Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2004
Tornado Warning 22, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at May 1, 2004, 11:41 AM CDT for Galveston County, Texas. It was in force for 34 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
- May 1, 2004, 11:41 AM CDT (16:41 UTC)
- Expired
- May 1, 2004, 12:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 34 min
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Galveston County, TX
The radar
The Houston radar (KHGX), 12 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:44 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 9:45 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 5 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 4.7 hours before the alert went out and 196 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
- 326 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -239 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 978 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 43 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 153 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 263 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 9.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
929 WFUS54 KHGX 011641 TORHOU TXC167-011715- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1139 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2004 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... GALVESTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS * UNTIL 1215 PM CDT * AT 1134 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 5 MILES SOUTH OF SANTA FE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. * LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE TORNADO INCLUDE TEXAS CITY...LA MARQUE...HITCHCOCK...DICKINSON...BAYOU VISTA AND BACLIFF. 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 YOU ARE INSIDE A MOBILE HOME OR VEHICLE...EVACUATE THEM IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM. 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. LAT...LON 2937 9516 2924 9506 2935 9483 2952 9500 $$
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 May 1, 10:00 AM CDT, 1 hour 41 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 1, 10:00 AM CDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 10 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2004 .DISCUSSION... HAVE MADE A QUICK UPDATE TO ZONES TO ACCOUNT FOR THE NEW TORNADO WATCH. TOA#143 COVERS THE COASTAL/NEAR COASTAL COUNTIES OF SE TX UNTIL 3PM. HOWEVER...NOT ANTICIPATING THE WATCH TO HOLD OVER THE CWFA THROUGH THE OFFICAL END TIME. KEEPING THE FFA UP FOR THE TIME BEING AS WELL. ADDITIONAL TWEAKING OF ZONES PROBABLY IN THE WORKS THIS AFTN TO ACCOUNT FOR WINDS/TEMPS. 41/45/42 && .HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TORNADO WATCH COASTAL/NEAR COASTAL ZONES OF SE TX UNTIL 3 PM. FLOOD WATCH ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS THROUGH 6 PM. SCA ALL WATERS THIS AFTERNOON. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POP... COLLEGE STATION (CLL) 72 52 75 50 79 / 80 30 00 00 00 HOUSTON (IAH) 76 56 75 50 79 / 80 60 00 00 00 GALVESTON (GLS) 75 61 74 60 78 / 80 70 10 00 00 &&
Hazardous weather outlook, May 1, 10:24 AM CDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1024 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2004 TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-021200- AUSTIN-BRAZORIA-BRAZOS-BURLESON-CHAMBERS-COLORADO-FORT BEND-GALVESTON- GRIMES-HARRIS-HOUSTON-JACKSON-LIBERTY-MADISON-MATAGORDA-MONTGOMERY- POLK-SAN JACINTO-TRINITY-WALKER-WALLER-WASHINGTON-WHARTON- 1024 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2004 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS TODAY... .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS TODAY AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 59. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE...AND THIS MAY BRING TOTALS FOR THE DAY TO A 5 TO 10 INCH RANGE. THIS WILL LIKELY LEAD TO SOME STREET... CREEK AND RIVER FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED TODAY.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 1, 9:48 AM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 948 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2004 GMZ330-335-350-355-370-375-TXZ200-213-214-226-227-235>238-012000- BRAZORIA-CHAMBERS-FORT BEND-GALVESTON-GALVESTON BAY-HARRIS-JACKSON- LIBERTY-MATAGORDA-MATAGORDA BAY- WATERS FROM FREEPORT TO THE MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL 20 NM TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM FREEPORT TO THE MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM HIGH ISLAND TO FREEPORT 20 NM TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM HIGH ISLAND TO FREEPORT OUT 20 NM-WHARTON- 948 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2004 ...TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE SOUTHERN AND COASTAL PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 300 PM CDT... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR THE FOLLOWING SOUTHEAST TEXAS COUNTIES...BRAZORIA...CHAMBERS...FORT BEND...GALVESTON...HARRIS...JACKSON...LIBERTY...MATAGORDA AND WHARTON. THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES THE TORNADO WATCH THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 1000 AM CDT. A WARM AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS IS IN PLACE OVER THE AREA...ALLOWING THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP OVER THE COASTAL WATERS AND ADJACENT LAND AREAS. WIND FIELDS ARE FAVORABLE FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY LEAD TO FLOODING...AND A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 600 PM CDT. STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATION...NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/HGX FOR MORE INFORMATION.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 4:38 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | HGX | Liberty | 52 min |
| May 1, 5:17 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Montgomery | 43 min |
| May 1, 5:30 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | HGX | Liberty | 45 min |
| May 1, 8:43 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Harris, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto | 107 min |
| May 1, 8:50 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | HGX | Harris | 40 min |
| May 1, 9:10 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 95 min | |
| May 1, 9:10 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 95 min | |
| May 1, 10:20 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Chambers, Liberty | 55 min |
| May 1, 10:49 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 86 min | |
| May 1, 11:22 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 113 min | |
| May 1, 11:44 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Brazoria, Galveston | 2 hr |
| May 1, 11:58 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Fort Bend, Harris, Liberty | 2 hr |
| May 1, 12:03 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HGX | Polk, San Jacinto | 4 hr |
| May 1, 12:16 PM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 59 min | |
| May 1, 1:20 PM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 40 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Texas, 2004Every tornado warning in 2004Tornadoes 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.