Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 31, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

May 1, 2004Nueces County, Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this flash flood warning at May 1, 2004, 10:16 AM CDT for Nueces 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
May 1, 2004, 10:16 AM CDT (15:16 UTC)
Expired
May 1, 2004, 1:15 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Nueces County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 10 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:20 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 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, 3.3 hours before the alert went out and 24 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 12:00Z on 2004-05-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2117 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 12:00Z on 2004-05-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 93 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
2117 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-85 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
641 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
93 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
135 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
2.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS54 KCRP 011517
FFWCRP
TXC355-011815-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1016 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NUECES COUNTY IN TEXAS

* UNTIL 115 PM CDT

* AT 1010 AM CDT...HEAVY RAINFALL WAS FALLING OVER NUECES COUNTY.  
HEAVY RAINFALL EARLIER IN THE WEEK HAS MADE THE GROUNDS 
SATURATED...SO ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL RUN OFF AND CAUSE FLOODING.


LAT...LON 2767 9794 2788 9793 2794 9781 2781 9744
          2770 9729 2758 9728 2783 9718 2756 9722
          2757 9784

$$

GW
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS74 KCRP 011654
FFSCRP
TXC355-011715-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1152 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2004

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR NUECES COUNTY...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THE RAINFALL HAS 
TAPERED OFF ACROSS THE WARNED AREA...AND THE FLOOD THREAT HAS 
DIMINISHED FOR NOW. THUS...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS BEING 
CANCELLED.

THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUES OVER THE AREA FOR THE NEXT 
TWO HOURS.  A FLOOD WATCH FOR FLASH FLOODING REMAINS IN EFFECT.  
ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL COULD CAUSE FLOODING IN THE AREA.  

TO REPORT FLOODING HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY YOUR
REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN CORPUS
CHRISTI.

LAT...LON 2767 9794 2788 9793 2794 9781 2781 9744
          2770 9729 2758 9728 2783 9718 2756 9722
          2757 9784

$$

GW

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 Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at May 1, 8:30 AM CDT, 1 hour 46 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 1, 8:30 AM CDT, 1 hour 46 minutes before
SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
830 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2004

830 AM UPDATE...UPDATED ZONES/CWF/GRIDS TO REFLECT CURRENT SPEED OF
FRONT. FRONT MOVING QUICKLY SOUTHEAST WITH STRONG 3HR PRESS RISES OF
4-5MB OVER S-CNTRL TX AND EDWARDS PLATEAU. HAVE TEMPS FALLING INTO
THE 60S ACROSS THE AREA AS FRONT MOVES THRU. RAISED SCA OVER BAYS
AND NEARSHORE WATERS FOR THIS AFTERNOON WITH GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS
EXPECTED BEHIND FRONT. HELD ONTO TO FLASH FLOOD WATCH AND HAVE NOT
YET CLEARED ANY COUNTIES FROM SVR WATCH. WILL BE ASSESSING THIS OVER
THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

545 AM UPDATE...UPDATED ZONES TO INCLUDE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
THRU NOON FOR ALL OF SOUTH TEXAS. REFER TO SVR TSTM WATCH 142 ISSUED
BY SPC FOR DETAILS.

