Oklahoma, 2013

Flash Flood in Oklahoma, October 28, 2013

October 28, 2013 · NWS AMA · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A weak upper level shortwave initiated thunderstorms across the central Texas Panhandle during the late evening hours of the 28th. These thunderstorms would move to the northeast into Beaver County and merged into a multi-cellular structure over eastern Beaver County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS AMA wrote it up.

A weak upper level shortwave initiated thunderstorms across the central Texas Panhandle during the late evening hours of the 28th. These thunderstorms would move to the northeast into Beaver County and merged into a multi-cellular structure over eastern Beaver County. These thunderstorms briefly intensified to severe levels over northeastern Beaver County before stalling and transitioning to a heavy rain producers. The heavy rain produced flash flooding across the town of Beaver as nearly 2 inches of rain was produced within one hour. The flash flooding persisted until thunderstorm activity moved into western Oklahoma around 11:30 PM CST.

What forecasters said that day

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 Amarillo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 28, 10:31 PM CST, 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 28, 10:31 PM CST, 2 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 28, 8:58 PM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
958 PM CDT MON OCT 28 2013

OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-291100-
CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB-
HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON-
GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH-
958 PM CDT MON OCT 28 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA
PANHANDLES.

.DAY ONE...OVERNIGHT.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN
OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AND NORTHEAST TEXAS PANHANDLE THROUGH THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP ARE EXPECTED TO BE BELOW
SEVERE LEVELS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE
OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES TUESDAY NIGHT...AND THEN OVER THE
EASTERN THIRD OF THE AREA WEDNESDAY MORNING. A FEW STORMS THAT
DEVELOP TUESDAY NIGHT MAY BECOME SEVERE...WITH LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS AS THE PRIMARY HAZARDS.

ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP BOTH TUESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS ACROSS THE FAR WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE OKLAHOMA
AND TEXAS PANHANDLES DUE TO SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH
ALONG WITH FORECAST MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES AROUND 20 PERCENT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL ACROSS MUCH OF THE
OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE READY FOR
POSSIBLE LIMITED ACTIVATION TUESDAY NIGHT.

AREA FIRE MANAGERS AND EMERGENCY OFFICIALS ACROSS THE FAR WESTERN
SECTIONS OF THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
POSSIBLE ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS BOTH TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOONS.

CLK

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 28, 7:03 PM CST, 3 hours 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
803 PM CDT MON OCT 28 2013

OKZ002-TXZ002-003-290130-
HANSFORD TX-SHERMAN TX-TEXAS OK-
803 PM CDT MON OCT 28 2013

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN SHERMAN...
NORTHWESTERN HANSFORD AND SOUTHERN TEXAS COUNTIES UNTIL 830 PM CDT...

AT 800 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TEXHOMA...OR 22 MILES EAST
OF STRATFORD...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  GUYMON...             GOODWELL...

THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV
STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 3677 10153 3655 10111 3635 10153 3646 10179
TIME...MOT...LOC 0103Z 226DEG 21KT 3643 10168

LG
Special weather statement, Oct 28, 7:07 PM CST, 3 hours 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
807 PM CDT MON OCT 28 2013

TXZ007-008-013-290130-
CARSON TX-HUTCHINSON TX-MOORE TX-
807 PM CDT MON OCT 28 2013

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN CARSON...
SOUTHEASTERN MOORE AND SOUTHWESTERN HUTCHINSON COUNTIES UNTIL 830 PM
CDT...

AT 804 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTH OF FRITCH...OR 11 MILES WEST OF
BORGER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BORGER...             STINNETT...           SANFORD...
  FRITCH...

THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV
STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 3560 10162 3562 10162 3562 10165 3566 10170
      3595 10146 3569 10113 3553 10154
TIME...MOT...LOC 0107Z 224DEG 25KT 3561 10157

LG
Special weather statement, Oct 28, 9:07 PM CST, 1 hour 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1007 PM CDT MON OCT 28 2013

OKZ003-290345-
BEAVER OK-
1007 PM CDT MON OCT 28 2013

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BEAVER COUNTY UNTIL 1045 PM
CDT...

AT 1004 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BOYD...OR 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BEAVER...
MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BEAVER...             TURPIN...             MOCANE...
  FORGAN...             FLORIS...             BOYD...
  BALKO...

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.

LAT...LON 3667 10014 3660 10081 3694 10095 3701 10054
      3701 10028
TIME...MOT...LOC 0308Z 248DEG 21KT 3671 10082

LG
Local storm report, Oct 28, 10:01 PM CST, 32 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1101 PM CDT MON OCT 28 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1100 PM     HAIL             BEAVER                  36.81N 100.52W
10/28/2013  E1.75 INCH       BEAVER             OK   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

EVENT NUMBER AMA1300842

LG

The radar

The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 116 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:32 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Beaver

When
October 28, 10:33 PM CST to 11:30 PM CST
Where
Beaver County, 0.24 mi WSW of Beaver to 0.21 mi S of Beaver
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
36.818, -100.524

A cluster of thunderstorms stalled over the city of Beaver (Beaver County) during the late night hours of the 28th. These thunderstorms were able to produce 1.55 inches of heavy rain with in a hour as reported by the KVII Schoolnet site at the Beaver High School (Beaver County). This heavy rain led to flash flooding across the city. The Beaver County Ememrgency Manager reported 6 to 8 inches of fast flowing water on Avenue E in front of the Sheriff's office, and on Douglas Ave. This was enough water to span the width of the road from curb to curb of both roads. This flash flooding quickly receded as thunderstorms moved in western Oklahoma.

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, October 2013

Sources

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: 477231.