An approaching upper level trough, Pacific front and cold front aided in the development of severe storms in west Texas. The storm complex weakened as it moved into north Texas, but produced some isolated damage and flash flooding as it moved across north 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 FWD wrote it up.
An approaching upper level trough, Pacific front and cold front aided in the development of severe storms in west Texas. The storm complex weakened as it moved into north Texas, but produced some isolated damage and flash flooding as it moved across north 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 Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 8, 8:23 PM CST, 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 923 PM CDT THU OCT 8 2009 .UPDATE... UPPER TROUGH CONTINUES TO MOVE CLOSER TO THE REGION AND UPPER LEVEL FORCING/LIFT IS OVER-SPREADING THE CWA FROM THE WEST. EVENING SOUNDING DEPICTS CONTINUED LIFTING OF THE CAP AND DEEPENING OF THE VERY MOIST/UNSTABLE LAYER BELOW THE CAP. HOWEVER...CAP STILL REMAINS IN CONTROL...WITH SHOWERS ACROSS THE NW CWA OCCURRING ABOVE THE CAP...WHERE ONLY WEAK ELEVATED INSTABILITY IS AVAILABLE. WITH CONTINUED DYNAMIC LIFT...CAP WILL ERODE COMPLETELY FROM WEST TO EAST AS THE NIGHT PROGRESSES. THIS IS OCCURRING NOW WEST OF THE CWA WHERE SEVERE STORMS HAVE DEVELOPED AND CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST ALONG A PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH/PACIFIC FRONTAL BOUNDARY. MEANWHILE CANADIAN COLD FRONT FROM THE NORTH HAS REACHED A BOWIE-BRECKENRIDGE LINE AND WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTH. THIS FRONT WILL LIMIT THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT TO PRIMARILY HAIL...WITH TORNADO/WIND THREAT DIMINISHING AS SHALLOW STABLE LAYER UNDERCUTS THE MORE VIGOROUS CONVECTION. OTHERWISE...MAIN THREAT IS GOING TO BE HEAVY RAINFALL...BUT ORIENTATION OF FRONTAL BOUNDARY HAS BECOME TOO PERPENDICULAR TO STORM MOTION VECTORS OVER THE NW/W CWA TO ALLOW FOR A GOOD TRAINING SETUP. THE HIGHER THREAT FOR FLOODING RAIN/TRAINING WILL BE GENERALLY EAST OF I-35 WHERE FRONTAL ORIENTATION WILL BE PARALLEL TO STORM MOTION...AND ESPECIALLY NORTHEAST OF THE METROPLEX WHERE BETTER LIFTING DYNAMICS COME ACROSS. ALL IN ALL...THERE WILL BE FEW CHANGES TO THE FORECAST. THE HIGH POPS AND THE MENTION OF SEVERE STORMS FOR ELEVATED HAIL LATER TONIGHT IS WARRANTED. WHILE FLOODING CONTINUES TO BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN...THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS THIS THREAT IS DIMINISHING OVER THE WESTERN PARTS OF THE WATCH...BUT NOT ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO CANCEL ANY OF THESE COUNTIES AT THIS POINT. TR.92 && .AVIATION... /00Z TAFS/ NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO ONGOING TAFS...THOUGH MAY REDUCE/REMOVE THUNDER DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS FRIDAY. STRONG CAPPING INVERSION PERSISTS ABOVE TERMINALS...DESPITE TEMPS NEAR 90F AND DEW POINTS IN THE 70S. TRAINING STORMS TO WEST OF FWD CWA ARE MAKING MINIMAL PROGRESS EAST...BUT ANTICIPATE EASTWARD TRANSLATION OF UPPER FORCING AS SHORTWAVE BEGINS INVADING WEST TEXAS. ONSET AT METRO TERMINALS NO EARLIER THAN 02-03Z...WITH BULK OF ACTIVITY IN THE 06-11Z TIMEFRAME LEADING UP TO DAYBREAK FROPA. POSTFRONTAL MVFR CIGS WILL PREVAIL MUCH OF THE DAY FRIDAY. STRONG DRY INTRUSION ABOVE 700MB WILL ENSUE BY MIDDAY...AND COOL/DRY ADVECTION ABOVE/BELOW/WITHIN STRATUS DECK WILL EVENTUALLY ERODE IT BY LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON. 25 