Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003
Flash Flood Warning 32, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this flash flood warning at Nov 17, 2003, 12:02 PM CST for Wharton County, 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
- Nov 17, 2003, 12:02 PM CST (18:02 UTC)
- Expired
- Nov 17, 2003, 3:00 PM CST
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Wharton County, TX
The radar
The Houston radar (KHGX), 108 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:05 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, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 207 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
- 1818 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -1 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 573 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 39 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 150 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 146 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.4
- Supercell composite
- 8.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WGUS54 KHGX 171804
FFWHOU
TXC481-172100-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1202 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
WHARTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
* UNTIL 300 PM CST
* AT 1205 PM CST...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO PRODUCE VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL OVER WHARTON COUNTY. FIVE INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN
OVER THE LAST THREE HOURS AND AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN IS
POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT.
* FLOODING IS EXPECTED IN OR NEAR...
PIERCE...WHARTON...EL CAMPO
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 2933 9596 2922 9611 2906 9630 2920 9646
2934 9630 2953 9611
$$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 Nov 17, 9:37 AM CST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Nov 17, 9:37 AM CST, 2 hours 25 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 937 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003 LARGE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX IS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS AT THIS TIME. WATCHING TWO TORNADIC CELLS IN WHARTON COUNTY AT THIS MOMENT THAT HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE (LSR WILL BE ISSUED BEFORE 10 AM). CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO BE FAVORABLE FOR ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING AND ON INTO EARLY THIS AFTERNOON (THERE IS A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 1 PM). ALSO CONCERNED WITH HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT FOR THESE STORMS. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS THROUGH TONIGHT. AFTER THIS ROUND OF STORMS...EXPECT ANOTHER ROUND TO DEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON OR INTO THIS EVENING TO OUR WEST IN RESPONSE TO THE APPROACHING UPPER LOW. 41/35/43/31/34 .HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TORNADO WATCH (#947) FOR ALL OF SE TX UNTIL 1 PM. FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL SE TX THROUGH TONIGHT. SCEC ALL WATERS. UPDATED PRELIMS (NO CHANGES)... CLL TU 078/058 072/044 071 8+1 IAH TB 079/063 074/045 071 8+2 GLS TB 081/068 074/054 070 7+4 MONDAY RECORDS FOR GALVESTON: HIGH MIN 73/1921 REC HIGH 80/1986 --------------------------------------------------------------------- PREVIOUS DISCUSSION (220 AM CST)... SCT CONVECTION IS ALREADY BREAKING OUT W AND SW OF SE TX TONIGHT WHERE THE LLJ IS INCREASING. CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE OVER SE TX THIS MORNING...BECOMING WIDESPREAD BY MID-DAY. MAIN FORECAST ISSUES ARE FLOOD AND SVR TSTM THREAT. WHAT TO SAY THAT HAS NOT ALREADY BEEN SAID? IN A NUTSHELL...PARAMETERS ARE ALL IN PLACE FOR A FLASH FLOOD AND SVR TSTM THREAT TODAY AND TONIGHT. EXPECT THE EXIT REGION OF THE UPPER LEVEL JET TO PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT DIVERGENCE ALOFT THIS MORNING AND COUPLED WITH A LITTLE HEATING...WILL PROVIDE FOR AN EXPLOSIVE ENVIRONMENT OVR SE TX. WITH LOW-LEVEL HELICITIES IN THE 200-300 RANGE LATER THIS MORNING AND DURING THE AFT HOURS...IT APPEARS THAT THERE WILL BE