Southeasterly flow brought deep boundary layer moisture into South Central Texas during the day and evening of October 8. When an upper level trough of low pressure moved across the southern plains, the combination caused thunderstorms which produced heavy rain.
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 EWX wrote it up.
Southeasterly flow brought deep boundary layer moisture into South Central Texas during the day and evening of October 8. When an upper level trough of low pressure moved across the southern plains, the combination caused thunderstorms which produced heavy rain. One of these storms also produced a tornado in San Antonio.
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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 8, 7:52 PM CST, 2 hours 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 852 PM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011 .UPDATE... UPDATED 1ST PERIOD FORECAST TO BETTER MATCH RADAR TRENDS...SHOWING INCREASING POPS ALONG/EAST OF I-35 AFTER MIDNIGHT. && .DISCUSSION... AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS OUR WESTERN AREA AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL TEXAS IS ATTEMPTING TO ORGANIZE INTO A LINEAR- TYPE MCS. AT THIS POINT...THE LINE IS BROKEN AND THE EJECTING UPPER TROUGH OVER MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS WILL MOVE OFF TO THE NORTHEAST...LEAVING THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE LINE IT IS WAKE. THE RESULT SHOULD BE A SLOW EASTWARD ADVANCEMENT OVERNIGHT...BUT IT IS UNCLEAR HOW FAR EAST THE LINE WILL GET. EITHER WAY...THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE FOR SOAKING RAINS ALONG THE I-35 CORRIDOR SUNDAY. BOTH KDFX AND KSJT RADARS ARE OVERESTIMATING PRECIP...AND THERE IS SOME HAIL CONTAMINATION IN THE ESTIMATES ACROSS WESTERN EDWARDS AND EASTERN VAL VERDE COUNTIES. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2-4 INCHES ACROSS OUR WESTERN AREAS STILL LOOKS LIKE A GOOD FORECAST AT THIS TIME. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 628 PM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011/ DISCUSSION... SEE AVIATION FOR THE 00Z TAF DISCUSSION. AVIATION... CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS THRU THE OVERNIGHT HOURS INTO SUNDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE CURRENTLY SW OF THE BIG BEND REGION EJECTS NORTHEASTWARD. THEREFORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MORE NUMEROUS WEST OF HIGHWAY 281. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THIS EVENING WITH IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS IN AND NEAR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. WIND GUSTS 0F 20 TO 30 KTS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE IN THE VICINITY OF THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS. MVFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AFTER 04Z...IMPROVING TO VFR AFTER 18Z. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 328 PM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011/ SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED AHEAD OF AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE CENTRAL INTO SOUTHERN ROCKIES. LEAD SHORT-WAVE OVER WESTERN TEXAS WILL LIFT NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT WHILE A SECOND SHORT-WAVE OVER WESTERN NEW MEXICO INTO NORTHERN MEXICO STATE OF CHIHUAHUA WILL MOVE ACROSS TEXAS SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. UPPER LEVEL JET POSITIONING FAVORS STRONG UPPER LEVEL DIFFLUENCE. A MOIST AIRMASS RESIDES OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS WITH PWS OF 1.5 TO 1.7 INCHES USING 12Z SOUNDING AND SATELLITE DERIVED IMAGERY. A SURFACE BOUNDARY OVER NORTHWESTERN VAL VERDE COUNTY MAY DRIFT FURTHER TO THE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE EDWARDS PLATEAU AND RIO GRANDE PLAINS. ALL OF THESE FEATURES INTERACTING WITH THE MOIST AIRMASS SUGGEST KEEPING HIGH POPS FOR SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT WITH MENTION OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...ESPECIALLY OVER THE HILL COUNTRY AND ALONG THE ESCARPMENT. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR ANY FLOODING WILL BE IN THE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO METRO AREAS DUE TO URBANIZATION EFFECTS CAUSING RUNOFF TO BE MORE RAPID IN THOSE AREAS. ELSEWHERE...DUE TO THE ONGOING SEVERE TO EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT...MOST STREAMS AND RIVERS ARE DRY AND WILL NEED PERSISTENT HEAVY RAINS TO FLOOD...WHICH ARE NOT EXPECTED. SOME STRONG STORMS OVER THE EDWARDS PLATEAU AND RIO GRANDE PLAINS MAY PRODUCE WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH AND SMALL HAIL. THE SECOND SHORT-WAVE WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA ON MONDAY LEADING TO DECREASING POPS ON MONDAY WITH ONLY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY AS SOME RESIDUAL MOISTURE LINGERS. WEDNESDAY THROUGH NEXT SATURDAY...RIDGING AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT BUILDS INTO THE AREA WITH ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND NO POPS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AUSTIN CAMP MABRY 71 84 69 87 66 / 70 70 60 30 10 AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTL AIRPORT 68 83 64 85 60 / 60 70 50 30 10 NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AIRPORT 67 82 65 85 62 / 70 70 50 30 10 BURNET MUNI AIRPORT 67 79 64 82 63 / 80 80 60 30 10 DEL RIO INTL AIRPORT 68 81 65 83 66 / 80 60 60 20 10 GEORGETOWN MUNI AIRPORT 69 80 64 83 62 / 70 70 60 30 10 HONDO MUNI AIRPORT 68 85 64 87 63 / 90 70 60 30 10 SAN MARCOS MUNI AIRPORT 68 82 66 84 63 / 70 70 50 30 10 LA GRANGE - FAYETTE REGIONAL 71 83 68 85 65 / 40 60 30 30 20 SAN ANTONIO INTL AIRPORT 70 82 68 85 66 / 70 70 50 30 10 STINSON MUNI AIRPORT 72 86 69 88 68 / 70 60 50 30 10 && .EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && MESOSCALE/AVIATION...13 SYNOPTIC/GRIDS...11 PUBLIC SERVICE/DATA COLLECTION...32
