Alert archive / Texas / Rip Current Statements in 2019

Rip Current Statement 29, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

September 15, 2019Galveston County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this rip current statement at Sep 15, 2019, 1:45 PM CDT for Galveston County, Texas. It was in force for 6 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 15, 2019, 1:45 PM CDT (18:45 UTC)
Expired
Sep 15, 2019, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

County Galveston County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 32 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:48 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

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 6.8 hours before the alert went out and 180 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 12:00Z on 2019-09-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 15 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 12:00Z on 2019-09-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 68 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
15 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-99 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1408 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
68 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
107 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

735 
WHUS44 KHGX 151845
CFWHGX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
145 PM CDT Sun Sep 15 2019

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

Moderate east winds will allow for a high risk of rip 
currents along Gulf facing beaches through the remainder of 
the day Sunday. Always remember to swim near a lifeguard.

TXZ438-160100-
/O.NEW.KHGX.RP.S.0029.190915T1845Z-190916T0100Z/
Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula-
145 PM CDT Sun Sep 15 2019

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

The National Weather Service in Houston/Galveston has issued a
High Rip Current Risk, which is in effect until 8 PM CDT this
evening. 

* TIMING...Through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Rip currents along Gulf facing beaches.

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
Sep 15, 1:36 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX54 min
Sep 15, 1:54 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHGXGalveston51 min
Sep 15, 3:49 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHGXBrazoria26 min

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Texas, 2019Every 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.