WILLACY
COUNTY.

63

.BRO...
TORNADO WATCH TXZ248>251 UNTIL 2100Z
TROPICAL STORM WARNING TXZ251-254-255 UNTIL 1800Z
FFW/FLW TXZ249>251 UNTIL 1700Z
FFA TXZ248-252>255 UNTIL 1700Z
HIGH WIND WARNING TXZ248>250-252-253 UNTIL 1700Z

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 23, 6:00 AM CDT, 5 hours 59 minutes before
TXZ248>255-GMZ130-231700-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
600 AM CDT MON AUG 23 1999

...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT TO SUMMARIZE WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN
EFFECT FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...

...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL COUNTIES AND
THE GULF COASTAL WATERS...
...A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR INLAND COUNTIES...
...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR KENEDY...BROOKS AND
WILLACY COUNTIES...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...
...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR KENEDY...BROOKS...JIM HOGG...
AND ZAPATA COUNTIES...

AS THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BRET CONTINUES TO MOVE WEST OVER NORTHERN
BROOKS COUNTY EARLY THIS MORNING...ITS EFFECTS ARE MANY AND WIDESPREAD
ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE EXPERIENCED IN A SMALL
AREA AROUND THE EYE OF BRET UNTIL MID MORNING...AT WHICH TIME IT
IS EXPECTED TO BE DOWNGRADED TO A TROPICAL STORM. THE AREAS TO BE
IMPACTED BY THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE NORTHERN BROOKS INTO NORTHERN
JIM HOGG COUNTIES. WINDS OF TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH CAN BE EXPECTED
IN THE HEAVIER RAIN SQUALLS ROTATING AROUND BRETS CENTER...AND
THESE STRONG WINDS COULD OCCUR IN ANY PART OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS TODAY.

RAINFALL HAS BEEN EXTREME IN NORTHEAST KENEDY COUNTY...WHERE 25 INCHES
OR MORE OF RAIN HAS FALLEN SINCE YESTERDAY. PARTS OF BROOKS...JIM HOGG
AND WILLACY COUNTIES HAVE RECEIVED FROM 4 TO 8 INCHES OVERNIGHT.
WITH THE REMNANTS OF BRET EXPECTED TO MOVE ONLY VERY SLOWLY FURTHER
INLAND OVER THE NEXT 2 TO 3 DAYS...ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TOTALS OF AS
MUCH AS 10 TO 15 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE IN PARTS OF DEEP SOUTH
TEXAS. FLOODING COULD BE WIDESPREAD...COULD LAST INTO MID-WEEK...AND
WILL BE THE MOST SERIOUS CONSEQUENCE OF BRETS VISIT.

TORNADOES COULD BECOME A THREAT LATER TODAY...ESPECIALLY IN THE
NORTHERN SEMICIRCLE AROUND BRETS CIRCULATION. FUNNEL CLOUDS OR
WATERSPOUTS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ABOUT ANYWHERE ACROSS THE REGION
TODAY.

THE STRONG WINDS...FLOODING AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES ARE ALL SERIOUS
THREATS FOR AREA RESIDENTS TO CONSIDER TODAY. NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS
SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY FROM THE VARIED ONSLAUGHT
MOTHER NATURE HAS BROUGHT TO OUR AREA.

ON A BRIGHTER NOTE...IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT THE CAUSEWAY TO
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND MAY BE RE-OPENED AROUND NOON TODAY. THIS WOULD
ALLOW RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO RETURN TO THE ISLAND FOR THE FIRST
TIME SINCE MANDATORY EVACUATIONS WERE PUT IN FORCE OVER THE WEEKEND.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION
STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION ON HURRICANE BRET.

NEWMAN
Special weather statement, Aug 23, 6:00 AM CDT, 5 hours 59 minutes before
TXZ248>255-GMZ130-231700-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
600 AM CDT MON AUG 23 1999

...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT TO SUMMARIZE WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN
EFFECT FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...

