Scattered showers and thunderstorms redeveloped over Wilson, Karnes, DeWitt and Lavaca Counties and began spreading slowly northward over already saturated soils. The general 2 to 4 inch rainfalls had up to 7 inch totals embedded within them.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS EWX wrote it up.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms redeveloped over Wilson, Karnes, DeWitt and Lavaca Counties and began spreading slowly northward over already saturated soils. The general 2 to 4 inch rainfalls had up to 7 inch totals embedded within them. Again, no lives were lost in this part of the flooding, but damage to roads and bridges continued.
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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 2, 2:10 AM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 310 AM CDT TUE JUL 2 2002 FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL CONTINUE AREAWIDE TODAY AND TONIGHT. UPPER TROUGH MEANDERING ACROSS AREA TODAY WILL COMBINE WITH RICH MOISTURE PLUMES OFF THE GULF TO ONCE AGAIN PRODUCE AN EXCELLENT CHANCE OF TROPIC-LIKE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. UPPER TROUGH AXIS WILL BEGIN MOVING WEST LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY WITH THE FOCUS SHIFTING WESTWARD INTO THE WESTERN HILLS AND RIO GRANDE PLAINS. BY INDEPENDENCE DAY...MUCH OF THE ACTIVITY SHIFTS WEST WITH UPPER RIDGING BUILDING IN FROM THE EAST. EASTERLIES RETURN OVER THE WEEKEND WITH A MINOR WAVE MOVING THROUGH EARLY MONDAY. GRADUAL RIDGING ALOFT NEXT TUESDAY AS MAMMOTH BLOCKY RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE WESTERN U.S.. PRELIMS... AUS TE 080/071 088/072 093 +522 DRT TT 083/072 084/074 092 5754 SAT TE 082/073 088/073 092 8532 .EWX...FLASH FLOOD WATCH ENTIRE CWA THRU TONIGHT.
The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:15 UTC.
6 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
General 3 to 4 inch totals were reported across the county with isolated amounts of up to 7 inches over the western part of the county. Flash flooding was occurring over all low water crossings. Creeks and small streams were also reported flooding.
General 3 to 4 inch totals fell across the county. Flash flooding developed in the early morning hours and continued until afternoon. Damage was still reported to be spotty to roads in the county.
General 3 to 4 inch totals were reported over Lavaca County, with most low water crossings flooded. No significant damage was reported at this time.
General 2 to 3 inch totals fell over DeWitt County. Isolated totals of up to 5 inches were indicated between Cuero and Westhoff. Damage to roads was not indicated.
General 1 to 2 inch rains fell across the county, with isolated amounts totals of 4-5 inches in the southwest part. This produced flash flooding over several low water crossings from the early morning hours until the late afternoon. Damage was reported to be spotty over county roads.
General 3 inch totals fell over the county with isolated amounts of up to 7 inches in the western part of the county. Flash flooding redeveloped in the early morning hours over soils that had been soaked by the previous day's rainfall. The flash flooding continued into the late afternoon but produced little damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, July 2002
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: 5311624, 5311625, 5311691, 5311692, 5311693, 5311694.