Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2015

Tornado Warning 41, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

May 21, 2015Kleberg County, Nueces County, Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this tornado warning at May 21, 2015, 5:01 PM CDT for Kleberg County, Nueces County, Texas. It was in force for 29 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 21, 2015, 5:01 PM CDT (22:01 UTC)
Expired: May 21, 2015, 5:30 PM CDT
In force: 29 min
Issued by: NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Kleberg County, TX, Nueces County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 37 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:02 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 nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 49 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 2975 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 607 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 27 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 1.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

361 
WFUS54 KCRP 212201
TORCRP
TXC273-355-212230-
/O.NEW.KCRP.TO.W.0041.150521T2201Z-150521T2230Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
501 PM CDT THU MAY 21 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI  HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN NUECES COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...
  NORTHWESTERN KLEBERG COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...

* UNTIL 530 PM CDT
    
* AT 500 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED
  OVER BISHOP...OR NEAR KINGSVILLE...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

* THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  KINGSVILLE AROUND 510 PM CDT.
  KINGSVILLE NAVAL AIR STATION AROUND 525 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT TAKE SHELTER UNDER HIGHWAY OVERPASSES. IF YOU
CANNOT SAFELY DRIVE AWAY FROM THE TORNADO...AS A LAST RESORT...EITHER
PARK YOUR VEHICLE AND STAY PUT...OR ABANDON YOUR VEHICLE AND LIE DOWN
IN A LOW LYING AREA AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 2759 9791 2768 9773 2753 9763 2745 9782
TIME...MOT...LOC 2200Z 332DEG 8KT 2757 9779 

$$

JV

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 Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 21, 3:59 PM CDT, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 21, 3:59 PM CDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
359 PM CDT THU MAY 21 2015

.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT)...ECMWF WAS THE ONLY
MODEL SUITE TO PROPERLY HANDLE THIS MORNING/S MCS DOWN THE RIO
GRANDE. EVEN TODAY/S 12Z GFS AND ASSOCIATED HI RESOLUTION MODEL
SUITES DID NOT PICK UP ON THIS MORNING/S EVENT. IN TURN THIS LEADS
TO LOWER FORECAST CONFIDENCE FOR THE SHORT TERM FORECAST PACKAGE.
AS OF WRITING...A COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED FROM NEAR PORT LAVACA TO
NEAR MATHIS TO SOUTH OF HEBBRONVILLE. CONVECTION ALONG THE FRONT
IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH THIS EVENING AS DIURNALLY DRIVEN
INSTABILITY WANES. BRUSH COUNTRY REMAINS WORKED OVER FROM THIS
MORNING/S CONVECTION AND THUS AM NOT ANTICIPATING MUCH IN THE WAY
OF PRECIP THERE THIS EVENING. BIGGEST UNCERTAINTY OVERNIGHT IS
WHETHER OR NOT ADDITIONAL CONVECTION MOVES IN FROM OLD MX
OVERNIGHT. ECMWF AND GFS DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY ON HANDLING OF H5
S/W TROUGHS PUSHING THROUGH. 12Z ECMWF ADVECTS A S/W TROUGH
THROUGH OVERNIGHT AND KEEPS MOST OF THE AREA DRY THROUGH THE NIGHT
WITH CONVECTION WEAKENING BEFORE REACHING THE CWA /ASIDE FROM
EARLY EVENING CONVECTION ACROSS THE EAST/. THE GFS ON THE
OTHERHAND BRINGS A MUCH MORE POTENT S/W TROUGH THROUGH OVERNIGHT
AND INITIATES DEEP CONVECTION ACROSS COAHUILA MX AND INTO THE
BRUSH COUNTRY TOWARDS SUNRISE. OVERALL...HAVE UNDERCUT MET/MAV
GUIDANCE FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND HAVE 30/40 POPS FROM EAST TO
WEST. OTHER THAN PRECIP POSSIBLY MOVING IN FROM THE WEST LATE IN
THE NIGHT...ADDITIONAL CONVECTION MAY DEVELOP ACROSS THE EAST
ALONG THE FRONT AFTER MIDNIGHT. FRONT IS PROG TO GRADUALLY SHIFT
BACK NORTH ON FRIDAY RESULTING IN AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS ACROSS THE
REGION. ASSUMING THAT THERE IS NOT ANOTHER MCS TRAVERSING THE AREA
IN THE MORNING...DIURNALLY DRIVEN CONVECTION SHOULD DEVELOP DURING
THE DAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY
CONVECTION THAT DEVELOPS THROUGH THE PERIOD. SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPS
TONIGHT GIVEN LIGHT NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WITH CLOUD
COVER/RAIN IMPACTING MAX TEMPS ON FRI.

