A series of thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall and strong winds across portions of Harris, Galveston, and Chambers counties leaving motorists stranded along several flooded area highways. Additional severe thunderstorms produced hail and flash flooding across the northern counties of Southeast Texas.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 HGX wrote it up.
A series of thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall and strong winds across portions of Harris, Galveston, and Chambers counties leaving motorists stranded along several flooded area highways. Additional severe thunderstorms produced hail and flash flooding across the northern counties of Southeast Texas.
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 Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 24, 7:19 PM CST, 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
819 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2009
.UPDATE...
UPDATED FORECAST AGAIN FOR ONGOING CONVECTIVE TRENDS. MCS OVER SE
HOUSTON WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE OFF TO THE EAST WITH OTHER
CONVECTIVE CELLS MERGING INTO IT. RAIN RATES HAVE INCREASED TO
MORE THAN 1-1.5 INCHES AN HOUR. KHOU RECEIVED 1.75 INCHES IN ONE
HOUR AND PUSHING CLOSER TO AN ADDITIONAL HALF INCH OVER THE LAST
15-30 MINUTES. CELLS ARE NOT ALL THAT ORGANIZED BUT MAY SEE A
DOWNBURST OR TWO AS CELLS BEGIN TO FALL APART. WATER VAPOR
IMAGERY IS SHOWING SOME DRIER AIR PUNCH INTO THE BACK SIDE OF THE
CONVECTION. OVERALL LOOKS LIKE A GOOD RAIN EVENT BUT WILL HAVE TO
KEEP AN EYE ON RAIN GAGES TO SEE IF FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS
NEEDED. AGAIN EXPECT CONVECTION TO MOVE OUT AND DIMINISH BEFORE
06Z.
39
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 645 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2009/
UPDATE...
UPDATED FORECAST FOR CONVECTIVE TRENDS LAST HOUR.
DISCUSSION...
21Z SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS MOIST AXIS WORKING UP THROUGH SE TX.
CONVECTION OVER WHARTON/FORT BEND CO HAS INCREASED IN COVERAGE
AND DECIDED TO EXPAND AND INCREASE POPS AS THESE STORMS WORK NE
INTO THE MOISTURE AXIS. RAIN RATES ARE HOLDING AROUND A HALF INCH
AN HOUR WHICH IS NOT ENOUGH TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT FOR FLASH
FLOODING. INSTABILITY LOOKS TO BE LIMITED TO LESS THAN 1000 J/KG
WITH POSSIBLY SOME CAPPING OCCURRING AS WELL. THE 12Z SOUNDINGS
AT CRP AND LCH INDICATE THIS BUT CAPS ARE RATHER WEAK. SEVERE
THREAT LOOKS MINIMAL AT THIS POINT. OVERALL EXPECT AROUND A
QUARTER TO A HALF INCH OF RAIN WITH THIS ACTIVITY AND PROBABLY
EXPAND INTO HARRIS CO OVER THE NEXT 1-2HRS. CONVECTION SHOULD
DECREASE AND EXIT THE AREA AS SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER C TX PULLS
EAST TONIGHT.
39
PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 319 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2009/
DISCUSSION...
A SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL PERSIST OVER SE TX THROUGH THE END
OF NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL HELP KEEP ONSHORE SURFACE WINDS IN
PLACE...ALSO. A SERIES OF SHORTWAVE TROUGHS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS TO BRING CHANCES FOR RAIN MAINLY FOR NEXT WEEK.
THE MODELS WERE SIMILAR ALTHOUGH THE GFS AND NAM DID DIFFER IN THE
SHORT TERM. PREFERRED A BLEND OF THE MODELS.
CHANCES FOR RAIN THIS EVENING WILL MAINLY BE OVER THE WESTERN AND
NORTHERN SET OF COUNTIES. WILL NEED TO KEEP A WATCH OUT FOR
ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE MID
EVENING. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WAS CURRENTLY PUSHING NORTHEASTWARD
ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE STATE. SEE THE LATEST
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR MORE DETAILS.
RAIN CHANCES ON SATURDAY WILL BE LIMITED. THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH
PUSHING INTO W TX IS FORECAST BY THE MODELS TO MOVE TOWARD OK AND
KS AND STAY NORTH OF SE TX. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AS
THE SOUTHERN END OF THIS SYSTEM MOVES OVERHEAD. THE TREND FOR NEXT
WEEK WILL THEN BE FOR SLIGHTLY WARMER TEMPERATURES WITH ISOLATED
RAIN CHANCES POSSIBLE.
40
MARINE...
