Flash Flooding in Texas, September 27, 2004

Name: Flash Flooding in Texas, September 27, 2004
Start: 2004-09-27T06:00
End: 2004-09-27T12:30
Location: Texas

September 27, 2004 · NWS MAF · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

A pre-dawn round of thunderstorms resulted in another round of flash flooding across the northwestern Permian Basin of west Texas. Several major highways were closed due to high water.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 MAF wrote it up.

A pre-dawn round of thunderstorms resulted in another round of flash flooding across the northwestern Permian Basin of west Texas. Several major highways were closed due to high water.

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 Midland/Odessa, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 27, 3:16 AM CST, 2 hours 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 27, 3:16 AM CST, 2 hours 44 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
416 AM CDT MON SEP 27 2004

.SHORT TERM...
A CLOSED UPPER LOW CENTERED JUST EAST OF KELP THIS MORNING WILL
SLOWLY TRANSLATE EAST OVER THE NEXT 24H.  ABUNDANT MOISTURE AND
LIFT WILL BE PRESENT OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE CWA.  HAVE NOTED
DRY SLOTTING WORKING NORTHEAST ACROSS THE BIG BEND AND DAVIS
MOUNTAINS...AND THIS HAS LIMITED PRECIPITATION WEST OF A MALJAMAR
TO DRYDEN LINE WHILE PROMOTING SCATTERED EMBEDDED TSRA ACROSS THE
PERMIAN BASIN.  WE EXPECT TO SEE REDEVELOPMENT LATER TODAY OVER
SOUTHWESTERN ZONES GIVEN THE COMBINATION OF MOIST UPSLOPE FLOW...COLD
TEMPERATURES ALOFT...AND MARGINAL INSOLATION.  PRECIP WATER OVER 2.5
CM WILL CONTINUE OVER THE CWFA TODAY...AND AS THINGS DONT APPEAR TO
BE CHANGING A WHOLE LOT...THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THE NEXT 24H...AND AS ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL POSE
PROBLEMS...WE WILL EXTEND THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE ENTIRE AREA
THROUGH 28/10Z.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE A WARM CONVEYOR BELT PROCESS WILL CONTINUE OVER
THE EASTERN HALF THIS MORNING...WHILE WESTERN AREAS WILL SEE SOMEWHAT
OF A RESPITE...THUS POPS WILL BE HIGHEST OVER EASTERN ZONES TODAY AND
TONIGHT. TEMPERATURES WILL BE MODULATED BY RAINFALL AND A LACK OF
SIGNIFICANT INSOLATION...AND A PERSISTENCE APPROACH SEEMS PRUDENT AT
THIS TIME. MAN QPF GRIDS ARE REASONABLE...ALTHOUGH WE DID INCREASE
AMOUNTS THIS MORNING GIVEN CURRENT RADAR TRENDS.  PRECIP CHANCES
SHOULD DIMINISH SLIGHTLY TONIGHT AS THE UPPER LOW TRANSLATES OVER
THE AREA AND WEAKENS SOMEWHAT.  HAVE USED A BLEND OF THE GFS AND GFS
MOS FOR WIND AND DEWPOINT GRIDS THROUGH TONIGHT.

.LONG TERM...
EXIGENCIES PRECLUDE METEOROLOGICAL EXAMINATION BEYOND THURSDAY...
CONSEQUENTLY THE PREVIOUS FORECAST WILL BE USED FOR FRIDAY THROUGH
NEXT WEEKEND. THE MODELS APPEAR CONSISTENT IN HOW THEY HANDLE THE
EVOLUTION OF THE AFOREMENTIONED UPPER LOW AS WELL AS THE INCREASED
RIDGING OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS...THEREBY KEEPING COOL MOIST
SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW OVER THE REGION.  HAVE ADJUSTED POP AND QPF GRIDS
TO REFLECT A BLEND OF THE MODEL QPFS...WHILE A CONSENSUS SOLUTION
WAS USED FOR ALL OTHER GRIDS THROUGH THURSDAY.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BIG SPRING TX             72  59  75  55 / 100  70  50  30
CARLSBAD NM               71  54  71  53 /  60  70  40  20
DRYDEN TX                 75  61  76  60 /  60  70  60  20
FORT STOCKTON TX          72  59  75  58 /  60  70  60  20
GUADALUPE PASS TX         68  51  66  51 /  50  60  30  20
HOBBS NM                  71  55  72  53 /  90  70  50  20
MARFA TX                  69  49  69  48 /  40  50  40  20
MIDLAND INTL AIRPORT TX   72  58  75  56 / 100  70  60  30
ODESSA TX                 73  58  75  56 / 100  70  60  20
WINK TX                   74  59  76  57 /  80  70  50  20

&&

.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH 28/10Z ALL ZONES.
NM...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH 28/10Z ALL ZONES.

