Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 29, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

November 17, 2003Victoria County, Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this flash flood warning at Nov 17, 2003, 11:15 AM CST for Victoria County, Texas. It was in force for 105 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Nov 17, 2003, 11:15 AM CST (17:15 UTC)
Expired
Nov 17, 2003, 1:00 PM CST
In force
105 min
Issued by
NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Victoria County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 113 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:18 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, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 112 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, Corpus Christi, TX at 12:00Z on 2003-11-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1818 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Corpus Christi, TX at 12:00Z on 2003-11-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 150 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1818 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
573 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
150 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
146 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.4
Supercell composite
8.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WGUS54 KCRP 171715
FFWCRP
TXC469-171900-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1115 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN VICTORIA COUNTY IN TEXAS

* UNTIL 100 PM CST

* AT 1115 AM CST...A TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTED HEAVY    
RAINFALL BETWEEN VICTORIA AND BLOOMINGTON. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED HEAVY RAINFALL OVER SOUTHERN VICTORIA COUNTY 
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY 
RAINFALL WERE MOVING NORTH OUT OF REFUGIO COUNTY INTO SOUTHERN 
VICTORIA COUNTY. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL HAVE 
FALLEN OVER AREAS SOUTH OF THE CITY OF VICTORIA. AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 
4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHERN VICTORIA COUNTY AS THESE 
STORMS MOVE NORTHEAST OVER AREAS WHICH HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED 
RAINFALL.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...
  BLOOMINGTON...
  PLACEDO...
  DACOSTA...

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.

LAT...LON 2857 9714 2853 9697 2867 9687 2875 9677
          2889 9676 2877 9714

$$

76
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS74 KCRP 171833
FFSCRP
TXC469-171900-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1230 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR VICTORIA COUNTY UNTIL 100 PM
CST...

AT 1223 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN 
AREA OF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OCCURRING BETWEEN VICTORIA AND LA SALLE. 
DOPPLER RADAR HAS ESTIMATED 3 TO 4 INCHES ON RAIN HAS FALLEN IN 
PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN AND EASTERN VICTORIA COUNTY. ADDITIONAL 
RAINFALL OF UP TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN VICTORIA 
COUNTY OVER THE NEXT HALF HOUR.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
INEZ AND DACOSTA.

AT 1223 PM CST...FLOODING WAS REPORTED ALONG HIGHWAY 185 SOUTHEAST 
OF THE CITY OF VICTORIA.

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.

MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
BRIDGES...DIPS...OR OTHER LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY.
NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. TO
ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.

LAT...LON 2896 9684 2871 9670 2856 9701 2874 9715

$$

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 Nov 17, 10:00 AM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 17, 10:00 AM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1000 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003

.UPDATE...A TORNDADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR VICTORIA AND CALHOUN
COUNTIES UNTIL 1 PM CST. ALTHOUGH HELICITY VALUES ARE BEST AROUND
HOUS AREA AND DECREASE FARTHER S...VCT AND CAL COUNTIES DO HAVE
SOME POTENTIAL FOR ROTATION. FEEL CWA WILL SEE A LULL ONCE THE S/WV
EXITS TO THE NE BY AROUND 18Z. ANOTHER EMBEDDED WEAK S/WV IS EVIDENT
ON SATELLITE TO THE WEST AND SW OF CW OVR MEX. MESO ETA TAKES THIS
S/WV MORE N THRU 18Z. THE MAIN TROF AXIS WL CONT TO SHFT E CLOSER TO
CWA THRU THE AFTERNOON. WITH DESTABILIZATION/DIURNAL HEATING...AND
ANOTHER S/WV...EXPECT REDEVELOPMENT BY LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING...WITH
A THREAT FOR SVR ONCE AGAIN...AS MODELS INDICATING SQUALL LINE JUST
AHD AND ALONG THE WSHFT/CF WHICH IS SCHEDULED SOMETIME BETWEEN 03Z
AND 06Z. FCST LOOKS OKAY AT THE MOMENT...BUT MAY BE ABLE TO DROP TOR
WATCH PRIOR TO 1 PM WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF ANOTHER ONE LATER.

TE...81

&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
.SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY)...SHRAS/TSRAS CONTINUE TO
INCREASE IN COVERAGE THIS MORNING ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS AND
NRN COASTAL BEND AS THE NOSE OF A STRONG JET STREAK OF 130+ KT
IMPINGES UPON THE AREA.  A FAVORABLE UPR DIV/DIFL PATTERN WL REMAIN
ACROSS MOST OF SOUTH TX THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND EVE AS A POTENT S/WV
APPROACHES FROM NRN MEXICO.  IT APPEARS THAT THE NRN ZONES WL BE
UNDER THE GUN THE MOST WITH THIS SYSTEM.  A STRONG S/SW LLJ WL TEND
TO LIMIT PCPN POTENTIAL FURTHER SOUTH.  WHILE THE OVERALL
INSTABILITY WL NOT BE TOO IMPRESSIVE GIVEN THE ABUNDANT
CLOUDS...THINK THE DYNAMICS WL BE ENOUGH TO GENERATE SOME STRONG TO
SVR STORMS.  EXPECT THE BEST BET TO ONCE AGAIN BE ACROSS THE NRN
HALF OF THE AREA WITH THE MAIN SVR THREAT BEING DAMAGING WINDS GIVEN
THE INCREASINGLY UNIDIRECTIONAL SHEAR PROFILE AND HIGH WBZ VALUES.
CONVECTION WL TEND TO BECOME MORE LINEAR WITH TIME AS A RESULT AND A
POSSIBLE SQUALL LINE BY THE AFTN/EVE IS REASONABLE TO ACCEPT.  THIS
LINE OF STORMS WL PUSH ACROSS MOST OF THE LAND AREAS BY MIDNIGHT
BEFORE SWEEPING THROUGH THE WATERS IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON
TUE.  RAPID CLEARING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATER TNT ACROSS THE WEST
AND THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA ON TUE AS A SECONDARY S/WV PUSHES EWD
AND THE PACIFIC FNT CLEARS THE AREA.  A SURGE IN WIND IS EXPECTED ON
TUE WITH THIS SECOND WAVE AND WL PRODUCE BREEZY/WINDY CONDITIONS.
WL GO A LTL BIT WARMER WITH TEMPS ON TUE GIVEN THE EXCELLENT MIXING
AND PACIFIC NATURE OF THE FNT.

