Flash Flooding and Hail in Texas, October 7 to 30, 1997

Record setting rains producing extensive flooding occurred from October 9-13, 1997 across portions of the South Texas Coastal Bend. A high pressure area across the eastern U.S. and Gulf of Mexico combined with an area of low pressure from northern Mexico to force an influx of very moist and unstable tropical air into the Texas coastal plains. Residual moisture from once Hurricane Pauline over the southwest Mexican Pacific coast also contributed to the tropical moisture feed. A series of weak upper level disturbances interacted with the deep tropical airmass to produce numerous "training" bands of showers and thunderstorms across the Texas coastal plains from October 9-12. During the early part of the event, a low-level inverted trough was analyzed across the Coastal Bend of South Texas. An upper level area of high pressure had built across the area resulting in very light steering winds aloft. Strong easterly winds with a long fetch across the Gulf of Mexico resulted in the threat of coastal flooding throughout the period. Low level winds increased and veered to more of a southerly direction late on the 11th into the 12th in advance of a cold front pushing into the Central Plains. This resulted in a great reduction in the precipitation across the area on the 12th with no flooding observed. However, convergence ahead of the front late on the 12th and into the early morning hours of the 13th resulted in a redevelopment of numerous showers and thunderstorms across the area along with widespread flooding. The Storm Total estimates from the WSR-88D at Corpus Christi, TX, as well as reports from observers, indicated rainfall totals ranging from 8 to 22 inches. The greatest flooding occurred in the Corpus Christi area of Nueces county with an estimated $5 million in flood damages. Unfortunately, two teenage brothers (ages 14 and 13) drowned after being swept away by flood waters while playing near a drainage basin in Annaville, TX (near Corpus Christi) in Nueces county. The majority of the agricultural crops had already been harvested so damage to crops was minimal. There were literally hundreds of automobiles stranded during the flood event.