An upper level disturbance leading a cool front into Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley sparked numerous showers and thunderstorms, some with heavy rainfall and gusty winds, across the South Texas Plains around noon on May 12th. Boundaries from these storms clashed with warm humid air and enough deep moisture to create a slow moving line of torrential rain producing thunderstorms,…
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The episode as NWS BRO wrote it up.
An upper level disturbance leading a cool front into Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley sparked numerous showers and thunderstorms, some with heavy rainfall and gusty winds, across the South Texas Plains around noon on May 12th. Boundaries from these storms clashed with warm humid air and enough deep moisture to create a slow moving line of torrential rain producing thunderstorms, beginning in eastern Jim Hogg County by intensifying into northern Brooks and the King Ranch of Kenedy by early to mid afternoon. The line accelerated through Brooks County, producing 1.5 to more than 2 inches of rain in about an hour before surging toward the coast by late afternoon.
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 May 12, 12:31 PM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 131 PM CDT THU MAY 12 2011 .NEAR TERM...WW288 WILL EXPIRE AT 3 PM. WILL COORD WITH SPC IN THE EVENT A NEW WW WILL BE NEEDED FURTHER SOUTH LATER THIS AFTERNOON. SO FAR RECENT TRENDS FROM BOTH CRP AND BRO RADARS INDICATE THAT THE SOUTH END OF THE CONV LINE MOVING TOWARDS THE COASTLINE HAS BEEN GRADUALLY WEAKENING AS IS PUSHES ESE. HOWEVER THE CELLS AT THE SOUTHERNMOST END OF THE LINE OVER SOUTHERN WEBB COUNTY REMAINS PRETTY POTENT AND MAY REQUIRE AN SVR T-STORM WARNING FOR EITHER ZAPATA OR JIM HOGG COUNTIES. A QUICK LOOK AT THE LAPS CAPE VALUES INDICATES THAT THIS WEAKENING MAY BE DUE TO THE CELLS MOVING INTO A LITTLE MORE STABLE AIR POOLING OVER THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE BRO CWA. HOWEVER VSBL SATL IMAGERY SHOWS THAT THE CLD COVER SOUTH OF THE CONV HAS MIXED OUT ALLOWING FOR BETTER DAYTIME HEATING OVER THE REGION WHICH COULD DESTABILIZE THE ATMS ONCE AGAIN DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. IF ENOUGH DESTABILIZATION OCCURS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS AND THE CONV TO OUR NORTH LAYS OUT SOME STRONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES ADDITIONAL STRONG CONV MAY REFORM OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. ACCORDINGLY WILL MAINTAIN FAIRLY HIGH POPS DURING THE NEXT 2 TO 4 HOURS WITH POPS THEN DROPPING QUITE A BIT LATER THIS EVENING AS THE CONV CLEARS THE REGION AND MORE STABLE OUTFLOW DOMINATES. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS PORTIONS OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. THE RAIN CHANCES DIMINISH ON FRIDAY. THE WINDS WILL CONTINUE LIGHT TO MODERATE FROM THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH DEEP SOUTH TEXAS ON FRIDAY SHIFTING THE WINDS TO THE NORTH. HOWEVER THE WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT TO MODERATE FROM THE NORTH BEHIND THE FRONT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. THE TEMPERATURES WILL BE A LITTLE COOLER THE NEXT FEW DAYS DUE TO INCREASED CLOUDINESS AND IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. HOWEVER THE TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL. && .LONG TERM...MID LEVEL AND SURFACE RIDGING WILL BECOME MORE ESTABLISHED OVER THE REGION LATER IN THE FORECAST PERIOD. FORTUNATELY THE 1000-500 MB THICKNESSES WILL BE SHALLOWER COMPARITIVELY TO THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS WHICH WILL IN TURN ALLOW OVERALL TEMPS TO REMAIN NEAR TO BELOW CLIMO FOR MID MAY. WILL MAINTAIN NIL POPS FOR THE MOMENT AS OVERALL MOISTURE VALUES REMAIN PRETTY LIMITED ACROSS THE REGION. && .MARINE...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE MARINE AREAS TONIGHT IN ADVANCE OF A WEAK COLD FRONT WHICH WILL MOVE THROUGH THE COASTAL WATERS FRIDAY. THE WINDS AND SEAS WILL INCREASE IN OR NEAR ANY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS. ONCE THE FRONT PASSES THE WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTH. HOWEVER THE WINDS WILL CONTINUE MODERATE AND MODERATE SEAS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE MARINE AREAS FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. IN THE EXTENDED RANGE PERIOD THE PGF WILL REMAIN FAIRLY WEAK WHICH WILL ALLOW GENERALLY BENIGN WINDS AND SEAS TO PREVAIL. NO SCA CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 77 89 73 86 / 30 10 0 0 BROWNSVILLE 76 91 72 89 / 30 10 0 0 HARLINGEN 77 94 71 90 / 30 10 0 0 MCALLEN 77 96 72 92 / 30 10 0 0 RIO GRANDE CITY 76 98 71 93 / 30 10 0 0 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 77 85 75 80 / 30 10 0 0 && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. GM...NONE. && THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BROWNSVILLE SHORT TERM...64 LONG TERM...60 GRAPHICAST/UPPER AIR...MARTINEZ/58