WITH THE INCREASING JET DYNAMICS AND EXPECTED LLJ INCREASE TO 30-40
KTS...WL GO WITH SCA CONDITIONS TDA/TNT FOR THE WATERS.  WINDS WL
ACTUALLY SLACKEN OFF A BIT TNT BEFORE INCREASING ONCE AGAIN ON TUE
BEHIND THE FNT.

&&

.LONG-TERM (TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)...MAIN FORECAST PROBLEMS
IN THE LONG TERM WILL BE TEMPERATURES AND POTENTIAL FOR LINGERING
SCA CONDITIONS TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY.  GFS AND ETA CONTINUE
TO SLOWLY BUILD HIGH PRESSURE OVER SOUTH TEXAS THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF
THE WEEK.  GRADIENT IS PROGGED TO REMAIN TIGHT OVER THE WESTERN GULF
THROUGH WEDNESDAY SO WILL LIKELY NEED TO KEEP SCA CONDITIONS UNTIL
THEN. COLD ADVECTION WILL BEGIN SUBSIDE TUESDAY NIGHT BUT
TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY FALL WELL INTO THE 40S ESPECIALLY OVER
NORTHERN AREAS.  TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE LATER THIS WEEK AS
RETURN FLOW DEVELOPS.  LATEST CANADIAN AND GFS SHOW UPPER TROUGH
PROGRESSING THROUGH THE WESTERN STATES NEXT WEEKEND.  THERE ARE SOME
DISCREPENCIES WITH SURFACE FEATURES BUT APPEARS THAT FRONT WILL
APPROACH THE REGION BY SUNDAY. THINK SUFFICIENT MOISTURE WILL BE
AVAILABLE FOR SOME CONVECTION SO FOR NOW...WILL KEEP SLIGHT CHANCE
FOR SHOWERS GOING FOR SUNDAY.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
CORPUS CHRISTI 85 64 81 49 / 20 70 10 00
VICTORIA       82 61 77 46 / 50 80 10 00
LAREDO         83 60 80 50 / 40 40 00 00

&&

.CRP...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...SCA FOR ALL WATERS.

&&

80/MB...SHORT TERM
72/AP...LONG-TERM
Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 17, 8:40 AM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes before
GMZ230-235-250-255-270-275-TXZ229>234-239>247-181200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
840 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 PM CST FOR VICTORIA AND
CALHOUN COUNTIES. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER TO THE
NORTH OF AN ENCINAL TO SKIDMORE TO ROCKPORT LINE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE FROM DAMAGING WIND GUSTS.  THIS IS
DUE TO AN APPROACHING STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND STRONG JET
STREAM. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON ACROSS MAINLY AN AREA STRETCHING
FROM LASALLE COUNTY EASTWARD TO ARANSAS COUNTY.  HOWEVER A MORE
ORGANIZED BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP
IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT LATER THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE
PLAINS AND NORTHERN COASTAL BEND.  THIS BAND OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL THEN PUSH EASTWARD THIS EVENING ACROSS THE
REMAINDER OF SOUTH TEXAS.  STRONG WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MPH
WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SLIGHT RISK AREA.  OTHERWISE...HEAVY
RAINFALL WILL ACCOMPANY SOME OF THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY
AND THIS EVENING.  RAINFALL AMOUNTS UP TO TWO INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE
BETWEEN COTULLA AND VICTORIA THROUGH THIS EVENING.  IMPROVING
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED BY MIDNIGHT ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS AND
AFTER MIDNIGHT ELSEWHERE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFFSHORE ON TUESDAY.  STRONG NORTHWEST
WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL PRODUCE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS
OVER THE WATERS THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

TE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Nov 17, 7:59 AM CST, 3 hours 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
759 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003

TXZ234-247-171900-
CALHOUN-VICTORIA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF PORT LAVACA...PORT OCONNOR AND VICTORIA
759 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CALHOUN AND VICTORIA COUNTIES...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH VALID UNTIL
100 PM CST MONDAY AFTERNOON. THE WATCH INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF
CALHOUN AND VICTORIA. SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE PORT
LAVACA...PORT OCONNOR...SEADRIFT AND VICTORIA.

A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES TO OCCUR
IN OR NEAR THE WATCH AREA. IF TORNADOES DO IN FACT DEVELOP OR ARE
SPOTTED...THEN A TORNADO WARNING WILL BE ISSUED.

EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE
ACTIVATION. RESIDENTS ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE
READY TO QUICKLY ACT IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA. IF
SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS YOUR AREA...THEN MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM
AND LAY DOWN ON THE FLOOR. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...LAY FLAT DOWN ON THE
GROUND...PREFERABLY IN A DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT. NEVER TRY TO OUTRUN
SEVERE WEATHER.

MB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 17, 10:11 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningCRPRefugio, San Patricio2 hr
Nov 17, 10:19 AM CSTTornado WarningCRPRefugio41 min
Nov 17, 12:10 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPVictoria65 min

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.