Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 58, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

July 15, 20034 counties in Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this flash flood warning at Jul 15, 2003, 11:12 PM CDT for 4 counties in Texas. It was in force for 108 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, 11:12 PM CDT (04:12 UTC)
Expired
Jul 16, 2003, 1:00 AM CDT
In force
108 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Atascosa County, TX, Frio County, TX, Karnes County, TX, Wilson County, TX

The radar

The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 91 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:16 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 00:00Z, 4.2 hours before the alert went out and 164 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 00:00Z on 2003-07-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 314 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 00:00Z on 2003-07-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -16 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
314 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
712 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-16 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
74 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS54 KEWX 160413
FFWSAT
TXC013-163-255-493-160600-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
1112 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
  WILSON
  ATASCOSA
  KARNES
  FRIO

* UNTIL 100 AM CDT

* AT 1112 PM...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY   
  RAINS CONTINUING TO ROTATE AROUND TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE OVER 
  THE WARNED AREA. 

AS CLAUDETTE MOVES WEST TOWARD EAGLE PASS...NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND 
THUNDERSTORMS WILL TRAIN OVER THE SAME AREAS ACROSS KARNES... 
WILSON...AND ATASCOSA COUNTIES. MEANWHILE...HEAVY CORE RAINS ARE 
EXPECTED CLOSE TO THE CENTER OF CLAUDETTE OVER SOUTHERN FRIO COUNTY.

EXPECT RAINFALL RATES OF 2 TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR AND LOCALIZED 
RAINFALL TOTALS APPROACHING 8 INCHES OVER KARNES AND THE 
SOUTHEASTERN PART OF ATASCOSA COUNTY. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALS OF 
2 TO 4 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WILSON 
COUNTY AND MUCH OF FRIO COUNTY. TRAVEL IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED 
ACROSS THESE AREAS.  

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE 
DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. 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 2866 9832 2878 9815 2872 9802 2871 9780
          2881 9761 2900 9778 2912 9764 2939 9809
          2911 9843 2921 9879 2908 9882 2908 9940
          2866 9939

$$
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS74 KEWX 160607
FFSSAT
TXC013-163-255-493-160640-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
106 AM CDT WED JUL 16 2003

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR WILSON...ATASCOSA...KARNES AND FRIO
COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THE RAINFALL WAS DECREASING 
AND THE FLOOD THREAT WAS DIMINISHING. SOME MINOR FLOODING MAY 
CONTINUE...BUT THE THREAT OF SERIOUS FLOODING HAS ENDED AND THE 
FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS EXPIRED.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

$$

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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jul 15, 10:15 PM CDT, 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 15, 10:15 PM CDT, 57 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
1015 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN RECONFIGURED AND IS NOW IN EFFECT ALONG
AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 90.  THE CENTER OF CLAUDETTE CONTINUES TO MOVE
WESTWARD TOWARDS EAGLE PASS.  THE HEAVIEST RAINS OVERNIGHT WILL
OCCUR IN THE VICINITY OF THE CENTER.  TORNADO WATCH EXPIRED AT 10
PM.

PRELIMS...
AUS 070/088 073/092 072 54341
DRT 073/085 073/093 074 79852
SAT 071/089 071/091 074 88541

.EWX...HIGH WIND WARNING TONIGHT FOR
       ATASCOSA...FRIO...DIMMIT AND ZAVALA COUNTIES.
       FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT FOR SOUTHERN HALF OF SOUTH CENTRAL
       TEXAS.
       WIND ADVISORY TONIGHT FOR THE REMAINDER OF SOUTH CENTRAL
       TEXAS TONIGHT OUTSIDE OF THE HIGH WIND WARNING AREA.

13/03

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 15, 6:04 PM CDT, 5 hours 8 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-160030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
604 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

...URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 715 PM FOR KARNES
   COUNTY...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON WEDNESDAY FOR ALL OF
   SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTY...
...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR ATASCOSA... KARNES
   WILSON... DEWITT... GONZALES AND LAVACA COUNTIES...
...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR ATASCOSA... DEWITT
   KARNES... LAVACA AND WILSON COUNTIES...

TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE IS NOW CENTERED BETWEEN GEORGE WEST AND
BEEVILLE MOVING WEST AT 10 TO 15 MPH.  THE HEAVIEST RAINS OVERNIGHT
WILL OCCUR NEAR THE CENTER OF THE STORM AS IT TRACKS WESTWARD ACROSS
SOUTHERN ATASCOSA...FRIO...ZAVALA...DIMMIT AND MAVERICK COUNTIES.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS EFFECT OVERNIGHT AS THE OUTER CONVECTIVE
BANDS WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AWAY FROM THE CENTER.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE 2 TO 4 INCHES ACROSS ALL OF SOUTH
CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTRY. HIGHER TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES
ARE POSSIBLE CLOSER TO THE CENTER OF THE STORM TRACK.

CAMPERS...HIKERS...AND THOSE WITH INTERESTS ALONG RIVERS AND
STREAMS...AS WELL AS THOSE IN LOW LYING AREAS SHOULD PREPARE FOR A
HEAVY RAIN EVENT.  SOME SOILS REMAIN MOIST FROM RAINS OF THE PAST
COUPLE OF WEEKS...AND RUNOFF COULD BECOME RAPID.

PERSONS IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTRY ARE ADVISED TO
MONITOR THIS DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 7:03 PM CDT, 4 hours 9 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-160100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
703 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM FOR KARNES...
   ATASCOSA... DEWITT AND LAVACA COUNTIES...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON WEDNESDAY FOR ALL OF
   SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTY...
...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR ATASCOSA... KARNES
   WILSON... DEWITT... GONZALES AND LAVACA COUNTIES...
...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR ATASCOSA... DEWITT
   KARNES... LAVACA AND WILSON COUNTIES...

TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE IS NOW CENTERED 65 MILES SOUTH OF SAN
ANTONIO MOVING WEST AT 10 TO 15 MPH. THE HEAVIEST RAINS OVERNIGHT
WILL OCCUR NEAR THE CENTER OF THE STORM AS IT TRACKS WESTWARD ACROSS
SOUTHERN ATASCOSA...FRIO...ZAVALA...DIMMIT AND MAVERICK COUNTIES.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS EFFECT OVERNIGHT AS THE OUTER CONVECTIVE
BANDS WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AWAY FROM THE CENTER.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE 2 TO 4 INCHES ACROSS ALL OF SOUTH
CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTRY. HIGHER TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES
ARE POSSIBLE CLOSER TO THE CENTER OF THE STORM TRACK.

CAMPERS...HIKERS...AND THOSE WITH INTERESTS ALONG RIVERS AND
STREAMS...AS WELL AS THOSE IN LOW LYING AREAS SHOULD PREPARE FOR A
HEAVY RAIN EVENT.  SOME SOILS REMAIN MOIST FROM RAINS OF THE PAST
COUPLE OF WEEKS...AND RUNOFF COULD BECOME RAPID.

PERSONS IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTRY ARE ADVISED TO
MONITOR THIS DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 7:49 PM CDT, 3 hours 23 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-160200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
749 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING UNTIL 930 PM FOR KARNES... ATASCOSA...
   DEWITT AND LAVACA COUNTIES...
...URBAN AND SMALL STREAM ADVISORY UNTIL 915 PM FOR BEXAR
   AND WILSON COUNTIES...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL NOON WEDNESDAY FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL
   TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTY...
...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR ATASCOSA... KARNES
   WILSON... DEWITT... GONZALES AND LAVACA COUNTIES...
...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR ATASCOSA... DEWITT
   KARNES... LAVACA AND WILSON COUNTIES...

TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE IS CENTERED ABOUT 65 MILES SOUTH OF SAN
ANTONIO MOVING WEST AT 10 TO 15 MPH. THE HEAVIEST RAINS OVERNIGHT
WILL OCCUR NEAR THE CENTER OF THE TROPICAL STORM AS IT TRACKS
WESTWARD ACROSS SOUTHERN ATASCOSA...FRIO...ZAVALA...DIMMIT AND
MAVERICK COUNTIES.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS EFFECT OVERNIGHT AS THE OUTER CONVECTIVE
BANDS WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AWAY FROM THE CENTER.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE 2 TO 4 INCHES ACROSS ALL OF SOUTH
CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTRY. HIGHER TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES
ARE POSSIBLE CLOSER TO THE CENTER OF THE STORM TRACK.

CAMPERS...HIKERS...AND THOSE WITH INTERESTS ALONG RIVERS AND
STREAMS...AS WELL AS THOSE IN LOW LYING AREAS SHOULD PREPARE FOR A
HEAVY RAIN EVENT.  SOME SOILS REMAIN MOIST FROM RAINS OF THE PAST
COUPLE OF WEEKS...AND RUNOFF COULD BECOME RAPID.

PERSONS IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTRY ARE ADVISED TO
MONITOR THIS DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
Local storm report, Jul 15, 8:43 PM CDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO, TX
843 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

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

0333 PM    HALLETTSVILLE             TX   WIND DAMAGE
07/15/03   LAVACA                         TREES DOWN AND POWER
                                          OUTAGE
                                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT

0530 PM    KARNES CITY               TX   WIND DAMAGE
07/15/03   KARNES                         TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN
                                          COUNTYWIDE
                                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT

0700 PM    CUERO                     TX   WIND DAMAGE
07/15/03   DEWITT                         POWER LINES DOWN
                                          COUNTYWIDE
                                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT

0730 PM    RUNGE                     TX   FLASH FLOODS
07/15/03   KARNES                         ROADS CLOSED
                                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT

0731 PM    JOURDANTON                TX   WIND DAMAGE
07/15/03   ATASCOSA                       1 FATALITY
                                          TREE BLOWN OVER ON
                                          VICTIM BY HIGH WIND
                                          REPORTED BY
                                          LAW ENFORCEMENT

0740 PM    JOURDANTON                TX   WIND DAMAGE
07/15/03   ATASCOSA                       POWER LINES DOWN
                                          COUNTYWIDE
                                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT

DC
Local storm report, Jul 15, 10:43 PM CDT, 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO, TX
1043 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

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

0927 PM    KARNES CITY               TX   WIND DAMAGE
07/15/03   KARNES                         POWER LINES DOWN
                                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT

0929 PM    PEARSALL                  TX   WIND DAMAGE
07/15/03   FRIO                           SEVERAL ROOFS
                                          DAMAGED
                                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT

0950 PM    PEARSALL                  TX   WIND DAMAGE
07/15/03   FRIO                           HOTEL ROOF DAMAGE
                                          REPORTED
                                          BY LAW ENFORCEMENT

DC

The office that day

Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 15, 9:22 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXAtascosa, Frio, Karnes, Wilson113 min
Jul 15, 10:30 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBexar, Medina2 hr
Jul 16, 1:05 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBexar115 min
Jul 16, 1:27 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXKarnes2 hr
Jul 16, 1:52 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXMedina113 min
Jul 16, 2:39 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXFrio111 min
Jul 16, 4:26 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXVal Verde2 hr
Jul 16, 6:33 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXLavaca4 hr
Jul 16, 6:42 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXVal Verde3 hr

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.