Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 87, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 15, 2002, 8:47 AM CDT for Harris County, Texas. It was in force for 34 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
- Aug 15, 2002, 8:47 AM CDT (13:47 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 16, 2002, 6:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 34 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Harris County, TX
The radar
The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 189 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:48 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 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
Shreveport, LA (KSHV), launched 12:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 198 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 930 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -15 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 679 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 15 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 46 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 38 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
794 WUUS54 KHGX 151347 SVRHOU TXC201-151415- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 845 AM CDT THU AUG 15 2002 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... HARRIS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS * UNTIL 915 AM CDT * AT 845 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTH HOUSTON...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. * LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE... PASADENA...SOUTH HOUSTON...ELLINGTON FIELD DEER PARK...CLOVERLEAF...BAYTOWN SAN JACINTO STATE PARK...LA PORTE...SHOREACRES 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 2977 9535 2956 9526 2961 9495 2994 9504
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 Aug 15, 2:50 AM CDT, 5 hours 57 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 15, 2:50 AM CDT, 5 hours 57 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 250 AM CDT THU AUG 15 2002 WIDESPREAD SHWRS AND TSTMS OCCURRING EARLY THIS AM ALONG COASTAL ZONES AND OFFSHORE EAST OF MID/UPPER LEVEL TROF AXIS WHICH IS SHIFTING EAST INTO FA. MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IS 1ST PD POPS AS THERE IS LIKELY TO BE A DECENT GRADIENT TODAY ACROSS INLAND ZONES. HAVE DECIDED TO TREND FORECAST WITH A COMPROMISE OF AVN/ETA PRECIP FIELDS. HOWEVER...COULD MAKE SOME LAST MINUTE ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON RADAR TRENDS LATER THIS MORN. BELIEVE SHWRS/TSTMS WILL BE ONGOING TO START THE DAY ACROSS COASTAL ZONES AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ZONES. WILL TAPER POPS WITH EXPECTED PW FIELD WITH 2+ INCHES ACROSS CENTRAL AND COASTAL ZONES AND LESS THAN 2 INCHES ACROSS N/NW ZONES. WILL ALSO MENTION HEAVY RAIN IN ALL BUT N/NW ZONES. LIKELY TO SEE AVERAGE AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WITH ISOLATED 3 TO 5 INCH AMOUNTS ALONG AND SE OF AN EL CAMPO TO HOUSTON TO CLEVELAND LINE. WILL KEEP LOW CHC POPS FOR 2ND PERIOD ACROSS THIS AREA...BUT HEAVY RAIN THREAT SHOULD SHIFT NE OF AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WILL CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE A DECREASE IN POPS FOR FRIDAY. HOWEVER... THINK WITH MID-LEVEL WEAKNESS OVER FORECAST AREA WHICH IS SANDWICHED BETWEEN WEST COAST RIDGE AND BERMUDA HIGH WILL STILL SEE SCT CONVECTION WITH HEATING FOR ALL BUT N/NW ZONES...SO WILL FORECAST SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN GUIDANCE. WILL KEEP CHC ON SAT BUT LOWER TO SLIGHT CHC ON SUN AS HEIGHTS RISE OVER AREA AND LIKELY TO SEE MORE SYNOPTIC SCALE SUBSIDENCE FROM RIDGE TO THE WEST. HIGH TEMPS TODAY AT MOST LOCATIONS SHOULD BE BELOW GUIDANCE NUMBERS GIVEN EXPECTED PRECIP AND CLOUDS. THE TOUGH AREA WILL BE THE NW ZONES WHERE SOME HEATING WILL LIKELY OCCUR. FOR MARINE AREA...WILL KEEP ADVISORY FOR GULF WATERS FOR SEAS AND HAVE CAUTION MENTIONED FOR BAYS TODAY. 33/47 .HGX....SCA GULF WATERS AND SCEC BAYS PRELIMS... CLL EB 092/076 094/075 095 423 IAH TB 088/076 092/076 094 734 GLS TB 086/080 088/080 089 +44 SW COAST 834
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 15, 5:00 AM CDT, 3 hours 47 minutes before
TXZ178-179-199-200-210>214-226-227-235>238-152100- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 500 AM CDT THU AUG 15 2002 ...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT CONTINUES TODAY PRIMARILY ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF AN EL CAMPO TO HOUSTON TO CLEVELAND LINE... NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING ALONG THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS COAST EARLY THIS MORNING. PORTIONS OF GALVESTON ISLAND HAVE RECEIVED OVER 5 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE MIDNIGHT. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS TO 4 OR 5 INCHES OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS. BE ALERT FOR HIGH STANDING WATER ON ROADWAYS AND IN LOW LYING AREAS. MOTORISTS SHOULD REMEMBER NOT TO DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE IN CONJUNCTION WITH ABUNDANT GULF MOISTURE IS PRODUCING THE RAIN. THE DISTURBANCE IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY WEAKEN LATER TONIGHT.
Local storm report, Aug 15, 6:07 AM CDT, 2 hours 40 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
507 AM CST THU AUG 15 2002
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0455 AM CRYSTAL BEACH TX WIND DAMAGE
08/15/02 GALVESTON ROOF BLOWN OFF A HOUSE
AND POWERLINES BLOWN
DOWN. OTHER STRUCTURAL
DAMAGE IN THE AREA.
REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT.Local storm report, Aug 15, 6:10 AM CDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
610 AM CDT THU AUG 15 2002
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0455 AM CRYSTAL BEACH TX WIND DAMAGE
08/15/02 GALVESTON ROOF BLOWN OFF A HOUSE
AND POWERLINES BLOWN
DOWN. OTHER STRUCTURAL
DAMAGE IN THE AREA.
REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT.The office that day
Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 1:55 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 2 hr | |
| Aug 15, 3:47 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Brazoria, Galveston | 118 min |
| Aug 15, 4:00 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 2 hr | |
| Aug 15, 4:33 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Galveston | 5 hr |
| Aug 15, 5:48 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Brazoria, Galveston | 2 hr |
| Aug 15, 7:28 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 62 min | |
| Aug 15, 7:43 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Galveston | 107 min |
| Aug 15, 8:22 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 53 min | |
| Aug 15, 9:13 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 2 hr | |
| Aug 15, 10:26 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Harris | 3 hr |
| Aug 15, 10:34 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Grimes, Waller, Washington | 3 hr |
| Aug 15, 11:10 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Brazoria, Galveston | 3 hr |
| Aug 15, 11:13 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 2 hr | |
| Aug 15, 11:37 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | HGX | Galveston | 23 min |
| Aug 15, 11:59 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | HGX | Galveston | 31 min |
| Aug 15, 1:14 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Grimes, Waller, Washington | 3 hr |
| Aug 15, 1:19 PM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 116 min | |
| Aug 15, 1:45 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Brazoria, Galveston, Harris | 3 hr |
| Aug 15, 3:47 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Waller, Washington | 2 hr |
| Aug 15, 3:55 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Harris | 3 hr |
| Aug 15, 4:51 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Brazoria, Galveston | 3 hr |
| Aug 15, 6:10 PM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 2 hr | |
| Aug 15, 6:10 PM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 2 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.