Alert archive / Texas / Rip Current Statements in 2017

Rip Current Statement 2, NWS Brownsville, TX

March 17, 2017Kenedy County, Texas

NWS Brownsville, TX issued this rip current statement at Mar 17, 2017, 8:14 AM CDT for Kenedy County, Texas. It was in force for 22 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 17, 2017, 8:14 AM CDT (13:14 UTC)
Expired
Mar 18, 2017, 6:23 AM CDT
In force
22 hr
Issued by
NWS Brownsville, TX

County Kenedy County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 96 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:20 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 94 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 2017-03-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 470 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Corpus Christi, TX at 12:00Z on 2017-03-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 44 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
470 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-242 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
726 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
44 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
180 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

140 
WHUS44 KBRO 171314
CFWBRO

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
814 AM CDT FRI MAR 17 2017

...DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS POSSIBLE AT THE BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE 
ISLAND AND BOCA CHICA STATE PARK THROUGH TONIGHT...

.NEAR-SHORE WAVE HEIGHTS OF 3 TO 5 FEET WILL PRODUCE A MODERATE 
RIP CURRENT RISK THROUGH AT LEAST THIS EVENING. LARGE CROWDS ARE 
EXPECTED AT THE BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND FOR SPRING BREAK
ESPECIALLY WITH THE FAVORABLE WEATHER EXPECTED.

TXZ251-256-257-180000-
/O.NEW.KBRO.RP.S.0002.170317T1314Z-170318T1200Z/
KENEDY-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
814 AM CDT FRI MAR 17 2017

...MODERATE RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY 
MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS ISSUED A MODERATE 
RIP CURRENT RISK, WHICH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. 

* TIMING...NOW THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS...MARINE CONDITIONS SUPPORT THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONGER
  OR MORE FREQUENT LIFE-THREATENING RIP CURRENTS...WHICH WILL
  CREATE DANGEROUS SWIMMING CONDITIONS AT BOCA CHICA BEACH AND THE
  BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE JETTIES.
  MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES TODAY WITH AIR TEMPERATURES IN THE MID-70S
  AND SURF TEMPERATURES AROUND 72 DEGREES ARE LIKELY TO DRAW MANY
  PEOPLE INTO THE WATER. THERE IS ALSO A MODERATE RISK OF
  LONGSHORE CURRENTS TODAY...WHICH CAN PUSH SWIMMERS WELL DOWN 
  THE BEACH FROM THE POINT WHERE THEY ENTER THE WATER. THEREFORE 
  SWIMMING IS DISCOURAGED...AS IT WILL BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS 
  FOR ALL SWIMMERS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS.

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.

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. 

&&

$$

53
2 follow-up statements
452 
WHUS44 KBRO 180032
CFWBRO

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
732 PM CDT FRI MAR 17 2017

...DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS POSSIBLE AT THE BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE
ISLAND AND BOCA CHICA BEACH THROUGH TONIGHT...

.NEARSHORE WAVE HEIGHTS OF 3 TO 5 FEET WILL PRODUCE A MODERATE 
RIP CURRENT RISK THROUGH TONIGHT. LARGE CROWDS ARE EXPECTED AT 
THE BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND FOR SPRING BREAK ESPECIALLY 
WITH THE FAVORABLE WEATHER EXPECTED.

TXZ251-256-257-181200-
/O.CON.KBRO.RP.S.0002.000000T0000Z-170318T1200Z/
KENEDY-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
732 PM CDT FRI MAR 17 2017

...MODERATE RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT 
SATURDAY...

* TIMING...NOW THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS...MARINE CONDITIONS SUPPORT THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONGER
  OR MORE FREQUENT LIFE-THREATENING RIP CURRENTS...WHICH WILL 
  CREATE DANGEROUS SWIMMING CONDITIONS AT BOCA CHICA BEACH AND THE
  BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE JETTIES. 
  MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES TODAY WITH AIR TEMPERATURES IN THE MID-70S 
  AND SURF TEMPERATURES AROUND 72 DEGREES ARE LIKELY TO DRAW MANY 
  PEOPLE INTO THE WATER. THERE IS ALSO A MODERATE RISK OF 
  LONGSHORE CURRENTS...WHICH CAN PUSH SWIMMERS WELL DOWN THE BEACH
  FROM THE POINT WHERE THEY ENTER THE WATER. THEREFORE SWIMMING 
  IS DISCOURAGED...AS IT WILL BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FOR ALL 
  SWIMMERS. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS.

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.

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.

&&

$$
337 
WHUS44 KBRO 181123
CFWBRO

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
623 AM CDT SAT MAR 18 2017

...SWELL, WAVES AND RIP CURRENT RISK SUBSIDING...

.HIGH PRESSURE SETTLING OVER THE CENTRAL GULF HAS REDUCED THE 
WINDS AND ALLOWED FOR THE HIGHER WAVES AND SWELLS TO SUBSIDE 
OVERNIGHT. WITH SWELL HEIGHTS LOWERING BELOW CRITICAL LEVELS, THE
RIP CURRENT RISK HAS BEEN LOWERED.

TXZ251-256-257-181230-
/O.CAN.KBRO.RP.S.0002.000000T0000Z-170318T1200Z/
KENEDY-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
623 AM CDT SAT MAR 18 2017

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS CANCELLED THE
HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A LOW RISK OF RIP CURRENTS TODAY.

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 Brownsville, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 17, 4:31 AM CDTSmall Craft Advisory for WindsBRO14 hr

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Texas, 2017Every rip current statement in 2017

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.