Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 22, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

May 17, 2002Nueces County, San Patricio County, Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 17, 2002, 5:53 PM CDT for Nueces County, San Patricio County, Texas. It was in force for 3 hr. 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 17, 2002, 5:53 PM CDT (22:53 UTC)
Expired
May 17, 2002, 8:30 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Nueces County, TX, San Patricio County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 146 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:54 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm 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 watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 17, 5:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 161 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 12:00Z on 2002-05-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1839 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 12:00Z on 2002-05-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 272 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
1839 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-146 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
894 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
272 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
311 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
3.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KCRP 180009
SVRCRP
TXC355-409-180130-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
707 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NUECES COUNTY IN TEXAS
  SOUTHERN SAN PATRICIO COUNTY IN TEXAS

* UNTIL 830 PM CDT

* AT 704 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER EDROY...OR ABOUT 11 MILES NORTH OF
  ROBSTOWN...MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  OVER ROBSTOWN...8 MILES WEST OF TULOSO AROUND 740 PM CDT...
  CORPUS CHRISTI AROUND 750 PM CDT...

THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...
  HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS...
  WINDS UP TO 60 MILES AN HOUR...
  VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING...

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL.  PLEASE TAKE COVER
NOW

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT 
FRIDAY EVENING FOR SOUTH TEXAS.

LAT...LON 2805 9732 2792 9794 2762 9786 2762 9735

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 Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 17, 3:05 PM CDT, 2 hours 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 17, 3:05 PM CDT, 2 hours 48 minutes before
COASTAL BEND FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
305 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

THE COLD FRONT OVER NORTH TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE THE MAIN
FORECAST CONCERN FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTH
OVERNIGHT...AND MOVE OFFSHORE BY MID MORNING SATURDAY.  AIRMASS
ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA STABILIZED AFTER THIS MORNINGS
CONVECTION...AND RECOVERY HAS BEEN SLOW...ONLY A FEW PUFFY CU
OUTSIDE.  EXPECT AIRMASS TO DESTABILIZE AS WE GO THROUGH THE
REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON. THE PREFRONTAL TROUGH SHOULD ENTER THE
NORTHERN ZONES AROUND MIDNIGHT.  PWATS SHOULD AVERAGE 1.5 TO 1.75 IN
WITH CAPES AROUND 2000 J/KG...EXPECT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP AROUND 06Z AND MOVE SOUTH OF THE AREA BY
12Z.  THE FRONT WILL BE SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA BY MID MORNING
SATURDAY (LAGGING 3 TO 6 HOURS). AFTER THIS...THE CHANCE FOR RAIN
WILL DWINDLE DURING THE MORNING HOURS WITH SOME CLOUDS LINGERING
UNTIL SATURDAY EVENING. EXPECT FAIR CONDITIONS FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY
AS HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES. EXCEPT FOR A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS
WEST ON TUESDAY...WILL KEEP THE EXTENDED DRY.  CROSS SECTIONS SHOW A
RETURN TO MOSTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE THROUGH THE PERIOD.

MARINE...EXPECT THE FRONT...CURRENTLY OVER NRN TX...TO MOVE SWD
OVERNIGHT AND INTO THE WATERS EARLY SAT. CAPE-CIN PATTERN WL SUPPORT
CONVECTION ALONG/NEAR THE FRONT OVER THE WATERS BEGINNING LATER
TONIGHT. SCA CONDITIONS/DECREASING PCPN CHANGES EXPECTED AFTER FROPA.
EXPECT SFC WIND SPEEDS TO DECREASE/VEER SUNDAY...AS THE ANTICYCLONE
MOVES SLOWLY INTO THE SERN CONUS. SGFNT MSTR INCREASE ANTICIPATED BY
WED...HWR NOT YET CONFIDENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PCPN.

PRELIMS...
CRP EB 068/080 062/081 064 42-
VCT EB 063/077 057/079 058 52-
LRD EB 065/081 062/084 065 320

.CRP...SCA GMZ230-235.

78/87

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 17, 4:00 PM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
TXZ229>234-239>247-181200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...COR HEADER
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
400 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TONIGHT...

