Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2000

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 66, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

May 2, 2000Liberty County, San Jacinto County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 2, 2000, 2:44 AM CDT for Liberty County, San Jacinto County, Texas. It was in force for 46 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 2, 2000, 2:44 AM CDT (07:44 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 2000, 3:30 AM CDT
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Whole counties

Counties Liberty County, TX, San Jacinto County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 100 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:44 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 2, 3:15 AM CDTHail 0.88Shepherd, TX

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 2, 2:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 7.7 hours before the alert went out and 174 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 2000-05-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 813 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 2000-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -30 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
813 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-138 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1335 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-30 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.0
Supercell composite
-2.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KHGX 020746
SVRHOU
TXC291-407-020830-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
244 AM CDT TUE MAY 2 2000

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

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN SAN JACINTO COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
  NORTHERN LIBERTY COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

* UNTIL 330 AM CDT

* AT 239 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 8
  MILES WEST OF NORTH CLEVELAND...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE...
  NORTH CLEVELAND
  CLEVELAND
  SHEPHERD...TARKINGTON PRAIRIE

THIS STORM HAS A LONG HISTORY OF HAIL THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS.

MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR
BUSINESS.

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

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 1, 9:11 PM CDT, 5 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 1, 9:11 PM CDT, 5 hours 33 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
911 PM CDT MON MAY 1 2000

UPPER LOW WAS CURRENTLY OVER THE CENTRAL KS/OK BORDER.  SHORTWAVE
TROUGH WAS ALSO PUSHING AROUND THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE LOW...MOVING
INTO SOUTHERN TEXAS.  AREA SOUNDINGS...INCLUDING THE ACARS/MAPS
SOUNDING FOR IAH...ALL SHOW CAPES NEAR OR EXCEEDING 3000 FOR MUCH OF
SETX.  WITH THIS IN MIND FEEL THAT THE HIGH POPS FOR THE AREA ARE
WARRANTED...INCLUDING THE MENTION OF SEVERE AND HEAVY RAINFALL.
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING JUST WEST OF GRK AT THE MOMENT.
THESE STORMS WERE DEVELOPING ALONG A SURFACE TROUGH/OUTFLOW BOUNDARY.
SURFACE DEWPOINTS ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY WERE IN THE MID 60S.
ALSO...SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS WERE FEEDING GULF MOISTURE INTO THE
DEVELOPING STORMS.  A SIDE NOTE...THE HGX VWP WAS SHOWING SOUTHWEST
WINDS NEAR THE SURFACE...MORE THAN LIKELY THE RESULT OF MIGRATING
BIRDS CONTAMINATING THE ALGORITHM RESULTS.

SO...THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER IS THAT ANOTHER ROUND OF
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED.  WILL NOT GO WITH A FLASH FLOOD WATCH AT
THIS TIME...THOUGH RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD REACH 1 INCH OR SO OVER A
WIDE AREA.  LOCATIONS THAT LOOK TO GET THE HEAVIER RAIN AMOUNTS WILL
BE THE FAR NORTHERN COUNTIES OF THE FORECAST AREA.

TEMPERATURES AND WINDS ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT OF THE VARIABLES TO
FORECAST TONIGHT.  GIVEN THE CURRENT DEWPOINTS FEEL THAT THE FORECAST
MINS ARE OKAY.  WINDS ARE ANOTHER MATTER.  VARIABLE TO SOUTHEAST WINDS
SHOULD OCCUR AHEAD OF THE THUNDERSTORMS...WITH NORTH WINDS IN ITS
WAKE.

WILL ONLY MAKE MINOR CHANGES TO THE COASTAL FORECAST.

.KHGX...NONE.

PL-40
45

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 2, 1:35 AM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
GMZ330-TXZ197-210>212-226-227-235>237-021159-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
135 AM CDT TUE MAY 2 2000

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF A
LINE FROM BRENHAM TO BROOKSHIRE TO RICHMOND TO NEAR ALVIN TIL 7 AM.
THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...WALLER...JACKSON...COLORADO...
WASHINGTON...BRAZORIA...AUSTIN...WHARTON...MATAGORDA AND FORT BEND.

A UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE WATCH AREA THIS MORNING. A
STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA LEADING TO
THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE WEATHER.

REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
AND CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES SOMETIMES WITH LITTLE ADVANCE NOTICE.

MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER RELIABLE WEATHER NEWS SOURCES FOR
THE LATEST WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, May 2, 2:28 AM CDT, 16 minutes before
GMZ330-TXZ197-210>212-226-227-235>237-021159-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
228 AM CDT TUE MAY 2 2000

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS
TIL 7 AM.  INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...WALLER...JACKSON...
COLORADO...BRAZOS...CHAMBERS...GALVESTON...GRIMES...HARRIS...LIBERTY...
POLK...SAN JACINTO...TRINITY...WASHINGTON...BRAZORIA...AUSTIN...
WHARTON...MATAGORDA AND FORT BEND.

A UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE WATCH AREA THIS MORNING. A
STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA LEADING TO
THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE WEATHER.

REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
AND CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES SOMETIMES WITH LITTLE ADVANCE NOTICE.

MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER RELIABLE WEATHER NEWS SOURCES FOR
THE LATEST WARNINGS AND STATEMOENTS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 1, 9:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBurleson65 min
May 1, 10:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazos46 min
May 1, 11:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXGrimes24 min
May 1, 11:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXMontgomery, Walker60 min
May 2, 1:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXMontgomery, Waller68 min
May 2, 1:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXAustin, Colorado66 min
May 2, 1:47 AM CDTTornado WarningHGXMontgomery28 min
May 2, 2:03 AM CDTTornado WarningHGXHarris, Waller42 min
May 2, 2:27 AM CDTTornado WarningHGXAustin, Fort Bend, Waller33 min
May 2, 2:36 AM CDTTornado WarningHGXHarris39 min
May 2, 3:06 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazoria, Fort Bend54 min
May 2, 3:14 AM CDTTornado WarningHGXHarris, Liberty46 min
May 2, 3:25 AM CDTTornado WarningHGXBrazoria, Galveston65 min
May 2, 3:53 AM CDTTornado WarningHGXLiberty52 min
May 2, 4:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazoria, Matagorda46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 2000Every severe thunderstorm 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.