Alert archive / Texas / Rip Current Statements in 2019

Rip Current Statement 11, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

April 18, 2019Brazoria County, Galveston County, Matagorda County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this rip current statement at Apr 18, 2019, 7:17 AM CDT for Brazoria County, Galveston County, Matagorda County, Texas. It was in force for 5 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Apr 18, 2019, 7:17 AM CDT (12:17 UTC)
Expired: Apr 18, 2019, 12:00 PM CDT
In force: 5 hr
Issued by: NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

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

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 54 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:20 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, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 241 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1459 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 69 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -340 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -458 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

640 
WHUS44 KHGX 181217
CFWHGX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
717 AM CDT Thu Apr 18 2019

...HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS THIS MORNING...

.Elevated surf along area beaches will pose a high risk of rip
currents this morning. Be sure to swim near a lifeguard and stay 
away from rocks, piers and jetties where the rip currents are 
particularly strong. Surf will diminish this afternoon as will
the risk of strong rip currents.

TXZ436>438-181700-
/O.NEW.KHGX.RP.S.0011.190418T1217Z-190418T1700Z/
Brazoria Islands-Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula-
Matagorda Islands-
717 AM CDT Thu Apr 18 2019

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CDT TODAY...

The National Weather Service in Houston/Galveston has issued a
High Rip Current Risk, which is in effect until noon CDT today. 

* HAZARDS...Strong rip currents and elevated surf along Gulf facing shores.

* TIMING...Through this morning.

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 18, 12:56 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazos, Burleson	34 min
Apr 18, 1:01 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Burleson, Washington	44 min
Apr 18, 1:25 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Austin, Brazos, Burleson, Waller, Washington	50 min
Apr 18, 1:32 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Madison, Walker	43 min
Apr 18, 2:02 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Houston, Madison	43 min
Apr 18, 2:13 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Waller, Washington	47 min
Apr 18, 2:17 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazos, Grimes, Houston, Madison, Walker	43 min
Apr 18, 2:31 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	HGX	Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Madison	119 min
Apr 18, 2:42 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Houston, Trinity	48 min
Apr 18, 2:56 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Madison, Trinity, Walker	49 min
Apr 18, 3:10 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Colorado	35 min
Apr 18, 3:22 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Polk, Trinity	38 min
Apr 18, 3:35 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Montgomery, San Jacinto, Waller	40 min
Apr 18, 3:42 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Wharton	33 min
Apr 18, 3:54 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Polk, Trinity	66 min
Apr 18, 4:13 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty and 1 more	62 min
Apr 18, 4:19 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	HGX		86 min
Apr 18, 5:17 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Liberty	28 min
Apr 18, 5:19 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Liberty	26 min
Apr 18, 6:38 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	HGX	Brazos, Grimes, Madison	5 days
Apr 18, 7:37 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	HGX		98 min
Apr 18, 8:56 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	HGX		94 min
Apr 18, 10:23 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	HGX		52 min
Apr 18, 10:25 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Chambers	20 min
Apr 18, 11:07 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	HGX		8 min

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Texas, 2019 Every rip current statement in 2019

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.