Alert archive / Texas / Rip Current Statements in 2015

Rip Current Statement 2, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

May 17, 20154 counties in Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this rip current statement at May 17, 2015, 6:51 AM CDT for 4 counties in Texas. It was in force for 24 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 17, 2015, 6:51 AM CDT (11:51 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 2015, 7:00 AM CDT
In force
24 hr
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

Counties Brazoria County, TX, Chambers County, TX, Galveston County, TX, Matagorda County, TX

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 219 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 2015-05-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3009 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 2015-05-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 54 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
3009 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
725 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
54 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
55 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

688 
WHUS44 KHGX 171151
CFWHGX

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
651 AM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...

.HIGHER THAN NORMAL SURF ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS COAST WILL PRODUCE 
A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG AREA BEACHES THROUGH TONIGHT. 

TXZ214-236>238-172000-
/O.NEW.KHGX.RP.S.0002.150517T1151Z-150518T1200Z/
BRAZORIA-CHAMBERS-GALVESTON-MATAGORDA-
651 AM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS ISSUED A
HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK...WHICH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY
MORNING. 

* TIMING...THROUGH TONIGHT.

* IMPACTS...WILL POSE A HAZARD TO EVEN EXPERIENCED SWIMMERS... 
  ESPECIALLY NEAR ROCK GROINS...JETTIES AND PIERS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. LIFE THREATENING RIP
CURRENTS ARE LIKELY IN THE SURF ZONE.
               
RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY
FROM SHORE...WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE
SANDBAR AND IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS GROINS...
JETTIES AND PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS...BEACH PATROL...
FLAGS AND SIGNS. SWIM NEAR A LIFEGUARD.
               
IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...YELL FOR HELP. REMAIN
CALM...DO NOT EXHAUST YOURSELF AND STAY AFLOAT WHILE WAITING FOR
HELP. IF YOU HAVE TO SWIM OUT OF A RIP CURRENT...SWIM PARALLEL TO
SHORE AND BACK TOWARD THE BEACH WHEN POSSIBLE. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST A RIP CURRENT AS YOU WILL TIRE QUICKLY.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
093 
WHUS44 KHGX 171423
CFWHGX

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
923 AM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...

.HIGHER THAN NORMAL SURF ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS COAST WILL PRODUCE
A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG AREA BEACHES INTO MONDAY MORNING.

TXZ214-236>238-180300-
/O.CON.KHGX.RP.S.0002.000000T0000Z-150518T1200Z/
BRAZORIA-CHAMBERS-GALVESTON-MATAGORDA-
923 AM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY
MORNING...

* TIMING...TODAY THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS...WILL POSE A HAZARD TO EVEN EXPERIENCED SWIMMERS... 
  ESPECIALLY NEAR ROCK GROINS...JETTIES AND PIERS. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. LIFE THREATENING RIP
CURRENTS ARE LIKELY IN THE SURF ZONE.

RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY
FROM SHORE...WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE
SANDBAR AND IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS GROINS...
JETTIES AND PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS...BEACH PATROL...
FLAGS AND SIGNS. SWIM NEAR A LIFEGUARD.

IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...YELL FOR HELP. REMAIN
CALM...DO NOT EXHAUST YOURSELF AND STAY AFLOAT WHILE WAITING FOR
HELP. IF YOU HAVE TO SWIM OUT OF A RIP CURRENT...SWIM PARALLEL TO
SHORE AND BACK TOWARD THE BEACH WHEN POSSIBLE. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST A RIP CURRENT AS YOU WILL TIRE QUICKLY.

&&

$$
201 
WHUS44 KHGX 180250
CFWHGX

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
950 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING...

.HIGHER THAN NORMAL SURF ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS COAST WILL PRODUCE 
A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG AREA BEACHES INTO EARLY MONDAY 
MORNING.

TXZ214-236>238-181200-
/O.CON.KHGX.RP.S.0002.000000T0000Z-150518T1200Z/
BRAZORIA-CHAMBERS-GALVESTON-MATAGORDA-
950 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT MONDAY...

* TIMING...TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS...WILL POSE A HAZARD TO EVEN EXPERIENCED SWIMMERS... 
  ESPECIALLY NEAR ROCK GROINS...JETTIES AND PIERS. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. LIFE THREATENING RIP CURRENTS 
ARE LIKELY IN THE SURF ZONE.

RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY
FROM SHORE...WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE
SANDBAR AND IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS GROINS...JETTIES 
AND PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS...BEACH PATROL...FLAGS AND 
SIGNS. SWIM NEAR A LIFEGUARD.

IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...YELL FOR HELP. REMAIN
CALM...DO NOT EXHAUST YOURSELF AND STAY AFLOAT WHILE WAITING FOR
HELP. IF YOU HAVE TO SWIM OUT OF A RIP CURRENT...SWIM PARALLEL TO
SHORE AND BACK TOWARD THE BEACH WHEN POSSIBLE. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST A RIP CURRENT AS YOU WILL TIRE QUICKLY.

&&

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 12:56 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHGXFort Bend, Waller49 min
May 17, 1:40 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHGXHarris50 min
May 17, 2:28 PM CDTTornado WarningHGXLiberty32 min

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Texas, 2015Every rip current statement 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.