Tornado and Flash Flooding in Texas, June 3, 2003

Name: Tornado and Flash Flooding in Texas, June 3, 2003
Start: 2003-06-03T18:53
End: 2003-06-03T23:10
Location: Texas

June 3, 2003 · NWS SJT · 33 events in 12 counties and zones

Where it happened

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.

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: $1.2 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 33

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 SJT wrote it up.

Severe thunderstorms rapidly developed over the Concho Valley during the evening and spread to the east and southeast across the Heartland and Northwest Hill Country. The most severe thunderstorm of the evening was one that formed right over the city of San Angelo and was nearly stationary over the city for almost one hour. This thunderstorm produced very large hail and damaging winds in the city. This storm also produced frequent cloud to ground lightning strikes that damaged electronic equipment, and caused a house fire.

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 San Angelo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 3, 12:35 PM CST, 6 hours 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 3, 12:35 PM CST, 6 hours 18 minutes before

WEST CENTRAL TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION:RETRANSMISSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
135 PM CDT TUE JUN 3 2003

SEVERE WEATHER AND FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT ACROSS MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL TX.

OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM LAST NIGHT MCS HAS BECOME DIFFUSE...BUT
APPEARS TO HAVE MOVED SOUTH OF A BROWNWOOD TO SAN ANGELO LINE...AND
MAY SAG SLOWLY SOUTHWARD. DEEP MOISTURE IN PLACE ACROSS OUR REGION
WITH SURFACE DEWPOINTS FROM THE MID 60S NORTH TO LOWER 70S SOUTH...
AND PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES OF 1.2 TO 1.5 INCHES. PRECIPITABLE
WATER MAY INCREASE INTO TONIGHT. AIRMASS HAS BECOME VERY UNSTABLE.
WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS POSSIBLE WEAK SHORTWAVE IMPULSE MOVING
SOUTHEASTWARD INTO EAST-CENTRAL NM. WITH CONTINUED DESTABILIZATION
AND EROSION OF CAP... EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP
ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARY. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ALSO
EXPECTED IN FAR WEST AND NORTHWEST TX. THUNDERSTORMS TO ORGANIZE
INTO MCS AND TRACK SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN HALF OF OUR
COUNTIES TONIGHT. SOME UNCERTAINTY STILL EXISTS REGARDING EXACT MCS
TRACK....BUT LATEST INDICATIONS FAVOR IT IMPACTING THE BIG
COUNTRY...CONCHO VALLEY AND THE HEARTLAND TONIGHT. SETUP FAVORS
SEVERE POTENTIAL THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WITH LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREATS. GIVEN THE HEAVY RAINFALL DAYS IN
PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL TX ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL
HEAVY RAIN TONIGHT...PLAN TO ISSUE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT FOR
BIG COUNTRY...CONCHO VALLEY AND HEARTLAND.

NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT TO CONTINUE NEXT FEW DAYS WITH SURFACE
BOUNDARIES IN THE REGION. FAVORABLE MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY TO
BE PRESENT AS WELL. THUS WILL CONTINUE WITH POPS IN THE FORECAST.
TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF GREATEST POPS WILL DEPEND ON LOCATION
OF SURFACE BOUNDARIES AND TRACKS OF EMBEDDED UPPER LEVEL IMPULSES.
LATE AFTERNOON CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHEAST NM...TX PANHANDLE
AND NORTHWEST TX COULD RESULT IN OVERNIGHT MCS TRACKS INTO WEST
CENTRAL TX. AT THIS TIME APPEARS THE BIG COUNTRY WOULD HAVE THE
BEST CHANCE OF BEING IMPACTED. LATEST GFS HAS WEAK COLD FRONT MOVING
SOUTH ACROSS OUR COUNTIES THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. GFS ALSO
BRINGS A WEAK SHORTWAVE EAST ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN COUNTIES THURSDAY
NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING. BASED ON LATEST MODEL TRENDS...WILL BOOST
POPS A BIT THURSDAY.

LOOKS DRIER OVER THE WEEKEND WITH INFLUENCE OF WEAK SURFACE HIGH
PRESSURE RIDGE. GFS BUILDS A BROAD UPPER RIDGE INTO SOUTHERN PLAINS
AND LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY NEXT WEEK. DRY WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES
ANTICIPATED FOR WEST CENTRAL TX NEXT WEEK.

