Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2002

Flash Flood Warning 27, NWS Brownsville, TX

September 15, 2002Starr County, Texas

NWS Brownsville, TX issued this flash flood warning at Sep 15, 2002, 4:30 PM CDT for Starr County, Texas. It was in force for 55 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
Sep 15, 2002, 4:30 PM CDT (21:30 UTC)
Expired
Sep 15, 2002, 5:25 PM CDT
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS Brownsville, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Starr 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

Brownsville Intl, TX (KBRO), launched 12:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 154 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, Brownsville Intl, TX at 12:00Z on 2002-09-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2284 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, Brownsville Intl, TX at 12:00Z on 2002-09-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 29 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
2284 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-10 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
621 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
29 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
32 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 KBRO 152130
FFWBRO
TXC427-152225-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
425 PM CDT SUN SEP 15 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS EXTENDED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  STARR COUNTY IN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS

* UNTIL 525 PM CDT

* AT 424 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS HAD DROPPED ABOUT 
TWO TO FOUR INCHES OF RAIN OVER A LARGE AREA OF STARR COUNTY DURING 
THE PAST HOUR. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED NORTH FROM 
HIDALGO COUNTY...WHERE MILLER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REPORTED 3.73 
INCHES OF RAINFALL DURING ONE HOUR. THE STORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE 
NORTH AT 10 TO 15 MPH.

* SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IN THE
  WARNED AREA. RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH
  FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH
  FLOODING INCLUDE...RIO GRANDE CITY AND GARCIASVILLE.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THESE STORMS WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF 
SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND 
ARROYOS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

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 GROUND.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE. IF YOUR VEHICLE STALLS, ABANDON IT IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK
HIGHER GROUND.

LAT...LON 2617 9902 2604 9887 2675 9837 2677 9894

$$

PHILO

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 Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Sep 15, 1:30 PM CDT, 3 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 15, 1:30 PM CDT, 3 hours before
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
130 PM CDT SUN SEP 15 2002

.DISCUSSION...IR/WV SAT IMAGERY SUGGESTS H5 VORT MAX MOVING
NORTHWESTWAFD OUT OF MX HELPED TO TRIGGER OVERNITE SHRA/TSRA OVER
DEEP SOUTH TX. AT PRESENT...MUCH OF THIS CONVECTION HAD MOVED WELL
TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE CWA. 88D LOOP CONFIRMS THIS...AND SUGGESTS
WEAK SEA BREEZE CONVERGENCE BAND HAD ALREADY SET UP IN KENEDY
COUNTY. 88D/IR SAT IMAGERY...ALONG WITH 1218Z SCATTEROMETRY...SHOWS
TROPICAL WAVE IN THE BAY OF CAMPECHE. THIS FEATURE POSSESSES A LOT
OF RELATED CONVECTION. TROPICAL MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM
APPEARS TO BE ADVECTING TOWARD THE CWA. ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER IS
WHETHER OR NOT SOME OF THIS MOISTURE WILL OVERSPREAD THE CWA LATER
TODAY. VAD WIND PROFILE CONTAINS DEEP LAYER SSE WINDS TO AT LEAST
13K FEET... SUGGESTING THIS IS POSSIBLE. 88D LOOP SHOWS SOME INBOUND
CONVECTION ABOUT 120 NM TO THE SOUTHEAST. SURFACE OBSERVATIONS AND
88D IMAGERY SHOW A BNDRY RUNNING FROM SOUTH OF BOY019 TO JUST SOUTH
OF MONTERREY. BNDRY APPEARS TO BE MOVING SLOWLY SOUTH...ESPECIALLY
ON ITS WESTERN FLANK. SFC OBS ALSO SHOW MESOHIGHLIKE FEATURE BEHIND
THIS BNDRY...SUGGESTING IT HAS OUTFLOW CHARACTERISTICS. BELIEVE COLD
FRONT IS FARTHER TO THE NORTHWEST...NEAR DRT...PER HPC ANALYSIS. AM
CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING IN THE NORTHERN
COUNTIES IF THIS BNDRY HOLDS TOGETHER. THANX CRP FOR YOUR INPUTS AND
COORDINATION.