A TORNADO THREAT OUT AHEAD OF A SQUALL LINE THAT SHOULD PUSH THROUGH THE REGION TONIGHT AS MID-LEVEL WINDS REALLY STRENGTHEN WITH THE APPROACH OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH. DAMAGING WINDS/LARGE HAIL ARE LIKELY TO BE THE PRIMARY THREATS TONIGHT. TWO ITEMS THAT HAVE CAUGHT MY ATTENTION WITH THIS UPCOMING EVENT ARE THE MODEL FORECASTS OF NEAR 2 INCH PW OVER SE TX THIS AFT/EVE (RARE FOR NOV) AND THE STRENGTH OF THE UPPER LEVEL JET CORE OVR SE TX (140 KTS) TONIGHT. APPEARS THAT THERE WILL BE A GOOD SETUP FOR TRAINING PRECIP IN AN EXTREMELY MOIST ATMOSPHERE. STILL HAVE A WEAK BOUNDARY IN PLACE FROM LAST EVENINGS CONVECTION WHICH COULD AID IN FOCUSING PRECIP LATER TODAY. THEREFORE...FLOOD WATCH IS A GIVEN AND WILL BE EXTENDED THROUGH TONIGHT. BEHIND THE FRONT...FROM TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...DRY AND SEASONAL TEMPS EXPECTED WITH A TEMPORARY WEAK MID-LEVEL RIDGE IN PLACE. DEEP TROF DEVELOPS ON FRIDAY OVER THE WESTERN U.S. WHICH IS PROGGED TO AMPLIFY INTO A CLOSED LOW OVR THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON SUNDAY. WILL HAVE SLIGHT CHC POPS ON SAT AND CHC POPS ON SUN AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE. IF THIS PATTERN VERIFIES...WILL SEE MUCH COOLER TEMPS TO START NEXT WEEK. WILL HAVE A CAUTION STATEMENT TODAY FOR THE MARINE AREA AS WINDS SHOULD INCREASE AS GRADIENT TIGHTENS. 33/41
Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 17, 11:00 AM CST, 1 hour 2 minutes before
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-181300- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1100 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS. ...FLOOD WATCH THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... ...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH SOUTHEAST TODAY AND MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. STRONG WINDS ARE PRESENT IN THE ATMOSPHERE OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STRONG WINDS ABOVE THE SURFACE AND INCREASING INSTABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE WILL CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. TONIGHT...A SQUALL LINE IS LIKELY TO MOVE ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. THEREFORE...AN ISOLATED SEVERE THREAT DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS MAY INCREASE TONIGHT AS ORGANIZED CONVECTION MOVES ACROSS TONIGHT. IT APPEARS THAT TORNADOES...HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL ALL BE THREATS. IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT. FAST MOVING STORMS WILL LIKELY MOVE REPEATEDLY OVER THE SAME LOCATIONS...CREATING THE HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT AND RESULTANT FLOODING. AVERAGE RAINFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 3 TO 5 INCH RANGE WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 10 TO 15 INCHES POSSIBLE. THESE HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY OCCUR NEAR AND EAST OF A HIGHWAY 59 AND INTERSTATE 10 CORRIDOR...OR ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM EDNA TO KATY TO CONROE TO GROVETON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO END WITH THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST TUESDAY MORNING. DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
In the hours before
Local storm report, Nov 17, 9:41 AM CST, 2 hours 21 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
941 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0915 AM WHARTON TX TSTM WND DMG
11/17/03 WHARTON POWER LINES DOWN AT THE
INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAYS
426 AND 441. REPORTED BY
DPS.
0848 AM 3 S EL CAMPO TX FUNNEL CLOUD
11/17/03 WHARTON
REHBEINLocal storm report, Nov 17, 10:04 AM CST, 1 hour 58 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1004 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0905 AM NEAR MIDFIELD TX TORNADO
11/17/03 MATAGORDA REPORTED BY MATAGORDA
COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE
BETWEEN MIDFIELD AND
DANEVANG.
REHBEINLocal storm report, Nov 17, 11:24 AM CST, 38 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1124 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0915 AM TX WIND DAMAGE
11/17/03 WHARTON POWER LINES DOWN AT
THE INTERSECTION OF
HIGHWAYS 426 AND 441.
