Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003
Flash Flood Warning 11, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this flash flood warning at Jul 15, 2003, 12:52 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
- Jul 15, 2003, 12:52 PM CDT (17:52 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 15, 2003, 4:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
Counties Brazoria County, TX, Jackson County, TX, Matagorda County, TX, Wharton County, TX
The radar
The Houston radar (KHGX), 104 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:52 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, 5.9 hours before the alert went out and 202 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.
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WGUS54 KHGX 151754
FFWHOU
TXC039-239-321-481-152100-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1252 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
WHARTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
JACKSON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
BRAZORIA COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
MATAGORDA COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
* UNTIL 400 PM CDT
* AT 1247 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED
WITH HURRICANE CLAUDETTE CONTINUING TO AFFECT THE WARNING AREA.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OVER THE LAST 3 HOURS HAVE AVERAGED 2 TO 3 INCHES
WITH ISOLATED TOTALS TO 6 INCHES OVER WESTERN BRAZORIA COUNTY.
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE LIKELY THIS
AFTERNOON AS BANDS OF HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUE TO MOVE OVER THE
AREA.
* FLOODING IS EXPECTED IN OR NEAR...
PALACIOS...SARGENT...MATAGORDA...BAY CITY...LOLITA...VAN
VLECK...WHARTON...EL CAMPO...BOLING...ANGLETON...WEST
COLUMBIA...LAKE JACKSON...FREEPORT
LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS EXTENSIVE FLOODING IN SARGENT AND MATAGORDA
WITH WATER INTO HOMES IN SOME AREAS. BEACH ROAD IN MATAGORDA IS
UNDERWATER AND IMPASSABLE. STREET FLOODING HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED IN
PALACIOS.
THE COMBINATION OF HIGH TIDES ALONG THE COAST AND HEAVY RAINFALL
WILL CAUSE WIDESPREAD FLOODING IN THE WARNED AREAS.
DO NOT CROSS ANY LOCATION WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD
PLEASE REPORT FLOODING TO THE COUNTY SHERIFF...LOCAL POLICE...OR
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
LAT...LON 2938 9638 2964 9616 2924 9590 2930 9563
2906 9499 2835 9640 2908 9693
$$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 Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jul 15, 9:50 AM CDT, 3 hours 2 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 15, 9:50 AM CDT, 3 hours 2 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
950 AM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003
HURRICANE CLAUDETTE NEAR THE COAST W/MATAGORDA GETTING THE BRUNT OF
THE FURY. AS PER LATEST TPC ADVISORY...WE SHALL ADJUST 1ST PERIOD
WINDS FOR SOUTHERN ZONES.
37/42/35/34/30
.HGX...HURRICANE WARNING COASTAL COUNTIES PLUS HARRIS AND
LIBERTY.
INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING FOR
WHARTON...COLORADO...AUSTIN...WALLER...AND FORT BEND COUNTIES.
FLOOD WATCH ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 10.
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD STAY IN PORT.
TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT TIL 1 PM FOR COASTAL AND ADJACENT
COUNTIES.
PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
SPC HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1 PM. CURRENT RADAR
INDICATES A POSSIBLE TORNADO ASSOCIATED WITH A RAIN BAND MOVING INTO
HIGH ISLAND AND CHAMBERS COUNTY. CAN EXPECT THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY
INTO THIS AFTERNOON AS THE FAVORED NORTHEAST QUADRANT OF THE STORM
MOVES ACROSS THE TWO TIER OF COUNTIES ALONG THE COAST.
PREV DISC...
HAVE ALREADY UPDATE THE FLOOD WATCH TO INCLUDE ALL OF THE SOUTHERN
HALF OF SE TX. HURRICANE CLAUDETTE HAS BEEN MOVING ALMOST DUE WEST
OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS. RAIN BANDS HAVE MOVED ONTO THE COASTAL
COUNTIES WITH A HEAVIER BAND CURRENTLY JUST OFF THE COAST. THE MAIN
CONCERNS FOR THIS MORNING INCLUDE HIGH WINDS...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND
ISOLATED TORNADOES. AS CLAUDETTE GETS CLOSER TO THE COAST...THE
SYSTEM WILL MORE AND MORE BE INFLUENCED BY THE 200 AND 300 MB TROUGH
LOCATED JUST INLAND ACROSS THE ENTIRE TX COASTAL PLAIN.
