Alert archive / Texas / Rip Current Statements in 2026

Rip Current Statement 16, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

July 23, 2026Brazoria County, Galveston County, Matagorda County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this rip current statement at Jul 23, 2026, 10:40 AM CDT for Brazoria County, Galveston County, Matagorda County, Texas. It was in force for 19 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 23, 2026, 10:40 AM CDT (15:40 UTC)
Expired
Jul 24, 2026, 6:00 AM CDT
In force
19 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 15:44 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, 3.7 hours before the alert went out and 243 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 2026-07-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1180 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 2026-07-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 81 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
1180 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-73 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
565 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
81 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
88 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
2.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

879 
WHUS44 KHGX 231540
CFWHGX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
1040 AM CDT Thu Jul 23 2026

TXZ436-232345-
/O.CAN.KHGX.BH.S.0003.000000T0000Z-260724T1100Z/
/O.NEW.KHGX.RP.S.0016.260723T1540Z-260724T1100Z/
Matagorda Islands-
1040 AM CDT Thu Jul 23 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...
...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT IS CANCELLED...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

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

* WHEN...Through late tonight.

* 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.

&&

$$

TXZ437>439-232345-
/O.NEW.KHGX.RP.S.0016.260723T1540Z-260724T1100Z/
Brazoria Islands-Galveston Island-Bolivar Peninsula-
1040 AM CDT Thu Jul 23 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

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

* WHEN...Through late tonight.

* 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.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
031 
WHUS44 KHGX 232118
CFWHGX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
418 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2026

TXZ436>439-240530-
/O.CON.KHGX.RP.S.0016.000000T0000Z-260724T1100Z/
Matagorda Islands-Brazoria Islands-Galveston Island-
Bolivar Peninsula-
418 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

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

* WHEN...Through late tonight.

* 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.

&&

$$
025 
WHUS44 KHGX 232353
CFWHGX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
653 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2026

TXZ436>439-240800-
/O.CON.KHGX.RP.S.0016.000000T0000Z-260724T1100Z/
Matagorda Islands-Brazoria Islands-Galveston Island-
Bolivar Peninsula-
653 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CDT
FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

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

* WHEN...Until 6 AM CDT Friday.

* 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
Jul 22, 7:11 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHGXWashington49 min
Jul 22, 7:25 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHGXBrazoria50 min
Jul 22, 7:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazoria, Galveston46 min
Jul 22, 7:30 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX90 min
Jul 22, 8:24 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHGXBrazoria51 min
Jul 22, 8:38 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX67 min
Jul 22, 9:09 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHGXMatagorda51 min
Jul 22, 9:58 PM CDTTropical Storm WarningHGXBrazoria, Chambers, Galveston21 hr
Jul 23, 12:10 AM CDTHeat AdvisoryHGXAustin, Brazos, Burleson, Colorado, Grimes, Houston and 8 more19 hr
Jul 23, 10:30 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX90 min
Jul 23, 11:43 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX92 min
Jul 23, 5:08 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryHGXBrazoria, Fort Bend, Harris3 hr
Jul 23, 5:46 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningHGXFort Bend, Harris2 hr
Jul 23, 6:35 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryHGXHarris3 hr

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Texas, 2026Every rip current statement in 2026

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.