Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2002
Tornado Warning 54, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Dec 23, 2002, 7:38 PM CST for Grimes County, Madison County, Texas. It was in force for 52 min. 1 report 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
- Dec 23, 2002, 7:38 PM CST (01:38 UTC)
- Expired
- Dec 23, 2002, 8:30 PM CST
- In force
- 52 min
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
Counties Grimes County, TX, Madison County, TX
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 23, 8:10 PM CST | Hail 1.75 | Madisonville, TX | 1.75 inch hail. |
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 tornado 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 23, 2:10 PM CST | Tornado Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
| Dec 23, 7:10 PM CST | Tornado Watch | SPC | 8 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 00:00Z, 1.6 hours before the alert went out and 251 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
- 6 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 446 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 76 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -140 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -121 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
028 WFUS54 KHGX 240138 TORHOU TXC185-313-240230- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 736 PM CST MON DEC 23 2002 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... MADISON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS GRIMES COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS * UNTIL 830 PM CST * AT 734 PM CST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 13 MILES SOUTHWEST OF IOLA...MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO THREAT...GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IS LIKELY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM...TAKE COVER NOW * LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE TORNADO INCLUDE... IOLA BEDIAS MADISONVILLE MOVE TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. ABANDON YOUR CAR OR MOBILE HOME FOR A STRONG SHELTER NOW 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 3103 9585 3082 9586 3062 9616 3083 9616
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at Dec 23, 2:10 PM CST, 5 hours 28 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 23, 2:10 PM CST, 5 hours 28 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
210 PM CST MON DEC 23 2002
THE MAIN 500 MB TROUGH WAS BEGINNING TO AFFECT NM AND FAR WESTERN TX
EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. SHORTWAVE TROUGHS AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM HELPED
SET OFF THE STORMS CURRENTLY OCCURRING OVER SE TX. FOR TONIGHT THE
FORECAST PROBLEM INCLUDES SEVERE STORMS AND HEAVY RAINFALL. ITEMS
FOR TUESDAY THROUGH MONDAY INCLUDE SKY COVER TUESDAY...THEN THE
TEMPERATURES THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD. THE MODELS WERE A BIT DIFFICULT
TO FIGURE. THE ETA ACTUALLY LOOKS GOOD FOR TONIGHT...THOUGH CANNOT
FIND BIG DIFFERENCES AT 500 MB BETWEEN THE ETA AND GFS FOR THE 24 TO
60 HOUR FORECAST. THE ECMWF WAS WEAKER WITH THE NEXT TROUGH TO PASS
OVERHEAD THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. WILL OPT FOR A COMPROMISE BETWEEN
THE ETA AND GFS INTO DAY 3...THEN THE ECMWF.
OUR THINKING HERE IS THAT THE TORNADO THREAT WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY
THIS EVENING. THIS WILL BE THE CASE EVEN THOUGH THE WARM FRONT HAS
MOVED NORTH OF HUNTSVILLE AND CROCKETT. THE NEXT SHORTWAVE TROUGH
WAS COMBINING WITH SOME INSULATION TO FIRE UP MORE STORMS TO THE
SOUTH OF THE FRONT. ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT WITH
THESE. THEN EXPECT A SQUALL LINE TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE MAIN 500 MB
SHORTWAVE TROUGH TONIGHT. THE ETA PUSHES THIS FEATURE THROUGH BY
AROUND 06Z...WHILE THE GFS WAITS UNTIL BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z. AM LEANING
TOWARD THE ETA SOLUTION IN THIS REGARD...AND FEEL THE COLD FRONT WILL
MOVE THROUGH CLL BETWEEN 03Z AND 05Z...THEN TO THE COAST BETWEEN 06Z
AND 09Z. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE STRONG WINDS AND HAIL...ISOLATED
TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE...GIVEN THE FORECAST CAPES AND HELICITY.
THE ETA BUFR AT GLS AT 06Z SHOWED A CAPE OF 3453 AND 0-3KM HELICITY OF
342.
FOR TUESDAY THE RAINFALL LOOKS TO BE AT AN END EXCEPT ALONG THE COAST
EARLY...THOUGH THE CLOUD COVER MAY BE SLOW TO ERODE. THE MAIN 500 MB
TROUGH MOVES ACROSS BY THURSDAY...THOUGH THE UPPER JET DRIFTS
NORTHWARD ACROSS TEXAS. EXCEPT FOR THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY WHEN THE
TROUGH MOVES ACROSS...PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES SHOULD PREVAIL. WILL STAY
CLOSE TO THE FWC AND MAV GUIDANCE FOR TEMPERATURES.
