Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 52, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

October 23, 200215 counties in Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Oct 23, 2002, 5:09 AM CDT for 15 counties in Texas. It was in force for 69 days. 21 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
Oct 23, 2002, 5:09 AM CDT (10:09 UTC)
Expired
Dec 30, 2002, 6:30 PM CST
In force
69 days
Issued by
NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Aransas County, TX, Bee County, TX, Calhoun County, TX, Duval County, TX, Goliad County, TX, Jim Wells County, TX, Kleberg County, TX, La Salle County, TX, Live Oak County, TX, McMullen County, TX, Nueces County, TX, Refugio County, TX, San Patricio County, TX, Victoria County, TX, Webb County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 50 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:10 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Oct 24, 2:19 PM CDTTornado F2(Crp)Corpus Christi, TXOne Confirmed fatality and many injuries. The Tornado was first indentified by the public approximately 8 miles south of the CCI airport. Most extensive damage reported across Del MAr College.
Oct 24, 3:41 PM CDTTornado F1(Crp)Corpus Christi, TXTrees down Roofs damaged
Dec 12, 5:05 AM CSTHail 0.75Kingsville, TXDime sized hail reported between U.S. 77 and Kingsville N.A.S.
Dec 12, 5:50 AM CSTHail 0.75San Diego, TX
Dec 12, 6:15 AM CSTHail 0.75Corpus Christi, TXDime sized hail reported between Navigation Blvd and McBride Ln.
Dec 12, 6:35 AM CSTHail 0.88Corpus Christi, TX
Dec 12, 6:50 AM CSTHail 0.75Skidmore, TX
Dec 12, 7:10 AM CSTHail 1.5Papalote, TX
Dec 23, 6:40 PM CSTHail 0.75Fowlerton, TX
Dec 23, 7:00 PM CSTHail 0.75Tilden, TX
Dec 23, 7:33 PM CSTHail 0.75Three Rivers, TX
Dec 23, 8:00 PM CSTHail 0.75Tuleta, TX
Dec 23, 8:25 PM CSTThunderstorm Wind 50 EGoliad, TXLarge tree reported down.
Dec 23, 8:39 PM CSTHail 0.75Schroeder, TXDime sized hail reported by spotter on County Road 622.
Dec 23, 8:45 PM CSTThunderstorm Wind 50 ENursery, TXLarge trees fell on several homes in Nursery.
Dec 23, 9:00 PM CSTHail 0.75Victoria, TX
Dec 23, 9:10 PM CSTHail 1Victoria, TX
Dec 30, 3:20 PM CSTHail 1.75Tilden, TX
Dec 30, 4:24 PM CSTHail 0.75Freer, TX
Dec 30, 5:15 PM CSTHail 0.75Dinero, TX
Dec 30, 5:15 PM CSTTornado F0Beeville, TXTornado reported by several witnesses over open field near FM 796 and Hwy 59.

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.

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 nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 66 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 00:00Z on 2002-10-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2192 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 00:00Z on 2002-10-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 90 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
2192 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-3 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
529 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
90 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
129 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.2
Supercell composite
5.0

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 Oct 23, 2:58 AM CDT, 2 hours 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 23, 2:58 AM CDT, 2 hours 11 minutes before
COASTAL BEND FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
258 AM CDT WED OCT 23 2002

CONVECTIVE COMPLEX MOVING ACROSS AREA IS PRODUCING LOTS OF HEAVY
RAINFALL AND PROBABLE WIND GUSTS AROUND 50 MPH.  SYSTEM WILL HAVE TO
BE WATCHED AS IT APPROACHES THE COAST AS AIRMASS FAVORABLE FOR
CONVECTIVE CONTINUATION.  GENERALLY A WET PATTERN IN STORE AT LEAST
THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY...AS UPPER LEVEL PATTERN WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH
WEAK WAVES ACROSS AREA...WITH FRONTAL BOUNDARY NEARBY AND NO CAP.
WILL ISSUE FFA NOW AS LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL HAS ALREADY OCCURRED
AND DEFINITELY MORE TO COME BEFORE THE WEEK IS OUT.  WILL JUST GO
WITH FFA THROUGH TODAY AS DEPENING ON HOW MUCH EFFECTS THIS MCS HAS
ON TEMPORARILY STABILIZING THE ATMOSPHERE AND THUS MAY BEE TOO QUIET
THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE WATCH.  HOWEVER...WILL LIKELY HAVE TO BE
EXTENDED IF NOT FOR TONIGHT THEN AT LEAST SOME TIME THIS WEEK.
HIGHEST MOISTURE VALUES PROGGED TO BE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY WITH
CONTINUED UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT AND PROXIMATE FRONTAL BOUNDAY...WHICH
WILL LIKELY REMAIN NORTH.  AVN NOW TRYING TO DRY THINGS OUT SOME BY
SUNDAY AFTERNOON.  NOT SURE IF THAT WILL OCCUR.  MRF NOW DROPPING
ANOTHER TROUGH DOWN ON TUESDAY BEFORE RIDGING BEGINS ON WEDNESDAY.
WILL PROBABLY LET DAY SHIFT TAKE A CLOSER LOOK.

