Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

July 3, 2003Duval County, Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this flash flood warning at Jul 3, 2003, 4:32 PM CDT for Duval County, Texas. It was in force for 118 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
Jul 3, 2003, 4:32 PM CDT (21:32 UTC)
Expired
Jul 3, 2003, 6:30 PM CDT
In force
118 min
Issued by
NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Duval County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 106 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:33 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, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 122 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 2003-07-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2634 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 2003-07-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -54 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
2634 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
689 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
3 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-54 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-24 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 032134
FFWCRP
TXC131-032330-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
432 PM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  DUVAL COUNTY IN TEXAS

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT

* AT 428 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  VERY HEAVY RAIN 9 MILES NORTH OF REALITOS...OR ABOUT 9 MILES
  WEST OF BENAVIDES...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. 2 TO 3 INCHES OF 
  RAIN HAS FALLEN OVER THE CENTRAL PORTION OF DUVAL COUNTY IN
  AN AREA WHICH RECEIVED HEAVY RAINFALL YESTERDAY. 2 TO 3 INCHES
  OF ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE. 

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND
ARROYOS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

LAT...LON 2743 9880 2738 9829 2804 9825 2804 9875

$$

TMT
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS74 KCRP 032158
FFSCRP
TXC131-032245-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
458 PM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR DUVAL COUNTY UNTIL 630
   PM CDT...

AT 451 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS
WITH HEAVY RAIN 10 TO 15 MILES SOUTH OF FREER AND 5 MILES SOUTHWEST 
OF BENAVIDES. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE NORTH AT 15 MPH. LOCALIZED 
FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AND ROADWAYS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG 
HIGHWAY 359 NEAR BENAVIDES...BETWEEN REALITOS AND HEBBRONVILLE AND 
ALONG STATE HIGHWAY 16 SOUTH OF FREER. ADDITIONAL RAIN AMOUNTS OF
UP TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PORTIONS
OF DUVAL COUNTY THROUGH 630 PM.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL 
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND 
ARROYOS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

$$

TMT
000 
WGUS74 KCRP 032253
FFSCRP
TXC131-040000-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
553 PM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR DUVAL COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

AT 549 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THE RAINFALL 
WAS DECREASING 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 FOR DUVAL COUNTY.

$$

TMT

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 Jul 3, 2:20 PM CDT, 2 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 3, 2:20 PM CDT, 2 hours 12 minutes before
COASTAL BEND FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
220 PM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

 SHORT-TERM (THROUGH 12Z FRI) AS UPR LO SITS OVER AREA IN SHORT
TERM...UNCAPPED ATMOSPHERE WITH HIGH CAPES WILL CONTINUE TO LEND
ITSELF TO SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHRA AND TSRA...MOSTLY DRIVEN BY
LOCAL FORCING. THIS MEANS MOST CONVECTION WILL REMAIN AWAY FROM THE
IMMEDIATE COAST THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...BUT WILL RETURN OVERNIGHT
DUE TO LAND/SEA BOUNDARY INTERACTIONS. WIND FIELD REMAINS WEAK SFC
AND AFT...SO CONVECTION WILL BE GENERALLY SHORT-LIVED
PULSE-TYPE...BUT DUE TO HI PWATS LOCAL RAINFALL COULD BE HEAVY.
STILL NOT ENOUGH RAIN OVR PAST FEW DAYS TO WARRANT FFA...BUT AS THIS
PATTERN CONTINUES WE MAY CONSIDER IT.

LONG-TERM (12Z FRI THRU THU)...MAIN PROBLEM THIS CYCLE WILL BE
PROGGING PERSISTENT UPPER LOW OVER NE MEXICO.  WILL FOLLOW ETA12
SOLUTION OF KEEPING UPPER LOW NEARLY STATIONARY ON FRIDAY THEN LIFT
THE SYSTEM NW ON SAT.  H8-H3 MOISTURE FIELDS ARE FORECASTED TO DROP
SIGNIFICANTLY ON SATURDAY ALLOWING FOR JUST ISOLATED TO SCATTERED
CONVECTION THIS WEEKEND.  BETTER CHANCE FOR RAIN EARLY NEXT WEEK
WITH APPROACH OF TROPICAL WAVE.  WAVE SHOULD MOVE NW THROUGH S TX ON
EARLY TUESDAY BEFORE RIDGE OVER NORTHERN GULF WEDGES OVER AREA.
WILL LOWER POPS ON GRIDS A LITTLE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY TO 20/30
PERCENT.  FOR MARINE...ONSHORE FLOW WILL STRENGTHEN SOME...BUT
SHOULD REMAIN BELOW SCEC CRITERIA.

CRP TE 078/090 078/092 078 72462
VCT TE 076/090 076/093 076 72462
LRD TE 078/092 077/096 077 72563

.CRP...NONE.

JP...70 SHORT-TERM
AP...72 LONG-TERM
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 3, 5:45 AM CDT, 10 hours 47 minutes before
TXZ229>234-239>247-041100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
545 AM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TODAY THROUGH EARLY THIS
EVENING.  THE MAIN IMPACT FROM THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BE
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF UP TO 3 INCHES
POSSIBLE. AVERAGE RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL GENERALLY BE AROUND 1/2 INCH
FOR THOSE WHO RECEIVE RAINFALL. ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER IS
EXPECTED...THE COMBINATION OF A TROPICAL AIRMASS AND A LIGHT WIND
FIELD COULD PRODUCE AN ISOLATED FUNNEL CLOUD.  THESE FUNNELS SELDOM
TOUCH THE GROUND BUT SHOULD BE AVOIDED.  FINALLY...SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT OVER
THE GULF WATERS AND MOVE INLAND...MAINLY AFFECT THE COASTAL COUNTIES
OF SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

ABUNDANT MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO COMBINED WITH A SERIES OF
UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LIMITS...BUT WILL BE CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

GW/TE

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.