Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2000

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 68, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

May 2, 2000Brazoria County, Matagorda County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 2, 2000, 4:14 AM CDT for Brazoria County, Matagorda County, Texas. It was in force for 46 min. 1 report came from 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, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 2, 2000, 4:14 AM CDT (09:14 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 2000, 5:00 AM CDT
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

Counties Brazoria County, TX, Matagorda County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 96 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:16 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, 4:15 AM CDTHail 0.75Bay City, 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, 1:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr
May 2, 2:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 199 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, Corpus Christi, TX at 00:00Z on 2000-05-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1208 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, Corpus Christi, TX at 00:00Z on 2000-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 66 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
1208 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-50 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
805 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
66 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
170 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
4.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KHGX 020916
SVRHOU
TXC039-321-021000-

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

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

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  BRAZORIA COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
  MATAGORDA COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

* UNTIL 500 AM CDT

* AT 411 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
  OVER BAY CITY...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE...
  BAY CITY
  SARGENT
  JONES CREEK
  FREEPORT
  QUINTANA...SURFSIDE BEACH

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
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 2903 9595 2875 9617 2858 9570 2893 9510



8

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 2, 3:10 AM CDT, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 2, 3:10 AM CDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTION TO FFA COUNTIES
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
310 AM CDT TUE MAY 2 2000

UPPER LOW CURRENTLY OVER W OK/KS BORDER LIKELY TO BE A TROUBLEMAKER
FOR THE NEXT 24-36 HOURS.  SVR STORMS WHICH PUSHED OVER TREES IN
MUCH OF BURLESON COUNTY AROUND 10 PM LAST NIGHT TOOK A BRIEF BREAK
BEFORE BLOWING UP AGAIN FURTHER SOUTH IN RICHER ENVIRONMENT WITH
HEALTHY 25-30 KT INFLOW.  HENCE SVR WATCHES CURRENTLY UP ALMOST ALL
OF CWA EXCEPT EXTREME NORTHERN COUNTIES.  HAVE OBSERVED SEVERAL
MINI-SUPERCELLS ON 88D WITH FAIRLY WELL DEFINED HOOKS, BWER, AND TVS
ALARMS, BUT THESE FEATURES HAVE BEEN CHARACTERISTICALLY BRIEF AND
MOST FEEDBACK ON WARNINGS THUS FAR HAS BEEN REPORTS OF WIND DAMAGE
AND LARGE HAIL. EXPECT CURRENT WAVE OF SVR ACTIVITY TO REACH COAST
BY AROUND TIME WATCHES EXPIRE, BUT DON'T THINK THE "GAME OVER" LIGHT
IS YET ON THE EVENT HORIZON DUE TO PROGNOSIS FOR UPPER LOW AND WAVES
MOVING AROUND IT, PARTICULARLY THE PERSISTENT DIFLUENT ZONE IN 3H
WIND PATTERN WHICH SHOULD PERMIT REDEVELOPMENT OF CONVECTION WITH
ONLY THE SLIGHTEST NUDGE FROM INTERACTION OF FRONT/OUTFLOW
BOUNDARIES.  NOT TO MENTION MORE BENIGN STORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP
OVER NRN CWA WELL BEHIND THE FRONTAL ZONE.

AS CONSEQUENCE... FIRST FLAG I WILL RAISE IN THE UPCOMING ZONE
PACKAGE WILL BE FFA FOR ALL OF CWA EXCEPT THE COASTAL COUNTIES.  THE
REASON FOR LEAVING THESE OUT IS THAT ONCE THIS INITIAL MCS PASSES,
EXPECT DEVELOPMENT LATER IN THE DAY TO BE A LITTLE FURTHER INLAND
WHEN CONFUSED SFC FLOW FROM CURRENT SYSTEM ONCE AGAIN BECOMES
SOUTHERLY AND CAN REFOCUS ON REMNANTS OF FRONTAL (OR OTHER)
BOUNDARIES AND POSSIBLY ESTABLISH HEAVY RAIN ZONE JUST A FEW MILES
INLAND OF COAST.  IF THIS DOES NOT PAN OUT, MAY NEED TO EXTEND FFA
ALL THE WAY TO THE BEACHES... BUT WILL LEAVE THAT FOR MORNING UPDATE.

TEMPS A LITTLE DIFFICULT TODAY DUE TO POTENTIAL FOR POCKETS OF MID
80S TO SUDDENLY APPEAR IN 1 TO 2 HOUR BREAKS IN CLOUD COVER, BUT
WILL GENERALLY GO WITH MORE CONSERVATIVE NUMBERS OF GUIDANCE BASED
PRIMARILY ON EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER SOUTH AND WEAK FRONT NORTH.

.KHGX...FFA TODAY FOR ALL COUNTIES EXCEPT MATAGORDA BRAZORIA,
GALVESTON, CHAMBERS.

PRELIMS...
CLL TT 075/062 080/064 084 38886
IAH TT 078/065 081/065 083 38976
GLS TT 078/070 079/073 080 38966

38/45/41/48

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 2, 1:35 AM CDT, 2 hours 39 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, 1 hour 46 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, 2:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXLiberty, San Jacinto46 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

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.