REPORTED BY DPS.
REHBEINLocal storm report, Nov 17, 11:31 AM CST, 31 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1131 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1030 AM 3 NW BOLING-IAGO TX TORNADO
11/17/03 WHARTON DESTROYED 1 SMALL BUILDING.
HEAVY DAMAGE TO 3 BARNS.
PATH WIDTH 1/4 MILE, DEBRIS
PATH 1/2 MILE LONG.
REPORTED NEAR INTERSECTION
OF COTTONDALE RD AND
CR-111.
REHBEINLocal storm report, Nov 17, 11:31 AM CST, 31 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED TIME OF REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1131 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0955 AM 3 NW BOLING-IAGO TX TORNADO
11/17/03 WHARTON DESTROYED 1 SMALL BUILDING.
HEAVY DAMAGE TO 3 BARNS.
PATH WIDTH 1/4 MILE, DEBRIS
PATH 1/2 MILE LONG.
REPORTED NEAR INTERSECTION
OF COTTONDALE RD AND
CR-111.
REHBEINLocal storm report, Nov 17, 11:34 AM CST, 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED TIME OF REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALSEOT/N TX
1131 AM CST MON NOT M7N2N03
TIME(CST) .....C T. .O.ATION.....STATE ...EVEN /.EEAEKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0955 AM 3 NW BOLING-IAGO TX TORNADO
11/17/03 WHARTON DESTROYED 1 SMALL BUILDLN .UL HEAVY DAMAGE TOA3ABERTS.
PATH WIDTH 1/4 MILE, DEBRIS
PATH 1/2 MILE LONG.
RE O T D NEAR INTERSECTION
OF COTTONDALE RD AND
CR-111.
REHBEINThe office that day
Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 16, 7:21 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Harris | 114 min |
| Nov 17, 8:23 AM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Wharton | 52 min |
| Nov 17, 9:06 AM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Matagorda, Wharton | 39 min |
| Nov 17, 9:16 AM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Wharton | 29 min |
| Nov 17, 9:50 AM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Wharton | 25 min |
| Nov 17, 10:09 AM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Fort Bend | 51 min |
| Nov 17, 10:17 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Wharton | 28 min |
| Nov 17, 10:59 AM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Fort Bend | 46 min |
| Nov 17, 11:08 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Fort Bend | 3 hr |
| Nov 17, 11:11 AM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Harris | 34 min |
| Nov 17, 11:54 AM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Fort Bend, Harris | 51 min |
| Nov 17, 12:42 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Harris | 48 min |
| Nov 17, 12:55 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Matagorda, Wharton | 50 min |
| Nov 17, 1:02 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Harris | 3 hr |
| Nov 17, 1:20 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Fort Bend | 40 min |
| Nov 17, 1:31 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Matagorda | 44 min |
| Nov 17, 1:45 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Montgomery, San Jacinto | 3 hr |
| Nov 17, 1:54 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Harris | 36 min |
| Nov 17, 2:01 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Fort Bend | 29 min |
| Nov 17, 2:03 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Fort Bend | 117 min |
| Nov 17, 2:03 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Harris, Montgomery | 42 min |
| Nov 17, 2:12 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Brazoria, Matagorda | 48 min |
| Nov 17, 2:35 PM CST | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 55 min | |
| Nov 17, 2:43 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Harris | 47 min |
| Nov 17, 2:47 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Liberty, Montgomery | 43 min |
| Nov 17, 2:58 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Brazoria | 47 min |
| Nov 17, 3:30 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Harris | 45 min |
| Nov 17, 3:44 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Harris | 3 hr |
| Nov 17, 4:05 PM CST | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 115 min | |
| Nov 17, 4:29 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Galveston | 31 min |
| Nov 17, 4:46 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Chambers | 29 min |
| Nov 17, 5:09 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Liberty | 36 min |
| Nov 17, 5:16 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Chambers | 29 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.