Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2002

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Amarillo, TX

May 27, 2002Ochiltree County, Texas

NWS Amarillo, TX issued this flash flood warning at May 27, 2002, 2:09 PM CDT for Ochiltree County, Texas. It was in force for 111 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 27, 2002, 2:09 PM CDT (19:09 UTC)
Expired
May 27, 2002, 4:00 PM CDT
In force
111 min
Issued by
NWS Amarillo, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Ochiltree County, TX

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

W. Woodward Airport, OK (KWWR), launched 12:00Z, 7.2 hours before the alert went out and 123 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, W. Woodward Airport, OK at 12:00Z on 2002-05-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 597 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, W. Woodward Airport, OK at 12:00Z on 2002-05-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 14 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
597 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-283 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1172 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
135 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 
WGUS54 KAMA 271909
FFWAMA
TXC357-272100-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
203 PM CDT MON MAY 27 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AMARILLO HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  OCHILTREE COUNTY IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE

* UNTIL 400 PM CDT

* AT 203 PM CDT...FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED NEAR THE CONNALLY 
  ELEVATORS ALONG HIGHWAY 70 ACCORDING TO THE SHERIFFS COUNTY.
  RADAR ESTIMATED UP TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN OVER THE SOUTHWEST PART
  OF THE OCHILTREE COUNTY...AND RUNOFF WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD
  EAST.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...
  PERRYTON...FARNSWORTH...WAKA AND WOLF CREEK PARK

DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS. MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR
IN AUTOMOBILES.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF WILL INUNDATE ROADS AND FARM AND RANCH LAND. 
NEVER ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOWING WATER IN A CAR OR ON FOOT.

LAT...LON 3647 10106 3607 10105 3608 10056 3648 10059

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 Amarillo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at May 27, 4:15 AM CDT, 9 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 27, 4:15 AM CDT, 9 hours 54 minutes before
TEXAS/OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
415 AM CDT MON MAY 27 2002

LEE SURFACE TROUGH ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO
CONTINUES TO DEEPEN AS MID/UPPER LEVEL LOW STEADILY MOVES NORTHEAST
OVER EASTERN AZ AND WESTERN NM. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE WAS FARTHER
UPSTREAM OFF NORTHERN BAJA COAST. MEANWHILE...VARIOUS LOW LEVEL
BOUNDARIES WERE SCATTERED THROUGH THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS.
CONVECTION HAS BEEN ON THE INCREASE ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN AND
SOUTHWESTERN ZONES DURING THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS. STRONG LOW LEVEL
JET...MID LEVEL UPWARD FORCING AND UPPER LEVEL DIFFLUENCE...AS WELL
AS ABOVE MENTIONED BOUNDARIES...ARE LIKELY THE CATALYST.

UNFORTUNATELY...LATEST SHORT RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO HAVE
DIFFICULTY WITH EVOLUTION OF WX...PARTICULARLY WITH RESPECT TO
COVERAGE AND AMOUNTS OF QPF AS WELL AS THE TIMING AND STRENGTH OF
NEXT COLD FRONT. SINCE NO ONE MODEL APPEARS TO BE OUTPERFORMING ANY
OTHER...A BLEND SEEMS REASONABLE...WHICH FITS IN FAIRLY WELL WITH
PREVIOUSLY INHERITED FORECAST. ALTHOUGH A FEW TWEAKS IN THE POPS ARE
IN ORDER...DECIDED TO RAISE TEMPERATURES ABOUT A CATEGORY ACROSS ALL
ZONES FOR THE FIRST THREE PERIODS. BELIEVE THAT ONE ROUND OF
CONVECTION...CURRENTLY UNDERWAY...WILL MOVE ACROSS THE PANHANDLES
THIS MORNING ASSOCIATED WITH FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER ROUND...ALONG
DRYLINE AND LOW-LEVEL BOUNDARIES...LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
SECOND ROUND WILL HAVE GREATER POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE AS INSTABILITY
AND WIND FIELDS WILL BE STRONGER. SURPRISINGLY...AVN AND NGM HAVE
NEXT COLD FRONT PUSHING THROUGH THE SOUTHERN TX PANHANDLE BY MID DAY
TUESDAY. THE ETA REALLY DOESN/T SHOW THE PRESENCE OF A FRONT...MORE
A BACKING OF THE WINDS AS SURFACE LOW SINKS SOUTH ACROSS EASTERN NEW
MEXICO. NGM/AVN ARE MORE CHAOTIC WITH MOVEMENT OF SURFACE LOW. THIS
MAY BE A RESULT OF THE MODELS DIFFICULTY WITH EVOLUTION OF MID/UPPER
LEVEL WX PATTERN. INSTABILITY...BOUNDARIES...AND MID LEVEL LIFT
DOESN/T APPEAR TO BE GOING ANYWHERE...THEREFORE...SEE NO REASON TO
CHANGE LOW CHANCE POPS FOR TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT.

