Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Texas, August 31, 2001

Name: Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Texas, August 31, 2001
Start: 2001-08-31T08:50
End: 2001-08-31T20:30
Location: Texas

August 31, 2001 · NWS BRO · 6 events in 4 counties and zones

5 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 31, 8:43 AM CST, 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 31, 8:43 AM CST, 7 minutes before

DEEP SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
943 AM CDT FRI AUG 31 2001

WILL CONTINUE CHANCE POPS FOR THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN
ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE UPPER VALLEY.  AT 14Z...A WEAK SFC LOW CONTINUED OVER
THE UPPER VALLEY THIS MORNING.  THE 00Z AVN RUN SEEMED TO PICK UP
THIS FEATURE QUITE WELL WHILE THE ETA DID NOT.  THE AVN PROGS THIS
SFC LOW TO REMAIN NEARY STATIONARY THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE
UPPER VALLEY.  THIS LOW WILL CONTINUE TO ACT AS A FOCUSING MECHANISM
FOR HEAVY RAIN THIS AFTERNOON ESPECIALLY ACROSS JIM HOGG...ZAPATA...
BROOKS...AND KENEDY COUNTIES.  A HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUE OR
PWAT OF 2.22 INCHES WAS NOTED ON THE 12Z BRO SOUNDING.  WATER VAPOR
IMAGERY ALSO INDICATED DRIER MID AND UPPER FLOW WITH EMBEDDED AREAS
OF PVA APPROACHING THE VALLEY.  IN ADDITION...BOTH AVN AND ETA PROG
HEIGHT FALLS AND A DEEPENING WEAK UPPER TROF OVER THE VALLEY INTO
THE LATE AFTERNOON.  THE COMBINATION OF AFTERNOON HEATING...HIGH
PWAT...DEEPENING UPPER TROF...AND THE SURFACE LOW COULD COMBINE TO
PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN ZONES THIS
AFTERNOON.

MARINE...SEAS 6 FEET OFFSHORE WITH SE WINDS NEAR 16 KNOTS. THESE
MODERATE SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL PREVAIL...AND WILL GO AHEAD AND ADD
MENTION OF SCEC.  PERSISTENT WEAKNESS IN THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE IN
COMBINATION OF A SHORT WAVE TROUGH OVER CENTRAL TX...WILL ALLOW
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION TO DEVELOP THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
AND WEEKEND.

GUERRERO AND MARTINEZ

.BRO...NONE.

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 143 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:25 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Jim Hogg

When: August 31, 8:50 AM CST to 11:30 AM CST
Where: Jim Hogg County, 2 mi N of Hebbronville
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 27.043, -98.697 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Law enforcement officials from Jim Hogg county reported flash flooding on Highway 16. The high water was primarily a result of runoff from heavy rain that occurred overnight in neighboring Duval county. Both Highway 16 and Highway 359 were closed for a good portion of the day, as a result of the high water.

Flash Flood, Jim Hogg

When: August 31, 3:30 PM CST to 8:30 PM CST
Where: Jim Hogg County, 2 mi N of Hebbronville
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 27.043, -98.697 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Law enforcement officials from Jim Hogg county reported that Highway 16 remained closed due to the high water over the road.

Flash Flood, Brooks

When: August 31, 3:35 PM CST to 8:30 PM CST
Where: Brooks County, 10 mi W of Falfurrias
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 27.032, -98.219 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Law enforcement officials from Brooks county reported that Highway 285 was closed as a result of high water over the road. A motorist who was forced into a ditch by the flood waters had to be rescued.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hidalgo

When: August 31, 8:25 PM CST
Where: Hidalgo County, 4 mi N of La Joya
Measured: 74 kt (85 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 26.317, -98.567

A National Weather Service storm survey confirmed that straight line winds were responsible for rolling and crushing three recreational vehicles and one mobile home. A small wood frame home was removed from it's foundation, also as a result of the straight line winds. The winds were estimated to be around 85 MPH (74 knots).

Flash Flood, Starr

When: August 31, 8:25 PM CST
Where: Starr County, 20 mi NE of Rio Grande City
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 26.562, -98.738 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

McAllen DPS reported that FM 490 was impassable due to high water over the road which continued through the night. In fact, secondary gravel roads remained flooded into the next day.

Flash Flood, Hidalgo

When: August 31, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Hidalgo County, Countywide
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 26.397, -98.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Law enforcement officials from Hidalgo county reported that many homes and roads were flooded near the town of Sullivan City, and county-wide. Deputies from the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Department rescued flood victims in Sullivan City. Seven Mile Line Road north of Sullivan City was reported to be impassable as a result of high water. Meanwhile, a woman in Mission had to be rescued from rising water in her home. This flooding also continued through the night before receding.

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, August 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5265180, 5265182, 5265181, 5265179, 5265183, 5265184.