PL-40
30
.HGX...FLASH FLOOD WATCH ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
SCA GALVESTON AND MATAGORDA BAYS.
SCA 00 TO 60 NM HIGH ISLAND TO THE MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL.
PRELIMS...
CLL EB 042/050 030/053 031 710
IAH EB 048/054 033/053 031 710
GLS EB 052/057 040/051 042 620Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 23, 5:53 AM CST, 13 hours 45 minutes before
GMZ300-330-335-350-355-370-375-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226- 227-235>238-241300- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 553 AM CST MON DEC 23 2002 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND THE UPPER TEXAS COASTAL WATERS. ...TORNADO OUTBREAK ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS APPEARS IMMINENT... .DAY ONE... .TODAY...A WARM FRONT DRAPED ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND VERY STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS THAT VEER FROM SOUTH TO WEST IN THE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE ATMOSPHERE WILL COMBINE WITH COOLING TEMPERATURES ALOFT TO AID THE DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING. A POWERFUL DISTURBANCE IN THE JETSTREAM WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON BRINGING A LAYER OF COLDER AND DRIER AIR ALOFT THAT WILL ENHANCE THE POTENTIAL FOR VERY DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORMS THAT COULD HAVE LONG LIVED STRONG TO SEVERE TORNADOES. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE AND A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT. A SQUALL LINE WILL LIKELY DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING TO THE WEST OF THE REGION AND RACE EAST THROUGH THE AREA. STRONG DAMAGING WINDS WILL LIKELY ACCOMPANY THIS SYSTEM. THE SQUALL LINE SHOULD BE NEARING THE COAST LATE TONIGHT OR VERY EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. MARINERS SHOULD AVOID GOING OUT ON THE WATER TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... .TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS ANTICIPATED BY AROUND 9 AM. SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SHOULD PLAN FOR ACTIVATION TO CONTINUE THROUGH MIDNIGHT.
In the hours before
Local storm report, Dec 23, 4:00 PM CST, 3 hours 38 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
400 PM CST MON DEC 23 2002
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0943 AM LYONS TX 1 INCH HAIL
12/23/02 BURLESON REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
0951 AM WEIMAR TX TORNADO
12/23/02 COLORADO REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT. CEMETARY
DAMAGED.
1120 AM 3 SW NAVASOTA TX TORNADO
12/23/02 BRAZOS REPORTED BY PUBLIC.
1215 PM 2 E BEDIAS TX TORNADO
12/23/02 GRIMES REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTER.
1215 PM BEDIAS TX WIND DAMAGE
12/23/02 GRIMES REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
1245 PM 7 SE MIDWAY TX TORNADO
12/23/02 MADISON REPORTED BY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
MOBILE HOME OVERTURNED.
0120 PM 2 SW CONROE TX TORNADO
12/23/02 MONTGOMERY REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
0155 PM EVERGREEN TX TORNADO
12/23/02 SAN JACINTO REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.Local storm report, Dec 23, 5:13 PM CST, 2 hours 25 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
513 PM CST MON DEC 23 2002
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0455 PM 3 N KURTEN TX .75 INCH HAIL
12/23/02 BRAZOS REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
0505 PM 3 N MADISONVILLE TX 1.75 INCH HAIL
12/23/02 MADISON 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 23, 6:11 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | 49 min | |
| Dec 23, 6:47 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Burleson | 43 min |
| Dec 23, 7:11 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Brazos | 49 min |
| Dec 23, 7:51 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | 54 min | |
| Dec 23, 8:02 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | 58 min | |
| Dec 23, 8:06 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Washington | 54 min |
| Dec 23, 8:28 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Houston, Madison | 62 min |
| Dec 23, 9:00 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | 30 min | |
| Dec 23, 9:02 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | 43 min | |
| Dec 23, 9:24 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | 51 min | |
| Dec 23, 9:37 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | 53 min | |
| Dec 23, 9:38 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | 37 min | |
| Dec 23, 9:38 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Harris | 37 min |
| Dec 23, 9:46 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | 44 min | |
| Dec 23, 9:50 PM CST | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 2 hr | |
| Dec 23, 10:17 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Liberty | 28 min |
| Dec 23, 10:20 PM CST | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 100 min | |
| Dec 23, 10:29 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | 31 min | |
| Dec 23, 11:52 PM CST | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 68 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Texas, 2002Every tornado warning in 2002Tornadoes 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.