Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

July 15, 20034 counties in Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this tornado warning at Jul 15, 2003, 1:09 PM CDT for 4 counties in Texas. It was in force for 111 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 15, 2003, 1:09 PM CDT (18:09 UTC)
Expired
Jul 15, 2003, 3:00 PM CDT
In force
111 min
Issued by
NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Aransas County, TX, Goliad County, TX, Refugio County, TX, Victoria County, TX

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 15, 12:05 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 6.2 hours before the alert went out and 93 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 2003-07-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 403 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, Corpus Christi, TX at 12:00Z on 2003-07-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 68 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
403 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-39 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
983 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
68 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
136 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 
WFUS54 KCRP 151809
TORCRP
TXC007-175-391-469-152000-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1259 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN ARANSAS COUNTY IN TEXAS
  EASTERN GOLIAD COUNTY IN TEXAS
  EASTERN REFUGIO COUNTY IN TEXAS
  VICTORIA COUNTY IN TEXAS

* UNTIL 300 PM CDT

* AT 1256 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
  THE EYEWALL FROM HURRICANE CLAUDETTE MOVING THROUGH THE NORTHERN
  COASTAL BEND REGION.  THIS RAINBAND HAD PRODUCED SEVERAL TORNADOES
  EARLIER IN THE DAY AS IT PUSHED ACROSS CALHOUN COUNTY.  THIS
  RAINBAND WILL LIKELY PRODUCE ONE OR MORE SHORT-LIVED TORNADOES AS
  IT MOVES WEST AT 10 TO 15 MPH.  

* THE TORNADOES ASSOCIATED WITH CLAUDETTE ARE EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  BLOOMINGTON AND MCFADDIN BY 115 PM CDT...
  GOLIAD BY 200 PM CDT...
  REFUGIO BY 145 PM CDT...
  VICTORIA BY 130 PM CDT...
  NORTHERN ARANSAS COUNTY BY 125 PM CDT...

IF NO UNDERGROUND SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...MOVE INTO AN INTERIOR ROOM
ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY STRUCTURE. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT TUESDAY EVENING
FOR TEXAS.

LAT...LON 2819 9687 2831 9681 2853 9697 2872 9670
          2893 9684 2886 9728 2860 9733 2819 9713

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at Jul 15, 9:55 AM CDT, 3 hours 14 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 15, 9:55 AM CDT, 3 hours 14 minutes before
COASTAL BEND FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED FOR INLAND WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
955 AM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

EYE OF CLAUDETTE IS MAKING LANDFALL AS WE SPEAK AS PER RADAR AND NHC
COORDINATION CALL.  WILL KEEP AND/OR INCREASE THE HIGH/CATEGORICAL
POPS FOR THE NORTHERN ZONES...WITH HIGH CHANCE POPS IN WEBB COUNTY
ONLY.  ACCORDING TO FORECAST TRACK OF CLAUDETTE...HEAVIEST RAIN WILL
BE IN NORTHERN COUNTIES.  WILL MENTION HEAVY RAINFALL IN SOUTHERN
COUNTIES BUT WILL NOT ISSUE FFA AT THIS TIME AND RE-EVALUATE THIS
AFTERNOON AS CLAUDETTES TRACK UNFOLDS.  BASED ON RAINFALL POTENTIAL
TO THE NORTH...WILL ADJUST TEMPS ACCORDINGLY.  MAY MAKE A FEW
CHANGES TO THE EVENING PERIOD...BUT AFTER THAT NO SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES TO THE LATER PERIODS AT THIS TIME.

.CRP...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TXZ230>234-244>247.
       HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL COUNTIES
       TXZ242>247 AND GMZ230-235-250-255-270-275.
       INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING TXZ230>234.
       INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WATCH TXZ229.

86/SHORT-TERM
89/LONG-TERM
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 15, 7:09 AM CDT, 6 hours before
TXZ229>234-239>247-161100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
709 AM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT OCONNOR.
ALSO...AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR
VICTORIA...GOLIAD...BEE...JIM WELLS...LIVE OAK AND MCMULLEN
COUNTIES. AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR DUVAL
AND LASALLE COUNTIES. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE
COUNTIES OF ARANSAS...BEE...CALHOUN...GOLIAD...LIVE OAK...MCMULLEN...
REFUGIO...SAN PATRICIO AND VICTORIA.

HIGH SWELLS PRODUCED BY TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE WILL CONTINUE TO
AFFECT THE SOUTH TEXAS COAST AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS TODAY. SMALL
CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. WATER LEVELS OVER THE BAYS AND WATERWAYS
ARE AROUND 2 TO 2.5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL...AND WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE
TODAY AND TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY DURING TIME OF HIGH TIDE. THIS
AFTERNOON...STORM TIDE LEVELS BETWEEN 2 AND 4 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA
LEVEL ARE EXPECTED SOUTH OF ROCKPORT. NORTH OF ROCKPORT...TIDES OF 4
TO 6 FEET ARE EXPECTED.

