Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2000

Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

May 4, 20004 counties in Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this flash flood warning at May 4, 2000, 3:50 PM CDT for 4 counties in 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 outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties.

The facts

Issued
May 4, 2000, 3:50 PM CDT (20:50 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 2000, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

Counties Brazos County, TX, Grimes County, TX, Montgomery County, TX, Washington County, TX

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 251 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 12:00Z on 2000-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1094 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 12:00Z on 2000-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 47 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
1094 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
606 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
47 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
105 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
1.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS54 KHGX 042050
FFWHGX
TXC041-185-339-477-050000-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
350 PM CDT THU MAY 4 2000

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
  SOUTHERN GRIMES COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
  WASHINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
  SOUTHERN BRAZOS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

* UNTIL 700 PM CDT

* AT 345 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT RAIN RATES OF 2 TO
  3 INCHES AN HOUR ARE OCCURRING WITHIN A BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
  EXTENDING FROM LIBERTY TO MADISONVILLE. SOME AREAS OF WESTERN
  MONTGOMERY AND EASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES HAVE RECEIVED CLOSE TO
  4 INCHES OF RAINFALL.

  AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN IS LIKELY ACROSS THIS AREA DURING
  THE NEXT 3 HOURS.

FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING! MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY!
TAKE IMMMEDIATE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE AND PROPERTY IF YOU LIVE
ALONG A STREAM...CREEK...OR BAYOU IN THESE AREAS. DO NOT CROSS ANY
LOCATION WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

PLEASE REPORT FLOODING TO THE COUNTY SHERIFF...LOCAL POLICE...OR
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 3035 9525 3017 9516 3014 9532 3020 9577
          3026 9580 3025 9613 3014 9661 3030 9665
          3041 9612

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 May 4, 3:00 PM CDT, 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 4, 3:00 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
300 PM CDT THU MAY 4 2000

ONGOING SEVERE/FLASH FLOOD EVENT FORECAST TO CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY
NIGHTTIME HOURS.  LEADING EDGE OF STORMS PRODUCING THE SEVERE ARE
LINED UP MAINLY EAST-WEST WITH STEERING WINDS PARALLEL.  CONCERN IS
THAT LINE MAY SLOW DOWN WITH MERGERS AND TRAINING A DISTINCT
PROBABILITY.  TIMING WILL BRING HEAVIEST RAIN ACROSS MOST OF HOUSTON
METRO AREA DURING THE RUSH HOUR ONCE AGAIN. WIDESPREAD 1 TO 2 INCH
RAINS WITH ISOLATED TOTALS ABOVE 5 INCHES CURRENTLY FORECAST. WILL
REISSUE WATCH FOR MOST OF CWA ALONG AND SOUTH OF CLL- CONROE-
LIBERTY LINE.

AFTER TONIGHT...UPPER LOW WALLOWING ABOUT SOUTHERN PLAINS TO
ARKANSAS FORECAST TO EVENTUALLY MOVE EAST AS NEXT TROF APPROACHES
WEST US. IF MODELS RIGHT...UPPER SUPPORT NOT NEARLY AS FAVORABLE
AFTER TONIGHT AND BECOMING CONFLUENT BY SATURDAY.  TRACK RECORD OF
MODELS ON THIS FEATURE HAS NOT BEEN OUTSTANDING.  WILL LEAVE CHANCE
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH SATURDAY THEN LEAVE OUT SUN-TUE AS RIDGE
BUILDING OUT OF MEXICO SHOULD STRENGTHEN CAP OVER US.

BRISK ONSHORE FLOW TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH MARINE
FORECAST CARRYING EXERCISE CAUTION.

.KHGX...FLASH FLOOD WATCH NONE.

30 ET AL

PRELIMS...
CLL BB 065/087 068/087 068 6433
IAH BB 066/087 070/087 070 7433
GLS BB 072/081 072/081 072 7433

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 4, 11:35 AM CDT, 4 hours 15 minutes before
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>237-050000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1135 AM CDT THU MAY 4 2000

...MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN THIS
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT ALONG AND NORTH OF A BRENHAM...
CONROE...LIVINGSTON LINE THROUGH 7 PM...

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN ACROSS
SOUTHEAST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THE PRIMARY SEVERE
WEATHER RISKS ARE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND. THE PRIMARY THREAT
TIME IS FROM NOON THROUGH 7 PM. HEAVY RAIN IS MOST LIKELY ALONG AND
NORTH OF STATE HIGHWAY 105.

A SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM...STATIONARY FRONT...AND MOIST GULF
AIR WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS
SOUTHEAST TEXAS TODAY. WIND SHEAR IS SUFFICIENT FOR SOME OF THE
STORMS TO BECOME SEVERE AND PRODUCE LARGE HAIL OR DAMAGING WINDS.

MID-LEVEL WINDS APPEAR TO FAVOR STORMS THAT MOVE SLOWLY AND OVER THE
SAME LOCATIONS...WHICH WILL RESULT IN HEAVY RAIN. EXPECT AVERAGE
RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES NORTH OF STATE HIGHWAY 105...WITH
SOME LOCATIONS RECEIVING UP TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN BY EARLY EVENING.
EXPECT AVERAGE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1/2 TO 1 INCH FOR METRO HOUSTON...
WITH SOME SPOTS RECEIVING UP TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA TODAY FOR THE
LATEST FORECASTS...UPDATES...AND POSSIBLE WATCHES OR WARNINGS.

31/JWZ
Special weather statement, May 4, 1:50 PM CDT, 2 hours before
GMZ335-355-TXZ177>179-198>200-212>214-227-237-238-050000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
150 PM CDT THU MAY 4 2000

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 7 PM THIS EVENING...

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR
PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 7 PM THIS EVENING. COUNTIES
IN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDE...
SAN JACINTO...WALKER...GALVESTON...WALLER...POLK...HARRIS...
MONTGOMERY...GRIMES...BRAZORIA...LIBERTY...CHAMBERS...AND FORT BEND.

MARINE AREAS INCLDUE GALVESTON BAY AND THE GULF COASTAL WATERS FROM
HIGH ISLAND TO FREEPORT OUT 20 NAUTICAL MILES.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA TODAY FOR THE
LATEST FORECASTS...UPDATES...AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 1:03 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHouston42 min
May 4, 1:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXLiberty37 min
May 4, 1:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXSan Jacinto65 min
May 4, 1:30 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningHGXLiberty, Polk, San Jacinto5 hr
May 4, 1:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXMontgomery52 min
May 4, 1:44 PM CDTTornado WarningHGXLiberty46 min
May 4, 2:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXGrimes52 min
May 4, 2:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHarris, Liberty51 min
May 4, 3:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXGrimes45 min
May 4, 3:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBurleson, Washington60 min
May 4, 3:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHarris53 min
May 4, 4:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXWashington62 min
May 4, 4:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHarris45 min
May 4, 4:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXAustin, Waller60 min
May 4, 4:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHouston48 min
May 4, 5:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXColorado63 min
May 4, 5:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXAustin43 min
May 4, 5:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXChambers, Harris42 min
May 4, 5:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXLiberty24 min
May 4, 5:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXWaller50 min
May 4, 6:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXChambers45 min
May 4, 6:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXColorado55 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 2000Every flash flood warning in 2000

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.