A recurrence of moderate longshore (southeast to northwest oriented) current, which aids a strong undertow, or perhaps a rip current, along with the continuation of fair weather with light to moderate winds, comfortable Gulf of Mexico water temperatures in the lower 80s, and plenty of sunshine each which lured larger numbers of local beach goers, increased the risk for drowning of inexperienced…
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 episode as NWS BRO wrote it up.
A recurrence of moderate longshore (southeast to northwest oriented) current, which aids a strong undertow, or perhaps a rip current, along with the continuation of fair weather with light to moderate winds, comfortable Gulf of Mexico water temperatures in the lower 80s, and plenty of sunshine each which lured larger numbers of local beach goers, increased the risk for drowning of inexperienced swimmers.
The swell period at NOAA Buoy 42020, 50 nm south of Corpus Christi, had increased to between 6 and 7 seconds - sufficient to increase the longshore current.
On June 10th, another such drowning occurred, bringing the monthly total to three.
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 Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 10, 12:00 PM CST, 4 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 100 PM CDT TUE JUN 10 2008 .DISCUSSION...PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE OVER THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY THROUGH THURSDAY AS A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE AT THE SURFACE AND IN THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE PERSISTS OVER DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. THE WINDS WILL CONTINUE FROM THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THIS WEEKEND. BECOMING LIGHT DURING THE OVERNIGHT PERIODS AND LIGHT TO MODERATE DURING THE AFTERNOONS AND EARLY EVENINGS. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AS AN ONSHORE FLOW INCREASES THE ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE OVER DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. && .MARINE...BUOY 42020 REPORTED SOUTH-SOUTHEAST WINDS AROUND 16 KNOTS GUSTING TO AROUND 18 KNOTS WITH SEAS SLIGHTLY OVER 5 FEET WITH A 7 SECOND PERIOD AT 11 AM CDT. WEAK LOW PRESSURE WILL PERSIST OVER DEEP SOUTH TEXAS THROUGH THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. THIS PATTERN WILL PRODUCE LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS AND LOW TO MODERATE SEAS ALONG THE LOWER TEXAS COAST TODAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL BEGIN BY TONIGHT AND INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY BY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. && .AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS AND CLEAR TO PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES WILL PREVAIL OVER DEEP SOUTH TEXAS THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 78 91 78 91 79 / 00 00 00 00 10 BROWNSVILLE 76 93 76 93 77 / 00 00 00 00 10 HARLINGEN 75 95 75 95 76 / 00 00 00 00 10 MCALLEN 76 97 76 98 76 / 00 00 00 00 00 RIO GRANDE CITY 76 100 76 100 76 / 00 00 00 00 00 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 80 88 80 89 80 / 00 00 00 00 10 && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BROWNSVILLE SYNOPTIC/GRIDS....63 MARINE/AVIATION...58 MESOSCALE...MARTINEZ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 515 AM CDT TUE JUN 10 2008 GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-TXZ248>257-111100- LAGUNA MADRE FROM THE PORT OF BROWNSVILLE TO THE ARROYO COLORADO- LAGUNA MADRE FROM THE ARROYO COLORADO TO 5 NM NORTH OF PORT MANSFIELD TX- LAGUNA MADRE FROM 5 NM NORTH OF PORT MANSFIELD TO BAFFIN BAY TX- COASTAL WATERS FROM PORT MANSFIELD TO THE RIO GRANDE OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT MANSFIELD OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM PORT MANSFIELD TO THE RIO GRANDE EXTENDING FROM 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT MANSFIELD EXTENDING FROM 20 TO 60 NM-ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY- INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON- 515 AM CDT TUE JUN 10 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE LAGUNA MADRE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT THE BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND AND BOCA CHICA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT THE LOCAL BEACHES MAY BE NEEDED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS WINDS AND SEAS INCREASE OFFSHORE. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY MAY CREATE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR MOTORISTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. TOMASELLI
1 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.
A man drowned near Beach Access #6. The man ran into the water and disappeared shortly after arriving at the beach with friends. He was seen floating in the surf soon afterwards and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rip Current, Coastal Cameron | 2008-06-10 | 52 | Male | In Water | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, June 2008
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: 112406.