Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2002

Flash Flood Warning 33, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

September 7, 2002Waller County, Washington County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this flash flood warning at Sep 7, 2002, 1:38 PM CDT for Waller County, Washington 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
Sep 7, 2002, 1:38 PM CDT (18:38 UTC)
Expired
Sep 7, 2002, 4:30 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Waller County, TX, Washington County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 122 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:38 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 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

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 6.6 hours before the alert went out and 284 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 12:00Z on 2002-09-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 301 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 12:00Z on 2002-09-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 35 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
301 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-45 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
917 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
35 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
62 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 KHGX 071838
FFWHOU
TXC473-477-072130-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
135 PM CDT SAT SEP 7 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  WASHINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
  WALLER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

* UNTIL 430 PM CDT

* AT 128 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A PERSISTENT BAND OF 
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY THROUGH 
CENTRAL WALLER COUNTY. 6 TO 8 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN THE LAST 3 
HOURS. ANOTHER 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED BY 330 PM. 
WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED THAT FM 1371 IS WATER 
COVERED.

* FLOODING IS EXPECTED IN OR NEAR...
  MONAVILLE AND CHAPPELL HILL

DO NOT CROSS ANY LOCATION WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD

PLEASE REPORT FLOODING TO THE COUNTY SHERIFF...LOCAL POLICE...OR
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 3030 9622 2989 9594 2980 9606 2993 9612
          3002 9609 3008 9616 3008 9624 3016 9629

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 Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Sep 7, 9:55 AM CDT, 3 hours 43 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 7, 9:55 AM CDT, 3 hours 43 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
955 AM CDT SAT SEP 7 2002

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED...

BANDS OF RAIN CONTINUE TO ROTATE AROUND THE DIFFUSE CENTER OF FAY
LOCATED 5-10 MILES NORTHWEST OF VICTORIA. WHAT IS OF CONCERN IS THE
TROPICAL FETCH OF MOISTURE STREAMING INTO SE TX. THIS FETCH EXTENDS
FROM THE BAY OF CAMPECHE TO CLL. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY REVEALS SOME
DRY AIR OVER THE SOUTHWEST ZONES. THIS WILL ONLY ALLOW MORE BREAKS
IN THE CLOUDS AND MORE HEATING CREATING GREATER DESTABILIZATION
LATER TODAY. PWS REMAIN AOA 2.2 INCHES WITH K INDICES IN THE
MID/UPPER 30S. WILL MAINTAIN HIGH POPS BUT LOWER SLIGHTLY EITHER
SIDE OF CURRENT FEEDER BAND. WILL MAINTAIN FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY
AND THIS WILL LIKELY BE EXTENDED THROUGH SUNDAY. NEW MODEL DATA JUST
COMING IN REVEALS A RATHER STORMY SUNDAY WITH SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL
RAINFALL.

TIDES STILL ON THE HIGH SIDE AND THESE WILL SLOWLY DECLINE THROUGH
OUT THE DAY. NOT SURE IF SPC WILL CONTINUE TORNADO WATCH THIS
AFTERNOON BUT CONDITIONS REMAIN SOMEWHAT FAVORABLE FOR ISOLATED
TORNADOES.

MARINE INTERESTS: AN SCEC IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE BAYS. SMALL CRAFT
SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO.

43/47/42/35/34/WT

.HGX...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY ALL BUT FAR NE ZONES.
       TORNADO WATCH SOUTH PORTIONS.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 7, 10:49 AM CDT, 2 hours 49 minutes before
TXZ176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-237-238-072100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1049 AM CDT SAT SEP 7 2002

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR MOST OF
SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 4 PM...

COUNTIES IN THE WATCH AREA INCLUDE: AUSTIN...BRAZORIA...BRAZOS...
BURLESON...CHAMBERS...COLORADO...FORT BEND...GALVESTON...GRIMES...
HARRIS...LIBERTY...MADISON...MONTGOMERY...POLK...SAN JACINTO...
WALKER...WALLER...WASHINGTON AND WHARTON.

DAYTIME HEATING COMBINED WITH RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH
TROPICAL DEPRESSION FAY MOVING ONSHORE WILL LEAD TO A CONTINUED
CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON. TORNADOES AND DAMAGING
WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER.

REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES
AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. RESIDENTS
SHOULD BE ON ALERT FOR TORNADO WARNINGS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL TELEVISION OR RADIO
STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR LATER STATEMENTS
CONCERNING THIS SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.
Local storm report, Sep 7, 12:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1235 PM CDT SAT SEP 07 2002

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

1125 PM    3 E FREEPORT              TX   TORNADO
09/06/02   BRAZORIA                       HOME DAMAGED IN
                                          SURFSIDE. REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

1245 AM    WEST COLUMBIA             TX   TORNADO
09/07/02   BRAZORIA                       TREES DOWN. REPORTED
                                          BY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

0215 AM    BOLING                    TX   TORNADO
09/07/02   WHARTON                        ONE MOBILE HOME
                                          DESTROYED...THREE
                                          SEVERELY DAMAGED.
                                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

0220 AM    WHARTON                   TX   WIND DAMAGE
09/07/02   WHARTON                        TREES DOWN. REPORTED BY
                                          MEDIA.

0319 AM    NEEDVILLE                 TX   TORNADO
09/07/02   FORT BEND                      *** 2 INJ ***
                                          MOBILE HOME DESTROYED.
                                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

0330 AM    HUNGERFORD                TX   TORNADO
09/07/02   WHARTON                        MOBILE HOME AND SHED
                                          DESTROYED WITH LARGE
                                          DUMPSTER BLOWN SEVERAL
                                          FEET. REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

0405 AM    EAGLE LAKE                TX   71 MPH TSTM GUST
09/07/02   COLORADO                       REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.
Local storm report, Sep 7, 12:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1235 PM CDT SAT SEP 07 2002

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

1125 PM    3 E FREEPORT              TX   TORNADO
09/06/02   BRAZORIA                       HOME DAMAGED IN
                                          SURFSIDE. REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

1245 AM    WEST COLUMBIA             TX   TORNADO
09/07/02   BRAZORIA                       TREES DOWN. REPORTED
                                          BY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

0215 AM    BOLING                    TX   TORNADO
09/07/02   WHARTON                        ONE MOBILE HOME
                                          DESTROYED...THREE
                                          SEVERELY DAMAGED.
                                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

0220 AM    WHARTON                   TX   WIND DAMAGE
09/07/02   WHARTON                        TREES DOWN. REPORTED BY
                                          MEDIA.

0319 AM    NEEDVILLE                 TX   TORNADO
09/07/02   FORT BEND                      *** 2 INJ ***
                                          MOBILE HOME DESTROYED.
                                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

0340 AM    HUNGERFORD                TX   TORNADO
09/07/02   WHARTON                        MOBILE HOME AND SHED
                                          DESTROYED WITH LARGE
                                          DUMPSTER BLOWN SEVERAL
                                          FEET. REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

0405 AM    EAGLE LAKE                TX   71 MPH TSTM GUST
09/07/02   COLORADO                       REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 6, 7:53 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningHGXBrazoria3 hr
Sep 6, 8:51 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningHGXGalveston3 hr
Sep 6, 10:35 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningHGXBrazoria, Matagorda3 hr
Sep 6, 11:17 PM CDTTornado WarningHGXBrazoria43 min
Sep 7, 12:01 AM CDTTornado WarningHGXBrazoria44 min
Sep 7, 12:17 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningHGXMatagorda3 hr
Sep 7, 12:34 AM CDTTornado WarningHGXMatagorda41 min
Sep 7, 12:45 AM CDTTornado WarningHGXBrazoria45 min
Sep 7, 1:39 AM CDTTornado WarningHGXBrazoria, Matagorda, Wharton51 min
Sep 7, 2:13 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningHGXFort Bend, Wharton3 hr
Sep 7, 2:47 AM CDTTornado WarningHGXBrazoria, Fort Bend43 min
Sep 7, 2:56 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningHGXBrazoria2 hr
Sep 7, 3:39 AM CDTTornado WarningHGXWharton36 min
Sep 7, 4:37 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningHGXColorado3 hr

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.