Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 25, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

May 17, 2002Jim Wells County, Kleberg County, Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 17, 2002, 7:09 PM CDT for Jim Wells County, Kleberg County, Texas. It was in force for 2 hr. 5 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: May 17, 2002, 7:09 PM CDT (00:09 UTC)
Expired: May 17, 2002, 9:15 PM CDT
In force: 2 hr
Issued by: NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Jim Wells County, TX, Kleberg County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 43 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:09 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 17, 7:53 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 52 M	Alice, TX	Trees and power lines down all across Alice.
May 17, 8:18 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 50 E	Kingsville, TX	Large trees and power lines down.
May 17, 8:18 PM CDT	Hail 0.75	Kingsville, TX
May 17, 8:31 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 51 M	(Nqi)Nas Kingsville, TX
May 17, 8:40 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 51 E	Ricardo, TX	Mobile home flipped over with trees and powerlines down.

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 17, 5:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 56 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 3763 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -32 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 733 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 51 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 87 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.3
Supercell composite: 6.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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, 6:45 PM CDT, 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 17, 6:45 PM CDT, 24 minutes before

COASTAL BEND FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
645 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

EXPECT A VERY ACTIVE EVENING OVER SOUTH TEXAS THIS EVENING AS
SEVERAL MCSS CONVERGE ON THE REGION.  THE ATMOSPHERE IS VERY
UNSTABLE ONCE AGAIN WITH CAPES OF 3000 TO 4000 J/KG AND OUTFLOW
BOUNDARIES ARE CONVERGING...ONE FROM BEEVILLE AREA...A SECOND FROM
HONDO AND A THIRD IS EXPECTED TO CROSS THE RIO GRANDE LATER THIS
EVENING COINCIDENT WITH HONDO SYSTEM COMING DOWN.

THE MAIN CONCERN IS BECOMING HEAVY RAIN.  STORM MOTIONS ARE VERY
SLOW AND 88D ESTIMATES...ALTHOUGH SLIGHTLY HAIL CONTAMINATED...ARE
IN THE 2 TO 4 INCH RANGE...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. WILL UPDATE
ZONES TO BUMP POPS UP AND INCLUDE MENTION OF HVY RAIN. WEVE GOT THE
FULL CREW WORKING TONIGHT.

MEDIA...IF YOU GET ANY SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS PLEASE CALL US. THANKS

.CRP...SCA GMZ230-235.

75/81/91/87/80/76

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 17, 4:00 PM CDT, 3 hours 9 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, 3 hours 2 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, 2 hours 30 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, 1 hour 42 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.

Local storm report, May 17, 6:00 PM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI,TX
600 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

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

0550 PM    3 N BEEVILLE              TX   .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   BEE                            DIME HAIL AND 45 MPH
                                          WIND GUSTS REPORTED
                                          BY NWS SPOTTER.

LAMARRE

Local storm report, May 17, 6:56 PM CDT, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI,TX
656 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

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

0655 PM    THREE RIVERS              TX   .88 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   LIVE OAK

JM

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 17, 7:14 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	CRP		91 min
May 17, 7:14 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	CRP		91 min
May 17, 7:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CRP	La Salle, Webb	89 min
May 17, 7:30 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	CRP	Webb	3 hr
May 17, 8:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CRP	Bee	40 days
May 17, 8:46 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	CRP		29 min
May 18, 1:18 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	CRP		57 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 2002 Every 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.