Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 12, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

July 15, 2003Jackson County, Matagorda County, Wharton County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this flash flood warning at Jul 15, 2003, 8:28 PM CDT for Jackson County, Matagorda County, Wharton County, Texas. It was in force for 2 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, 8:28 PM CDT (01:28 UTC)
Expired
Jul 15, 2003, 10:30 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Jackson County, TX, Matagorda County, TX, Wharton County, TX

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, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 153 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 KHGX 160129
FFWHOU
TXC239-321-481-160330-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
828 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
  MATAGORDA COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

* UNTIL 1030 PM CDT

* AT 825 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A NEARLY       
  STATIONARY BAND OF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH CLAUDETTE   
  ACROSS WESTERN WHARTON...EASTERN JACKSON...AND WESTERN             
  MATAGORDA COUNTIES. RADAR ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT BETWEEN 2 AND 4  
  INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN DURING THE PAST 3 HOURS FROM LOUISE TO   
  BLESSING TO PALACIOS. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN IS        
  LIKELY ACROSS THIS AREA DURING THE NEXT HOUR. THIS WILL LEAD TO    
  FLOODING OF AREA ROADWAYS.     

* FLOODING IS EXPECTED IN OR NEAR...
  PALACIOS...GANADO...BLESSING...LOUISE

DO NOT CROSS ANY LOCATION WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD

SMALL CREEKS...STREAMS...BAYOUS..AND FARM-TO-MARKET OR OTHER
SECONDARY ROADS MAY FLOOD QUICKLY. AVOID LOCATIONS WHERE WATER COVERS
THE GROUND

USE EXTRA CAUTION AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DEPTH
AND SPEED OF FLASH FLOOD WATERS.

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 2851 9634 2859 9623 2862 9600 2930 9648
          2920 9669

$$

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, 3:15 PM CDT, 5 hours 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 15, 3:15 PM CDT, 5 hours 13 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
315 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

CLAUDETTE INLAND SW OF OUR CWFA AND CONTINUING TO TREK WEST. FEEDER BANDS
STILL QUITE ACTIVE ACROSS SOUTHWEST ZONES INCLUDING MATAGORDA BAY.
TIDES HAVE BEEN SUBSIDING ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS COAST. PLEASE SEE
LATEST HLSHOU. CONVECTION AREAL COVERAGE SHOULD CONRACT OVERNIGHT AS
CLAUDETTE GETS FARTHER AWAY FROM OUR REGION WHILE WEAKENING. WE
SHALL CONTINUE W/DEFINITE CATEGORY POPS SW ZONES TONIGHT BUT BUMP
TO CHANCE ELSEWHERE AS PWATS REMAIN ON THE HIGH SIDE. GFS AND ETA CONTINUE
TO LEAVE HIGH MOISTURE LEVELS OVER CWFA ON WEDNESDAY W/CONFLUENT LOW LEVEL
PATTERN. HENCE WILL GO W/SCATTERED CONVECTION DURING THIS PERIOD.
UPPER RIDGE WILL EXERT ITS INFLUENCE FROM THURSDAY. GFS INDICATE
EASTERLY WAVE MOVING ACROSS SW GULF ON FRIDAY. THIS MAY INCREASE PWATS
OVER SOUTHERN ZONES. THE WEEKEND INDICATE UPPER RIDGE OVER REGION W/SHEAR
ZONE EAST OF OUR REGION.

BUOYS 019 AND 035 WINDS HAVE BEEN TRENDING DOWNWARD (25 AND 21 KNOTS
RESPECTIVELY). HOWEVER...SEAS WILL REMAIN IN THE HIGH SIDE THE NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS. WE SHALL ISSUE SMALL CRAFT CAUTION FOR CWFA MARINE WATERS FOR
TONIGHT.

TORNADO WATCH CANCELLED FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

37/42/35/34/38

.HGX...TROPICAL STORM WARNING JACKSON...MATAGORDA AND
       BRAZORIA COUNTIES.
       SMALL CRAFT SHOULD STAY IN PORT FREEPORT SOUTHWARD
       INCLUDING MATAGORDA BAY.
       SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FREEPORT TO HIGH ISLAND AND GALVESTON
       BAY.
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 15, 4:00 PM CDT, 4 hours 28 minutes before
GMZ330-335-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-161200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
400 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR BRAZORIA...MATAGORDA AND
JACKSON COUNTIES....AND THE COASTAL WATERS FROM FREEPORT TO
PORT ARANSAS INCLUDING MATAGORDA BAY. AT 4 PM...TROPICAL STORM
CLAUDETTE WAS JUST NORTHEAST OF BEEVILLE TEXAS AND ABOUT 85 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF SAN ANTONIO. REFER TO THE LATEST ADVISORY FROM THE
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER. ALSO...PLEASE CHECK OUR LATEST TROPICAL
STORM LOCAL STATEMENTS (SATPNSHOU).

.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, 5:10 PM CDT, 3 hours 18 minutes before
GMZ330-335-TXZ199-200-210>214-226-227-235>238-152300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
510 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003

...TORNADO WATCH CANCELLED...

THE TORNADO WATCH PREVIOUSLY IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE UPPER TEXAS
COASTAL COUNTIES HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ALL COUNTIES IN THE
HOUSTON/GALVESTON COUNTY WARNING AREA.  THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES: AUSTIN...BRAZORIA...CHAMBERS...COLORADO...FORT BEND...
GALVESTON...HARRIS...JACKSON...LIBERTY...MATAGORDA...MONTGOMERY...
WALLER...WHARTON.

AT 4 PM... CLAUDETTE HAD MOVED WELL INLAND TO A POSITON NEAR
BEEVILLE TEXAS AND DOWNGRADED TO TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH.  ALTHOUGH A
FEW RAIN BANDS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE UPPER TEXAS COAST... THE THREAT
OF SEVERE WEATHER HAS MOVED OUT OF THE REGION.  THE HEAVIEST
CONCENTRATIONS OF REMAINING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MAINLY
WEST OF A LINE FROM SARGENT TO EAGLE LAKE BETWEEN 5 PM AND 9 PM.

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.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 16, 7:46 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningHGXFort Bend3 hr
Jul 16, 9:16 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningHGXMatagorda119 min
Jul 16, 10:21 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningHGXWharton114 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.