1 flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 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 Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 12, 9:30 AM CST, 45 minutes earlier.
SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 1030 AM CDT SUN OCT 12 2003 SFC LOW OVR DEEP S TX COMBINED WITH AN UPPER LEV S/WV AND ABUNDANT MOISTURE IS MAINTAINING MOD TO HVY RAIN OVR THE CENTRAL CWA. WL RAISE POPS OVR SE COASTAL COUNTIES FROM 60 TO 80 PERCENT. ALTHOUGH RAIN HAS CURRENTLY DECREASED OVR W CWA...MODELS PROG STRONG ISENTROPIC LIFT THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ALONG WITH SFC CONVERGENCE AND HIGHEST MOISTURE FIELDS/QPF. EVEN WITH THE UPPER S/WV MVG TO THE E OF THE AREA...STRONG DIFFLUENCE ALOFT CONTS ACRS THE ENTIRE CWA AS WELL. WL LIKELY CONT FFA FOR TONIGHT...AND MAY EXTEND IT FARTHER EAST BUT WILL WAIT FOR 12Z MODEL RUNS. TE...81 PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM (TODAY)...IMPRESSIVE COLD CLOUD TOPS WITH MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX NEAR LAREDO. THE HEAVY RAIN EVENT ONGOING EARLY THIS MORNING WILL PERSIST INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS OVER THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS. PREFER THE GFS HANDLING OF THE CURRENT SITUATION. THE GFS SHOWS GOOD UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE REMAINING OVER THE WESTERN FORECAST AREA THROUGH 18Z. THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WAS LOCATED FROM SOUTH OF BAFFIN BAY STRETCHING NORTHWEST TO THE COMPLEX OF STORMS OVER LA SALLE AND WEBB COUNTIES. RADAR LOOP SHOWS SHOWERS AND STORMS MOVING NORTHWEST ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY TOWARD MASSIVE CONVECTIVE AREA. EXPECT CONTINUED LOW LEVEL INFLUX OF DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE INTO CONVECTIVE COMPLEX TODAY. THE RADAR LOOP INDICATES MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE VORTEX DEVELOPING NORTH OF LAREDO. GFS MODEL SLOWLY SHIFTS VORTICITY MAX EASTWARD TO THE COASTAL BEND DURING THE DAY. WILL ISSUE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TODAY FOR THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF A HIGHWAY 281 LINE. LOW LEVEL FLOW REMAINS STRONG ALONG THE COAST AND OFFSHORE WITH CONVECTIVE SYSTEM OUT WEST. KCRP VAD WIND PROFILE SHOWS 25 TO 35 KNOTS LOW LEVEL EAST-NORTHEAST WINDS. WILL CONTINUE SCEC FOR OFFSHORE WATERS TODAY. LONG-TERM (TONIGHT THRU SAT)...MCS WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST AND REMAIN LONG-LIVED AS VERY TROPICAL AIRMASS HAS PRECLUDED DEVELOPMENT OF DOWNDRAFTS/COLD POOL. GFS/UKMET BOTH IDENTIFY A VORT MAX MOVING ACROSS THE CWA TODAY AND THIS PROBABLY IS BEST REPRESENTING THE MCV CURRENTLY NEAR LRD. BY 6Z THIS VORT MAX HAS EXITED THE NE CWA AND EXPECT THE CHANCE FOR LIKELY RAIN TO HAVE ENDED BY THIS EVENING AS BEST LLVL CONVERGENCE WILL BE TO THE EAST OF THE CWA. RRQ OF THE UPPER JET WILL REMAIN IN PLACE...AND DIVERGENCE ALOFT MAY HELP GENERATE SCATTERED CONVECTION TONIGHT ESPECIALLY OVER THE WEST. NO REPEAT MCS DEVELOPMENT IS ANTICIPATED TONIGHT WITH HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT LIKELY BEING LOCALIZED. THE PREVIOUSLY ADVERTISED FROPA FOR TODAY IS NO LONGER AND SURFACE ANALYSIS SUPPORTS THE GFS SOLUTION OF LITTLE CHANGE IN TEMPS/DEWPOINTS TONIGHT. BY MONDAY...850 FLOW BECOMES SWLY AND DESPITE CONTINUED UPPER DIVERGENCE THIS WILL LIMIT LLVL CONVERGENCE AND WILL ONLY FCST CHANCE POPS. FINALLY BY TUESDAY...MODELS IN AGREEMENT ONCE AGAIN IN BRINGING DECENT FRONT THROUGH. BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD HELP DRIVE THE DEEPER MOISTURE SOUTH OF THE CWA...BUT CLOUDS WILL PROBABLY LINGER DUE TO ZONAL FLOW ALOFT. WILL KEEP WED-SAT. RETURN FLOW PROGGED BY GFS/ECMWF BY THU...WITH ANOTHER FRONT EXPECTED EARLY SAT AS FLOW BECOMES MORE AMPLIFIED. SCA NEEDED OFFSHORE TUE-WED BEHIND FRONT. CRP TE 082/070 083/072 083 64322 VCT TE 081/068 083/069 083 43322 LRD TE 078/070 083/074 085 +5322 .CRP...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY RIO GRANDE PLAINS. 89/TMT...SHORT-TERM 92/TR...LONG-TERM
GMZ230-235-250-255-270-275-TXZ229>234-239>247-131100- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 600 AM CDT SUN OCT 12 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR TODAY FOR THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS NEAR 5 INCHES POSSIBLE. PORTIONS OF THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS HAS RECEIVED 5 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE SATURDAY EVENING. ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL QUICKLY BECOME RUNOFF AND AGGRAVATE THE FLOODING SITUATION OVER THE REGION ESPECIALLY OVER WEBB...LA SALLE AND MCMULLEN COUNTIES. FOR THE COASTAL BEND AND VICTORIA CROSSROADS...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY AND TAPER OFF TONIGHT. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LEVELS...WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT. A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED ON TUESDAY WHICH WILL BRING DRIER AIR AND STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS INTO THE AREA. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES MAY BE REQUIRED TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. TMT/TR
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
522 AM CDT SUN OCT 12 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0130 AM 10 W ENCINAL TX FLASH FLOOD
10/12/03 WEBB WATER OVER THE ROAD ON
HIGHWAYS 83 AND 44 IN
NORTHERN WEBB COUNTY
REPORTED BY WEBB COUNTY SO.
0245 AM 25 N LAREDO TX FLASH FLOOD
10/12/03 WEBB 1 TO 2 FEET OF WATER OVER
INTERSTATE 35 IN PLACES
BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 24 AND
36 NORTH OF LAREDO.
VEHICLES STRANDED.
0300 AM 5 NE LAREDO TX FLASH FLOOD
10/12/03 WEBB WATER OVER THE ROAD AT LOOP
20 AND IGNACIO ROAD IN
NORTHEAST LAREDO REPORTED
BY WEBB COUNTY SO.
0315 AM COTULLA TX FLASH FLOOD
10/12/03 LA SALLE WATER OVER THE ROADS WITHIN
THE CITY OF COTULLA.
0315 AM 25 SE COTULLA TX FLASH FLOOD
10/12/03 LA SALLE HIGH WATER CONTINUING TO
RISE OVER CENTRAL LA SALLE
COUNTY WITH FM 624 AND FM
469 STILL CLOSED.
TMTThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rainfall over South Texas on the 11th and 12th led to river flooding.The Rio Grande at Columbia Bridge rose, crested at 25.45 feet, and fell below flood stage on the 12th. (flood stage 18 feet)
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, October 2003
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: 5371396.