&&

.LONG TERM...UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE INTO THE LONG TERM
PART OF THE FORECAST. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AXIS WILL SLOWLY MOVE OFF
TO THE EAST AS STRONG UPPER TROUGH DIGS OVER THE WESTERN CONUS
INTO FOUR CORNERS REGION. PERIOD WILL BEGIN WITH PLENTY OF
MOISTURE ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS WITH PWAT VALUES AROUND 1.7 TO 1.8
INCHES. EMBEDDED DISTURBANCE IN SW FLOW ALOFT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE
AREA ON SATURDAY WITH 30 POPS IN THE MORNING THEN SLIGHTLY
INCREASING TO ACROSS THE NW IN THE AFTERNOON. MODELS CONTINUE TO
HINT AT ANOTHER MCS TO OUR NW IN SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY
MORNING. FOCUS AGAIN WOULD SHIFT TO THE WESTERN PARTS ON THE
REGION INTO THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS WITH THIS ACTIVITY. DEEP LEVEL
TROUGH WILL SLOWLY APPROACH SUNDAY WITH INCREASING DIFLUENCE ALOFT
AND LARGE SCALE LIFT. POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF HEAVY
RAINFALL AND POSSIBLY SOME STRONG CONVECTION DURING THIS TIME.
THREAT WILL CONTINUE INTO MONDAY...MOST LIKELY ACROSS THE EASTERN
PART OF THE FORECAST AREA. SEVERAL INCHES OF RAINFALL WILL BE
LIKELY THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...AND A FLASH FLOOD WATCH
MAY BECOME NECESSARY FOR PARTS OR ALL OF SOUTH TEXAS. MAIN TROUGH
AXIS WILL SLOWLY MOVE EAST OF THE REGION BY TUESDAY...BUT
LINGERING MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL RESULT IN AT LEAST
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION. TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE
EXTENDED WILL BE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON RAINFALL AND CLOUD
COVER...BUT WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE 80S.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
CORPUS CHRISTI    73  84  74  85  77  /  30  40  20  30  40
VICTORIA          70  84  73  84  75  /  30  40  10  40  40
LAREDO            72  88  74  89  74  /  40  30  20  30  60
ALICE             71  85  73  88  77  /  30  40  20  40  50
ROCKPORT          74  85  76  85  78  /  30  40  20  30  40
COTULLA           70  87  73  86  73  /  40  40  20  50  60
KINGSVILLE        72  86  74  87  77  /  30  40  10  30  40
NAVY CORPUS       75  84  76  84  78  /  30  40  20  30  40

&&

.CRP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...NONE.
GM...NONE.

&&

RH/79...SHORT TERM
TB/78...LONG TERM

Hazardous weather outlook, May 21, 5:56 AM CDT, 11 hours 5 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
556 AM CDT THU MAY 21 2015

GMZ230-235-250-255-270-275-TXZ229>234-239>247-221100-
BAYS AND WATERWAYS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT ARANSAS-
BAYS AND WATERWAYS FROM PORT ARANSAS TO PORT O'CONNOR-
COASTAL WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT ARANSAS OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM PORT ARANSAS TO MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL OUT
20 NM-WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT ARANSAS FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM PORT ARANSAS TO MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL FROM 20 TO
60 NM-LA SALLE-MCMULLEN-LIVE OAK-BEE-GOLIAD-VICTORIA-WEBB-DUVAL-
JIM WELLS-KLEBERG-NUECES-SAN PATRICIO-ARANSAS-REFUGIO-CALHOUN-
556 AM CDT THU MAY 21 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH TEXAS AND THE MIDDLE
TEXAS COASTAL WATERS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TODAY
OVER SOUTH TEXAS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE. A FLASH FLOOD
WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS TODAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH A
BETTER CHANCE FOR STORMS SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. SOME
STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL
WILL BE ALSO BE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. ANY HEAVY
RAINFALL COULD LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING OVER THE REGION DUE TO
SATURATED GROUND.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

87/85

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 21, 1:16 PM CDT, 3 hours 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
116 PM CDT THU MAY 21 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0111 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     5 SW FANNIN             28.64N 97.29W
05/21/2015                   GOLIAD             TX   AMATEUR RADIO

            REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUD VISIBLE BUT NO GROUND CONTACT

&&

HART

Local storm report, May 21, 1:54 PM CDT, 3 hours 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
154 PM CDT THU MAY 21 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0120 PM     TORNADO          3 ENE PORTLAND          27.90N 97.28W
05/15/2015                   SAN PATRICIO       TX   NWS STORM SURVEY

            *** 3 INJ *** NWS STORM SURVEY, PHOTOS AND VIDEO SHARED
            BY MEDIA CONFIRMED AN EF-0 TORNADO WITH WINDS ESTIMATED
            75-85 MPH...TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE VOSTALPINE PLANT NEAR
            HIGHWAY 361 AND PRIVATE ROAD 87A. THE TORNADO CROSSED
            HIGHWAY 361 AND STRUCK THE TCPO PLANT FLIPPING A
            COMMERCIAL TRAILER INJURING THREE PEOPLE INSIDE. THE
            TORNADO PATH WAS ESTIMATED AT 1.37 MILES IN LENGTH AND
            WIDTH 50 YARDS.

