Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 111, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

October 19, 2002Wharton County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Oct 19, 2002, 8:33 PM CDT for Wharton County, Texas. It was in force for 3 hr. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Oct 19, 2002, 8:33 PM CDT (01:33 UTC)
Expired
Oct 19, 2002, 11:15 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Wharton County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 110 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:35 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 19, 10:43 PM CDTHail 1.75 MEagle Lake, TX1.00 to 1.75 inch hail in Eagle Lake.
Oct 19, 10:45 PM CDTThunderstorm WindEagle Lake, TXNumerous power lines and telephone lines downed. Roofs also blown off several businesses.
Oct 19, 11:06 PM CDTHail 0.75 MSealy, TXDime size hail in Sealy (I-10 and Hwy 36).

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, 1.6 hours before the alert went out and 246 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 2002-10-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2723 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 2002-10-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 20 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
2723 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
704 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
24 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
1.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

853 
WUUS54 KHGX 200133
SVRHOU
TXC481-200215-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
832 PM CDT SAT OCT 19 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WHARTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

* UNTIL 915 PM CDT

* AT 830 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 6   
MILES NORTHWEST OF EL CAMPO...MOVING NORTH-NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE DIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS IN 
EXCESS OF 45 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE...
  EL CAMPO
  EGYPT
  HUNGERFORD

MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR
BUSINESS. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS

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

LAT...LON 2928 9647 2915 9631 2940 9604 2955 9622

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 Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Oct 19, 2:46 PM CDT, 5 hours 47 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 19, 2:46 PM CDT, 5 hours 47 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
246 PM CDT SAT OCT 19 2002

WIDESPREAD SHOWERS OVER THE REGION RACING OFF TO THE NORTHEAST ABOVE
THE SHALLOW COOL POOL THAT PUSHED THROUGH THE AREA AND IS NOW NEAR A
PSX TO 15S OF HIGH ISLAND LINE. RR JET ENTRANCE REGION OVERHEAD AND
LIFTING OUT TO THE ENE AS THE UPPER LOW OVER LBB GETS SHEARED OUT IN
THE CONVERGING FLOW TO ITS EAST. THE JET LOSES A GREAT DEAL OF
CURVATURE AND HENCE HAS VERY WEAK LIFT OVER THE REGION BY 06Z. COLD
FRONT STILL UP NORTH FROM NEAR SPS TO LIT. PREFRONTAL TROUGH/OUTFLOW
TRAILS OFF FROM NEAR MLU-AEX-BPT-BUOY035-PSX. EXPECT THAT THIS
OUTFLOW BOUNDARY SHOULD GRADUALLY MODIFY/MIX OUT OVER NIGHT YIELDING
LIGHT E-S WINDS OVER THE FA. WILL PROBABLY GET OFF AND ON SHOWERS
THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT BUT WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE IN COVERAGE. MORE
SOUTHERLY WINDS SHOULD BE IN PLACE SUNDAY AND EXPECT THE COLD FRONT
TO BE CONFINED TO N TX OR PERHAPS MAKE IT AS FAR SOUTH AT CROCKETT
SUNDAY. CLOUDY NIGHT SHOULD GRADUALLY GIVE WAY DURING THE AFTERNOON
SUNDAY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY. COULD GET SOME WIDESPREAD FOG TONIGHT AFTER
TEMPERATURES DROP BACK DOWN TO 64 TO 65 DEGREES AND WINDS GO CALM.
FOG WILL LIKELY BE AN ISSUE AGAIN SUNDAY NIGHT.

AS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PACKAGE WILL INCREASE CLOUD COVER ON
MONDAY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY AND MAINTAIN THE MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SLIGHT
CHANCE TO CHANCE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. DO NOT HAVE MUCH
CONFIDENCE IN 12Z GFS SOLUTION OR FOR THAT MATTER THE 00Z. THE
PREVIOUS MRF AND THE UKMET/ECMWF MATCH UP BETTER. THESE WOULD FAVOR
THE MOIST SW FLOW ALOFT WITH A SERIES OF S/W RIDING OVERHEAD. SO A
ITS A LOW CONFIDENCE FORECAST...AND GIVEN THE CURRENT PACKAGE
IS ALREADY STRADDLING THESE SOLUTIONS WILL MAKE LITTLE CHANGE.

ON THE MARINE SIDE WILL CARRY AN SCA 20-60NM AND SCEC FOR 0-20NM
BASED ON SEAS.

HAVE SET A NEW RAINFALL RECORD AT CLL.

45/41

.HGX...SCA 20-60NM...SCEC 0-20NM

PRELIMS...
CLL EE 064/076 063/076 065 533
IAH CE 064/077 065/079 068 533
GLS CE 068/080 073/075 075 633
Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 19, 5:33 AM CDT, 15 hours before
GMZ300-330-335-350-355-370-375-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-
227-235>238-201200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
533 AM CDT SAT OCT 19 2002

...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE TODAY ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

.DAY ONE...
TODAY...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHERN
PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS ALONG A LINE FROM CALDWELL TO
MADISONVILLE TO CROCKETT BEFORE SUNRISE THIS MORNING. AVERAGE
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 INCH ARE EXPECTED WITH ISOLATED TOTALS OF 2 TO
3 INCHES POSSIBLE. ACTIVITY WILL SPREAD INTO THE REMAINDER OF
SOUTHEAST TEXAS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. SIMILAR RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE
ANTICIPATED FOR INLAND COUNTIES WHILE AMOUNTS ALONG COASTAL COUNTIES
WILL AVERAGE 1/2 TO 1 INCH WITH ISOLATED 2 INCH TOTALS POSSIBLE.
WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MPH MAY ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER
THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY MOVE ACROSS THE AREA.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY IF RAINFALL AMOUNTS BECOME
GREATER THAN ANTICIPATED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME
SCATTERED ON SUNDAY AND MORE ISOLATED ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY AS A
SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT LINGERS ALONG OR NEAR THE COAST. RAINS ARE
EXPECTED TO INCREASE WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AS UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCES MOVE ACROSS THE STATE IN A MID AND UPPER LEVEL WEST TO
SOUTHWEST FLOW. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 19, 10:12 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX93 min
Oct 19, 10:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXAustin9 days
Oct 19, 10:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXAustin, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Chambers, Colorado and 16 more72 days
Oct 20, 12:19 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX86 min
Oct 20, 4:51 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX39 min
Oct 20, 5:30 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX45 min
Oct 20, 5:37 AM CDTTornado WarningHGXGalveston38 min
Oct 20, 7:17 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX88 min

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.