A small complex of thunderstorms developed ahead of a weakening frontal boundary moving across South Texas, moving across Deep South Texas from west to east during the evening and overnight hours of the 28th into the 29th. Heavy rainfall and lightning were notable in Jim Hogg County.
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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 small complex of thunderstorms developed ahead of a weakening frontal boundary moving across South Texas, moving across Deep South Texas from west to east during the evening and overnight hours of the 28th into the 29th. Heavy rainfall and lightning were notable in Jim Hogg County.
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 Aug 28, 8:25 PM CST, 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 925 PM CDT FRI AUG 28 2009 .UPDATE...FOLLOWING THE EVENING TRENDS OF THE THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS. THUNDERSTORMS BEGINNING TO CONCENTRATE OVER ZAPATA COUNTY WITH THUNDERSTORMS OVER JIM HOGG WEAKENING. MOVEMENT OF COMPLEX AXIS IS SLOWLY TO THE EAST WITH INDIVIDUAL STORMS TO THE SOUTHEAST. INCREASED POPS THROUGH MIDNIGHT TO COVER CURRENT TRENDS WITH LOW POPS THROUGH 09Z FOR ANY LINGERING SHOWERS. HIGHEST POPS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST WITH LOWER POPS EAST AND SOUTHEAST WITH DRIER AIR IN PLACE. A STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS AND A SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVING SLOWLY ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS IS INTERACTING WITH MODEST MOISTURE VALUES AND THE LINGERING AFTERNOON HEAT TO PRODUCE THIS CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS. ACTIVITY SHOULD GRADUALLY DIMINISH BY MIDNIGHT WITH THE COOL OF THE EVENING WITH SOME LINGERING SHOWERS PAST MIDNIGHT. MODELS SUGGESTS INGREDIENTS TO REMAIN IN PLACE...ACTUALLY SINKING A BIT TO THE SOUTHEAST SATURDAY...WITH MOISTURE CONTINUING TO POOL IN THE VICINITY OF THE BOUNDARY. SHORTWAVE AXIS TO REMAIN JUST NORTH OF THE CWA WITH ENERGY OR WEAK DISTURBANCES MOVING ALONG AND EITHER SIDE OF THE AXIS TO GIVE THE CWA ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY. DIFFICULT TO SAY WHERE THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF STORMS WILL BE SO WILL LEAVE CURRENT SAT POP AS IS AND LET MIDNIGHT CREW ADJUST WITH NEW 00Z DATA. ZONES OUT SOON. && .MARINE...NO MAJOR CHANGES ARE CURRENTLY FORECAST FOR THE MARINE AREAS. WINDS ARE GRADUALLY INCREASING ACROSS THE OFFSHORE WATERS THIS EVENING AFTER BEING NEARLY CALM FOR MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON. SEA HEIGHTS ARE STILL VERY LOW FOR BOTH THE OFFSHORE AND NEAR SHORE WATERS AND WE HAVE ONLY A LIGHT CHOP ON THE BAY. CONDITIONS ON SATURDAY WILL BE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY WERE ON FRIDAY. BY SUNDAY AND THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK A WEAK QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT WILL BE DRAPED ACROSS THE AREA. WEAK VORT MAXES AND DISTURBANCES WILL RIDE ALONG THE FRONT PRODUCING CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE MARINE WATERS. && .AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS TO BE EXPECTED THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. CONVECTION IS STAYING WELL TO THE NORTHWEST OF BRO HRL AND MFE AND WILL ONLY BE A CONCERN TO FLIGHTS THAT HAVE TO FLY AROUND THE CUMULONIMBUS. CLOSER TO THE AIRPORTS...THE WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AT THE BOUNDARY LAYER DECOUPLES. LIGHT WINDS WILL BE COMMON THROUGH MUCH OF THE MORNING ON SATURDAY BEFORE BECOMING MORE SOUTHERLY BY MIDDAY. SEA BREEZE WILL TRY TO MOVE THROUGH DURING THE AFTERNOON BRINGING EAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS WITH A FEW GUSTS AROUND 20 KNOTS. AS FAR AS CLOUD COVER IS CONCERNED....LAST VIS IMAGE AND IR CHANNEL FREQUENCIES THIS EVENING SHOWS CIRROSTRATUS CONTINUING TO MOVE WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE AREA AND WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO DO SO THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ARE FORECAST TO INCREASE TONIGHT AND ESPECIALLY ON SATURDAY RESULTING IN MORE CLOUD COVER FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON. && .PREV DISCUSSION...ISSUED 403 PM CDT FRI AUG 28 2009...A FEW SEA BREEZE SHOWERS POPPED UP OVER KENEDY COUNTY THE LAST HOUR SO UPDATED THE GRIDS WITH VERY LOW POPS TO COVER THIS ACTION. MONITORING CONVECTION FIRING NORTHWEST OF THE CWA IN RELATION TO THE STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY. ADDED 