Tornado and Flash Flood in Texas, March 30, 2008

Name: Tornado and Flash Flood in Texas, March 30, 2008
Start: 2008-03-30T14:00
End: 2008-03-30T16:30
Location: Texas

March 30, 2008 · NWS SHV · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $5.0 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 SHV wrote it up.

Widespread flooding was reported along and south of a northward moving warm front across the lower Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn country of Deep East Texas into the piney woods of northeast Texas. These storms trained across the same area for most of the pre-dawn hours of the 30th as well as during the day. Large hail and damaging thunderstorm wind gusts were reported across portions of the region as well with isolated tornadoes reported across portions of Deep East Texas as well as west central Louisiana during the afternoon hours of March 30th.

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 Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 30, 10:29 AM CST, 3 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 30, 10:29 AM CST, 3 hours 31 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
1129 AM CDT SUN MAR 30 2008

.DISCUSSION...
HAVE UPDATED ZONES...ISSUING A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR A LARGE
PORTION OF THE CWA. THE HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE INTO THE
AFTERNOON HOURS...AND FLOODING CURRENTLY ONGOING. LOCALIZED
RAINFALL AMOUNTS HAVE NOW EXCEEDED SIX INCHES. MODELS AND GUIDANCE
HAVE NOT HANDLED THIS SMALL SCALE EVENT VERY WELL...SO A LITTLE
BEHIND. IF RAINFALL SHOWS SIGNS OF CONTINUING INTO TONIGHT THE
WATCH WILL BE EXTENDED. SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO TEMPS TO ACCOUNT FOR
LONGER DURATION RAINFALL. NO CHANGES BEYOND FIRST PERIOD AT THIS TIME.

&&

.AVIATION...
LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING THIS MORNING OVER
NORTHEAST TEXAS AND ACTIVITY PULSATING AND MOVING VERY SLOWLY EAST.
OUTSIDE OF MAIN AREA EXPERIENCING MOSTLY MVFR CIGS/VSBSY BUT WITHIN
THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IFR CIGS/VSBYS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WELL
INTO MID AFTERNOON. VFR NOT RECOMMENDED OVER ARKLATEX TODAY.  MVFR
CIGS SHOULD GRADUALLY BECOME VFR OVC/BKN040 BY MID AFTERNOON...WITH
REDUCTIONS TO CIGS/VSBYS CONTINUING IN VICINITY OF CONVECTION.
OTKL.. TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT AHEAD OF THE NEXT RAPID MOVING
SHORTWAVE WILL YIELD INCREASING SRLY WINDS OF 10-15 KTS...WITH GUSTS
TO 25KTS AROUND MID MORNING MONDAY. WHILE CIGS LIFT AGAIN BY MIDDAY
... EXPECT DETERIORATING FLIGHT CONDITIONS DURING THE AFTERNOON AS A
BKN LINE OF STRONG/SVR CONVECTION SPREADS INTO THE AREA. /01/

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SHV  77  62  79  63 / 100  20  60  70
MLU  79  61  81  64 /  80  20  40  80
DEQ  74  65  73  56 /  90  20  70  70
TXK  75  64  76  60 / 100  20  70  70
ELD  78  61  78  61 / 100  20  60  70
TYR  76  66  76  62 /  60  20  70  70
GGG  76  65  77  61 / 100  20  70  70
LFK  77  65  79  63 /  70  20  50  70

&&

.SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM SUNDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     COLUMBIA...HEMPSTEAD...HOWARD...LAFAYETTE...LITTLE
     RIVER...MILLER...NEVADA...AND SEVIER.

LA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM SUNDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     BIENVILLE...BOSSIER...CADDO...CLAIBORNE...DE
     SOTO...NATCHITOCHES...RED RIVER...SABINE LA...AND WEBSTER.

OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM SUNDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: AND
     MCCURTAIN.

TX...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM SUNDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     BOWIE...CAMP...CASS...FRANKLIN...GREGG...HARRISON...MARION...MORRIS...PANOLA...RED
     RIVER...RUSK...SABINE TX...SAN
     AUGUSTINE...SHELBY...TITUS...AND UPSHUR.

&&

14/01

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 30, 10:55 AM CST, 3 hours 5 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
1155 AM CDT SUN MAR 30 2008

ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-OKZ077-
TXZ096-097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-311700-
SEVIER-HOWARD-LITTLE RIVER-HEMPSTEAD-NEVADA-MILLER-LAFAYETTE-
COLUMBIA-UNION AR-CADDO-BOSSIER-WEBSTER-CLAIBORNE-LINCOLN-
UNION LA-DE SOTO-RED RIVER-BIENVILLE-JACKSON-OUACHITA-SABINE LA-
NATCHITOCHES-WINN-GRANT-CALDWELL-LA SALLE-MCCURTAIN-BOWIE-
FRANKLIN-TITUS-CAMP-MORRIS-CASS-WOOD-UPSHUR-MARION-SMITH-GREGG-
HARRISON-CHEROKEE-RUSK-PANOLA-NACOGDOCHES-SHELBY-ANGELINA-
SAN AUGUSTINE-SABINE TX-
1155 AM CDT SUN MAR 30 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
ARKANSAS...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...EAST TEXAS AND
NORTHEAST TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE FOUR STATE REGION
THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW STORMS MAY BE SEVERE...MAINLY EAST OF A
LUFKIN TEXAS TO IDABEL OKLAHOMA LINE. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER
RISK IS HAIL GREATER THAN THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER.

