Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2003
Tornado Warning 53, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Nov 17, 2003, 1:20 PM CST for Fort Bend County, Texas. It was in force for 40 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
- Nov 17, 2003, 1:20 PM CST (19:20 UTC)
- Expired
- Nov 17, 2003, 2:00 PM CST
- In force
- 40 min
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Fort Bend County, TX
The radar
The Houston radar (KHGX), 71 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:20 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 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 17, 12:45 PM CST | Tornado Watch | SPC | 5 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 238 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
WFUS54 KHGX 171920
TORHOU
TXC157-172000-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
119 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A
* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
FORT BEND COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
* UNTIL 200 PM CST
* AT 115 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 11 MILES SOUTH
OF NEEDVILLE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE...
NEEDVILLE AND GUY
THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN THE INTERIOR HALLWAY OR
A ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF A STURDY BUILDING. USE
BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.
IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.
PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE COUNTY SHERIFF...LOCAL POLICE...
OR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 PM CST MONDAY AFTERNOON
FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
LAT...LON 2946 9575 2944 9572 2941 9573 2933 9578
2927 9586 2934 9593 2939 9588 2941 9588
2946 9581
$$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 Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Nov 17, 1:09 PM CST, 11 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Nov 17, 1:09 PM CST, 11 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 109 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003 HAVE UPDATED THE ZONES FOR NEW TORNADO WATCH #950 IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM. WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR COUNTIES ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM COLUMBUS TO CONROE TO LIVINGSTON. THE PREVIOUS TORNADO WATCH EXPIRED AT 1 PM. TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM HAS MOVED THROUGH FORT BEND AND HARRIS COUNTIES FROM NEAR MEADOWS TO AROUND SPRING VALLEY. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF DAMAGE HAVE BEEN RECEIVED WITH THIS STORM. RADAR AND SATELLITE PICTURES SHOW SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD THREAT STILL VERY HIGH IN THE WATCH AREA. UPDATED OUR HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK LATE THIS MORNING TO RAISE RAINFALL ESTIMATES THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING TO WIDESPREAD 3 TO 5 INCHES WITH ISOLATED 10 TO 15 INCH AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. 41/35/43/31/34/46 .HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TORNADO WATCH (#950) FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF SE TX UNTIL 6 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PREVIOUS DISCUSSION (937 AM CST)... 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
Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 17, 11:00 AM CST, 2 hours 20 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, 11:24 AM CST, 1 hour 56 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, 1 hour 49 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, 1 hour 49 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, 1 hour 46 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.
REHBEINLocal storm report, Nov 17, 1:14 PM CST, 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
114 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1200 PM MEADOWS TX TORNADO
11/17/03 FORT BEND MAJOR DAMAGE TO HOMES.
REPORTS OF SECOND STORIES
OF HOMES BEING BLOWN AWAY.
TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.
1215 PM SW HOUSTON TX TORNADO
11/17/03 HARRIS MAJOR DAMAGE TO SOUTHWEST
VILLAGE APARTMENTS LOCATED
AT WEST BELFORT AND
KIRKWOOD.
REHBEINLocal storm report, Nov 17, 1:14 PM CST, 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...AMENDED TO INCLUDE INJURIES
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
114 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1200 PM MEADOWS TX TORNADO
11/17/03 FORT BEND *** 8 INJ ***
MAJOR DAMAGE TO HOMES.
REPORTS OF SECOND STORIES
OF HOMES BEING BLOWN AWAY.
TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.
TWO OF THE INJURIES
CONSIDERED SERIOUS.
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, 12:02 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Wharton | 3 hr |
| 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, 1:31 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
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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.