Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed across the eastern half of southeast Texas in the afternoon and evening hours as a strong surge of moisture rich air moved into the region from the Gulf of Mexico.
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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 HGX wrote it up.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed across the eastern half of southeast Texas in the afternoon and evening hours as a strong surge of moisture rich air moved into the region from the Gulf of Mexico.
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 Jul 17, 5:48 PM CST, 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 648 PM CDT SAT JUL 17 2010 .AVIATION... SCATTERED SHRA/TSRA MOVING IN FROM THE EAST AND SHOULD BE INTO THE IAH TERMINAL SHORTLY WITH EASTERLY WINDS. STORMS ARE MORE ISOLATED ALONG THE SEABREEZE TO THE WEST. STORMS SHOULD WEAKEN STEADILY THROUGH 03Z. EXPECT A FAIRLY QUIET NIGHT ON THE SCOPE UNTIL 10Z-ISH AS SHRA DEVELOP OVER THE COASTAL WATERS AND START MOVING INLAND. DAYTIME HEATING SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR VCTS OR TEMPO TSRA GIVEN THE NO CAP/PW ALREADY 2.3" AT 00Z/MULTITUDE OF SURFACE BOUNDARIES TO WORK WITH AND A WEAK S/W TRAVERSING THE AREA FROM THE NORTHEAST...FROM 17Z ON. 45 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 347 PM CDT SAT JUL 17 2010/ DISCUSSION... RADAR BECOMING A BIT MORE ACTIVE THIS SHIFT...OUTFLOW FROM PREVIOUS COASTAL CONVECTION HEADING THROUGH MORE INTERIOR COUNTIES OF LIBERTY...HARRIS...FORT BEND...AND WHARTON AT THIS HOUR. AS EVIDENCED BY OUR EASTERN NEIGHBOR'S RECENT ACTIVITY...MOISTURE IS ON ITS WAY UP AND FEEL THAT THE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL SWING MORE WET THAN DRY. MOISTURE AXIS WILL BE TO OUR WEST BY THE END OF TODAY...A MOISTENING COLUMN IN THE 2.10-2.30" PWAT REALM WILL HANG OVER US THROUGH A MAJORITY OF THE WEEK. WEEKLY PROG SOUNDINGS SHOW LITTLE (IF ANY) MID-LEVEL CAPPING WITH CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURES IN THE AVERAGE MID TO UPPER 80S. IF RECENT SATELLITE TRENDS ARE ANY INDICATION... CHANCE TO LIKELY POPS WILL BE THE THEME DE JOUR IN SUBSEQUENT DAYS. WHETHER IT BE ON THE EASTERN PERIPHERY OF A SW U.S-CENTERED 5H RIDGE OR THE WESTERN EDGE OF RE-BUILDING SOUTHEASTERN U.S. RIDGE... EASTERN TEXAS HAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE UNDER A WEAKENED HEIGHT FIELD. A WEAK NORTHERN GOM WAVE IS FORECAST TO UNDERCUT WESTERN RIDGING...POSSIBLY HANGING UP ALONG THE COAST AS AN INVERTED TROF. GENERAL NORTHERLY MID-UPPER LEVEL STEERING WILL VEER MORE EASTERLY WITH TIME THROUGH THURSDAY...REINFORCING THIS IDEA OF MORE LAPSE RATE PROFILES (THAN MID-LEVEL WARMING)...ULTIMATELY PROVIDING A BETTER HIGHWAY FOR DEEPER GULF MOISTURE TO MOVE IN AND STAY A WHILE. A MORE SATURATED COLUMN...WITH A FAIRLY ACTIVE EARLY PM BAY/SEA BREEZE AND/OR RESIDUAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM PREVIOUS DAY'S CONVECTION...AND FAVORABLE UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT (HIGHER OMEGA/EFFICIENT 25-3H DIV) ALL SUGGEST KEEPING POPS AT CHANCE OR ABOVE OVER THE NEXT 96 HOURS. THICKER CLOUD DECKS IN CONCERT WITH MORE AREAWIDE PRECIPITATION COVERAGE SHOULD OFFSET SLIGHTLY HIGHER INTERIOR DEW POINT AIR IN KEEPING AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES IN CHECK (OR UNDER HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA). && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... COLLEGE STATION (CLL) 77 95 77 92 75 / 10 60 20 50 20 HOUSTON (IAH) 77 93 77 91 76 / 20 60 20 60 20 GALVESTON (GLS) 82 90 81 89 82 / 30 60 40 60 40 && .HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. GM...NONE. && DISCUSSION...41 AVIATION/MARINE...45
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1058 AM CDT SAT JUL 17 2010 TXZ195>199-210>213-226-227-235>238-181600- AUSTIN-BRAZORIA-BRAZOS-BURLESON-COLORADO-FORT BEND-GALVESTON- GRIMES-HARRIS-JACKSON-MATAGORDA-MONTGOMERY-WALLER-WASHINGTON- WHARTON- 1058 AM CDT SAT JUL 17 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL REACH THE AVERAGE MIDDLE 90S WITH MAXIMUM HEAT INDEX VALUES BETWEEN 104 AND 107 DEGREES. MINIMIZE OUTDOOR TIME AND STAY HYDRATED DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL INCREASE ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK AS HIGH GULF MOISTURE MOVES INTO THE AREA. AT THIS TIME...THE MAIN THREAT APPEARS TO BE DAMAGING DOWN BURST WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TXZ163-164-176>179-200-214-181600- CHAMBERS-HOUSTON-LIBERTY-MADISON-POLK-SAN JACINTO-TRINITY-WALKER- 1058 AM CDT SAT JUL 17 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ANY MID TO LATE DAY THUNDERSTORM THAT DOES POP UP HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING DOWN BURST WIND GUSTS. AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL REACH THE AVERAGE MIDDLE 90S WITH MAXIMUM HEAT INDEX VALUES BETWEEN 101 AND 105 DEGREES. MINIMIZE OUTDOOR TIME AND STAY HYDRATED DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL INCREASE ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK AS HIGH GULF MOISTURE MOVES INTO THE AREA. AT THIS TIME...THE MAIN THREAT APPEARS TO BE DAMAGING DOWN BURST WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
710 PM CDT SAT JUL 17 2010
TXZ199-213-180115-
HARRIS-MONTGOMERY-
710 PM CDT SAT JUL 17 2010
...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...
AT 706 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR HUMBLE...MOVING WEST AT 5 MPH.
PEA SIZE HAIL...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY
DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...MEMORIAL...TOMBALL...
BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT...SPRING VALLEY...SPRING...PINEY POINT
VILLAGE...JERSEY VILLAGE...HUNTERS CREEK VILLAGE...HUMBLE...HILSHIRE
VILLAGE...BUNKER HILL VILLAGE AND ALDINE.
AVOID TALL OUTDOOR OBJECTS THAT CAN ATTRACT LIGHTNING AND DO NOT USE
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES OR A CORDED TELEPHONE A THE LIGHTNING THREAT
HAS PASSED. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE OR NON-CONVERTABLE
AUTOMOBILE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED.
LAT...LON 2974 9554 3000 9568 3013 9561 3009 9522
2983 9525
TIME...MOT...LOC 0010Z 090DEG 7KT 3000 9532The Houston radar (KHGX), 62 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:26 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gust was reported at Intercontinental Airport by Center Weather Service Unit employee as measured by runway wind sensors.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, July 2010
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: 238482.