Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 20, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

September 18, 20034 counties in Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this flash flood warning at Sep 18, 2003, 4:06 PM CDT for 4 counties in 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 18, 2003, 4:06 PM CDT (21:06 UTC)
Expired: Sep 18, 2003, 7:00 PM CDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Aransas County, TX, Kleberg County, TX, Nueces County, TX, San Patricio County, TX

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 36 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: 2496 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 553 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 8 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 47 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 182106
FFWCRP
TXC007-273-355-409-190000-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
405 CDT THU SEP 18 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN ARANSAS COUNTY IN TEXAS
  KLEBERG COUNTY IN TEXAS
  NUECES COUNTY IN TEXAS
  SAN PATRICIO COUNTY IN TEXAS

* UNTIL 700 PM CDT

* AT 402 CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF VERY
  HEAVY RAIN ALONG THE COAST FROM NEAR BAFFIN BAY TO PORT 
  ARANSAS.  LITTLE MOVEMENT WAS NOTED DURING THE PAST HOUR.
  FLOODING WAS REPORTED IN THE BISHOP AREA.  ALSO...OVER 5
  INCHES OF RAIN WAS REPORTED IN THE PORT ARANSAS TODAY.  
  ADDITIONAL RAIN IS LIKELY OVER PART OF THE WARNED AREA 
  DURING THE NEXT 1 TO 2 HOURS.  

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 2729 9809 2727 9742 2797 9694 2815 9752
          2761 9800

$$

AP/JM

2 follow-up statements

000 
WGUS74 KCRP 182218
FFSCRP
TXC007-273-355-409-190000-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
516 PM CDT THU SEP 18 2003

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ARANSAS...SAN
PATRICIO...NUECES...AND KLEBERG COUNTIES UNTIL 7PM CDT...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE COASTAL BEND AND RIO
GRANDE PLAINS THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING...

VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST FROM NEAR
MAGNOLIA BEACH TO CHAPMAN RANCH TO FLOUR BLUFF. DOPPLER RADAR
ESTIMATES 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN THESE AREAS IN THE PAST
3 HOURS...AND 2 INCHES OR MORE IS POSSIBLE THROUGH 7PM. THE HEAVY
RAIN WAS MOVING SLOWLY SOUTH AT 5 MPH. FLOODING IS POSSIBLE.

MODERATE RAIN WILL CONTINUE FROM FLOUR BLUFF TO PORT ARANSAS THROUGH
7PM. OVER 5 INCHES OF RAIN WAS REPORTED IN PORT ARANSAS AND AN
ADDITIONAL INCH OR MORE IS POSSIBLE.

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.

...STAY TUNED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR THE LATEST
INFORMATION...

LAT...LON 2729 9809 2727 9742 2797 9694 2815 9752
          2761 9800

$$

JM

000 
WGUS74 KCRP 182320
FFSCRP
TXC007-273-355-409-190000-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
615 PM CDT THU SEP 18 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR KLEBERG AND SOUTHERN NUECES
COUNTIES UNTIL 700 PM CDT...

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR SAN PATRICIO AND ARANSAS COUNTIES HAS 
BEEN CANCELLED...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THE HEAVY RAINFALL WAS 
ENDING ACROSS ARANSAS AND SAN PATRICIO COUNTIES...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.

AT 615 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WERE OCCURRING ACROSS 
SOUTHERN NUECES AND KLEBERG COUNTIES FROM RIVIERA BEACH TO BISHOP TO 
CHAPMAN RANCH. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATED 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN PER 
HOUR WITH THESE STORMS AS THEY DRIFT SLOWLY SOUTHEAST.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE... 
KINGSVILLE... RIVIERA BEACH...BISHOP...DRISCOLL...CHAPMAN RANCH AND 
NORTH PADRE ISLAND. 

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 WATERS 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 IMMEDIATELY.

LAT...LON 2766 9720 2722 9740 2724 9798 2776 9793
          2775 9737

$$

JM

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 18, 2:50 PM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 18, 2:50 PM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before

SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
250 PM CDT THU SEP 18 2003

SHORT-TERM (TONIGHT AND FRIDAY)...MSAS REVEALS A SFC FRONT
APPROACHING NORTH TX IN RESPONSE TO AN UPPER DISTURBANCE MOVG ACRS
THE PLAINS. THE GFS MOVES THE FRONT INTO THE CWFA BY EARLY FRI WHILE
THE ETA IS SLOWER. CONCUR MORE WITH THE ETA AND FEEL THAT THE FRONT
WILL STALL OVER THE CWFA FRI...AS THE FOREGOING UPPER DISTURBANCE
LIFTS RAPIDLY EAST. FURTHER...THICKNESS VALUES REMAIN WELL NORTH.
THE GFS/ETA PROG UPPER JET DYNAMICS TO PERSIST THRU FRI. THE
COMBINATION OF EXTREMELY MOIST CONDITIONS...THE STALLING FRONT...
AND UPPER FORCING...WITH RESULT IN ADDITIONAL CONVECTION TNGT AND
FRIDAY. WL RE-ISSUE THE FFA FOR TNGT. WL INCLUDE THE EXTREME WRN
COUNTIES IN THE FFA...ESP LASALLE GIVEN ITS LOW FFG VALUES.