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 815 AM CDT THU MAY 12 2011 TXZ248>257-1311000- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY- INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON- 815 AM CDT THU MAY 12 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 288 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON FOR ZAPATA...JIM HOGG...BROOKS AND KENEDY COUNTIES. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP LATER THIS MORNING INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS PRODUCING BRIEF WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 AND SOME POSSIBLE LARGE HAIL. THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS POSSIBLE AT THE BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND AND BOCA CHICA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AN ELEVATED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT THE LOCAL BEACHES THROUGH SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED IN ZAPATA...JIM HOGG...BROOKS AND KENEDY COUNTIES THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-131100- 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- 815 AM CDT THU MAY 12 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE LAGUNA MADRE. .DAY ONE...REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE LOWER TEXAS BAY AND GULF WATERS POSSIBLY PRODUCING HAIL...BRIEF WIND GUSTS UP TO 34 KNOTS AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN. THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR INTENSE TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ACROSS THE BAY AND GULF WATERS OF KENEDY COUNTY THROUGH 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 1223 PM CDT THU MAY 12 2011 TXZ248>251-121930- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ZAPATA...HEBBRONVILLE...FALFURRIAS... SARITA 1223 PM CDT THU MAY 12 2011 ...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING DEEP SOUTH TEXAS... AT MIDDAY...AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR LAREDO EXTENDING NORTHEAST TO NEAR BEEVILLE WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH. THE STRONGEST OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PUSH INTO ZAPATA COUNTY AROUND 1 PM AND INTO JIM HOGG AND BROOKS COUNTIES BETWEEN 1 AND 2 PM. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE FREQUENT LIGHTNING...LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS...POSSIBLE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS FROM 40 TO 50 MPH. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY IN ZAPATA COUNTY THROUGH 2 PM. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ZAPATA...JIM HOGG...BROOKS AND KENEDY COUNTIES THROUGH 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER UPDATES CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. SPEECE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 228 PM CDT THU MAY 12 2011 TXZ248>252-122100- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ZAPATA...HEBBRONVILLE...FALFURRIAS... SARITA...RIO GRANDE CITY...ROMA 228 PM CDT THU MAY 12 2011 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING AND APPROACHING... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR IN BROWNSVILLE CONTINUES TO TRACK THUNDERSTORMS THAT ARE DEVELOPING OVER ZAPATA...JIM HOGG... AND BROOKS COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS...SOME POSSIBLY STRONG TO SEVERE...WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ALSO AFFECT STARR AND KENEDY COUNTY THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. FREQUENT LIGHTNING...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WITH FLOODING IN LOW LYING OR POORLY DRAINING AREAS...HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF A QUARTER... WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH...AND POSSIBLE ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ACCOMPANY THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ZAPATA...JIM HOGG ...BROOKS AND KENEDY COUNTY THROUGH 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER UPDATES CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. TOMASELLI
The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 88 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:43 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
The public reported a wind gusts estimated to be 45 miles per hour occurred during a thunderstorm that moved through Falfurrias during the early afternoon on May 12 2011. Small branches were broken in some trees.
A developing line of thunderstorms, containing torrential rains, moved through northern Brooks County during the early afternoon producing pockets of poor drainage and nuisance urban-type flooding along Highway 281 in Falfurrias. The Brooks county Sheriff department reported twelve inches of water was on Highway 281 and South FM 1418 by 315 PM CDT; less than an hour later, one and one half feet of water was also reported in several other locations along Highway 281. Most of these locations have become flood prone due to overpass/bypass construction, which has caused clogging of normally well draining areas along the highway.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2011
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: 298269, 310637.