Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 19, NWS Brownsville, TX

September 17, 2003Hidalgo County, Texas

NWS Brownsville, TX issued this flash flood warning at Sep 17, 2003, 3:31 PM CDT for Hidalgo 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 17, 2003, 3:31 PM CDT (20:31 UTC)
Expired
Sep 17, 2003, 6:30 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Brownsville, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Hidalgo County, TX

The radar

The Brownsville radar (KBRO), 78 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:35 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.

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

Brownsville Intl, TX (KBRO), launched 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 80 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, Brownsville Intl, TX at 12:00Z on 2003-09-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1674 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, Brownsville Intl, TX at 12:00Z on 2003-09-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -3 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
1674 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
569 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
6 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-4 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 KBRO 172037
FFWBRO
TXC215-172330-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
331 PM CDT WED SEP 17 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  HIDALGO COUNTY IN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT

* AT 330 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA.
  DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATED NEARLY TWO INCHES OF RAINFALL HAS BEEN 
  RECEIVED IN AN AREA SOUTH OF MCALLEN TO THE CITY OF HIDALGO. MCALLEN
  AIRPORT HAS RECEIVED NEARLY SEVEN TENTHS OF AN INCH OF RAINFALL
  DURING THE PAST HOUR.

* THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL RAINFALL ARE FORMING SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST
  OF SOUTHERN HIDALGO COUNTY AND WILL BRING ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL
  TO THIS AREA. RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH
  FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING
  INCLUDE...HIDALGO...WESLACO...SAN JUAN...PHARR...MISSION...
  MERCEDES...MCALLEN...EDINBURG...EDCOUCH...DONNA...ALAMO AND
  PROGRESO.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES
AS WELL AS OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS.

FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR
IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS WATER COVERED BRIDGES...
DIPS...OR LOW WATER CROSSINGS. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...
EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER
GROUND.

LAT...LON 2634 9789 2589 9788 2609 9852 2664 9829

$$

PHILO
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS74 KBRO 172123
FFSBRO
TXC215-172330-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
416 PM CDT WED SEP 17 2003

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 630 PM CDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN
HIDALGO COUNTY...

AT 415 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS SOUTHERN HIDALGO 
COUNTY...BUILDING EAST INTO ADJACENT CAMERON COUNTY.

SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IN THE
WARNED AREA. RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING
TO OCCUR...ESPECIALLY ALONG SMALL STREAMS AND NEAR LOW WATER
CROSSINGS. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
HIDALGO...WESLACO...SAN JUAN...PHARR...MISSION...MERCEDES...
MCALLEN...EDINBURG...EDCOUCH...DONNA...ALAMO AND PROGRESO.

STREET FLOODING IS BEING REALIZED IN CITIES OF SOUTHERN HIDALGO 
COUNTY...ALONG WITH PONDING AND DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS ALONG 
HIGHWAY 83.

REMEMBER...NEVER DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH. 
ALWAYS DRIVE ACCORDING TO WEATHER CONDITIONS.

MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TELEVISION OR YOUR 
LOCAL CABLE OUTLET FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION UPDATES.

LAT...LON 2637 9789 2602 9787 2603 9833 2638 9833

$$

PHILO
000 
WGUS74 KBRO 172334
FFSBRO
TXC215-180000-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
626 PM CDT WED SEP 17 2003

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR HIDALGO COUNTY HAS
BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE...

DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES THE HEAVY RAIN HAS DECREASED OVER THE WARNED 
AREA. A THIN BAND OF SHOWERS REMAINS OVER THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF 
THE COUNTY EXTENDING SOUTHWEST FROM WESLACO TO JUST SOUTH OF THE 
TOWN OF HIDALGO.  THE SHOWER BAND IS WEAKENING AS IT MOVES 
NORTH-NORTHWEST AT 10 MILES PER HOUR.  LITTLE OR NO SHOWER ACTIVITY 
IS LEFT TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST OF HIDALGO COUNTY NOW...
THEREFORE THE FLOOD THREAT WILL END SHORTLY. IF FLOODING HAS 
BEEN OBSERVED...PLEASE REPORT IT TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT 
AGENCY.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

LAT...LON 2666 9805 2605 9791 2604 9835 2659 9839

$$

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 Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Sep 17, 3:00 PM CDT, 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 17, 3:00 PM CDT, 31 minutes before
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
300 PM CDT WED SEP 17 2003