LONG TERM (FRI NIGHT THRU THU)...FRONT WILL SAG FURTHER SOUTH INTO
CWA FRI NIGHT AND STALL NEAR COAST. WILL HAVE SCATTERED POPS OVER
THE WATERS AND SOUTHERN CWA FRI NIGHT WITH ISOL ELSEWHERE. BOTH ETA
AND GFS PROG WEAKNESS IN THE H5 FIELD ON SAT WITH WEAK EMBEDDED
SHORTWAVES MOVING ACROSS THE REGION. IN ADDITION ETA INDICATES JET
MAX OVERHEAD DURING AFTERNOON. THIS COMBINED WITH DIFFUSE FRONTAL
BOUNDARY STALLED ACROSS CWA WILL WARRANT SCATTERED POPS ACROSS
SOUTHERN AND COASTAL COUNTIES DURING THE AFTERNOON AS WELL AS
WATERS. WILL KEEP 20 POPS ACROSS THE NORTH. MODELS NOT AS AGGRESSIVE
WITH SURGE OF MOISTURE ON SUNDAY AND SHIFT UPR LVL DYNAMICS EAST.
WILL TRIM POPS BACK TO 30 PERCENT FOR SUN. 00Z MODEL RUNS WERE IN
RELATIVELY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH UPR LVL TROF DEVELOPING OVER PLAINS
AND COLD FRONT SURGING SOUTH INTO TEXAS ON MON. HOWEVER 06Z AND 12Z
RUNS OF GFS AS WELL AS 12Z UKMET HAVE BACKED OFF A LITTLE ON THIS
SCENARIO AND ARE NOW MORE PROGRESSIVE AND LESS DEEP WITH PLAINS
TROF. AS A RESULT COLD FRONT THAT WAS INDICATED TO ARRIVE EARLY
MONDAY BY 00Z RUNS NOW MAY BE MUCH SLOWER IN REACHING SOUTH TEXAS...
WITH THE MAIN COLD SURGE REMAINING WELL NORTHEAST. AT THIS TIME
WOULD LIKE TO WAIT FOR RUN TO RUN CONSISTENCY AND THEREFORE WILL NOT
MAKE ANY CHANGES TO EXTENDED. GRIDS AND ZONES WILL REFLECT COLD
FRONT MOVING INTO CWA SOMETIME MONDAY WITH DRY AND SLIGHTLY COOLER
CONDITIONS TUE AND WED. LATER SHIFTS MAY NEED TO ADJUST THIS IF MORE
PROGRESSIVE SOLUTION PANS OUT IN FUTURE RUNS.

CRP TE 075/086 071/087 072 +73
VCT TB 072/085 068/087 070 672
LRD TE 075/087 072/086 072 553

.CRP...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TXZ229>234-240>247 THRU 12Z FRI

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

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 18, 6:00 AM CDT, 10 hours 6 minutes before

GMZ230-235-250-255-270-275-TXZ229>234-239>247-191100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
600 AM CDT THU SEP 18 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY.
HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE AND A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN
ISSUED FOR MOST OF SOUTH TEXAS.  1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL IS
POSSIBLE...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 4 INCHES.  THIS AMOUNT OF
RAINFALL ON SATURATED GROUNDS WILL CAUSE FLOODING.  THE INTENSITY
AND COVERAGE OF THE RAINFALL WILL DIMINISH TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO SOUTH TEXAS FRIDAY PROVIDING A LINGERING
CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE NEAR
THE COAST ON SATURDAY. 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

Local storm report, Sep 18, 2:49 PM CDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
249 PM CDT THU SEP 18 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0240 PM    REFUGIO                   TX   FLASH FLOOD
09/18/03   REFUGIO                        STREET FLOODING.

0240 PM    3 NW GOLIAD               TX   FLASH FLOOD
09/18/03   GOLIAD                         FLOODING ALONG HIGHWAY 1726

0235 PM    5 NE BEEVILLE             TX   FLASH FLOOD
09/18/03   BEE                            FLOODING ALONG HIGHWAY 59.

AP

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 18, 1:13 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	CRP		62 min
Sep 18, 2:06 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	CRP	Bee, Goliad, Refugio	3 hr
Sep 18, 2:23 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	CRP		67 min
Sep 18, 2:23 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	CRP		67 min

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.