WILL UPDATE SOUTHERN COUNTY ZONES SHORTLY FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH BEING ISSUED.

THANKS MAF FOR THE COORDINATION CALL.

PRELIMINARY CCF

ABI 068/088/067/086/065 82332
SJT 070/090/068/088/066 72242
JCT 071/090/068/090/067 52243

.SJT...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT FOR BIG COUNTRY...CONCHO VALLEY...
AND HEARTLAND.

19

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 3, 1:00 PM CST, 5 hours 53 minutes before

TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139-140-
154-155-168>170-041900-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
200 PM CDT TUE JUN 3 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...

THERE IS A RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS
THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. WITH A MOIST AND UNSTABLE
ATMOSPHERE...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS
EVENING. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM COMPLEXES ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS OVERNIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT THIS EVENING
WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. AS THE STORMS CONTINUE INTO
THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL SHIFT TO
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AS STORMS MOVE OVER THE TRACKS OF PREVIOUS
STORMS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. WITH THE
POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN A FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL BE ISSUED FOR
AREAS NORTH OF A SAN ANGELO SAN SABA LINE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH FRIDAY. THERE IS
SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS EACH DAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT.

25

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 3, 2:29 PM CST, 4 hours 24 minutes before

TXZ078-169-032330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
329 PM CDT TUE JUN 3 2003

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE
FOLLOWING LOCATIONS IN WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...

SUTTON...KIMBLE

Special weather statement, Jun 3, 3:36 PM CST, 3 hours 17 minutes before

TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139-140-
154-155-168>170-032145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
436 PM CDT TUE JUN 3 2003

...SUMMARY OF VALID WATCHES FOR WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 471 VALID UNTIL 9 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES IN WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...

HASKELL...THROCKMORTON...FISHER...JONES...SHACKELFORD...NOLAN...
TAYLOR...CALLAHAN...STERLING...COKE...RUNNELS...COLEMAN...BROWN...
IRION...TOM GREEN...CONCHO...MCCULLOCH...SAN SABA

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 472 VALID UNTIL 9 PM FOR THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...

CROCKETT...SCHLEICHER...MENARD...MASON...SUTTON...KIMBLE

FLASH FLOOD WATCH VALID UNTIL 5 AM WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES IN WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...

HASKELL...THROCKMORTON...FISHER...JONES...SHACKELFORD...NOLAN...
TAYLOR...CALLAHAN...STERLING...COKE...RUNNELS...COLEMAN...BROWN...
IRION...TOM GREEN...CONCHO...MCCULLOCH...SAN SABA...CROCKETT...
SCHLEICHER...MENARD...MASON...SUTTON...KIMBLE

14

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 hail, 13 thunderstorm wind, 5 flash flood, 1 lightning, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Tom Green

When: June 3, 6:53 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 4 mi S of San Angelo
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 31.117, -99.333

Lightning, Tom Green

When: June 3, 7:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, San Angelo
Property damage: $200,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 31.417, -100.433

Intense lightening from a severe thunderstorm produced a house fire, which was a total loss. Also numerous appliances and televisions across the city were knocked out. The National Weather Service office in San Angelo also received a lightening strike that knocked out computer systems and a amateur radio transceiver.

Hail, Tom Green

When: June 3, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 3 mi S of San Angelo
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 31.404, -100.462 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Tom Green

When: June 3, 7:08 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 3 mi SW of San Angelo
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 30.417, -99.767

Hail, Tom Green

When: June 3, 7:10 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 1 mi SW of San Angelo
Measured: 4.25 in hail
Property damage: $800,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 30.900, -99.217

Large hail and strong winds combined to produce significant damage to homes and cars in San Angelo. This was the second severe thunderstorm to hit the city of San Angelo in three days.

