Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2001

Flash Flood Warning 14, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 4, 2001Kinney County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this flash flood warning at May 4, 2001, 6:42 PM CDT for Kinney County, Texas. It was in force for 2 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, 2001, 6:42 PM CDT (23:42 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 2001, 9:00 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Kinney County, TX

The radar

The Laughlin AFB radar (KDFX), 30 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:41 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

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 38 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 2001-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 947 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 2001-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 232 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
947 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
590 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
232 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
318 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.3
Supercell composite
11.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS54 KEWX 042342
FFWSAT
TXC271-050200-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
642 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2001

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  KINNEY

* UNTIL 9 PM CDT

* AT 642 PM...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN
  ABOUT 6 MILES NORTH OF DEL RIO...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. THIS STORM
  WILL MOVE INTO CENTRAL AND NORTHERN KINNEY COUNTY IN THE NEXT 15 
  TO 20 MINUTES OVER AN AREAS ALREADY SATURATED FROM HEAVY RAINFALL. 
  A SLOW MOVING STORM OVER EXTREME NORTHERN KINNEY COUNTY IS LIKELY  
  PRODUCING RUN-OFF PROBLEMS NEAR THE TRIBUTARIES OF SYCAMORE CREEK  
  AND THE WEST NUECES RIVER.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE 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 GROiUND.

LAT...LON 2959 10064 2933 10066 2932 10018 2960 10022

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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at May 4, 3:15 PM CDT, 3 hours 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 4, 3:15 PM CDT, 3 hours 27 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
315 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2001

WILL EXTEND THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH EAST INTO CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN
SECTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AS MOST MODELS DRAG A
SLOW MOVING COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT. ETA
MODELS WHILE SHOWING POOR PERFORMANCE ON PRECIP FORECASTING HAVE
DONE WELL ON PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES. STRONG SHORTWAVE LIFTING OUT
OF MEXICO IS TRIGGERING CURRENT THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY, AND NORTHEAST
MOVEMENT OF THE SHORTWAVE COMBINED WITH GOOD DIFFULENCE ALOFT WILL
ALLOW FOR HEAVY RAINS TO MOVE OVER THE PROPOSED WATCH AREA.
SOUTHEAST COUNTIES MAY MISS OUT ON THE HEAVIEST PART OF THE SQUALL
SO WILL ONLY MENTION LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL HERE. LATE TOMORROW THE
AREA WILL LIKELY SEE ANOTHER GOOD FLARE UP OF ORGANIZED
THUNDERSTORMS AND A CHANCE FOR FLOODING, BUT WILL NOT EXTEND THE
WATCH WITH UNCERTAINTY IN WHICH AREAS WILL RECEIVE HEAVIEST RAINS
FOR TONIGHT. GUIDANCE TEMPERATURES LOOK APPROPRIATELY MILD FOR THE
NEXT FEW DAYS.

MODELS GOING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS BEYOND TUESDAY WITH 12Z AVN
ACCELERATING THE UPPER LOW POSITION TO SUPPORT DRY WEATHER OVER
SOUTH TX WEDNESDAY. GUIDANCE NUMBERS CLOSE TO CLIMO, BUT CLIMO EVEN
CALLS FOR A CHANCE OF RAIN. MRF SUGGESTS NW FLOW PATTERN LATE IN THE
WEEK AND WHILE NOGAPS SUGGESTS PROLONGED INSTABILITY IN THE BAJA
REGION. THUS CAN NOT RULE OUT AT LEAST SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR ANY
DAY THROUGH NEXT FRIDAY.

PRELIMINARY NUMBERS...
AUS 68/79/70/84 8662
DRT 67/85/69/89 6432
SAT 69/80/70/84 6642

.EWX...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TONIGHT FOR ALL OF THE SOUTH        ?
       CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTRY EXCEPT FOR FAR SOUTHEAST
       COUNTIES.

18

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 4, 1:45 PM CDT, 4 hours 57 minutes before
TXZ171-172-183>190-202>204-050200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
145 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2001

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE IN THE HILL COUNTRY THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT...

A DEVELOPING LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING ACROSS VAL VERDE
COUNTY.  THIS LINE IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT
20 MPH THIS AFTERNOON AND INCREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE AND INTENSITY.
SOME OF THE STORMS COULD APPROACH SEVERE LIMITS...WHICH MEANS THAT
LARGE HAIL...GUSTY DAMAGING WINDS...FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING AND
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH COULD PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING MAY OCCUR.

THE AREA WITH THE GREATEST RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS THAT
PORTION OF THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY WEST OF INTERSTATE 35 BETWEEN SAN
ANTONIO AND GEORGETOWN...AND ALONG AND NORTH OF U.S. HIGHWAY 90
BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO AND DEL RIO.

THIS OUTLOOK APPLIES TO THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC COUNTIES...

GILLESPIE...MEDINA...KENDALL...REAL...BLANCO...KERR...BURNET...
BANDERA...LLANO...EDWARDS...KINNEY...UVALDE AND VAL VERDE.

ABUNDANT LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE OVER SOUTH TEXAS...COMBINED WITH AN
APPROACHING UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE FROM MEXICO...WILL PRODUCE
WIDESPREAD SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT.  SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE.  IN ADDITION...A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE HILL COUNTRY AND ADJACENT
SECTIONS OF THE EDWARDS PLATEAU THROUGH TONIGHT.

SPOTTER NETWORKS MAY NEED TO BE ACTIVATED AS THE THUNDERSTORMS
MOVE INTO THE THREATENED AREA.

FOR INFORMATION ON WEATHER THREATS IN SURROUNDING AREAS...REFER
TO OUTLOOKS FROM OFFICES IN MIDLAND...SAN ANGELO...FORT WORTH...
HOUSTON/GALVESTON AND CORPUS CHRISTI.
Special weather statement, May 4, 6:29 PM CDT, 13 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>208-217>221-228-050000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
629 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2001

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR VAL VERDE AND
KINNEY COUNTIES THROUGH 7 PM...
...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR VAL VERDE AND EDWARDS
COUNTIES THROUGH 8 PM...
...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM FOR THE HILL COUNTRY
AND PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS WEST OF A BURNET TO BOERNE TO
PEARSALL LINE...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE HILL COUNTRY AND
PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS NORTHWEST OF A PLEASANTON TO
GIDDINGS LINE...

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL TELEVISION OR RADIO
STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR LATER STATEMENTS
CONCERNING THIS DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER AND FLASH FLOOD EVENT.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 1:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde63 min
May 4, 1:45 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXVal Verde2 hr
May 4, 2:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde62 min
May 4, 3:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde60 min
May 4, 3:56 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXVal Verde34 min
May 4, 4:00 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXVal Verde2 hr
May 4, 5:30 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXEdwards3 hr
May 4, 5:55 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXVal Verde2 hr
May 4, 5:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXKinney, Val Verde62 min
May 4, 6:41 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXKinney64 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 2001Every flash flood warning in 2001

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.