Damaging Winds in Texas, October 26, 2009

Name: Damaging Winds in Texas, October 26, 2009
Start: 2009-10-26T12:24
End: 2009-10-26T14:15
Location: Texas

October 26, 2009 · NWS BRO · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

A vigorous cold front moved through Deep South Texas and the adjacent Gulf of Mexico coastal waters toward the end of October, producing a line of strong to severe thunderstorms which began in western Kenedy County then migrated south southeast through Willacy and Cameron County, as well as the adjacent coastal waters. Wind gusts between 55 and 65 mph were common as the storms intensified;…

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: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $1,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 BRO wrote it up.

Wind gusts between 55 and 65 mph were common as the storms intensified; interestingly, persistent winds within the microburst core maintained these gusts for 15 minutes or more in some areas, with up to an hour of sustained winds above Gale Force. Post-frontal winds behind the line continued at 25 to 35 mph for several hours.

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 Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 26, 10:07 AM CST, 2 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 26, 10:07 AM CST, 2 hours 17 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 26, 6:12 AM CST, 6 hours 12 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
712 AM CDT MON OCT 26 2009

TXZ248>257-271215-
ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY-
INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
712 AM CDT MON OCT 26 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

COLD FRONT ARRIVING DEEP SOUTH TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON MAY RESULT IN
STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE LINE AS IT NEARS THE COAST LATER
IN THE DAY. A FAVORABLE SOUNDING AND AVAILABLE MOISTURE WILL
COUPLE WITH DIVERGENCE ALOFT TO ENHANCE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL.
SEVERE POTENTIAL WILL BE LIMITED...BUT STRONG STORMS PRODUCING
STRONG WIND GUSTS AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL BE POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

HAM ACTIVATION REQUESTED AND SPOTTERS SHOULD STANDBY.

GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-271215-
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-
712 AM CDT MON OCT 26 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE
LAGUNA MADRE.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS IN EFFECT AS SOUTHEAST WINDS
INCREASE TO AROUND 20 KNOTS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. WINDS WILL
BRIEFLY DECREASE IN THE AFTERNOON...BUT WILL BECOME STRONG AND
GUSTY FROM THE NORTH LATER TODAY WHEN THE FRONT GOES THROUGH...
RESULTING IN CONTINUED SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS. WINDS
ACROSS SOME AREAS MAY REACH GALE FORCE MONDAY NIGHT...EITHER
SUSTAINED OR VIA FREQUENT GUSTS. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT...WITH
ISOLATED MARGINALLY SEVERE. SEAS MAY BRIEFLY BUILD UP TO TEN FEET
TONIGHT. A QUICK RETURN TO MODERATE SOUTHEAST WINDS AND LOWER
SEAS IS EXPECTED BY TUESDAY NIGHT.

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY
AS A PLAINS STORM SYSTEM DEEPENS...TIGHTENING THE PRESSURE
GRADIENT. SOUTHEAST WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KNOTS WILL SET UP AND
PERSIST THROUGH THURSDAY...BUILDING SEAS TO SEVEN OR EIGHT FEET
OFFSHORE. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 25 KNOTS WITH HIGHER
GUSTS EARLY FRIDAY BEHIND THE FRONT. SEAS WILL BUILD TO AROUND 10
FEET SINCE A SHORT NORTHEAST FETCH WILL OCCUR. SOUTHEAST WINDS
WILL RETURN IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT BETWEEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.

RIP CURRENT RISK WILL OFTEN BE ELEVATED AS SEAS WILL BE AGITATED
AND HIGHER MUCH OF THE WEEK.

MARINE CONDITIONS THIS WEEK WILL BE HIGHLY VARIABLE AND AT TIMES
HAZARDOUS. MARINERS SHOULD MONITOR CONDITIONS AND FORECASTS
FREQUENTLY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 26, 10:43 AM CST, 1 hour 41 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
1143 AM CDT MON OCT 26 2009

TXZ248-249-252-262000-
ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-STARR-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ZAPATA...HEBBRONVILLE...
RIO GRANDE CITY...ROMA
1143 AM CDT MON OCT 26 2009

...MUCH COOLER AIR RACING INTO THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS...

THE REMNANTS OF A THUNDERSTORM SYSTEM THAT MOVED THROUGH OFF OF
THE SIERRA MADRE ORIENTAL WEST OF EAGLE PASS HAS LINKED UP WITH A
COLD FRONT MOVING QUICKLY TOWARD DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. WINDS HAVE
TURNED NORTHERLY AND GUSTED OVER 40 MPH AT TIMES IN ZAPATA COUNTY
AND WILL SPREAD THROUGH STARR AND JIM HOGG COUNTY THROUGH 1 PM.
TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO THE LOWER OR MID 60S BY 2 PM IN ALL
AREAS...LEVEL OFF FOR AN HOUR OR TWO...THEN CONTINUE DROPPING INTO THE
MID AND UPPER 50S BEFORE NIGHTFALL.

RESIDENTS SHOULD MOVE ANY LOOSE LIGHTWEIGHT ITEMS INDOORS
IMMEDIATELY. MOTORISTS ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES
SHOULD BE ALERT TO WIND GUSTS POSSIBLY AS HIGH AS 50 MPH.

TXZ250-251-253-262000-
BROOKS-KENEDY-HIDALGO-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FALFURRIAS...SARITA...MCALLEN...
EDINBURG...PHARR...MISSION...WESLACO
1143 AM CDT MON OCT 26 2009

...MUCH COOLER AIR HEADED FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE MIDDLE RIO
GRANDE VALLEY...

THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON: SCATTERED TO LOCALLY NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP...SOME PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 30 MPH
FROM THE SOUTHEAST AND REDUCING VISIBILITY BELOW 2 MILES BRIEFLY IN
DOWNPOURS.