Hail, Tom Green

When: June 3, 7:13 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 1 mi E of San Angelo
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 31.200, -98.733

Hail, Tom Green

When: June 3, 7:15 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 2 mi W of San Angelo
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 31.417, -100.433

Hail, Tom Green

When: June 3, 7:15 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 1 mi SW of San Angelo
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 31.433, -100.467

Thunderstorm Wind, Nolan

When: June 3, 7:20 PM CST
Where: Nolan County, Sweetwater
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.450, -100.450

Hail, Tom Green

When: June 3, 7:51 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 5 mi SW of San Angelo
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 31.467, -100.417

Thunderstorm Wind, Tom Green

When: June 3, 7:55 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 7 mi SE of San Angelo
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 31.404, -100.462 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Tom Green

When: June 3, 8:00 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 9 mi SW of San Angelo
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 31.467, -100.467

Flash Flood, Coke

When: June 3, 8:27 PM CST to 9:27 PM CST
Where: Coke County, Robert Lee
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 31.450, -100.450

Streets flooded in Robert Lee.

Hail, Concho

When: June 3, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Concho County, 1 mi NW of Eden
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.467, -100.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Runnels

When: June 3, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Runnels County, Ballinger
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.417, -100.500

Hail, Coleman

When: June 3, 8:44 PM CST
Where: Coleman County, 10 mi N of Coleman
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.400, -100.350

Flash Flood, Tom Green

When: June 3, 8:52 PM CST to 10:52 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 6 mi SW of San Angelo
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 31.367, -100.533

Thunderstorm Wind, Concho

When: June 3, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Concho County, Eden
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.327, -99.864 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Brown

When: June 3, 9:05 PM CST
Where: Brown County, Owens
Measured: 4.25 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.233, -99.867

Thunderstorm Wind, Brown

When: June 3, 9:05 PM CST
Where: Brown County, Lake Brownwood
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.750, -99.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Menard

When: June 3, 9:10 PM CST
Where: Menard County, Ft McKavett
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: PARK/FOREST SERVICE
Coordinates: 31.983, -99.433

Flash Flood, Tom Green

When: June 3, 9:19 PM CST to 10:19 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, San Angelo
Property damage: $150,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 31.404, -100.462 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several cars were stranded and a restaurant was flooded.

Flash Flood, Runnels

When: June 3, 9:21 PM CST to 10:21 PM CST
Where: Runnels County, Ballinger
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.217, -99.850

Hail, Brown

When: June 3, 9:24 PM CST
Where: Brown County, Bangs
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.850, -98.933

Thunderstorm Wind, Runnels

When: June 3, 9:24 PM CST
Where: Runnels County, 1 mi S of Ballinger
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.850, -99.017

Thunderstorm Wind, Concho

When: June 3, 9:30 PM CST
Where: Concho County, Eden
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 30.833, -100.100

Strong thunderstorm winds caused a porch to blow down onto a house and knocked down several large trees.

Thunderstorm Wind, Coke

When: June 3, 9:30 PM CST
Where: Coke County, Robert Lee
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 31.889, -100.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, McCulloch

When: June 3, 9:55 PM CST
Where: McCulloch County, Brady
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 31.199, -99.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Part of the roof was lifted off of the police station in Brady.

Tornado, McCulloch

When: June 3, 10:00 PM CST to 10:02 PM CST
Where: McCulloch County, 1 mi S of Brady
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.2 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 31.717, -99.133

A weak tornado went through a subdivision south of Brady and damaged several homes.

Flash Flood, McCulloch

When: June 3, 10:10 PM CST to 11:10 PM CST
Where: McCulloch County, Lohn
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.733, -99.950

Water over a highway.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kimble

When: June 3, 10:20 PM CST
Where: Kimble County, 5 mi S of Junction
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: PARK/FOREST SERVICE
Coordinates: 31.217, -99.850

Thunderstorm Wind, Mason

When: June 3, 10:40 PM CST
Where: Mason County, 11 mi N of Mason
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.900, -100.483

Thunderstorm Wind, San Saba

When: June 3, 10:45 PM CST
Where: San Saba County, San Saba
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.133, -99.333

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Texas, 2003 Warnings in Texas, June 2003

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: 5370874, 5369653, 5370875, 5370876, 5370877, 5370878, 5369654, 5369655, 5369656, 5369657, 5369658, 5369659, 5369660, 5369661, 5369662, 5369663, 5369664, 5369665, 5369666, 5369667, 5369668, 5369669, 5369670, 5369671, 5369672, 5369673, 5369674, 5369675, 5369676, 5369677, 5369678, 5369679, 5369680.