Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2012
Tornado Warning 24, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Mar 20, 2012, 7:45 AM CDT for Harris County, Texas. It was in force for 30 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Mar 20, 2012, 7:45 AM CDT (12:45 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 20, 2012, 8:15 AM CDT
- In force
- 30 min
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
County Harris County, TX
The radar
The Houston radar (KHGX), 54 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:45 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 7:50 AM CDT | FUNNEL CLOUD | 2 Sw Bunker Hill Villag, TX | FUNNEL CLOUD SIGHTED FROM MARATHON TOWER. APPEARED TO BE IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND SO POSSIBLE TORNADO. NO DAMAGE CONFIRMED. |
| Mar 20, 8:00 AM CDT | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Sw Bunker Hill Villag, TX | TREES DOWN AND FENCES BLOWN DOWN. TIME ESIMATED BASED ON RADAR. |
| Mar 20, 8:00 AM CDT | TSTM WND DMG | Piney Point Village, TX | MANY TREES DOWN AND DAMAGE TO HOMES. POSSIBLE TORNADO. |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
The watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 12:48 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 9 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 230 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
- 1368 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -14 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 555 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 225 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 338 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.2
- Supercell composite
- 8.8
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
292 WFUS54 KHGX 201245 TORHGX TXC201-201315- /O.NEW.KHGX.TO.W.0024.120320T1245Z-120320T1315Z/ BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 745 AM CDT TUE MAR 20 2012 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... CENTRAL HARRIS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS... * UNTIL 815 AM CDT * AT 741 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BUNKER HILL VILLAGE... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. * LOCATIONS IN THE TORNADO WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE GALLERIA AND PINEY POINT VILLAGE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT FOR THE WARNED AREA. && PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE COUNTY SHERIFF...LOCAL POLICE... OR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. LAT...LON 2977 9557 2976 9543 2968 9553 2971 9565 TIME...MOT...LOC 1245Z 247DEG 28KT 2974 9557 $$
2 follow-up statements
961 WWUS54 KHGX 201257 SVSHGX SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 757 AM CDT TUE MAR 20 2012 TXC201-201315- /O.CON.KHGX.TO.W.0024.000000T0000Z-120320T1315Z/ HARRIS TX- 757 AM CDT TUE MAR 20 2012 ...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 AM CDT FOR HARRIS COUNTY... AT 755 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR PINEY POINT VILLAGE...OR NEAR HUNTERS CREEK VILLAGE...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN THE INTERIOR HALLWAY OR A ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF A STURDY BUILDING. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE INSIDE A MOBILE HOME OR VEHICLE...EVACUATE THEM IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. && A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT. PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE COUNTY SHERIFF...LOCAL POLICE... OR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. LAT...LON 2977 9557 2976 9543 2968 9553 2971 9565 TIME...MOT...LOC 1257Z 247DEG 28KT 2978 9547 $$
893 WWUS54 KHGX 201311 SVSHGX SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 811 AM CDT TUE MAR 20 2012 TXC201-201321- /O.EXP.KHGX.TO.W.0024.000000T0000Z-120320T1315Z/ HARRIS TX- 811 AM CDT TUE MAR 20 2012 ...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR HARRIS COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 815 AM CDT... THE STORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED OR MOVED OUT OF THE AREA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT. PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE COUNTY SHERIFF...LOCAL POLICE... OR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. LAT...LON 2977 9557 2976 9543 2968 9553 2971 9565 TIME...MOT...LOC 1311Z 247DEG 28KT 2982 9535 $$
The office that day
Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 2:24 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HGX | Brazos, Burleson, Washington | 51 min |
| Mar 20, 3:29 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HGX | Brazos, Burleson, Madison, Washington | 61 min |
| Mar 20, 3:48 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HGX | Brazos, Burleson, Madison, Washington | 42 min |
| Mar 20, 3:59 AM CDT | Areal Flood Advisory | HGX | Brazos, Burleson | 2 hr |
| Mar 20, 4:59 AM CDT | Areal Flood Advisory | HGX | Austin, Brazos, Burleson, Colorado, Grimes, Madison and 1 more | 2 hr |
| Mar 20, 5:25 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HGX | Austin, Colorado | 65 min |
| Mar 20, 5:38 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Austin, Colorado, Waller, Washington, Wharton | 52 min |
| Mar 20, 5:53 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 112 min | |
| Mar 20, 6:39 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HGX | Montgomery, Waller | 66 min |
| Mar 20, 7:32 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HGX | Fort Bend | 58 min |
| Mar 20, 7:44 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 2 hr | |
| Mar 20, 7:49 AM CDT | Areal Flood Advisory | HGX | Harris, Montgomery | 3 hr |
| Mar 20, 7:59 AM CDT | Areal Flood Advisory | HGX | Austin, Burleson, Washington | 61 min |
| Mar 20, 8:08 AM CDT | Coastal Flood Statement | HGX | Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Harris, Matagorda | 7 hr |
| Mar 20, 8:17 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | HGX | Brazoria | 23 min |
| Mar 20, 8:34 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HGX | Harris | 56 min |
| Mar 20, 8:41 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 94 min | |
| Mar 20, 9:02 AM CDT | River Flood Warning | HGX | Brazos, Grimes, Madison | 5 days |
| Mar 20, 9:02 AM CDT | River Flood Warning | HGX | Burleson, Lee | 48 hr |
| Mar 20, 9:02 AM CDT | River Flood Warning | HGX | Burleson, Lee | 4 days |
| Mar 20, 9:18 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HGX | Liberty | 57 min |
| Mar 20, 9:21 AM CDT | River Flood Warning | HGX | Montgomery | 60 hr |
| Mar 20, 9:21 AM CDT | River Flood Warning | HGX | Harris, Liberty | 6 days |
| Mar 20, 9:29 AM CDT | River Flood Warning | HGX | Austin, Fort Bend, Wharton | 4 days |
| Mar 20, 9:29 AM CDT | River Flood Warning | HGX | Brazoria, Fort Bend, Wharton | 22 hr |
| Mar 20, 9:32 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HGX | Chambers, Galveston | 43 min |
| Mar 20, 10:02 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 88 min | |
| Mar 20, 10:13 AM CDT | Areal Flood Advisory | HGX | Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston | 62 min |
| Mar 20, 11:27 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 93 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Texas, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes in 2012
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.