Hail, Refugio
- When
- April 25, 3:30 AM CST
- Where
- Refugio County, Woodsboro
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
- Coordinates
- 28.233, -97.333
Flash Flooding and Hail in Texas, April 25, 2004
On the morning of Sunday, April 25th, heavy rain inundated the southern Coastal Bend of Texas. A cold front became nearly stationary from near Victoria to Alice during the early morning hours of the 25th.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
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 CRP wrote it up.
On the morning of Sunday, April 25th, heavy rain inundated the southern Coastal Bend of Texas. A cold front became nearly stationary from near Victoria to Alice during the early morning hours of the 25th. A surface low formed across Deep South Texas and slowly tracked northeast. Analysis revealed strong easterly gulf inflow on the north side of the low, resulting in strong mass moisture convergence along the stalled front across the Southern Coastal Bend. Showers and thunderstorms began to form over Kleberg and Kenedy counties around 2 a.m. These storms intensified and moved north into western Nueces and San Patricio counties through 3 a.m. From 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. additional thunderstorms developed across Kleberg county and southern Nueces county and moved northeast across the Corpus Christi metro area. By 5 a.m the heaviest rainfall stretched from Taft to downtown Corpus Christi to Chapman Ranch. National Weather Service (NWS) Doppler radar estimated rainfall rates close to 2 inches per hour across this area. From 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. thunderstorms continued to reform over the south side of Corpus Christi and move northeast across the city, resulting in a training of storms. The heaviest showers and thunderstorms eventually tapered off and moved east between 10 a.m. and noon. NWS radar estimated widespread 5 to 8 inches of rainfall across most of Nueces and San Patricio counties east of U.S. 77. A bull's eye of 7 to 10 inches of rainfall was estimated across much of the south side of Corpus Christi.The heavy rainfall produced extensive flooding of primary and secondary roads in much of Nueces and San Patricio counties. The Corpus Christi Police Department reported over 100 vehicles stalled in highwater in Corpus Christi, with some drivers needing to be rescued. The water reached into several homes in Tuloso-Midway and Taft as well as some homes across the south side of Corpus Christi. Numerous city streets and intersections were not passable due to the flooding. Flooding along Interstate 37 was also reported near Calallen, Five Points and Annaville, triggering closures and rescues of vehicle passengers.6.18" of rain fell at the Corpus Chrisiti International Airport, establishing a new daily rainfall record for April 25th. This also brought the monthly total to 9.21", establishing a new rainfall record for the month of April. Below are some area rainfall totals:Official ASOS and NWS COOP observationsLocation Amount (inches)Corpus Christi Intl Airport 6.18NAS Corpus Christi 7.38C.C. Pump Station (Bayfront) 11.35C.C. Weber and Saratoga 11.18Portland 5.25Robstown 5.14Rockport 1.41Alice 2.20NAS Kingsville 1.03Sinton 4.22Unofficial reports from public and mediaLocation Amount (inches)C.C. Carmel Parkway 10.93C.C. Kostoryz and Gollihar 7.30Flour Bluff 7.40Calallen 6.50Port Aransas 4.00Odem 6.50
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 Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 25, 2:15 AM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 25, 2:15 AM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 315 AM CDT SUN APR 25 2004 .SHORT-TERM (TODAY AND TONIGHT)...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED THIS MORNING OVER THE CENTRAL COASTAL BEND IN AREA OF MODERATE TO STRONG LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE. AREA VAD WIND PROFILES SHOW DEEP SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW IN PLACE UP TO ABOUT 7KFT. DIFFUSE BOUNDARY OVER THE CENTRAL CWA ALONG WITH OUTFLOW FROM PREVIOUS CONVECTION IS PROVIDING GOOD FOCUS FOR THIS MORNINGS CONVECTION. TROPICAL LIKE RAINFALL HAS PRODUCED OVER 1 IN ABOUT 30 MINS THIS MORNING AT CRP. WILL HOWEVER HOLD OFF ON ISSUING FLOOD WATCH FOR NOW SINCE THE HEAVIEST OF THE RAINFALL IS FALLING IN AREAS THAT GOT LITTLE YESTERDAY. GUIDANCE STILL HAVING A HARD TIME HANDLING FRONTAL BOUNDARY WITH GFS KEEPING US IN THE PRECIP ALL DAY. WITH BEST MOISTURE POOLED ALONG THE COAST AND JUST TO THE SOUTH TO NEAR BRO...WILL KEEP HIGHEST POPS OVER THE SE CWA THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTN...THEN TAPER OFF FARTHER TO THE NORTH. WILL CONTINUE WITH CHC POPS OVER THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES TONIGHT WITH SLIGHT CHC OVER THE NE. WENT CLOSE TO MOS FOR HIGHS GIVEN EXPECTED CLOUD COVER. && .LONG-TERM (MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY)...MODELS TRYING TO BECOME MORE CONVERGENT ON A SOLUTION WITH RESPECT TO DRYING THE AREA UP ON MONDAY. THUS...WILL CONTINUE WITH THE NO RAINFALL FORECAST. MODELS REMAIN FAIRLY CONSISTENT IN BRINGING SURFACE RIDGE DOWN ON MONDAY AND MOVING THE HIGH EAST ON TUESDAY NIGHT. A WEAK RIPPLE OF ENERGY MOVES ACROSS THE AREA (MAINLY NORTH) ON WEDNESDAY AS THE MOISTURE RETURNS. CONFIDENCE NOT HIGH IN SEEING ANY PRECIP BUT IF IT SHOULD HAPPEN WOULD PROBABLY BE OVER THE WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE AREA. WILL KEEP JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR PRECIP THERE. BETTER TROUGH APPROACHES LATE THURSDAY. GFS LESS PROGRESSIVE ON MOVING THE TROUGH ACROSS. WILL HOLD OFF ON GFS SOLUTION FOR THIS FORECAST PACKAGE ALTHOUGH UKMET NOW HINTING AT THE SAME THING (CANADIAN/NOGAPS STILL LOOKS PROGRESSIVE). GFS-MOS STILL LOOKING TOO COOL FOR HIGH TEMPS AFTER MONDAY SO WILL CONTINUE WITH HIGHER THAN NORMAL TEMPS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... CORPUS CHRISTI 80 66 80 60 80 / 70 30 10 05 00 VICTORIA 78 63 81 56 80 / 60 20 05 00 00 LAREDO 83 65 82 63 83 / 50 30 10 05 00 ALICE 80 64 82 59 83 / 70 30 10 05 00 ROCKPORT 78 66 80 61 80 / 60 30 10 00 00 COTULLA 79 62 80 58 82 / 50 30 05 00 00 && .CRP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE && 91/JD...SHORT-TERM 86/GW...LONG-TERM
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 24, 10:00 PM CST, 5 hours 30 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 1100 PM CDT SAT APR 24 2004 GMZ230-235-250-255-270-275-TXZ229>234-239>247-251100- ARANSAS-BAYS AND WATERWAYS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT ARANSAS- BAYS AND WATERWAYS FROM PORT ARANSAS TO PORT OCONNOR-BEE-CALHOUN- COASTAL WATERS BAFFIN BAY TO PORT ARANSAS OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS PORT ARANSAS TO MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL OUT 20 NM- DUVAL-GOLIAD-JIM WELLS-KLEBERG-LASALLE-LIVE OAK-MCMULLEN-NUECES- REFUGIO-SAN PATRICIO-VICTORIA- WATERS BAFFIN BAY TO PORT ARANSAS 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS PORT ARANSAS TO MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL 20 TO 60 NM-WEBB- 1100 PM CDT SAT APR 24 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LIMITS. THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE VICTORIA CROSSROADS AND NORTHERN COASTAL BEND HAS BEEN CANCELLED. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE BAYS AND WATERS FOR WINDS AROUND 20 KNOTS AND SEAS OFFSHORE OF 5 TO 7 FEET. WINDS SHOULD WEAKEN AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY AS ENERGY FROM AN UPPER LEVEL LOW COMBINES WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE AND A COLD FRONT. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...WITH ISOLATED RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 3 INCHES POSSIBLE. AT THIS TIME...NO SEVERE WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED ALTHOUGH A FEW STORMS COULD PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS NEAR 50 MPH. RAIN CHANCES WILL DIMINISH SUNDAY NIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY ON FRIDAY AS ANOTHER UPPER LOW APPROACHES THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. 91/86/76
The radar
The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 53 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:31 UTC.
Event by event
2 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash Flood, Nueces
- When
- April 25, 4:00 AM CST to 3:45 PM CST
- Where
- Nueces County, Countywide
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 27.735, -97.516 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
see episode narrative below for more information.
Flash Flood, San Patricio
- When
- April 25, 4:15 AM CST to 3:45 PM CST
- Where
- San Patricio County, Countywide
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 28.009, -97.518 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
see episode narrative below for more information.
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- 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
- Wildfire in California, April 25 to 27, 2004
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, April 25, 2004
- Flash Flooding in Louisiana, April 25, 2004
- Flash Flooding in Texas, April 25, 2004
- High Wind in Texas, April 25, 2004
- Flash Flood in Mississippi, April 25, 2004
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, April 25, 2004
- Flash Flooding in Texas, April 25, 2004
- Heat in California, April 25 to 28, 2004
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, April 25, 2004
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, April 25, 2004
- High Wind in Minnesota, April 25, 2004
More
Every storm in Texas in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, April 2004
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: 5394361, 5394362, 5394363.