FROM EARLY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON: A COLD FRONT WILL
BRING A SHARP DROP IN TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH WIND GUSTS OF AT
LEAST 40 MPH OR HIGHER FROM HIDALGO THROUGH BROOKS AND KENEDY
COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON. IN ALL AREAS...TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO
THE LOWER OR MID 60S WITHIN 1 OR 2 HOURS OF THE FRONT AND CONTINUE
INTO THE MID OR UPPER 50S BEFORE SUNSET. TIMING OF THE FRONT AND
TEMPERATURE CHANGES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1 PM: RIO GRANDE CITY THROUGH 10 MILES WEST OF FALFURRIAS.
2 PM: LA JOYA THROUGH NORTHWEST KENEDY COUNTY...INCLUDING SAN
MANUEL.
3 PM: MCALLEN THROUGH THE COAST OF NORTHERN KENEDY COUNTY.
4 PM: WESLACO THROUGH THE COAST OF SOUTHERN KENEDY COUNTY.

RESIDENTS SHOULD MOVE ANY LOOSE LIGHTWEIGHT ITEMS INDOORS
IMMEDIATELY. MOTORISTS ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES
SHOULD BE ALERT TO WIND GUSTS POSSIBLY AS HIGH AS 50 MPH.

TXZ254>257-262000-
INLAND WILLACY-INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...RAYMONDVILLE...BROWNSVILLE...
HARLINGEN...PORT MANSFIELD...PORT ISABEL...SOUTH PADRE ISLAND...
LAGUNA HEIGHTS...LAGUNA VISTA
1143 AM CDT MON OCT 26 2009

...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRECEDE MUCH COOLER AIR ARRIVING LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

THROUGH 4 PM: SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP
SOME WITH BRIEF DOWNPOURS AND SOUTHEASTERLY WIND GUSTS TO 25 OR 30 MPH
OR SO. OUTSIDE OF ANY RAINS...TEMPERATURES WILL REACH THE MID 80S.

BETWEEN 4 AND 7 PM: A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE LOWER RIO
GRANDE VALLEY...DROPPING TEMPERATURES SHARPLY FROM THE 80S INTO
THE 60S WITHIN AN HOUR OF PASSAGE. WIND GUSTS WILL REACH 40 MPH OR
HIGHER FROM THE NORTH. EXPECTED TIMING OF THE FRONT IS AS FOLLOWS:

4 PM: WESLACO THROUGH RAYMONDVILLE.
5 PM: WESTERN CAMERON COUNTY THROUGH PORT MANSFIELD.
6 PM: BROWNSVILLE THROUGH JUST NORTH OF THE TOWN OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND.

RESIDENTS SHOULD MOVE ANY LOOSE LIGHTWEIGHT ITEMS INDOORS EARLY
THIS AFTERNOON. MOTORISTS SHOULD PREPARE FOR REDUCED VISIBILITY
AND DANGEROUS CROSS WINDS BETWEEN 4 AND 7 PM ON AREA HIGHWAYS.
HIGH PROFILE AND LIGHT WEIGHT VEHICLES ARE MOST AT RISK.

52/BSG

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:25 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kenedy

When: October 26, 12:24 PM CST to 12:36 PM CST
Where: Kenedy County, 23.06 mi E of Sarita
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Buoy
Coordinates: 27.256, -97.427

A Texas Coastal and Ocean Observing Network site at Baffin Bay, just a few miles northeast of Kenedy County, recorded wind gusts up to 65 mile per hour when line of strong to severe thunderstorms rapidly developed in western Kenedy County and raced east. Wind gusts at or above 60 mph continued until 1236 PM. Note: Wind gust value is used as a proxy to estimated value on the nearby promontory of northeast Kenedy County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kenedy

When: October 26, 1:06 PM CST to 1:15 PM CST
Where: Kenedy County, 17.44 mi E of Norias
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Buoy
Coordinates: 26.808, -97.517

The Rincon Del San Jose TCOON site reported a wind gusts to 66 miles per hour during a thunderstorm which moved through the coastal areas early in the afternoon. Note: This location is immediately east of the Kenedy County Laguna Madre coastline and is used as a proxy to estimate winds over this area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Willacy

When: October 26, 1:15 PM CST to 1:25 PM CST
Where: Willacy County, Port Mansfield
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 26.550, -97.430

The Port Mansfield Harbor Master reported wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour were measured during a strong thunderstorm which moved through Port Mansfield in the early afternoon. Duration of gusts estimated by proxy with similar conditions as the line passed Laguna Madre-side locations farther north.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cameron

When: October 26, 1:50 PM CST to 2:05 PM CST
Where: Cameron County, 1.57 mi NNE of Los Fresnos to 0.37 mi SSE of Port Isabel Arpt
Measured: 49 kt (56 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 26.092, -97.474

A line of strong to severe thunderstorms marched through central and eastern Cameron County during the mid afternoon of October 26th. Long duration wind gusts associated with the microburst produced peak winds of 56 mph at the Cameron County Airport, and 57 mph at the Realitos Peninsula Texas Coastal Ocean Observing Network site less than 10 miles to the northeast.

NWS employees from Rancho Viejo (west of this track) and just north of Los Fresnos reported several small limbs down; an 8 to 12 inch diameter limb blown down in Rancho Viejo was rotting.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cameron

When: October 26, 2:15 PM CST
Where: Cameron County, 1.42 mi ENE of Port Isabel
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 26.080, -97.180

An amateur radio operator reported that the Isla Grande Resort weatherbug station recorded a peak wind gust of 59 miles per hour when a thunderstorm moved through the resort during the passage of a cold front.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, October 2009

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 196935, 196934, 196933, 200669, 196937.