Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 17, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

September 17, 2003Nueces County, Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this flash flood warning at Sep 17, 2003, 4:08 PM CDT for Nueces 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, 4:08 PM CDT (21:08 UTC)
Expired: Sep 17, 2003, 7:15 PM CDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Nueces County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 4 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:07 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

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 17 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 2148 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 578 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 4 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 11 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 35 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 KCRP 172110
FFWCRP
TXC355-180015-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
408 PM CDT WED SEP 17 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL NUECES COUNTY IN TEXAS

* UNTIL 715 PM CDT

* AT 402 PM CDT...THE PUBLIC REPORTED WATER OVER THE ROAD NEAR THE 
WEST CAMPUS DEL MAR COLLEGE. RADAR INDICATED HEAVY RAIN OVER CORPUS 
CHRISTI AND SURROUNDING AREAS...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 20 MPH.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS AND OTHER
LOW LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLASH FLOODING.

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 2765 9748 2777 9733 2789 9759 2778 9769

$$

TE

1 follow-up statement

000 
WGUS74 KCRP 172241
FFSCRP
TXC355-172345-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
541 PM CDT WED SEP 17 2003

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR CENTRAL NUECES COUNTY HAS BEEN
CANCELLED...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THE RAINFALL WAS ENDING
ACROSS THE WARNED AREA...AND THE FLOOD THREAT WAS DIMINISHING. SOME
MINOR FLOODING MAY CONTINUE...BUT THE THREAT OF SERIOUS FLOODING IS
ENDING. THUS...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS BEING CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 2757 9778 2758 9763 2759 9738 2778 9736
          2775 9780

$$

TE

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 Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Sep 17, 3:10 PM CDT, 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 17, 3:10 PM CDT, 58 minutes before

SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
310 PM CDT WED SEP 17 2003

SHORT-TERM (TONIGHT AND THURSDAY)...GOES SOUNDER DEPICTS HIGH PW
VALUES ACROSS THE AREA. GFS PROGS MSTR TO CONTINUE TO ADVECT NWD
ACRS THE REGION OVERNIGHT. ANTICIPATE CONVECTION THIS AFTN OVER THE
CNTRL/WRN CWFA TO DMSH LATER OWING TO INCREASING CIN. CAVEAT...CIN
VALUES WL NOT INCREASE TOO MUCH AS MSTR CONTINUES TO ADVECT. EXPECT
CONVECTION TO DEVELOP OFFSHORE OVERNIGHT THEN ADVECT ONSHORE TOWARD
MORNING...CONSISTENT WITH TDA AND YDA. HWR...INCREASING MSTR...AND A
WEAK UPPER DISTURBANCE PROGD BY ETA/GFS...WL RESULT IN GREATER
COVERAGE OF CONVECTION. WL FCST 50-60% POPS FOR THU. AT THIS TIME...
NOT YET CONFIDENT THAT HVY RAIN/FLOODING WL BE WIDESPREAD.
FURTHER...1-HR FFG VALUES FOR THE CWFA STILL ABOVE 1 INCH. THUS WL
NOT ISSUE AN FFA.

