Alert archive / Texas / Rip Current Statements in 2025

Rip Current Statement 9, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

May 18, 2025Brazoria County, Galveston County, Matagorda County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this rip current statement at May 18, 2025, 1:38 AM CDT for Brazoria County, Galveston County, Matagorda County, Texas. It was in force for 18 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 18, 2025, 1:38 AM CDT (06:38 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 2025, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
18 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 06:41 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, 6.6 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 2025-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2077 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Corpus Christi, TX at 00:00Z on 2025-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 41 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
2077 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-276 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
950 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
80 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

796 
WHUS44 KHGX 180638
CFWHGX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
138 AM CDT Sun May 18 2025

TXZ436>439-181445-
/O.NEW.KHGX.RP.S.0009.250518T0638Z-250519T0100Z/
Matagorda Islands-Brazoria Islands-Galveston Island-
Bolivar Peninsula-
138 AM CDT Sun May 18 2025

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

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

* WHEN...Through this 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.

&&

$$

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Texas, 2025Every rip current statement in 2025

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.