20 POPS ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER COUNTIES THIS EVENING TO COVER THIS AS WELL. ALSO ADDED SEA BREEZE TYPE SHOWERS FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON...LIKE TODAY...AND INCLUDED SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR SUNDAY AS MOISTURE POOLS IN THE VICINITY OF THE BOUNDARY...MENTIONED ABOVE AND IN THE PREVIOUS FORECAST DISCUSSION...AS ITS SLOWLY SINKS INTO THE CWA. PREV DISCUSSION...ISSUED 125 PM CDT FRI AUG 28 2009...THE HEAT AND DROUGHT ARE OUR MAIN WX CONCERNS IN DEEP S TX...WHICH HAS BEEN OUR WX STORY ALL SUMMER LONG. ANOTHER HOT AND DRY DAY TODAY WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS. WITH WEAK WINDS THE HEAT FEELS EVEN HOTTER ALTHOUGH DEWPOINT REMAIN LOW KEEPING THE HEAT INDEX AT BAY. SOME HIGH CLOUDINESS IS STREAMING EAST NORTHEAST OVER MAINLY CAMERON COUNTY AND SPI THROUGH THE BASE OF A VERY POSITIVELY TILTED H3 TROF...AND EXTENSION OF THE MAIN CONUS TROF CENTERED OVER THE GREAT LAKES. WE HAVE TWO VIGOROUS UPPER LOWS SPINNING OVER THE EXTREME NORTHWEST CONUS AND THE GREAT LAKES...WITH HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATING OUR REGION. THE GREAT LAKES UPPER LOW HAS PULLED SOME DRY AIR (A COOL FRONT) DOWN TO A LINE FM KDRT TO KHDO...THEN NE TO KTXK. NO RAIN NOTED EXCEPT SCT SHRAS 140 NM EAST OF POR...DRIFTING SLOWLY SE. TIME/HEIGHT OF WND/RH/OMEGA SHOWS DEEPENING MSTR WITH TIME AS A COOL FNT JUST NORTH IS ALLOWED TO MOVE SOUTH AND BECOME STATIONARY JUST NORTH OF THE RGV. THIS FEATURE...ALONG WITH MSTR IN PLACE AND SOME WEAK UPPER LVL DISTURBANCES MVG THROUGH THE BASE OF THE GREAT LAKES TROF WILL BRING SCATTERED SHRAS/-TSRAS MAINLY SUNDAY THRU TUESDAY. LATEST MDL RUNS HAVE DECREASED RAIN AMOUNTS AND DURATION...BUT ANY PCPN IS WELCOME. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 76 96 77 95 / 10 10 0 20 BROWNSVILLE 76 98 77 97 / 10 20 0 20 HARLINGEN 75 98 75 97 / 10 20 0 20 MCALLEN 77 99 76 99 / 10 10 0 20 RIO GRANDE CITY 76 101 76 101 / 10 10 0 10 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 80 89 79 90 / 10 10 0 10 && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. GM...NONE. && THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BROWNSVILLE 59/69
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 855 PM CDT FRI AUG 28 2009 GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-TXZ248>257-291100- 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- 855 PM CDT FRI AUG 28 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE LAGUNA MADRE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT ZAPATA AND JIM HOGG COUNTIES THROUGH THE LATE EVENING HOURS. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF LIGHTNING...BRIEF WIND GUSTS FROM 20 TO 30 MPH AND BRIEF DOWNPOURS. NO OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS NEXT MONDAY AND TUESDAY AS TROPICAL MOISTURE INCREASES FROM THE SOUTH. A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. SPEECE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 914 PM CDT FRI AUG 28 2009 TXZ248-249-290345- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ZAPATA...HEBBRONVILLE 914 PM CDT FRI AUG 28 2009 ...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL WILL AFFECT ZAPATA AND JIM HOGG COUNTIES... SHOWERS...WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS...WILL CONTINUE TO PERSIST AND MOVE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE LATE EVENING HOURS ACROSS ZAPATA AND JIM HOGG COUNTIES...INCLUDING AREAS SUCH AS SAN YGNACIO AND BUSTAMANTE AND EVENTUALLY ZAPATA AND HEBBRONVILLE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES...WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGEST ACTIVITY. IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY RAINFALL WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. WHEN DRIVING THROUGH HEAVY RAIN...SLOW DOWN. ALWAYS LEAVE A SAFE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND OTHER VEHICLES. 69/RQH
The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 126 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:01 UTC.
1 heavy rain, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
More than 2.7 inches of rain fell during a two to three hour period at the cooperative observing site in Hebbronville during the late evening of August 28th.
Two transformers were struck by lightning in the city of Hebbronville, reported by the Jim Hogg County Sheriff Department.
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, August 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: 195584, 192919.