.SHORT TERM...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DRIFT
WESTWARD FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO THROUGH DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AS
MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY REMAIN PLENTIFUL ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE
VALLEY. WEAK FLOW REGIME COUPLED WITH TROPICAL TYPE AIR MASS WILL
LEND ITSELF TO CONTINUED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM THROUGH
THE NEXT 48 HOURS. A WEAK COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO DROP SOUTH
THROUGH CENTRAL TEXAS FRIDAY AND MAY STALL NORTH OF THE
VALLEY...AGAIN ALLOWING MOISTURE TO POOL ALONG THE FRONT. GIVEN
SATURATED GROUND CONDITIONS AND FFG VALUES AROUND 1.5
INCHES...LOCALIZED FLOODING IS POSSIBLE.

.EXTENDED...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS MOISTURE AN INSTABILITY REMAIN IN
PLACE ACROSS THE REGION. A SLIGHTLY DRIER AIRMASS WILL MOVE INTO
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS NEXT WEEK AS A COLD FRONT IS LIKELY TO PASS THROUGH
THE COAST BY THURSDAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ACCOMPANY THE
LEADING EDGE OF THE COLD FRONT AND DRIER MORE STABLE AIR IS EXPECTED
IN THE POST FRONTAL AIR BY THURSDAY.

.MARINE...AT 1 PM BUOY 020 REPORTED EAST WINDS AT 14 KNOTS WITH
GUSTS TO 19 KNOTS AND SEAS AT 4 FEET 6 SECONDS. BROWNSVILLE DOPPLER
RADAR DETECTED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE MARINE
AREAS.  A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE STRETCHES ACROSS TEXAS WHILE A LOW
PRESSURE TROUGH EXTENDS ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND ALONG THE
NORTHEAST COAST OF MEXICO. EXPECT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE EAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS THROUGH
THURSDAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE MARINE
AREAS FRIDAY PRODUCING MODERATE NORTHEAST WINDS AND SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY SHOULD BE A LITTLE
DRIER WITH ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. A STRONGER COLD
FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE MARINE AREAS EARLY NEXT WEEK.

.AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WITH TEMPORARY MVFR OR IFR CONDITIONS ARE
OCCURRING AT THE REGIONAL AIRPORTS THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT VFR
CONDITIONS WITH PERIODS OF MVFR OR IFR CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE OVER
THE REGIONAL AIRPORTS OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS THE NEXT FEW DAYS.  THE
MVFR OR IFR CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR DURING SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS.
LIGHT TO MODERATE EAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE
CWA THROUGH THURSDAY.

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BROWNSVILLE        ET 073/087 073/087 073 70/60/60/40/20
HARLINGEN          ET 072/088 072/088 072 60/60/60/40/20
MCALLEN            ET 072/090 072/090 072 60/60/60/40/20
RIO GRANDE CITY    ET 071/091 071/091 071 40/60/60/40/20
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND ET 081/086 081/086 081 40/60/60/40/20

.BRO...NONE.

SYNOPTIC/GRIDS...53
MARINE/AVIATION...63

THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR INTERNET WEB PAGE AT:
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/BRO
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 17, 6:00 AM CDT, 9 hours 31 minutes before
TXZ248>257-181100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
600 AM CDT WED SEP 17 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

THE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER DEEP
SOUTH TEXAS...AS A HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER CONTENT IS MAINTAINED BY
A DEEP LAYER ONSHORE FLOW. THE GREATEST WEATHER HAZARD TODAY AND
THIS EVENING WILL BE BRIEF LOCALIZED FLOODING.

NO SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS ANTICIPATED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

THE CHANCES OF BRIEF LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL INCREASE ON THURSDAY
AND FRIDAY...IN AN ATMOSPHERE WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE AHEAD OF A WEAK
FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH DEEP SOUTH TEXAS ON FRIDAY.
A STRONGER COLD FRONT WILL BREEZE THROUGH THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT AND
EARLY ON TUESDAY...TOUCHING OFF MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WITH THE CHANCE OF BRIEF LOCALIZED FLOODING FOR MONDAY AND EARLY
TUESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT.

NO SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS ANTICIPATED.

59

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 2003Every flash flood warning in 2003

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.