IN ADDITION...THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY
RAINFALL WITHIN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. THIS COULD RESULT IN
ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON NEAR A STALLED
WARM FRONT. COLD TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL RESULT IN STRONG...HAIL
PRODUCING...STORMS. THE WARM FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE NORTHWARD
OUT OF THE AREA LATER TODAY...RESULTING IN A GRADUAL WEAKENING OF
THE CONVECTION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

UNSETTLED WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THE
UPCOMING WORK WEEK.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. A SQUALL LINE...AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING
COLD FRONT...MAY BRING THE RISK OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...
AND ISOLATED TORNADOES TO THE REGION. AT THIS TIME...THE GREATEST
RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER APPEARS TO BE ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 30.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND
NIGHT IN ADVANCE OF ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTER GROUPS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER
OPERATIONS...MAY BE NECESSARY.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 30, 12:05 PM CST, 1 hour 55 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
105 PM CDT SUN MAR 30 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1215 PM     FLASH FLOOD      5 N HALLSVILLE          32.58N 94.58W
03/30/2008                   HARRISON           TX   NWS EMPLOYEE

            PAGE CREEK FLOWING OUT OF BANKS

&&

14

Local storm report, Mar 30, 12:30 PM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
130 PM CDT SUN MAR 30 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0122 PM     FLASH FLOOD      5 N HEMPHILL            31.41N 93.85W
03/30/2008                   SABINE             TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            MANY ROADS UNDER WATER ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE
            COUNTY.

&&

03

Local storm report, Mar 30, 1:01 PM CST, 59 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
201 PM CDT SUN MAR 30 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0112 PM     TSTM WND DMG     5 S MANY                31.49N 93.47W
03/30/2008                   SABINE             LA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            SOME TREES DOWN TO THE SOUTH OF MANY.

0155 PM     FLASH FLOOD      MANY                    31.57N 93.47W
03/30/2008                   SABINE             LA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            NUMEROUS ROAD FLOODED THROUGHOUT THE PARISH.

&&

03

Local storm report, Mar 30, 1:35 PM CST, 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
235 PM CDT SUN MAR 30 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0155 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SAN AUGUSTINE           31.53N 94.11W
03/30/2008                   SAN AUGUSTINE      TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            POWERLINES DOWN.

0229 PM     FLASH FLOOD      SAN AUGUSTINE           31.53N 94.11W
03/30/2008                   SAN AUGUSTINE      TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            SEVERAL ROADS FLOODED IN THE NORTH PART OF THE COUNTY.

&&

03

Local storm report, Mar 30, 1:49 PM CST, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
249 PM CDT SUN MAR 30 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0240 PM     FLASH FLOOD      SAN AUGUSTINE           31.53N 94.11W
03/30/2008                   SAN AUGUSTINE      TX   PUBLIC

            POSSIBLE EVACUATIONS WITH BOATS FROM HOMES.

0240 PM     HAIL             SAN AUGUSTINE           31.53N 94.11W
03/30/2008  E0.75 INCH       SAN AUGUSTINE      TX   PUBLIC

&&

03

Local storm report, Mar 30, 1:55 PM CST, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
255 PM CDT SUN MAR 30 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0245 PM     HAIL             10 NW LUFKIN            31.44N 94.85W
03/30/2008  E0.50 INCH       ANGELINA           TX   PUBLIC

&&

03

The radar

The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, San Augustine

When: March 30, 2:00 PM CST to 4:30 PM CST
Where: San Augustine County, 2.15 mi NNE of San Augustine to 2.12 mi SE of Chinquapin
Cause: Heavy Rain
Deaths: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Property damage: $5.0 million
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 31.546, -94.101

Ten to twenty inches of rain fell in the San Augustine and Sabine County area causing record flooding of some local creeks and reservoirs. Flash flooding was reported throughout the county and many bridges and roads were washed out. A fatality occurred when two people drove off the side of the road into deeper water. Only one of the occupants was able to get out.

Tornado, Sabine

When: March 30, 2:48 PM CST to 2:52 PM CST
Where: Sabine County, 0.72 mi S of Milam to 1.36 mi E of Milam
Rating: EF0
Path length: 1.64 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 31.419, -93.850

An EF0 tornado with winds of 65 to 70 mph occurred approximately 1.5 miles southwest of Milam, Texas in Sabine County, Texas along a path approximately 50 yards wide and 2 miles long. Several large trees were snapped off or uprooted along the path which originated along Dorsey Road extending northeastward across Hwy. 21 before lifting. Smaller limbs were broken along the path as well.

The people who died

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
Flash Flood, San Augustine	2008-03-30			In Water	Indirect

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.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Texas, 2008 Warnings in Texas, March 2008

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: 85474, 85467.