PRELIMS...
CRP TT 083/071 082/071 081 65767
NGP    082/072 081/072 081
ALI TT 086/070 083/070 082 55667
VCT TT 078/066 078/067 077 65767
LRD ET 086/070 083/070 080 46577
RKP TT 081/071 081/071 081 65767

MARINE...EXPECT THE E-W BNDRY ACROSS SRN TX TO REMAIN QUASI-
STATIONARY THROUGH FRI. THIS BNDRY WL COMBINE WITH A MOIST/UNSTABLE
AND LOW BRN ENVIRONMENT TO GENERATE STG CONVECTION DRG THE PERIOD.
EVEN STRONGER/MORE NUMEROUS CONVECTION EXPECTED SUNDAY OWING TO THE
ADDITION OF STG UPPER DYNAMICS ASSOCIATED WITH A DISTURBANCE TO MOVE
ACROSS THE SWRN CONUS/PLAINS. EXPECT ONSHORE FLOW TO INCREASE
SIGNIFICANTLY BY FRI NGT IN RESPONSE TO THE FOREGOING UPPER SYSTEM...
WITH SCA CONDITIONS BY SAT OFFSHORE.

.CRP...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY TXZ229>234-239>247.

86/GW...87/WC
Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 22, 7:04 AM CDT, 22 hours 5 minutes before
TXZ229>234-239>247-231100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
704 AM CDT TUE OCT 22 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA
TODAY AND TONIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. HOWEVER...
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...WITH CLOUD TO SURFACE LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS
TO 45 MPH...AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED DUE IN PART TO A
SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES. ANOTHER FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE
REGION LATER THIS WEEK...YET IS EXPECTED TO STALL. SEVERE WEATHER
IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

WC

In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 23, 4:11 AM CDT, 58 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI,TX
411 AM CDT WED OCT 23 2002

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

0345 AM    ALICE                     TX   73 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
10/23/02   JIM WELLS

GW
Local storm report, Oct 23, 4:30 AM CDT, 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI,TX
430 AM CDT WED OCT 23 2002

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

0418 AM    CORPUS CHRISTI            TX   75 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
10/23/02   NUECES                         REPORTED BY ASOS

0415 AM    KINGSVILLE                TX   WIND DAMAGE
10/23/02   KLEBERG                        POWER LINES DOWN. ONE BIG
                                          TREE DOWN. UNION
                                          PACIFIC RAILROAD BAR BLOWN
                                          OVER.

0410 AM    DRISCOLL                  TX   WIND DAMAGE
10/23/02   NUECES                         POWER LINES DOWN

0458 AM    CORPUS CHRISTI            TX   69 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
10/23/02   NUECES                         REPORTED AT THE NAVAL AIR
                                          STATION

GW
Local storm report, Oct 23, 5:01 AM CDT, 8 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI,TX
430 AM CDT WED OCT 23 2002

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

0418 AM    CORPUS CHRISTI            TX   75 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
10/23/02   NUECES                         REPORTED BY ASOS

0415 AM    KINGSVILLE                TX   WIND DAMAGE
10/23/02   KLEBERG                        POWER LINES DOWN. ONE BIG
                                          TREE DOWN. UNION
                                          PACIFIC RAILROAD BAR BLOWN
                                          OVER.

0410 AM    DRISCOLL                  TX   WIND DAMAGE
10/23/02   NUECES                         POWER LINES DOWN

GW

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 22, 11:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPDuval, Jim Wells, Live Oak5 hr
Oct 23, 2:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPDuval, McMullen40 min
Oct 23, 2:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPKleberg, Nueces2 hr
Oct 23, 3:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPSan Patricio118 min
Oct 23, 3:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPNueces84 min
Oct 23, 4:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPAransas, Refugio118 min
Oct 23, 4:22 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningCRP53 min
Oct 23, 4:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPLa Salle31 hr
Oct 23, 5:13 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningCRP2 hr
Oct 23, 5:13 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningCRP2 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.