Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

March 30, 2002Fort Bend County, Wharton County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 30, 2002, 5:01 PM CST for Fort Bend County, Wharton County, Texas. It was in force for 44 min. 5 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
Mar 30, 2002, 5:01 PM CST (23:01 UTC)
Expired
Mar 30, 2002, 5:45 PM CST
In force
44 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Fort Bend County, TX, Wharton County, TX

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 30, 5:24 PM CSTThunderstorm Wind 60 EGHungerford, TXSheriff reported a large tree limb, 12 to 16 inches in diameter, snapped during strong winds and had blocked the road at Lees Lane and FM 1161 in Hungerford.
Mar 30, 5:30 PM CSTTornado F0Hungerford, TXThere was a brief Tornado touchdown in the El Lobo Subdivision, 6 miles east of Hungerford, near the county line. Emergency management reported the event.
Mar 30, 5:36 PM CSTTornado F0Beasley, TXA Tornado touchdown had severely damaged a home in Beasley, reported by Sheriff.
Mar 30, 5:40 PM CSTTornado F0Wharton, TXA Tornado touchdown damaged a trailer on Nelson Road and Texas Highway 102, reported by Emergency management.
Mar 30, 5:45 PM CSTHail 1Rosenberg, TX

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 watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 30, 3:45 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 11.0 hours before the alert went out and 213 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 2002-03-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Corpus Christi, TX at 12:00Z on 2002-03-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 176 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2462 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
176 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
248 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 
WUUS54 KHGX 302301
SVRHOU
TXC157-481-302345-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
501 PM CST SAT MAR 30 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 545 PM CST

* AT 450 PM CST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 10
  MILES WEST OF EL CAMPO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE...
  WHARTON
  KENDLETON
  EAST BERNARD
  BEASLEY
  ORCHARD...PLEAK

LARGE HAIL IS LIKELY WITH THIS STORM.

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 9656 2915 9634 2952 9568 2966 9600

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 Mar 30, 3:50 PM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 30, 3:50 PM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
350 PM CST SAT MAR 30 2002

NEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH (UNTIL 900 PM CST) ISSUED FOR SOUTHERN
COUNTIES THAT WERE NOT UNDER THE TORNADO WATCH. TORNADO WATCH
REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CST. ALL SOUTHEAST TEXAS COUNTIES ARE
NOW IN A WATCH.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL PERSIST ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS FOR THE
REMAINING AFTERNOON HOURS AND ON INTO THIS EVENING. UPPER LOW IS NOW
MOVING INTO CENTRAL TEXAS. STRONG DIFLUENT PATTERN WILL CONTINUE
ACROSS THE AREA AS SPEED MAX ROTATES AROUND THE BASE OF THE LOW.
TORNADIC THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN JUST OUTSIDE OUR CWAS NORTHWEST
ZONES. THESE STORMS SHOULD BEGIN TO SPREAD TO THE EAST AND INTO OUR
CWA DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS THE UPPER LOW GETS CLOSER INTO OUR
VERY MOIST...VERY WARM AND UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. WILL CONTINUE THE
SEVERE THREAT ON INTO THE EVENING HOURS WITH THE NORTHERN HALF OF
OUR CWA (AREAS NEAR AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 10) AT GREATEST RISK. BY
TOMORROW MORNING...EXPECT QUIET PATTERN TO SETTLE IN TO THE AREA AS
THE STORM SYSTEM PROGRESSES OFF TO THE EAST. WILL HAVE SOME DRY
WEATHER THROUGH TUESDAY...THEN WILL SEE SOME SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS
ON WEDNESDAY AS THE NEXT COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA FROM THE
NORTH. A COOLDOWN WILL FOLLOW FOR THE LAST PART OF THE WEEK AS
SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM CHANCES LINGER ACROSS THE AREA. WE MAY EVEN HAVE
TO EVENTUALLY LOWER THE FORECAST TEMPERATURES FOR THE END OF THE
WEEK AS SOME CANADIAN AIR FILTERS INTO THE AREA. PRELIMS ARE NEXT.

42/35/30

.HGX...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH TXZ210-226-227-235>238 THRU
       9 PM.
       TORNADO WATCH TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-211>214 THRU
       6 PM.
       SCEC 00-20 NM WATERS.
       SCA  00-60 NM WATERS.

PRELIMS...
CLL BU 055/072 048/075 055 6-0
IAH BU 059/076 051/076 056 6-0
GLS BU 065/074 058/072 061 5-0

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 30, 11:15 AM CST, 5 hours 46 minutes before
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-302300-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1115 AM CST SAT MAR 30 2002

...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS THIS
AFTERNOON AND ON INTO THIS EVENING...

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM AND A SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL CROSS
TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL EXIT THE STATE EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHEAST
TEXAS AS DAYTIME HEATING HELPS TO DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE ACROSS
THE AREA AND UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE APPROACHES FROM THE WEST.

THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS. THESE
WIND GUSTS WILL COME FROM STRONG WINDS JUST OFF THE SURFACE THAT WILL
LIKELY MIX TO THE GROUND IN THUNDERSTORM DOWNDRAFTS. LARGE HAIL WILL
ALSO BE POSSIBLE AS A POCKET OF COLDER AIR MOVES ACROSS THE REGION
AROUND SUNSET.

THERE IS ALSO A RISK FOR TORNADOES LATER THIS AFTERNOON AS LOW
PRESSURE ADVANCES TOWARD SOUTHEAST TEXAS. AS THE LOW PRESSURE AREA
APPROACHES...LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR...OR WINDS TURNING WITH HEIGHT...
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CREATE A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR TORNADOES TO
DEVELOP.