&&

70/70

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 27, 4:20 AM CST, 1 hour 40 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
520 AM CDT MON SEP 27 2004

NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075-
079>082-258-272000-
ANDREWS-BIG BEND AREA-BORDEN-CENTRAL LEA COUNTY-CRANE-
DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA-DAWSON-ECTOR-EDDY COUNTY PLAINS-GAINES-
GLASSCOCK-GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS-GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY-
HOWARD-LOVING-MARFA PLATEAU-MARTIN-MIDLAND-MITCHELL-
NORTHERN LEA COUNTY-PECOS-PRESIDIO VALLEY-REAGAN-
REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS-SCURRY-SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY-
TERRELL-UPTON-VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR-WARD-WINKLER-
520 AM CDT (420 AM MDT) MON SEP 27 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST TEXAS AND SOUTHEASTERN
NEW MEXICO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN
ACROSS MUCH OF WEST TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO TODAY AND TONIGHT.
HEAVY RAINS HAVE FALLEN OVER MANY AREAS SINCE FRIDAY...PARTICULARLY
ACROSS SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...THE NORTHWEST PERMIAN BASIN...AND THE
UPPER TRANS PECOS REGION....WHERE SOME AREAS HAVE RECEIVED IN EXCESS
OF 6 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN. HEAVY RAINS TRAINING OVER THESE SAME
LOCATIONS TONIGHT WILL AGGRAVATE THE FLASH FLOODING POTENTIAL.

RIVER LEVELS ON THE RIO GRANDE ARE ELEVATED DUE TO RUNOFF FROM HEAVY
RAINS FROM THE DAVIS MOUNTAINS TO THE BIG BEND REGION SINCE SATURDAY.
A FEW LOCATIONS ON THE RIO GRANDE ARE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE...WITH
ADDITIONAL RIVER FLOODING POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT.

A FLOOD WATCH FOR FLASH FLOODING WILL BE IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE
OUTLOOK AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PERSIST TUESDAY...WITH A
SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING INTO THE WEEKEND.
THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL AND
POTENTIALLY AREAS OF FLOODING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...STORM
SPOTTER GROUPS...AND OTHER INTERESTED CONCERNS SHOULD MONITOR THE
LATEST FORECASTS AND WEATHER INFORMATION REGARDING THE POTENTIAL FOR
FLOODING.

CL

The radar

The Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Gaines

When: September 27, 6:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Gaines County, 8 mi W of Seminole
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.741, -102.635 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Before sunrise on Monday the 27th, thunderstorms again initiated over the Permian Basin. Heavy rainfall from this activity quickly led to flash flooding over saturated grounds. Local law enforcement officials reported flash flooding at several locations along U.S. Highway 180 in the vicinity of Seminole. Between one and two feet of flowing water was reported over a half mile stretch eight miles east of Seminole. The intersection of Farm to Market Road 1429 and U.S. Highway 180 also was inundated by flood waters six miles east of the city. High water also made a stretch of the same highway impassable eight miles west of Seminole during the late morning hours.

Flash Flood, Gaines

When: September 27, 6:40 AM CST to 12:30 PM CST
Where: Gaines County, 8 mi W of Seagraves
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.741, -102.635 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Texas Highway 83 also was affected by flash flooding in northern Gaines County. At 06:40 CST local officials reported flowing flood waters over the highway eight miles west of Seagraves. Hazardous driving conditions spread east along that route through the morning hours as the heavy rainfall slowly propagated east. Up to two feet of water covered the intersection of Texas Highway 83 and U.S. Highway 385 in Seagraves. Impassable conditions also were reported east along Texas Highway 83 near Loop.

Flash Flood, Dawson

When: September 27, 10:10 AM CST to 11:30 AM CST
Where: Dawson County, 4 mi ESE of Lamesa
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.743, -101.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Dawson County Sheriff's Office reported flash flooding along U.S. Highway 180 from four miles east-southeast of Lamesa to the Dawson/Borden County line. Portions of the highway were covered by up to eight inches of flowing flood waters.

Flash Flood, Borden

When: September 27, 10:10 AM CST to 11:30 AM CST
Where: Borden County, 14 mi W of Gail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.744, -101.432 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Dawson County Sheriff's Office reported flash flooding along U.S. Highway 180. Up to eight inches of flowing flood waters covered the highway on the Dawson/Borden County line.

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, September 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: 5421914, 5421913, 5421915, 5421916.