THE LATEST FORECAST FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IS FOR
HURRICANE CLAUDETTE TO MOVE ONSHORE NEAR ROCKPORT THIS AFTERNOON.
A BRIEF PERIOD OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL ENTER THE COUNTIES
OF ARANSAS AND REFUGIO. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO
MOVE ACROSS MUCH OF THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE COASTAL BEND THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...AS CLAUDETTE
GENERATES RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES NORTH OF A LINE FROM
ROCKPORT TO ENCINAL...AND LESS THAN 2 INCHES SOUTH OF THIS LINE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

BY WEDNESDAY...TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM CLAUDETTE WILL RANGE FROM
5 TO 8 INCHES NORTH OF THE LINE FROM ROCKPORT TO ENCINAL...WITH 2 TO
4 INCHES SOUTH OF THIS LINE.

CLAUDETTE WILL CONTINUE MOVING WEST ACROSS THE NORTHERN RIO GRANDE
PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY. RAINFALL ON WEDNESDAY COULD BE HEAVY AND CAUSE
LOCALIZED FLOODING. POSSIBLE COASTAL FLOODING AND VERY HIGH SEAS
WILL SLOWLY DIMINISH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND
MOSTLY A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIT THE
REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR THE COASTAL
BEND.

WC/BB

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 15, 11:53 AM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1153 AM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

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

1145 AM    PORT LAVACA               TX   TORNADO
07/15/03   CALHOUN                        TORNADO ON THE GROUND FOR A
                                          MINUTE CAUSED DAMAGE TO
                                          HOMES IN PORT LAVACA.
                                          REPORTED BY CALHOUN COUNTY
                                          EOC.

1145 AM    LONG MOTT                 TX   HURRICANE
07/15/03   CALHOUN                        70 TO 80 MPH SUSTAINED
                                          WINDS REPORTED BY DOW
                                          CHEMICAL PLANT.

TMT
Local storm report, Jul 15, 12:06 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1206 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

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

1159 AM    10 SW PORT LAVACA         TX   HURRICANE
07/15/03   CALHOUN                        AT LEAST A DOZEN TELEPHONE
                                          POLES BLOWN DOWN ACROSS
                                          HIGHWAY 35 SOUTHWEST OF
                                          PORT LAVACA.

TMT
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 12:18 PM CDT, 51 minutes before
TXZ232>234-244>247-151800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1218 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM FOR VICTORIA CROSSROADS
AND NORTHERN COASTAL BEND...

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR
THE VICTORIA CROSSROADS AND NORTHERN COASTAL BEND UNTIL 7 PM
CDT. THE TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
...BEE...GOLIAD...VICTORIA...SAN PATRICIO...REFUGIO...SAN
PATRICIO AND CALHOUN.

THE THREAT FOR TORNADOES WILL EXIST AS THE RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED
WITH HURRICANE CLAUDETTE CONTINUE TO MOVE WEST-NORTHWEST ACROSS
THE WATCH AREA. A TORNADO WAS REPORTED IN PORT LAVACA AT 1145
AM WHICH CAUSED ROOF DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOMES.

TMT
Local storm report, Jul 15, 12:23 PM CDT, 46 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1223 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

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

1215 PM    TIVOLI                    TX   HURRICANE
07/15/03   REFUGIO                        BUILDINGS DAMAGED AND POWER
                                          POLES DOWN.

TMT
Local storm report, Jul 15, 12:29 PM CDT, 40 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1229 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

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

1215 PM    PORT LAVACA               TX   HURRICANE
07/15/03   CALHOUN                        ROOF BLOWN OFF PORTION OF
                                          THE HIGH SCHOOL. OLD
                                          HISTORIC BUILDING IN TOWN
                                          LEANING AND POSSIBLY
                                          DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR
                                          ACCORDING TO SHERIFF.
                                          ENTIRE TREES OBSERVED
                                          BLOWING DOWN THE STREET.
                                          WIDESPREAD DAMAGE ACROSS
                                          THE COUNTY.

TMT
Local storm report, Jul 15, 12:43 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1243 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

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

1200 PM    LONG MOTT                 TX   HURRICANE
07/15/03   CALHOUN                        SUSTAINED WINDS OF 80 MPH
                                          WITH GUST TO 96 MPH AT DOW
                                          CHEMICAL PLANT.

JR

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 15, 12:44 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningCRPAransas, Calhoun, Refugio, Victoria4 hr
Jul 15, 1:43 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningCRPBee, Goliad4 hr
Jul 15, 4:34 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningCRPLive Oak, McMullen3 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 2003Every tornado warning in 2003Tornadoes 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.