IF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DO DEVELOP...THE GREATEST THREAT WILL LIKELY
BE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING NORTH OF INTERSTATE 10. LOCATIONS
FURTHER NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE...ROUGHLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE
FROM BRENHAM TO LAKE LIVINGSTON...HAVE A SLIGHTLY BETTER CHANCE OF
SEVERE WEATHER WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM. PERSONS NORTH AND SOUTH OF
INTERSTATE 10 SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OR
TORNADO WATCHES LATER TODAY.

THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS EXPECTED TO COME TO AN END LATER THIS
EVENING AS THE STORM SYSTEM MOVES OFF TO THE EAST.

THIS IS A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION. ALL RESIDENTS
ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS SHOULD STAY ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER
CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. THE RISK FOR SEVERE
WEATHER ALSO EXTENDS NORTH AND EAST TOWARD DALLAS...LITTLE ROCK AND
NEW ORLEANS. IF TRAVELING TODAY FOR THE EASTER HOLIDAY...PLEASE BE
PREPARED FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING AND DANGEROUS WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS
AFTERNOON.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
Special weather statement, Mar 30, 12:30 PM CST, 4 hours 31 minutes before
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-211>214-310100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1230 PM CST SAT MAR 30 2002

...TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 7 PM...

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR THE
NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 7 PM. THE WATCH IS IN
EFFECT NORTH OF A LINE FROM BRENHAM TO HOUSTON TO ANAHUAC.

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE IN THE WATCH...BURLESON...BRAZOS...
MADISON...HOUSTON...AUSTIN...WASHINGTON...GRIMES...WALKER...TRINITY...
WALLER...MONTGOMERY...SAN JACINTO...POLK...HARRIS...LIBERTY...AND
CHAMBERS.

SOME COMMUNITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE CALDWELL...COLLEGE
STATION...MADISONVILLE...CROCKETT...BELLVILLE...BRENHAM...NAVASOTA...
HUNTSVILLE...GROVETON...HEMPSTEAD...CONROE...COLDSPRING...
LIVINGSTON...HOUSTON...LIBERTY...AND WINNIE.

AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE IS APPROACHING SOUTHEAST TEXAS FROM THE
WEST. AS THE SYSTEM APPROACHES...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL
DEVELOP...SOME OF WHICH MAY BECOME SEVERE.

A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO
PRODUCE TORNADOES...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM OR TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SEVERE WEATHER IS
IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA FOR ADDITIONAL
UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM...MOVE INSIDE TO A REINFORCED STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY
FROM WINDOWS.
Special weather statement, Mar 30, 12:32 PM CST, 4 hours 29 minutes before
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-211>214-310100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1232 PM CST SAT MAR 30 2002

...TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 7 PM...

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR THE
NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 7 PM. THE WATCH IS IN
EFFECT NORTH OF A LINE FROM BELLVILLE TO HOUSTON TO ANAHUAC.

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE IN THE
WATCH...BURLESON...BRAZOS...MADISON...HOUSTON...AUSTIN...WASHINGTON..
.GRIMES...WALKER...TRINITY...WALLER...MONTGOMERY...SAN
JACINTO...POLK...HARRIS...LIBERTY...AND CHAMBERS.

SOME COMMUNITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE CALDWELL...COLLEGE
STATION...MADISONVILLE...CROCKETT...BELLVILLE...BRENHAM...NAVASOTA...
HUNTSVILLE...GROVETON...HEMPSTEAD...CONROE...COLDSPRING...
LIVINGSTON...HOUSTON...LIBERTY...AND WINNIE.

AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE IS APPROACHING SOUTHEAST TEXAS FROM THE
WEST. AS THE SYSTEM APPROACHES...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL
DEVELOP...SOME OF WHICH MAY BECOME SEVERE.

A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO
PRODUCE TORNADOES...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM OR TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SEVERE WEATHER IS
IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA FOR ADDITIONAL
UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM...MOVE INSIDE TO A REINFORCED STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY
FROM WINDOWS.
Special weather statement, Mar 30, 3:45 PM CST, 1 hour 16 minutes before
TXZ210-226-227-235>238-310300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
345 PM CST SAT MAR 30 2002

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ISSUED FOR THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF
SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 9 PM...
...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF
SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 6 PM...

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
FOR THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 9 PM. THIS WATCH
COVERS THAT AREA SOUTH OF THE TORNADO WATCH ALREADY IN EFFECT. THE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT SOUTH OF A LINE FROM BELLVILLE
TO HOUSTON TO ANAHUAC...WITH THE TORNADO WATCH REMAINING IN EFFECT
NORTH OF THIS LINE.

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE IN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH...
COLORADO...FORT BEND...GALVESTON...WHARTON...JACKSON...MATAGORDA...
BRAZORIA.

SOME COMMUNITIES INCLUDED IN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ARE
COLUMBUS...RICHMOND ROSENBERG...GALVESTON...EL CAMPO...EDNA...BAY
CITY...AND LAKE JACKSON.

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE
WILL MOVE ACROSS THE WATCH AREA OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. SOME OF THE
STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
THUNDERSTORMS TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM OR TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SEVERE WEATHER IS
IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA FOR ADDITIONAL
UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM...MOVE INSIDE TO A REINFORCED STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY
FROM WINDOWS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 30, 3:13 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXAustin, Colorado32 min
Mar 30, 3:31 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXColorado29 min
Mar 30, 5:11 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXMontgomery34 min
Mar 30, 5:23 PM CSTTornado WarningHGXFort Bend, Wharton37 min
Mar 30, 5:25 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXJackson35 min
Mar 30, 5:53 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXJackson, Wharton37 min
Mar 30, 5:54 PM CSTTornado WarningHGXFort Bend, Harris36 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.