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 501 AM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011 TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-091015- LLANO-BURNET-WILLIAMSON-VAL VERDE-EDWARDS-REAL-KERR-BANDERA- GILLESPIE-KENDALL-BLANCO-HAYS-TRAVIS-BASTROP-LEE-KINNEY-UVALDE- MEDINA-BEXAR-COMAL-GUADALUPE-CALDWELL-FAYETTE-MAVERICK-ZAVALA- FRIO-ATASCOSA-WILSON-KARNES-GONZALES-DE WITT-LAVACA-DIMMIT- 501 AM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN OF 2 TO 4 INCHES MAINLY OVER AREA ALONG AND WEST OF A HARPER TO KERRVILLE TO EAGLE PASS LINE WITH AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES TO THE EAST. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MAINLY ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS WHERE DOWN BURST WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE. OTHERWISE NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 716 PM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011 TXZ183-090100- VAL VERDE- 716 PM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR VAL VERDE COUNTY UNTIL 800 PM CDT... AT 708 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 14 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LOMA ALTA...MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... DEVILS RIVER STATE NATURAL AREA... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. THE HEAVY RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 744 PM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011 TXZ217-218-090130- MAVERICK-ZAVALA- 744 PM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN ZAVALA AND MAVERICK COUNTIES UNTIL 830 PM CDT... AT 735 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 13 MILES NORTHEAST OF ROSITA NORTH...OR 15 MILES EAST OF EAGLE PASS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. THE HEAVY RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 843 PM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011 TXZ217-228-090230- DIMMIT-MAVERICK- 843 PM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MAVERICK AND NORTHWESTERN DIMMIT COUNTIES UNTIL 930 PM CDT... AT 837 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 17 MILES SOUTHWEST OF EL INDIO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. THE HEAVY RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 914 PM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011 TXZ184-090300- EDWARDS- 914 PM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN EDWARDS COUNTY UNTIL 1000 PM CDT... AT 908 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTH OF CARTA VALLEY...OR 17 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LOMA ALTA...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... CARTA VALLEY... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. THE HEAVY RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 926 PM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011 TXZ218-228-090315- DIMMIT-ZAVALA- 926 PM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ZAVALA AND NORTHWESTERN DIMMIT COUNTIES UNTIL 1015 PM CDT... AT 921 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR COMETA...OR 11 MILES WEST OF CRYSTAL CITY... MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... CRYSTAL CITY... BATESVILLE... WINTER HAVEN... LOMA VISTA... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. THE HEAVY RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 1034 PM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011 TXZ203-204-090415- MEDINA-UVALDE- 1034 PM CDT SAT OCT 8 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN UVALDE AND SOUTHERN MEDINA COUNTIES UNTIL 1115 PM CDT... AT 1027 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF KNIPPA...OR 15 MILES EAST OF UVALDE...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... HONDO... SABINAL... D'HANIS... YANCEY... BIRY... NEW FOUNTAIN... QUIHI... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. THE HEAVY RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS.
The Laughlin AFB radar (KDFX), 43 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:59 UTC.
5 flash flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused flooding north of Uvalde. RM 1403 had more than two feet of water running over it.
A tornado touched down on the southwest side of San Antonio near the intersection of Loop 410 and Medina Base Road. The tornado moved toward the north-northwest and dissipated near the intersection of Allenhurst and Springvale Drives. The path of tornado was 1.9 miles long with a maximum width of 50 yards. The damage from the tornado was rated EF1 with maximum winds estimated at 90 to 100 mph. The tornado caused roof damage to a number of homes along its path including in the Ridgestone subdivision, along Parallel Drive, near the intersection of Cedarhurst and Gage Drives, and on north to its end. It also hit near the post office at 5510 SW Loop 410 where it destroyed 15 postal trucks and damaged 7 others. In addition, it damaged 2 office buildings on Valley Hi Drive and damaged the roof and a new building at the Sam Rayburn Middle School. In all, over 71 properties were impacted by the tornado with 3 homes receiving major damage. No injuries or deaths were reported.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused flooding of US Hwy 377 outside of Rocksprings where 3 to 4 feet of water ran over the road.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused flooding that closed numerous roads in San Antonio between 3:30 and 5:00AM CST.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused flooding that closed Schoenthall Road at the 10200 block.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused flooding and closed RM2241 outside Llano.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2011Warnings in Texas, October 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: 350598, 350593, 350591, 350594, 350596, 350597.