The remains of a tropical storm were across the eastern Pacific near the southern tip of Baja, California. Mid-level flow across the area was from the southwest which allowed for tropical moisture to get transported into the region.
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 MAF wrote it up.
The remains of a tropical storm were across the eastern Pacific near the southern tip of Baja, California. Mid-level flow across the area was from the southwest which allowed for tropical moisture to get transported into the region. Low-level winds were from the southeast which allowed for moisture from the Gulf of Mexico to get advected into the area. This abundance of moisture was combined with instability and various shortwave troughs that moved over the area to provide lift to help sustain heavy rain over West Texas and Southeast New Mexico.
Places across the Permian Basin and Trans Pecos had reports of flooding and water rescues. Most of the flooding occurred in the Midland and Odessa areas where the combined damage is estimated to be around three million dollars. The City of Big Spring also reported significant flooding.
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 Midland/Odessa, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 27, 11:35 PM CST, 1 hour 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 1235 AM CDT FRI SEP 28 2012 .DISCUSSION... SEE 06Z TAF DISCUSSION BELOW. && .AVIATION... CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE ACROSS ALL TERMINALS THIS MORNING. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS WEST TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO SPREADING EAST WITH TIME. THIS WILL LEAD TO MVFR VISBYS AND IFR CIGS BY MID MORNING ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA. LOOK FOR THESE CONDITIONS TO LAST FOR MOST OF THE DAY TODAY AND INTO TONIGHT. DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH RAIN IS RECEIVED...LOW VISBYS FOR FOG MAY NEED TO BE ADDED TO TAFS FOR TONIGHT. && .MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && 29
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 151 PM CDT THU SEP 27 2012 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-281900- GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY-EDDY COUNTY PLAINS- NORTHERN LEA COUNTY-CENTRAL LEA COUNTY-SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY-GAINES- DAWSON-BORDEN-SCURRY-ANDREWS-MARTIN-HOWARD-MITCHELL- VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR-REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS- LOVING-WINKLER-ECTOR-MIDLAND-GLASSCOCK-WARD-CRANE-UPTON-REAGAN- DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA-PECOS-PRESIDIO VALLEY-MARFA PLATEAU- BIG BEND AREA-TERRELL-GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS- 151 PM CDT THU SEP 27 2012 /1251 PM MDT THU SEP 27 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND AND WEST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE NUMEROUS TOWARD THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD OVER THE AREA FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. AT THIS TIME...SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED...BUT HEAVY RAINFALL IS LIKELY. THIS MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN MIDLAND CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT /LOWER CASE/ HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/MIDLAND
The Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 130 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:22 UTC.
5 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain moved over Pecos County and produced flash flooding along Highway 1776. A vehicle was swept off the road, and two women were rescued. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.
Heavy rain developed and moved over Midland County and produced widespread flooding in the City of Midland. There were numerous reports of stalled vehicles and about 120 water rescues among Midland and Odessa. Some vehicles were reported to be fully submerged. The cost of damage for the flooding in Midland is estimated to be around one and a half million dollars which is a very rough estimate. There were no injuries reported.
Heavy rain developed and moved over Ector County and produced widespread flooding in the City of Odessa. There were numerous reports of stalled vehicles and about 120 water rescues among Midland and Odessa. The cost of damage for the flooding in Odessa is estimated to be around one and a half million dollars which is a very rough estimate. There were no injuries reported.
Heavy rain moved over Howard County and produced flash flooding over Big Spring and portions of rural Howard County. Numerous vehicles were stranded in Big Spring. The cost of damage of six hundred thousand dollars is a very rough estimate. There were no injuries reported.
Heavy rain moved over Mitchell County and produced flash flooding six miles south of Westbrook. Stranded vehicles were reported as a result of this flooding. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate. The crop damage is estimated to be zero since there were no reports of any crop damage. There were no reports of injuries.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, September 2012
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: 411453, 410306, 411427, 411451, 411452.