Alert archive / Texas / Rip Current Statements in 2023

Rip Current Statement 48, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

August 21, 2023Brazoria County, Galveston County, Matagorda County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this rip current statement at Aug 21, 2023, 3:34 AM CDT for Brazoria County, Galveston County, Matagorda County, Texas. It was in force for 51 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 21, 2023, 3:34 AM CDT (08:34 UTC)
Expired
Aug 23, 2023, 7:00 AM CDT
In force
51 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 08:34 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 00:00Z, 8.6 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Corpus Christi, TX at 00:00Z on 2023-08-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 342 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, Corpus Christi, TX at 00:00Z on 2023-08-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 17 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
342 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-276 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2147 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
17 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
69 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

072 
WHUS44 KHGX 210834
CFWHGX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
334 AM CDT Mon Aug 21 2023

TXZ436>439-211645-
/O.NEW.KHGX.RP.S.0048.230821T0834Z-230823T0300Z/
Matagorda Islands-Brazoria Islands-Galveston Island-
Bolivar Peninsula-
334 AM CDT Mon Aug 21 2023

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Gulf-facing beaches, including the Matagorda 
  Peninsula, Brazoria County beaches, Galveston Island and the 
  Bolivar Peninsula.

* WHEN...Through Tuesday evening.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away 
  from shore into deeper water.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Swim near a lifeguard and away from rocks, jetties, and piers. If
caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don't swim against the
current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If
unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$
3 follow-up statements
933 
WHUS44 KHGX 212221
CFWHGX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
521 PM CDT Mon Aug 21 2023

TXZ436>439-220630-
/O.EXT.KHGX.RP.S.0048.000000T0000Z-230823T1200Z/
Matagorda Islands-Brazoria Islands-Galveston Island-
Bolivar Peninsula-
521 PM CDT Mon Aug 21 2023

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Gulf-facing beaches, including the Matagorda 
  Peninsula, Brazoria County beaches, Galveston Island and the 
  Bolivar Peninsula.

* WHEN...Through Wednesday morning.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away 
  from shore into deeper water.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Swim near a lifeguard and away from rocks, jetties, and piers. If
caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don't swim against the
current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If
unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$
483 
WHUS44 KHGX 220902
CFWHGX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
402 AM CDT Tue Aug 22 2023

TXZ436>439-222115-
/O.CON.KHGX.RP.S.0048.000000T0000Z-230823T1200Z/
Matagorda Islands-Brazoria Islands-Galveston Island-
Bolivar Peninsula-
402 AM CDT Tue Aug 22 2023

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Gulf-facing beaches, including the Matagorda 
  Peninsula, Brazoria County beaches, Galveston Island and the 
  Bolivar Peninsula.

* WHEN...Through Wednesday morning.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away 
  from shore into deeper water.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Swim near a lifeguard and away from rocks, jetties, and piers. If
caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don't swim against the
current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If
unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$
532 
WHUS44 KHGX 222050
CFWHGX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
350 PM CDT Tue Aug 22 2023

TXZ436>439-231200-
/O.CON.KHGX.RP.S.0048.000000T0000Z-230823T1200Z/
Matagorda Islands-Brazoria Islands-Galveston Island-
Bolivar Peninsula-
350 PM CDT Tue Aug 22 2023

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Gulf-facing beaches, including the Matagorda 
  Peninsula, Brazoria County beaches, Galveston Island and the 
  Bolivar Peninsula.

* WHEN...Through Wednesday morning.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away 
  from shore into deeper water.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Swim near a lifeguard and away from rocks, jetties, and piers. If
caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don't swim against the
current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If
unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 21, 10:06 AM CDTTropical Storm WatchHGXJackson, Matagorda30 hr
Aug 21, 3:49 PM CDTTropical Storm WarningHGX24 hr
Aug 21, 3:55 PM CDTHeat AdvisoryHGXAustin, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Chambers, Colorado and 17 more30 hr
Aug 21, 6:46 PM CDTRed Flag WarningHGXBrazos, Burleson, Grimes, Houston, Madison, Montgomery and 5 more27 hr

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Texas, 2023Every rip current statement in 2023

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.