LONG FETCH OF MODERATE TO STRONG SE WINDS ACROSS THE GULF WILL
PERSIST FOR THE NEXT WEEK WITH A PERSISTENT PATTERN OF HIGH PRES
O THE EAST AND LOWER PRES ACROSS THE ROCKIES. COMBINATION OF
CAUTION & ADVISORY FLAGS EXPECTED THRU THE ENTIRE FCST PERIOD. 47
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
COLLEGE STATION (CLL) 68 83 69 82 70 / 20 20 10 10 20
HOUSTON (IAH) 70 82 69 82 71 / 60 20 10 10 10
GALVESTON (GLS) 71 74 71 76 72 / 40 20 10 10 10
&&
.HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...NONE.
GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM CDT SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: MATAGORDA BAY...WATERS FROM FREEPORT TO THE
MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL 20 NM TO 60 NM...WATERS FROM
FREEPORT TO THE MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL OUT 20 NM...WATERS
FROM HIGH ISLAND TO FREEPORT 20 TO 60 NM.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM CDT SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: GALVESTON BAY...WATERS FROM HIGH ISLAND TO FREEPORT
OUT 20 NM.
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: GALVESTON BAY...WATERS FROM HIGH
ISLAND TO FREEPORT OUT 20 NM.
&&
DISCUSSION...39HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1251 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2009 GMZ330-335-350-355-370-375-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226- 227-235>238-251800- AUSTIN-BRAZORIA-BRAZOS-BURLESON-CHAMBERS-COLORADO-FORT BEND- GALVESTON-GALVESTON BAY-GRIMES-HARRIS-HOUSTON-JACKSON-LIBERTY- MADISON-MATAGORDA-MATAGORDA BAY-MONTGOMERY-POLK-SAN JACINTO- TRINITY-WALKER-WALLER-WASHINGTON- WATERS FROM FREEPORT TO THE MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL 20 NM TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM FREEPORT TO THE MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM HIGH ISLAND TO FREEPORT 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM HIGH ISLAND TO FREEPORT OUT 20 NM-WHARTON- 1251 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. ...SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING... .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE MID EVENING. THE SLIGHT RISK AREA INCLUDES LOCATIONS ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM GROVETON TO KATY TO EDNA. AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP. ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY OCCUR WITH THE MAIN THREAT BEING DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE...ALSO. RAINFALL AMOUNTS UP TO ONE HALF INCH CAN BE EXPECTED WITH ISOLATED TOTALS BETWEEN ONE AND TWO INCHES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 638 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2009 TXZ213-227-237-250045- HARRIS-FORT BEND-BRAZORIA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HOUSTON...PASADENA...KATY...TOMBALL... HUMBLE...SUGAR LAND...MISSOURI CITY...RICHMOND...ROSENBERG... PEARLAND...LAKE JACKSON...ALVIN...ANGLETON...FREEPORT 638 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2009 ...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE AREA... THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS PORTIONS OF HARRIS...FORT BEND AND BRAZORIA COUNTIES THROUGH 8 PM. AREAS IMPACTED IMMEDIATELY WILL INCLUDE SUGAR LAND...ROSENBERG...RICHMOND...AND MISSOURI CITY. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE HOUSTON AREA MAINLY AFTER 7 PM. THE STORMS WILL CONTAIN FREQUENT...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS. SOME PONDING ON ROADWAYS IS LIKELY. MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION. REILLY
The Houston radar (KHGX), 21 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:17 UTC.
5 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A roof under repair at a nursing home collapsed due to the combination of strong winds and heavy rainfall.
Slow moving thunderstorms across the southern portion of Harris County produced widespread flooding and road closures. The area traversed by this system had received heavy rainfall 6 days prior to the event, and the ground was still saturated. The heaviest rainfall fell along a line from Friendswood to Baytown, with totals of 7 to 8 inches during a 6 hour period. Many secondary roads along Interstate 45 became impassable for most of the evening. Forty to fifty homes recieved water damage from this event, although this is only an estimated count as all of the homes flooded on the 24th were also flooded during the earlier event on April 18th.
Heavy rainfall from a slow moving thunderstorm produced street flooding which closed several county roads in the vicinity of Clover Field.
Numerous roads in and around Friendswood were impassable due to high water caused by heavy rainfall. Several high water rescues were required due to the flooding.
Severe wind gust measured at Eagle Point PORTS buoy.
Heavy rainfall due to slow moving thunderstorms produced brief road closures along Interstate 10, with four feet of water reported over the road at the intersection of Highway 61 and the interstate.
Nickel sized hail was observed along FM 60 between Lyons and Snook.
Penny sized hail was reported in north Bryan.
Heavy rainfall caused one to five feet of water over local roads between Bryan and Benchley.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, April 2009
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: 165142, 166475, 166480, 166483, 165154, 166489, 165147, 165151, 166493.