Flash Flooding in Texas, October 2, 2004

Name: Flash Flooding in Texas, October 2, 2004
Start: 2004-10-02T04:30
End: 2004-10-02T12:00
Location: Texas

October 2, 2004 · NWS EWX · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

9 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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: None recorded
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 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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 2, 3:24 AM CST, 1 hour 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 2, 3:24 AM CST, 1 hour 6 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
422 AM CDT SAT OCT  2 2004

.UPDATE...
QUICK UPDATE TO INCREASE POPS TO 70 PERCENT FOR SOME OF OUR E-SE
COUNTIES AND ADD LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL MENTION. ALSO INCREASED QPF
FOR THIS MORNING.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...
APPROACHING COLD FRONT CURRENTLY ORIENTED ALONG A LINE FROM DALLAS
TO BROWNWOOD TO FORT STOCKTON. CONVECTION BEING FORCED BY THE
FRONT AND ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES AHEAD OF THE FRONT FROM EARLIER
THUNDERSTORMS. SOME PULSE-TYPE SEVERE OVERNIGHT IN CENTRAL TX...BUT
MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. RAIN
CHANCES WILL BE HIGHEST THIS MORNING ACROSS THE NE THIRD OF CWA
EWX AND WILL SHIFT SOUTH WITH THE FRONT TODAY. TEMPS WILL GENERALLY
BE 5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL BEHIND THE FRONT TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY.
LOW-TO-NO POPS TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT WITH A RIDGE ALOFT AND
HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE.

THE UPPER PATTERN IS FORECAST TO UNDERGO CHANGES LATE MONDAY INTO
TUESDAY...WITH THE UPPER RIDGE OVER SOUTH TX AND THE GULF BREAKING-
DOWN AND AN UPPER TROUGH DEEPENING AND APPROACHING SLOWLY FROM THE
WEST. AT THE SAME TIME...A SURGE OF TROPICAL MOISTURE IS EXPECTED
TO MOVE NORTH INTO TX. BOTH THE ECMWF AND GFS SOLUTIONS SHOW
THIS PATTERN EVOLVING AROUND MID-WEEK AND HAVE SHOWN GOOD RUN-TO-RUN
CONSISTENCY. ASSUMING THESE MODELS VERIFY...WE MAY BE HEADED INTO A
HEAVY RAIN EVENT MID TO LATE NEXT WEEK. AT THIS TIME...WILL INCREASE
POPS TO 30 PERCENT AND MENTION A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS FROM
TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. CURRENT THINKING IS THAT POPS FOR MID TO
LATE NEXT WEEK WILL SLOWLY TREND UP WITH EACH MODEL CYCLE AS
CONFIDENCE INCREASES FROM MORE MODEL RUN CONSISTENCY.

&&

.EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.

&&

11/03

The radar

The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 39 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:27 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Hays

When: October 2, 4:30 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Hays County, Countywide
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 30.058, -98.031 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Showers and thunderstorms spread general 2 to 3 inch rain totals over Hays County. Amounts of up to 4 inches were reported just west of San Marcos with the highest totals near 6 inches along the Hays-Comal County line. Numerous low water crossings were under water and closed through the morning, including FM12 and FM32.

Flash Flood, Travis

When: October 2, 4:30 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Travis County, East Portion
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 30.335, -97.782 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy rainfall over eastern Travis County caused flash flooding that sent water over the IH-35 frontage road at the 2900 block. The east part of the county received a general 1 inch rainfall with Pflugerville reporting nearly 4 inches and the highest total of 6 inches near Del Valle.

Flash Flood, Comal

When: October 2, 6:30 AM CST to 11:30 AM CST
Where: Comal County, Countywide
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 29.808, -98.278 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Showers and thunderstorms dropped between 2 and 3 inches of water over Comal County. The heaviest rain fell near Canyon Lake, where between 5 and 6 inches was reported. The resulting flash flooding closed parts of IH35 at SH46, as well as River Road, FM2673 and FM3009.

Flash Flood, Lee

When: October 2, 6:30 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Lee County, Countywide
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 30.311, -96.966 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storms covered most of Lee County with between 1 and 2 inches of rain. Nearly 6 inches fell at Giddings, with the maximum accumulation of 9 inches at Loebau, which is halfway between Giddings and Lexington. The resulting flash flooding brought water over FM141 near Giddings. It also washed out a bridge on CR114 north of Giddings, digging a 12 foot deep pit on the north side of the road.

Flash Flood, Bandera

When: October 2, 7:30 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Bandera County, West Portion
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 29.747, -99.246 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Bandera County Emergency Manager reported that the western part of the county had received between 1 and 2 inches of rainfall, with up to 3 inches just north of Vanderpool. Flash flooding developed along Fm 187 both north and south of Vanderpool, closing the road in several places.

Flash Flood, Bexar

When: October 2, 7:30 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, North Portion
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 29.449, -98.520 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Between 1 and 2 inches of rain fell over northern Bexar County in the morning period. Higher totals were along the Comal County line where up to 4 inches was reported. Several roads in the northern part of the county were closed through the morning period, including FM3351.

Flash Flood, Guadalupe

When: October 2, 7:30 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Guadalupe County, Countywide
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 29.583, -97.949 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The thunderstorms spread from Bexar and Comal Counties southeastward into Guadalupe, producing a general 1 to 2 inch rain over the northwest part of the county. The rest of the county received at least an inch of rain. Highest totals were along the Guadalupe-Comal County line, where up to 4 inches was measured. Among the many roads under water in the morning period was FM78 near Marion.

Flash Flood, Kendall

When: October 2, 8:00 AM CST to 10:30 AM CST
Where: Kendall County, Countywide
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 29.945, -98.712 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorms built over Kendall County through the morning, dropping a general inch of rain over the county. Highest totals were near 6 inches between Sisterdale and Boerne. Flash flooding sent water over several roads, including FM1376 and FM474.

Flash Flood, Blanco

When: October 2, 8:30 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Blanco County, South Portion
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 30.266, -98.400 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heavy rain spread northward from Kendall County into southern Blanco County, bringing 1 to 2 inch totals to the area. Highest amounts were 5 inches near Blanco. High water flooded FM1623 and FM 165 through much of the morning.

What these are

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 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, October 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: 5424527, 5424528, 5424529, 5424530, 5424531, 5424532, 5424533, 5424630, 5424534.