THE COMBINATION OF THE MID AND UPPER LEVEL FLOW AND THE CURRENT STORM
MOVEMENT IN RELATION TO THE COAST INDICATES THAT THE STORM CENTER MAY
ACTUALLY TRY TO GO WEST-SOUTHWEST BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL. THE MASS OF
RAIN BANDS JUST OFF THE COAST SHOULD ALSO MOVE INLAND AND AFFECT THE
NORTHERN COUNTIES. FOR NOW THE RAINFALL POTENTIAL LOOKS TO BE 2 TO 6
INCHES WITH ISOLATED 10 INCHES...THOUGH WITH THE SYSTEM SPEEDING UP
THESE MAY BE ON THE HIGH SIDE. FAVORED AREAS FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES
LOOK TO BE ACROSS CHAMBERS...GALVESTON...HARRIS...BRAZORIA...FORT
BEND...MATAGORDA...AND JACKSON COUNTIES. EXPECTING THE WORST WINDS
OVER THE COASTAL COUNTIES THROUGHOUT THE MORNING...THEN INTO THE FAR
SOUTHERN COUNTIES INTO EARLY AFTERNOON AS THE STORM CENTER GETS
ONSHORE.
AFTER CLAUDETTE TODAY THE RIDGE TO THE NORTH BUILDS ACROSS THE
PLAINS. BY THIS WEEKEND THE ECMWF AND GFS INDICATE EASTERLY FLOW
ACROSS SE TX. FOR THAT CASE WILL GO WITH SCATTERED POPS STARTING
SATURDAY. UNTIL THEN THE RIDGE SHOULD SUPPRESS RAINFALL TO ISOLATED
AT BEST.
PL-40
45
38/43/30Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 15, 7:29 AM CDT, 5 hours 23 minutes before
GMZ330-335-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-152100- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 729 AM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS. ...A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM HIGH ISLAND TO BAFFIN BAY... THE WARNING AREA INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF CHAMBERS...HARRIS... GALVESTON...BRAZORIA...LIBERTY...MATAGORDA...AND JACKSON COUNTIES. ...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN HALF OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS... ...AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR AUSTIN... COLORADO...WHARTON...AND FORT BEND COUNTIES... ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM FOR BRAZORIA...GALVESTON... JACKSON...MATAGORDA...CHAMBERS...FORT BEND...HARRIS...LIBERTY...AND WHARTON COUNTIES... .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HURRICANE CLAUDETTE WILL MAKE LANDFALL NEAR MATAGORDA BAY BETWEEN 9 AM AND 3 PM TODAY. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE COASTAL AREAS AS THE STORM MAKES LANDFALL. OTHERWISE...REFER TO THE HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT...SATHLSHOU...WMO HEADER WTUS84 KHGX. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE TODAY. SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 12:00 PM CDT, 52 minutes before
GMZ330-335-TXZ199-200-210>214-226-227-235>238-160000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1200 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003 ...TORNADO WATCH ISSUED FOR THE SOUTHERN TWO-THIRDS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 700 PM CDT... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A NEW TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING SOUTHEAST TEXAS COUNTIES: AUSTIN...BRAZORIA...CHAMBERS...COLORADO...FORT BEND...GALVESTON... HARRIS...JACKSON...LIBERTY...MATAGORDA...MONTGOMERY...WALLER... WHARTON. THIS NEW TORNADO WATCH REPLACES THE OLD TORNADO WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 100 PM. HURRICANE CLAUDETTE HAS MADE LANDFALL IN MATAGORDA BAY. FEEDER BANDS CONTINUE TO MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST AND EAST FROM OFF THE COAST INLAND ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TWO-THIRDS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE AS THESE FEEDER BANDS MOVE INLAND. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER WEATHER NEWS SOURCES FOR FURTHER UPDATES.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 6:41 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | HGX | Chambers, Galveston | 49 min |
| Jul 15, 6:43 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 62 min | |
| Jul 15, 8:42 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Chambers, Harris | 3 hr |
| Jul 15, 10:00 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Jackson, Matagorda, Wharton | 3 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.