FROM WEDNESDAY ON...CONFIDENCE IN MODEL SOLUTIONS TURNS SOUTH. AS
Y/DAY/S FORECASTER NOTED IN BRIEFING...PANHANDLES SHOULD BE UNDER A
RIDGE RIGHT NOW. SO...NO CHANGES TO THE EXTENDED.

PRELIMINARY NUMBERS...
AMA TE 082/058 083/057 085 64333
DHT TE 081/055 082/055 085 64333

.AMA...
OK...NONE.
TX...NONE.

JH

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 27, 11:43 AM CDT, 2 hours 26 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1143 AM CDT MON MAY 27 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1017 AM    1E BEAVER                 OK   0.75 INCH HAIL
05/27/02   BEAVER                         REPORTED BY BEAVER COUNTY
                                          EM.

1018 AM    1E BEAVER                 OK   0.88 INCH HAIL
05/27/02   BEAVER                         REPORTED BY BEAVER COUNTY
                                          EM.

1235 PM    1NE SPEARMAN              TX   0.88 INCH HAIL
05/27/02   HANSFORD                       PUBLIC REPORT THRU
                                          VERIFICATION
Special weather statement, May 27, 1:15 PM CDT, 54 minutes before
OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-272300-

TEXAS/OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
115 PM CDT MON MAY 27 2002

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE TEXAS
PANHANDLE EAST OF A LINE FROM 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF TEXLINE EXTENDING
SOUTH TO 30 MILES WEST OF HEREFORD FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FAR WESTERN
TEXAS PANHANDLE NEAR THE NEW MEXICO STATE-LINE AND ACROSS THE
OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

PLENTIFUL LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE WAS IN PLACE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE
PANHANDLES. A SURFACE LOW WAS LOCATED NEAR CLOVIS NEW MEXICO. AT
UPPER-LEVELS...A TROUGH WAS LOCATED OVER NORTHERN NEW MEXICO WITH A
DISTURBANCE SET TO TRACK INTO THE NORTHWESTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE THIS
AFTERNOON. ENERGY ASSOCIATED WITH THE DISTURBANCE AND INSTABILITY
NEAR THE SURFACE WILL CAUSE NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE
DEVELOPING ACROSS THE NORTHCENTRAL TEXAS PANHANDLE EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON. BY MID AFTERNOON...ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT
IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN AND CENTRAL TEXAS PANHANDLE.
DUE TO INSTABILITY AND UPPER-LEVEL ENERGY...SOME OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE DURING THE AFTERNOON WITH LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE
EVENING HOURS ACROSS THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES WITH SOME
STORMS HAVING THE POSSIBILITY OF BECOMING SEVERE.

THE WEST EDGE OF THE LOW-LEVEL JET WILL BE OVER THE EASTERN TEXAS
PANHANDLE THIS AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH WEAK...THE MID-LEVEL JET WILL
BEGIN TO AFFECT AREAS IN THE SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE AS WELL. AS A
RESULT...WIND SHEAR WILL BE GREATEST FROM THE SOUTHCENTRAL TEXAS
PANHANDLE EXTENDING TO THE EAST ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN AND
EASTCENTRAL TEXAS PANHANDLE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. AS A
RESULT...TORNADOES ARE THE MOST POSSIBLE IN AREAS TO THE SOUTHEAST OF
A LINE FROM CANYON TO AMARILLO TO PAMPA AND TO CANADIAN.

SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ACROSS ALL OF THE
TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE READY
FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED
AROUND 6 AM TUESDAY MORNING.

BROYLES

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 26, 7:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMADonley56 min
May 26, 8:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMALipscomb62 min
May 27, 9:55 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAOchiltree35 min
May 27, 12:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAHansford54 min
May 27, 12:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAOchiltree64 min
May 27, 2:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAHartley, Oldham35 min
May 27, 2:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAArmstrong58 min
May 27, 3:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAHartley63 min
May 27, 3:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAMoore55 min
May 27, 3:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMACarson64 min
May 27, 3:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAHartley63 min
May 27, 4:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAPotter58 min
May 27, 4:11 PM CDTTornado WarningAMAPotter34 min
May 27, 4:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAArmstrong34 min
May 27, 5:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMACarson, Potter45 min
May 27, 5:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMACarson, Potter42 min
May 27, 5:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMARandall34 min
May 27, 5:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAArmstrong58 min
May 27, 5:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMACarson57 min
May 27, 5:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMARandall33 min
May 27, 6:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAArmstrong33 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 2002Every flash flood warning in 2002

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.