LONG TERM (THU NIGHT THRU WED)...BEST MOISTURE WILL BE POOLED ACROSS
SOUTHERN AND WESTERN COUNTIES THUR NIGHT. WILL HANG ONTO CHC POPS
FOR THE SOUTH AND WEST DURING THE EVENING. GFS INDICATES UPR LVL
LOW OVER NRN PLAINS WILL LIFT NE INTO CANADA ON FRI WHILE ETA
FURTHER IS FURTHER SOUTH WITH LOW. AS A RESULT ETA BRINGS COLD FRONT
THROUGH CWA FRI AFTERNOON WHILE GFS STALLS FRONT ACROSS SOUTHERN
HALF OF CWA. 2 PWAT AIR WILL REMAIN SUFFICIENT AHEAD OF FRONT ON
FRIDAY TO WARRANT SCATTERED POPS...HIGHEST SOUTH AND WEST. WHERE
FRONT ENDS UP STALLING AND WASHING OUT WILL BE KEY TO PRECIP CHANCES
ON SAT. FEEL FRONT WILL LIKELY STALL AND WASH OUT ACROSS SOUTHERN
COUNTIES. MODELS SHOWING PWAT TO REMAIN NEAR 1.7-2 ON SAT...
THEREFORE WILL INTRODUCE 30 POPS ACROSS THE SOUTH FOR SAT AND TAPER
BACK TO 10S FAR NORTH. MOISTURE SURGES BACK NORTH ON SUNDAY WITH
INCREASING SOUTHERLY FLOW AS NEXT SYSTEM DIGS IN ACROSS EASTERN
ROCKIES. MODELS DISCREPANCIES STILL EXIST WITH AMPLITUDE OF TROF AS
IT MOVES INTO PLAINS...WITH GFS AND UKMET CONTINUING TO TREND SLOWER
AND DEEPER WHILE ECMWF AND CANADIAN IS MORE PROGRESSIVE. THE GFS
SOLUTION WOULD RESULT IN A STRONGER FRONT DIVING SOUTH INTO TEXAS ON
MONDAY. WILL NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES TO CURRENT EXTENDED FORECAST WITH
RESPECT TO THIS FRONT AWAITING MODEL CONSISTENCY. GRIDS WILL REFLECT
SCATTERED POPS ON MONDAY WITH DRIER AIR WORKING INTO S TX TUE AND
WED. WILL NOT BITE YET ON MEX TEMPS AND KEEP LOWS 1 CAT HIGHER.

CRP TE 075/085 074/087 071 87563
VCT TE 073/085 071/087 068 87452
LRD TE 077/087 073/089 071 87554

.CRP...NONE.

87...SHORT-TERM
76...LONG-TERM

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 17, 6:00 AM CDT, 10 hours 8 minutes before

GMZ230-235-250-255-270-275-TXZ229>234-239>247-181100-

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

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN TODAY.
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE COAST WHERE
2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN COULD FALL IN SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.  THIS MAY
CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING.  BESIDES HEAVY RAINFALL...STORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LEVELS TODAY AND TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE
OVER SOUTH TEXAS ON THURSDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE INTERACTS
WITH DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE OVER THE REGION. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL
WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALIZED
RAIN AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES. THIS WILL INCREASE THE THREAT FOR
FLOODING DUE TO THE SATURATED CONDITIONS ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS AND A
FLASH FLOOD WATCH MAY BE ISSUED FOR THURSDAY.

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO SOUTH TEXAS FRIDAY PROVIDING A LINGERING
CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE AGAIN BY SUNDAY AS TROPICAL MOISTURE
INCREASES IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT WHICH WILL MOVE INTO
SOUTH TEXAS ON MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

TR/TMT

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 17, 3:47 PM CDT, 21 minutes before

TXZ229>234-239>247-180900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
347 PM CDT WED SEP 17 2003

...HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE THURSDAY...

AN EXTREMELY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL PERSIST OVER THE
COASTAL BEND AND RIO GRANDE PLAINS TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY.
FURTHER...AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS
THURSDAY. THE COMBINATION OF THE DISTUBANCE AND THE AMBIENT
ENVIRONMENT WILL RESULT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT AND THURSDAY.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR
THURSDAY. ISOLATED HEAVY RAINFALL WITH HIGH RAINFALL RATES MAY
OCCUR OVER THE COASTAL BEND AND RIO GRANDE PLAINS. EXPECT TOTAL
RAINFALL AMOUNTS TO AVERAGE AROUND 1 INCH...WITH ISOLATED 2 TO 3
INCH AMOUNTS. THEREFORE...ISOLATED FLOODING IS ANTICIPATED. IF
FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE COASTAL
BEND AND RIO GRANDE PLAINS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH MAY BE ISSUED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES...STATEMENTS
OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. ALSO...CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/CRP

WC

The office that day

Everything else NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 17, 5:10 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	CRP	Jim Wells	2 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 2003 Every 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.