.SHORT-TERM (TODAY AND TONIGHT)...COLD FRONT ALONG A LINE FROM JUST
NORTH OF AUSTIN TO DEL RIO. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ORGANIZING
ALONG FRONT AND ELEVATED BEHIND AS STRONG COLD POOL SURGES SOUTH.
STRONG 3 HR PRESS RISES BEHIND FRONT WILL ALLOW FRONT TO ACCELERATE
DOWN THE RIO GRANDE APPROACHING NORTHWEST COUNTIES OF CRP CWA AROUND
11-12Z. FURTHER EAST...INCREASINGLY MOIST AND UNSTABLE INFLOW OFF
GULF OF MEXICO HAS RESULTED IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING
ACROSS UPR TX COAST. FAVORABLE SHEAR PROFILES AND LLVL CONVERGENCE
HAS RESULTED IN AN INCREASING THREAT FOR TORNADOES OVER THE HGX CWA
AND SPC HAS ISSUED BOX FOR THIS. RUC PICKED UP WELL ON THIS AND
SHOWS AREA OF INFLOW AND CONVERGENCE SHIFTING SOUTHWEST OVER THE
NEXT FEW HOURS. MSAS SFC PRESS ANALYSIS SHOWS FALLS HAVE SHIFTED
FURTHER WEST...FROM AUSTIN COUNTY SOUTH THRU VICTORIA AND CALHOUN
COUNTIES. EXPECT THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOL/SCT SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS TO BEGIN DEVELOPING ACROSS THE NE COUNTIES AND STREAM
NORTH AHEAD OF ADVANCING COLD FRONT. COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP NW TO SE
THRU CWA THROUGH THE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS. EXCELLENT
DIVERGENCE ALOFT AND MODEST CAPES SUPPORT ISOL THREAT FOR SEVERE.
BIGGER THREAT WILL BE HEAVY RAINFALL AND HAVE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD
AND ISSUED FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ENTIRE CWA THRU 7 PM...WITH MAIN
THREAT BEING ACROSS THE COASTAL BEND. LIKELY WATCH MAY BE DROPPED
OUT WEST BEFORE 7 PM. FRONT SWEEPS OFFSHORE INTO THE LATE AFTERNOON
AND MAY SEE ELEVATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE THRU EARLY
EVENING. BRISK NORTH WINDS OVER THE WATERS WILL RESULT IN SCA
CONDITIONS. EXPECT PRECIP TO TAPER OFF BY MIDNIGHT.

&&

.LONG-TERM (SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)...MID LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGH
WILL MOVE THROUGH SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND THE COASTAL BEND SUNDAY
MORNING. EXPECT CLOUDS TO DIMINISH DURING THE MORNING HOURS. WITH
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO SOUTH TEXAS AND DECENT COLD AIR
ADVECTION OVER THE WATERS...WILL CONTINUE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY
CONDITIONS OVER THE GULF WATERS THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY SUNDAY.
CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS WILL PREVAIL SUNDAY NIGHT AS THE RIDGE
OF HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES OVER SOUTH TEXAS. VERY COOL READINGS
EXPECTED MONDAY MORNING WITH POSSIBLE RECORD LOW AT CRP. THE
WEAK UPPER LOW WILL REMAIN WEST OF BAJA CALIFORNIA THROUGH
WEDNESDAY SO EXPECT A GRADUAL WARMING TREND FOR THE WEEK WITH
LOW LEVEL MOISTURE RETURN INCREASING BY THURSDAY. THE GFS AND
ECMWF SHOW THE WEAK UPPER LOW MOVING ACROSS MEXICO THURSDAY AND
INTO SOUTH TEXAS FRIDAY. TOO EARLY TO BE VERY CONFIDENT ON THE
TRACK OF THIS UPPER LOW. WILL KEEP THE FORECAST DRY FOR FRIDAY.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
CORPUS CHRISTI  77 59 76 52 79 / 80 50 10 00 00
VICTORIA        75 55 75 48 79 / 90 50 10 00 00
LAREDO          76 58 78 55 83 / 70 30 05 00 00
ALICE           77 57 77 51 81 / 80 50 10 00 00
ROCKPORT        77 59 76 57 78 / 90 60 10 00 00
COTULLA         75 53 76 50 82 / 80 30 05 00 00

&&

.CRP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SVR TSTM WATCH THRU NOON ALL COUNTIES
FLOOD WATCH FOR FLASH FLOODING ALL COUNTIES THRU 7 PM
SCA BAYS AND NEARSHORE WATERS
SCA EXPECTED BY THIS EVENING OFFSHORE

&&

76/JR...SHORT-TERM
89/TMT...LONG-TERM
Hazardous weather outlook, May 1, 6:30 AM CDT, 3 hours 46 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
630 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2004