...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL COUNTIES AND
THE GULF COASTAL WATERS...
...A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR INLAND COUNTIES...
...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR KENEDY...BROOKS AND
WILLACY COUNTIES...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...
...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR KENEDY...BROOKS...JIM HOGG...
AND ZAPATA COUNTIES...

AS THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BRET CONTINUES TO MOVE WEST OVER NORTHERN
BROOKS COUNTY EARLY THIS MORNING...ITS EFFECTS ARE MANY AND WIDESPREAD
ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE EXPERIENCED IN A SMALL
AREA AROUND THE EYE OF BRET UNTIL MID MORNING...AT WHICH TIME IT
IS EXPECTED TO BE DOWNGRADED TO A TROPICAL STORM. THE AREAS TO BE
IMPACTED BY THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE NORTHERN BROOKS INTO NORTHERN
JIM HOGG COUNTIES. WINDS OF TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH CAN BE EXPECTED
IN THE HEAVIER RAIN SQUALLS ROTATING AROUND BRETS CENTER...AND
THESE STRONG WINDS COULD OCCUR IN ANY PART OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS TODAY.

RAINFALL HAS BEEN EXTREME IN NORTHEAST KENEDY COUNTY...WHERE 25 INCHES
OR MORE OF RAIN HAS FALLEN SINCE YESTERDAY. PARTS OF BROOKS...JIM HOGG
AND WILLACY COUNTIES HAVE RECEIVED FROM 4 TO 8 INCHES OVERNIGHT.
WITH THE REMNANTS OF BRET EXPECTED TO MOVE ONLY VERY SLOWLY FURTHER
INLAND OVER THE NEXT 2 TO 3 DAYS...ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TOTALS OF AS
MUCH AS 10 TO 15 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE IN PARTS OF DEEP SOUTH
TEXAS. FLOODING COULD BE WIDESPREAD...COULD LAST INTO MID-WEEK...AND
WILL BE THE MOST SERIOUS CONSEQUENCE OF BRETS VISIT.

TORNADOES COULD BECOME A THREAT LATER TODAY...ESPECIALLY IN THE
NORTHERN SEMICIRCLE AROUND BRETS CIRCULATION. FUNNEL CLOUDS OR
WATERSPOUTS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ABOUT ANYWHERE ACROSS THE REGION
TODAY.

THE STRONG WINDS...FLOODING AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES ARE ALL SERIOUS
THREATS FOR AREA RESIDENTS TO CONSIDER TODAY. NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS
SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY FROM THE VARIED ONSLAUGHT
MOTHER NATURE HAS BROUGHT TO OUR AREA.

ON A BRIGHTER NOTE...IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT THE CAUSEWAY TO
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND MAY BE RE-OPENED AROUND NOON TODAY. THIS WOULD
ALLOW RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO RETURN TO THE ISLAND FOR THE FIRST
TIME SINCE MANDATORY EVACUATIONS WERE PUT IN FORCE OVER THE WEEKEND.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION
STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION ON HURRICANE BRET.

NEWMAN

The office that day

Everything else NWS Brownsville, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 22, 7:20 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBROKenedy, Willacy3 hr
Aug 22, 10:15 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBROBrooks, Kenedy6 hr
Aug 23, 4:18 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningBROBrooks, Kenedy8 hr
Aug 23, 4:18 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningBROWillacy8 hr
Aug 23, 2:59 PM CDTTornado WarningBROKenedy, Willacy31 min
Aug 23, 3:18 PM CDTTornado WarningBROCameron, Hidalgo27 min
Aug 23, 3:34 PM CDTTornado WarningBROKenedy41 min
Aug 23, 3:44 PM CDTTornado WarningBROCameron, Hidalgo, Willacy61 min
Aug 23, 4:27 PM CDTTornado WarningBROWillacy63 min
Aug 23, 6:55 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBROHidalgo3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 1999Every flash flood warning in 1999

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.