Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Texas, July 27, 2002

Name: Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Texas, July 27, 2002
Start: 2002-07-27T19:05
End: 2002-07-27T21:15
Location: Texas

July 27, 2002 · NWS AMA · 9 events in 3 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms containing flooding rainfall and damaging winds developed during the evening hours across the central and southern Texas panhandle. A microburst hit the city of Borger shortly before sunset causing extensive damage but no injuries.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: $860,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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 happened

The episode as NWS AMA wrote it up.

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 Amarillo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 27, 1:22 PM CST, 5 hours 43 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 27, 1:22 PM CST, 5 hours 43 minutes before

TEXAS/OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
222 PM CDT SAT JUL 27 2002

FEW ELEVATED TS CURRENTLY OVER THE NORTHEAST ZONES THIS AFTERNOON
EXPECT SIGNIFICANT TS REDEVELOPMENT LATER THIS EVENING THROUGH THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS. DYNAMICS FOR TONIGHTS ACTIVITY ARE GENERALLY
ABOVE 650 MBS...AROUND 8K FT AGL...SO NOT TOO SURE HOW RELEVANT
LOWER FEATURES LIKE THE 30KT 8H JET WILL BE. NEW TS CURRENTLY
DEVELOPING ALONG JUST WEST OF I-25 BETWEEN LAS VEGAS NEW MEXICO AND
TRINIDAD COLORADO. OTHER SHOWERS TRYING TO DEVELOP OVER THE
NORTHWEST TEXAS PANHANDLE.

WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND 25H RUC JET ANALYSIS SHOWS PANHANDLES
CONTINUE TO BE INFLUENCED BY THE RICH SUBTROPICAL PACIFIC MOISTURE
PLUME THAT IS CAUGHT UP IN THE 70 KT 25H UPPER JET OVER THE CENTRAL
PLAINS. EXTRAPOLATION PLACES THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN PANHANDLES
GENERALLY IN THE ANTI-CYCLONIC PORTION OR RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION
TONIGHT. MEANWHILE...DARK SPOT IN WATER VAPOR IMAGERY JUST TO THE
SOUTHEAST OF THE PANHANDLES INDICATES AN UPPER LEVEL SOURCE OF
POTENTIAL VORTICITY THAT MAY BE A FACTOR TONIGHT.

CHANCE POPS LOOK VERY GOOD AND WE MAY NEED TO RAISE POPS TONIGHT.
WITH PW VALUES AROUND 1.25 INCH...THOUGHT ABOUT MENTIONING LOCALLY
HEAVY RAINFALL. HOWEVER WITH WITH STORM MOTIONS AFFECTED BY HIGHER
LEVEL JET DYNAMICS...STORM SPEEDS SHOULD BE FASTER THAN IN RECENT
DAYS.

NEXT CONCERN IS THE APPARENT FROPA SUNDAY NIGHT. MODEL CONSENSUS IS
FOR COOLER TEMPS ON MONDAY WITH LOW LEVEL UPSLOPE DEVELOPING.
PRECIP CHANCES SHOULD CONTINUE SUNDAY AFTERNOON/NIGHT WILL LIKELY
RAISE CURRENT 20 PER-CENTERS TO 30 PERCENT. WILL NEED TO RE-INSERT
LOWER 90S AND PERHAPS EVEN SOME UPPER 80S MONDAY. WILL KEEP 20 POPS
GOING BUT WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE LATER SHIFTS INCREASE POPS ON
MONDAY WITH STATIONARY FRONT IN THE AREA.  TEMPS SHOULD WARM OVER
THE PANHANDLES...BACK INTO THE UPPER 90S BY THURSDAY.

FCSTID = 13

AMARILLO    71 93 65 90 /  30 20 20 20
BEAVER      72 97 67 88 /  40 20 20 20
BOISE CITY  65 93 63 89 /  20 20 20 20
BORGER      71 98 66 93 /  30 20 20 20
BOYS RANCH  70 98 65 93 /  30 20 20 20
CANYON      70 97 63 92 /  30 20 20 20
CLARENDON   71 96 65 93 /  30 20 20 20
DALHART     64 95 64 89 /  30 20 20 20
GUYMON      70 96 65 88 /  30 20 20 20
HEREFORD    69 96 63 93 /  30 20 20 20
LIPSCOMB    72 98 68 88 /  40 20 20 20
PAMPA       71 94 66 91 /  30 20 20 20
SHAMROCK    72 98 66 93 /  30 20 20 20
WELLINGTON  72 98 66 94 /  30 20 20 20

.AMA...
TX...NONE.
OK...NONE.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hutchinson

When: July 27, 7:05 PM CST
Where: Hutchinson County, 17 mi N of Stinnett
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 36.067, -101.450

A shed and trees were reported blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hutchinson

When: July 27, 7:15 PM CST
Where: Hutchinson County, Fritch
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.633, -101.600

Powerlines were reported down in the town of Fritch.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hutchinson

When: July 27, 7:23 PM CST
Where: Hutchinson County, 18 mi N of Stinnett
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.083, -101.450

Powerlines were reported down.

Flash Flood, Hutchinson

When: July 27, 7:30 PM CST to 8:30 PM CST
Where: Hutchinson County, 16 mi N of Stinnett
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.840, -101.355 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Fifteen inches of water was reported over the roadway at the intersection of Highways 207 and 281. No cars were stranded and no injuries were reported.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hutchinson

When: July 27, 7:45 PM CST
Where: Hutchinson County, Borger
Measured: 80 kt (92 mph)
Property damage: $800,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.667, -101.383

Numerous trees and powerlines were reported down in the city of Borger. Major structural damage reported to buildings. No injuries were reported.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hutchinson

When: July 27, 8:10 PM CST
Where: Hutchinson County, 7 mi NE of Borger
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.733, -101.300

Flash Flood, Hutchinson

When: July 27, 8:15 PM CST to 9:15 PM CST
Where: Hutchinson County, 5 mi E of Borger
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.840, -101.355 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Water was reported covering the road on Highway 152 five miles east of Borger. No cars were reported stranded and no injuries were reported.

Thunderstorm Wind, Carson

When: July 27, 8:45 PM CST
Where: Carson County, 1 mi S of Conway
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.183, -101.383

Thunderstorm Wind, Armstrong

When: July 27, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Armstrong County, Claude
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 35.117, -101.367

Damage was reported to the roofs of two barns.

What these are

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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, July 2002

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: 5307294, 5307295, 5307296, 5307297, 5307298, 5307299, 5307300, 5307301, 5307302.