GMZ230-235-250-255-270-275-TXZ229>234-239>247-021100-
BAYS AND WATERWAYS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT ARANSAS-
BAYS AND WATERWAYS FROM PORT ARANSAS TO PORT OCONNOR-
COASTAL WATERS BAFFIN BAY TO PORT ARANSAS OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS PORT ARANSAS TO MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL OUT 20 NM-
WATERS BAFFIN BAY TO PORT ARANSAS 20 TO 60 NM-
WATERS PORT ARANSAS TO MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL 20 TO 60 NM-
ARANSAS-BEE-CALHOUN-DUVAL-GOLIAD-JIM WELLS-KLEBERG-LA SALLE-LIVE OAK-
MCMULLEN-NUECES-REFUGIO-SAN PATRICIO-VICTORIA-WEBB-
630 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH NOON. A FLASH FLOOD
WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 7 PM FOR ALL OF SOUTH TEXAS. A STRONG
COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO SOUTH TEXAS THIS MORNING AND INTO THE
COASTAL WATERS DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL INTERACT WITH A
MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS TO PRODUCE STRONG SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND HEAVY
RAINFALL ACROSS THE AREA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS AROUND 1 INCH WILL BE
COMMON ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE COASTAL BEND.
ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE OVER THE
COASTAL BEND. IN ADDITION...A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE
PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND WINDS GREATER THAN 58 MPH. THE FRONT WILL
MOVE INTO THE OFFSHORE WATERS THIS AFTERNOON RESULTING IN
BRISK NORTH WINDS AND SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS OVER THE
COASTAL WATERS. RAIN WILL TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE
LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

MODERATE TO STRONG OFFSHORE FLOW IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT WILL
PROVIDE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS FOR THE GULF WATERS SUNDAY.
LINGERING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE OUT OF THE COASTAL
WATERS SUNDAY MORNING. NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED. SPOTTERS ARE URGED TO STAY TUNED
TO THE DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION THIS MORNING.

JR/TMT

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 1, 6:00 AM CDT, 4 hours 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
600 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2004

TXZ229>234-239>247-011300-
ARANSAS-BEE-CALHOUN-DUVAL-GOLIAD-JIM WELLS-KLEBERG-LA SALLE-LIVE OAK-
MCMULLEN-NUECES-REFUGIO-SAN PATRICIO-VICTORIA-WEBB-
600 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2004

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH TEXAS UNTIL
   NOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
VALID UNTIL NOON CDT SATURDAY.

THE WATCH INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF ARANSAS...BEE...CALHOUN...
DUVAL...GOLIAD...JIM WELLS...KLEBERG...LA SALLE...LIVE
OAK...MCMULLEN...NUECES...REFUGIO...SAN PATRICIO...VICTORIA
AND WEBB. SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE ALICE...ARANSAS
PASS...BEEVILLE...BENAVIDES...CORPUS CHRISTI...COTULLA...
ENCINAL ...GEORGE WEST...GOLIAD...INGLESIDE...KINGSVILLE...
LAREDO...MATHIS...PORT ARANSAS...PORT LAVACA...PORT
OCONNOR...PORTLAND...REFUGIO...ROBSTOWN...ROCKPORT...
SEADRIFT...SINTON...SKIDMORE...THREE RIVERS...TILDEN AND VICTORIA.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS TO OCCUR IN OR NEAR THE WATCH AREA. SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL THE SIZE OF A DIME
OR LARGER...STRONG WINDS OF 58 MPH OR GREATER AND EVEN TORNADOES.

EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE
ACTIVATION. RESIDENTS ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE
READY TO ACT QUICKLY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA. IF
SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS YOUR AREA...THEN MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM
AND LAY DOWN ON THE FLOOR. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...LAY FLAT DOWN ON THE
GROUND...PREFERABLY IN A DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT. NEVER TRY TO OUTRUN
SEVERE WEATHER.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR
POSSIBLE WARNINGS REGARDING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

TMT
Special weather statement, May 1, 10:03 AM CDT, 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1003 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2004

TXZ242>245-247-011530-
ARANSAS-CALHOUN-KLEBERG-NUECES-SAN PATRICIO-
1003 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2004

...A STRONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHEAST
AROUND 35 TO 40 MPH ACROSS ARANSAS...CALHOUN...KLEBERG...NUECES
AND SAN PATRICIO COUNTIES THROUGH 1030 AM CDT...

AT 1003 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF PORT LAVACA
TO CORPUS CHRISTI TO 5 MILES WEST OF KINGSVILLE. THIS STRONG LINE
OF  THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT DRISCOLL...TULOSO...POINT
COMFORT...CORPUS CHRISTI...SEADRIFT...PORTLAND...HOLIDAY
BEACH...BISHOP...ROCKPORT AND KINGSVILLE.

THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH
AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL IN SOME SPOTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES.

JR

The office that day

Everything else NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 1, 9:45 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningCRP2 hr
May 1, 10:35 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningCRP115 min
May 1, 11:45 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningCRP60 min
May 1, 12:33 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningCRP87 min
May 1, 1:35 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningCRP115 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 2004Every flash flood warning in 2004

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.