&&

JMETZ

Local storm report, May 21, 3:21 PM CDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
321 PM CDT THU MAY 21 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0315 PM     HAIL             MATHIS                  28.09N 97.82W
05/21/2015  E0.25 INCH       SAN PATRICIO       TX   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            PEA SIZED HAIL AND 50 MPH WIND GUST. REPORTED BY FIRE
            DEPARTMENT

&&

GWILK

Special weather statement, May 21, 3:26 PM CDT, 1 hour 35 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
326 PM CDT THU MAY 21 2015

TXZ232-243>246-212130-
NUECES-SAN PATRICIO-REFUGIO-BEE-ARANSAS-
326 PM CDT THU MAY 21 2015

...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NUECES...SAN
PATRICIO...ARANSAS...REFUGIO AND SOUTHEASTERN BEE COUNTIES...

AT 325 PM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES WEST OF ARANSAS NWR TO NEAR QUINTANA TO NEAR
ST. PAUL TO NEAR EDROY TO NEAR BANQUETE...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15
MPH.

WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH AND HALF INCH HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CORPUS CHRISTI...PORTLAND...ROBSTOWN...ROCKPORT...SINTON...TAFT...
REFUGIO...WOODSBORO...CORPUS CHRISTI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...LAMAR...
INGLESIDE...ARANSAS PASS...ODEM...GREGORY...ST. PAUL...SAN
PATRICIO...BAYSIDE...QUINTANA...PALM HARBOR AND BLUNTZER.

LAT...LON 2813 9691 2815 9691 2812 9694 2812 9696
      2827 9691 2813 9698 2808 9724 2797 9718
      2811 9703 2783 9712 2787 9756 2784 9738
      2763 9729 2777 9792 2843 9748 2855 9714
      2841 9677
TIME...MOT...LOC 2025Z 319DEG 52KT 2831 9695 2830 9717 2814 9753 2800
9773 2780 9788

GW

Local storm report, May 21, 4:14 PM CDT, 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
414 PM CDT THU MAY 21 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0405 PM     FLASH FLOOD      4 NNW CORPUS CHRISTI    27.80N 97.44W
05/21/2015                   NUECES             TX   NWS EMPLOYEE

            STALLED CARS ON NPID AT LEOPARD DUE TO HIGH WATER

&&

JV

Local storm report, May 21, 5:00 PM CDT, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
500 PM CDT THU MAY 21 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0459 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     1 SW ROCKPORT           28.03N 97.06W
05/21/2015                   ARANSAS            TX   COUNTY OFFICIAL

&&

HART

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 21, 4:10 AM CDT	Flash Flood Watch	CRP	Duval, La Salle, Live Oak, McMullen, Webb	8 hr
May 21, 4:56 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	CRP	La Salle	49 min
May 21, 5:53 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CRP	La Salle, Webb	2 hr
May 21, 6:16 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	CRP	Webb	44 min
May 21, 7:19 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	CRP	Zapata	26 min
May 21, 7:31 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CRP	Webb	29 min
May 21, 7:49 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CRP	Webb	56 min
May 21, 7:53 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CRP	Webb	67 min
May 21, 8:23 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CRP	Webb	112 min
May 21, 8:51 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CRP	Duval	114 min
May 21, 12:33 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CRP	Goliad, Victoria	57 min
May 21, 1:07 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	CRP	Goliad	23 min
May 21, 1:37 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	CRP	Goliad, Victoria	23 min
May 21, 1:39 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CRP	Goliad, Refugio, Victoria	2 hr
May 21, 2:01 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	CRP	Goliad, Refugio, Victoria	3 hr
May 21, 2:39 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CRP	Bee, Goliad, Refugio, San Patricio	2 hr
May 21, 2:43 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	CRP	Calhoun, Victoria	3 hr
May 21, 3:19 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CRP	Aransas, Bee, Jim Wells, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio	116 min
May 21, 3:26 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	CRP	Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio	64 min
May 21, 3:30 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	CRP		2 hr
May 21, 4:06 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	CRP	Nueces	4 hr
May 21, 4:14 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	CRP	San Patricio	3 hr
May 21, 4:44 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	CRP	Kleberg	4 hr
May 21, 4:50 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	CRP	Aransas	25 min
May 21, 5:12 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	CRP		2 hr
May 21, 5:36 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	CRP	Nueces	63 hr
May 21, 6:00 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	CRP		2 hr
May 21, 6:58 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	CRP	Kleberg	3 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 2015 Every tornado warning in 2015 Tornadoes in 2015

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.