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION
TONIGHT.  THE AIRMASS IS VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON.  AN
APPROACHING FRONTAL BOUNDARY AS WELL AS SEVERAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES
FROM EARLIER CONVECTION WILL SERVE AS THE FOCUS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT
OF THESE STORMS.  AS WE GO THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING AND LATE NIGHT
HOURS THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STRONG STORMS WILL BE GUSTY
WINDS...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND HAIL.  SOME CITIES TO BE AFFECTED ARE
LAREDO...COTULLA...VICTORIA...CORPUS CHRISTI...KINGSVILLE AND
SINTON.  MOST OF THE ACTIVITY WILL MOVE SOUTH OF THE AREA BY 6 AM
SATURDAY MORNING...AND THE ACTUAL COLD FRONT SHOULD MOVE SOUTH OF
THE CORPUS CHRISTI AREA BY MID MORNING SATURDAY.

AFTER A FEW MORNING SHOWERS...MOST OF THE RAINFALL WILL END.  WINDS
WILL BE FROM THE NORTH WITH SPEEDS INCREASING BY THE AFTERNOON.

RESIDENTS AND TRAVELERS FROM THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS TO THE VICTORIA
CROSS ROADS TO THE COASTAL BEND SHOULD STAY TUNED FOR UPDATED
STATEMENTS AND ADVISORIES THROUGH THE EVENING AS THIS SITUATION
DEVELOPS.

78
Local storm report, May 17, 4:07 PM CDT, 1 hour 46 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI,TX
407 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

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

0357 PM    VICTORIA                  TX   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   VICTORIA                       REPORTED BY AIRPORT
                                          MANAGER AT VICTORIA
                                          REGIONAL AIRPORT

0400 PM    4 SW INEZ                 TX   .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   VICTORIA

JM
Local storm report, May 17, 4:39 PM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI,TX
439 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

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

0420 PM    5 N BLOOMINGTON           TX   .88 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   VICTORIA                       DIME TO NICKLE SIZED HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER ON HIGHWAY
                                          185 BETWEEN BLOOMINGTON
                                          AND VICTORIA

JM
Special weather statement, May 17, 5:27 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
TXZ229>232-239>244-180300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
527 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH TEXAS
UNTIL 10 PM...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
FOR WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE COASTAL BEND AND MOST OF THE RIO GRANDE
PLAINS UNTIL 10 PM TONIGHT. THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...LASALLE...MCMULLEN...LIVE OAK...BEE...SAN PATRICIO...
NUECES...KLEBERG...JIM WELLS...DUVAL AND WEBB.

SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE COTULLA...TILDEN...THREE
RIVERS...BEEVILLE...LAREDO...FREER...ALICE...CORPUS CHRISTI...
SINTON AND KINGSVILLE.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL THE SIZE OF DIMES
OR LARGER...STRONG WINDS OF 58 MPH OR HIGHER AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES.

EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR
POSSIBLE ACTIVATION. RESIDENTS ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS SHOULD REMAIN
ALERT AND BE READY TO ACT QUICKLY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES
YOUR AREA. IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS YOUR AREA...THEN MOVE TO AN
INTERIOR ROOM AND LAY DOWN ON THE FLOOR. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...LAY
FLAT DOWN ON THE GROUND...PREFERABLY IN A DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT.

STAY TUNED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS REGARDING THIS DEVELOPING
WEATHER SITUATION.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 12:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPWebb53 min
May 17, 12:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPDuval, Webb48 min
May 17, 1:41 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPDuval, Jim Wells49 min
May 17, 4:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPGoliad, Victoria41 min
May 17, 4:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPBee67 min
May 17, 4:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPBee, Calhoun, Duval, Goliad, Live Oak, Refugio and 2 more3 hr
May 17, 4:46 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningCRP119 min
May 17, 5:13 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningCRPGoliad2 hr
May 17, 5:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPDuval, Jim Wells, Live Oak, McMullen2 hr
May 17, 6:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPDuval2 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 2002Every severe thunderstorm 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.