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 339 PM CDT THU OCT 8 2009/ UPPER TROUGH IS CURRENTLY LOCATED ALONG THE AZ/NM BORDER AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST AND PROVIDE LARGE SCALE LIFT OVER THE REGION LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. THE COLD FRONT EXTENDS ALONG A LINE FROM AMARILLO TO OKLAHOMA CITY TO TULSA AND IS CURRENTLY SLOWLY MOVING SOUTHWARD. FWD 18Z RAOB SHOWED A SUBSTANTIAL CAP IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION AND ACTUALLY INCREASED IN STRENGTH FROM THE 12Z SOUNDING. EXPECT THIS CAP TO WEAKEN THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON/EVENING AS THE ATMOSPHERE CONTINUES TO MOISTEN AHEAD OF THE UPPER TROUGH AND COLD FRONT. CONVECTION IS CURRENTLY INITIATING WEST OF THE CWA ALONG THE PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH. EXPECT ACTIVITY TO INCREASE IN OUR NORTHWESTERN ZONES OVER THE NEXT 2 TO 3 HOURS AS UPPER SUPPORT /PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH/COLD FRONT ALL INCH CLOSER TO THE CWA. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR AREAS NORTH OF GRAHAM TO DECATUR TO SHERMAN LINE. INGREDIENTS ARE COMING TOGETHER FOR A HEAVY RAINFALL/SEVERE WEATHER EVENT ACROSS THE CWA OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. EXPECT STORM MODE OVERNIGHT TO BE LINEAR AS DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS PARALLEL TO THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. PRECIP IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY THIS EVENING AS LLJ DOES ITS NORMAL NIGHTLY RAMP UP. FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BE MOVING INTO OUR NW ZONES AROUND 6Z OR 1 AM AND INTO THE METROPLEX AROUND 10Z OR 5AM AND THROUGH THE CWA AFTER DAYBREAK TOMORROW. STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ROOTED IN THE BOUNDARY LAYER AS DEWPOINTS REMAIN IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 70S. LITTLE SBCIN WILL BE IN PLACE ALONG THE BOUNDARY AND MLCAPES WILL REMAIN IN THE 2000 J/KG RANGE OVERNIGHT. WIND SHEAR WILL BE STRONG WITH 0-6 KM BULK SHEAR IN THE 40 TO 50 KT RANGE. THE MAIN THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE HAIL UP TO GOLFBALLS AND DOWNBURST WINDS. 0-1 KM SHEAR WILL BE AROUND 25 KTS WHICH WOULD SUGGEST ONE OR TWO BRIEF SPIN UPS ALONG THE LINE WILL BE POSSIBLE. THIS WILL ONLY HAPPEN IF STORMS REMAIN ROOTED IN THE BOUNDARY LAYER AND SBCIN REMAINS WEAK. IF ONE OR TWO STORMS DO COME DETACHED FROM THE LINE...CHANCES WILL INCREASE FOR A POSSIBLE TORNADO. MADE NO CHANGES TO THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH. WIDESPREAD 2-3 INCHES OF RAIN WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE AS THE COLD FRONT SLOWLY MOVES SOUTHWARD OVERNIGHT. THERE WILL BE AMPLE MOISTURE IN PLACE TONIGHT WITH PW VALUES GREATER THAN 2.25 INCHES. THE BEST CHANCES FOR FLOODING APPEAR TO BE IN OUR NORTHWESTERN ZONES AS EMBEDDED STORMS IN THE SQUALL LINE WOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE OVER THE SAME PLACES AS EVIDENT BY THE DIFFLUENT THICKNESS VALUES. STORMS WILL MOVE OUT OF THE CWA BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20 WILL STRUGGLE TO CLIMB OUT OF THE 50S AS PERSISTING CLOUD COVER AND COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. ADDITIONAL SURGES OF COOL AIR WILL COME SUNDAY MORNING AND TUESDAY KEEPING TEMPERATURES COOL. SMALL RAIN CHANCES WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT ON TUESDAY. 85/NH && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 57 62 48 70 49 / 100 50 0 5 5 WACO, TX 62 66 51 73 53 / 90 60 10 5 5 PARIS, TX 59 60 45 66 46 / 100 70 10 5 5 DENTON, TX 54 61 45 70 46 / 100 40 0 5 5 MCKINNEY, TX 57 62 45 69 45 / 100 60 0 5 5 DALLAS, TX 58 62 50 69 49 / 100 60 0 5 5 TERRELL, TX 60 63 49 70 52 / 100 70 5 5 5 CORSICANA, TX 63 64 47 70 51 / 90 80 10 5 5 TEMPLE, TX 63 65 51 72 52 / 80 70 10 5 5 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR TXZ091>095-101>107- 116>123-129>135-141>146-156-157-159. && 25/92