SHORT TERM...HAVE GONE WITH A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE 4
WESTERNMOST COUNTIES THRU 9 PM TODAY. AGREE WITH CRP THAT AVN HAS
BEST INITIAL HOLD ON H5 FEATURES...WITH MESOETA DOING BEST AT THE
SFC. WILL GO WITH HYBRID FCST APPROACH EMPHASIZING THESE TWO MODELS.
AVN BRINGS UP VORT MAX FROM THE SOUTH TOMORROW. MESOETA BRINGS
OUTFLOW BNDRY CURRENTLY BISECTING THE CWA TO THE COAST LATER
TODAY...THEN LETS IT RETREAT NW OVERNITE TOWARD THE STALLED COLD
FRONT NW OF THE CWA. ACCORDINGLY... WILL GO WITH HIGHEST POPS OUT
WEST TOMORROW. WILL GO WITH LIKELY CATEGORY ZONE WIDE TOMORROW. AS
H5 TROF AXIS WORKS EAST AND BOUNDARY TO THE N WEAKENS...SEA BREEZE
BECOMES PRIMARY FOCUS FOR CONVECTION. BELIEVE ENOUGH PWAT WILL
REMAIN FOR CHANCE POPS. AVN ACTUALLY MOVES THIS BNDRY SE AS H5 TROF
OPENS UP AND PULLS E...SO WILL FAVOR THE WETTER ETA MOS SOLUTION.

LONG TERM...WED LOOKS DRIER AS NW FLOW DEVELOPS OVER THE CWA BEHIND
THE DEPARTING H5 TROF...WILL GO WITH SLIGHT CHANCE POPS WITH
RESIDUAL MOISTURE FOCUSED BY THE SEA BREEZE BNDRY. THU AND FRI LOOK
DRY. STILL BELIEVE MRF IS TOO AGGRESSIVE WITH FRONT NEXT WEEKEND.
WILL GO WITH SLIGHT CHANCE POPS SAT...THEN CHANCE SUN AS MOISTURE
POOLS SOUTH OF THIS BNDRY.

MARINE...TROPICAL MOISTURE OVER DEEP SOUTH TEXAS WILL BE
REINFORCED LATER TODAY FROM A TROPICAL WAVE MOVING WEST
ACROSS THE BAY OF CAMPECHE...INCREASING RAIN CHANCES OVER THE COASTAL
WATERS TODAY AND MONDAY. IN ADDITION...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES
INTO CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON. AN OUTFLOW BNDRY WILL MOVE SE
OVER THE COASTAL WATERS TODAY...THEN BACK NORTH TONIGHT...CAUSING
SHIFTING WINDS. BOY020 HAS RECENTLY REPORTED A WIND SHIFT INTO THE
NW WITH THE OUTFLOW BNDRY...AND 3 FT SEAS. AFTER TONIGHT...A LIGHT
TO MODERATE ONSHORE FLOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH NEXT WEEK. NO FLAGS
EXPECTED.

.PRELIMINARY NUMBERS FOR COORDINATION PURPOSES ONLY...
BRO TE 077/092 077/091 077 30/60/30/40/40
HRL TE 076/091 076/093 076 30/60/30/40/40
MFE TT 077/090 077/094 077 40/70/40/50/40
RGC TT 075/089 075/095 075 50/80/50/50/30
SPI TE 078/086 078/087 078 30/50/30/30/40

SYNOPTIC...62
AVIATION-MARINE...59
MESO...WATKINS

INTERNET ADDRESS...WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/BRO

.BRO...NONE.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 15, 1:20 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBROStarr115 min
Sep 15, 2:04 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBROKenedy, Willacy116 min
Sep 15, 2:14 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBROKenedy, Willacy106 min
Sep 15, 3:27 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBROStarr58 min
Sep 15, 3:56 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBROHidalgo64 min
Sep 15, 4:07 PM CDTTornado WarningBROCameron, Willacy38 min
Sep 15, 4:16 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningBRO44 min
Sep 15, 4:16 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningBRO44 min
Sep 15, 5:09 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningBRO51 min
Sep 15, 5:10 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBROHidalgo110 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.