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 627 PM CDT THU OCT 8 2009 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-091145- MONTAGUE-COOKE-GRAYSON-FANNIN-LAMAR-YOUNG-JACK-WISE-DENTON-COLLIN- HUNT-DELTA-HOPKINS-STEPHENS-PALO PINTO-PARKER-TARRANT-DALLAS- ROCKWALL-KAUFMAN-VAN ZANDT-RAINS-EASTLAND-ERATH-HOOD-SOMERVELL- JOHNSON-ELLIS-HENDERSON-COMANCHE-MILLS-HAMILTON-BOSQUE-HILL-NAVARRO- FREESTONE-ANDERSON-LAMPASAS-CORYELL-BELL-MCLENNAN-FALLS-LIMESTONE- LEON-MILAM-ROBERTSON- 627 PM CDT THU OCT 8 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES INTO THE REGION. SOME STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT...HEAVY RAINFALL IS LIKELY TONIGHT...WHICH MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. THEREFORE...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTH TEXAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE AREA FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY. THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN LIKELY NEAR AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. THESE STORMS ARE LIKELY TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE EAST OF NORTH TEXAS BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON...BRINGING THUNDERSTORM CHANCES TO AN END. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH TEXAS SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY.
The Dyess AFB radar (KDYX), 39 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:00 UTC.
7 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind, 2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The automated weather station at Stephens County Airport in Breckenridge (KBKD) measured a 58 mph wind gust.
The following roads in Hunt County were closed due to flash flooding: FM 2655 at the Middle Sulphur River, FM 272 two miles west of Celeste, FM 3211 between the 618 and 620 mile markers, FM 118 at the Sulphur River, and FM 1565 between SH 276 and the Hunt/Kaufman County Line.
Large tress were uprooted, a large grill was moved, and a wind turbin was ripped off a home 2 miles west of Lorena.
Heather Drive, Whitehead Drive, and Park Street in Granbury had to be closed due to high water.
Persistent rainfall pushed Bois d'Arc Creek out of banks by at least half a mile on each side. This flooded nearby pastures on each side of the creek.
Park Central Drive at I-635 in north Dallas was closed due to high water.
TxDOT had to close down HWY 271 just west of Pattonville for several hours due to water over the road.
A Lipan school bus got stuck in 3 feet of water at a low water crossing. The exact location of the incident is unknown. No one was injured.
Highway 114 near the Texas Motor Speedway was closed for several hours due to high water over the road.
Campbell/Blackburn Road in Garland was closed between North Garland Ave and East Brand Road due to high water.
Several roads remained under water and closed through the afternoon hours from earlier heavy rainfall.
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, October 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: 197288, 198158, 197289, 198161, 199480, 197290, 198160, 199481, 197294, 197293, 198159.