An upper level trough moved across the southern plains while a surface front stalled across our northern border. These combined with a moist boundary layer and caused thunderstorms that congealed into a mesoscale convective system which produced heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding.
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.
An upper level trough moved across the southern plains while a surface front stalled across our northern border. These combined with a moist boundary layer and caused thunderstorms that congealed into a mesoscale convective system which produced heavy rainfall leading to flash 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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 17, 6:03 PM CST, 4 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 703 PM CDT THU JUL 17 2014 .AVIATION... /00Z TAFS/ THE COMBINATION OF A WEAK COLD FRONT PUSHING SOUTHWARD ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS AND AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL PRODUCE STRONG STORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN TONIGHT. AREA TERMINALS ALONG THE I-35 CORRIDOR ARE EXPECTED TO SEE STORMS PASSING BY LATER THIS EVENING FROM ABOUT 03Z TO 08Z FRIDAY. AFTER THE MAIN LINE OF STORMS AHEAD OF THE WEAK COLD FRONT...SOME LINGERING SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. A WIND SHIFT IS EXPECTED ACROSS KAUS AROUND 08Z AS THE FRONT PUSHES THROUGH. THE FRONT IS ANTICIPATED TO DISSIPATE AS IT APPROACHES THE KSAT/KSSF FRIDAY MORNING WHILE A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THIS WILL BRING A NORTHEASTERLY FLOW ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. CIGS WILL LOWER TO MVFR CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY WITH VFR RETURNING AFTER 17Z FRIDAY. ACROSS KDRT...SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE ANTICIPATED AROUND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT WITH BRIEF MVFR CIGS AROUND 15Z FRIDAY. WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE FROM WEST TO EAST ON FRIDAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES TO THE EAST AND AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BUILDS ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST CONUS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 339 PM CDT THU JUL 17 2014/ SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT)... A COLD FRONT ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY DRAG SOUTHWARD TONIGHT AHEAD OF AN UPPER LEVEL SHORT-WAVE TROUGH. MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE A MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM DEVELOPING THIS EVENING ACROSS WEST CENTRAL/NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND PUSHING SOUTHWARD INTO SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS TONIGHT. MOIST SOUTHERLY INFLOW AHEAD OF THE STORM SYSTEM SUGGESTS THAT THE MCS SHOULD BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN ITSELF THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR BACK-BUILDING. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES OF NEARLY 2 INCHES SPREAD ACROSS THE REGION WILL ALLOW SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS TO BE EFFICIENT RAIN PRODUCERS. OVERALL AREAL AVERAGE RAINFALL WILL BE LESS THAN 2 INCHES...BUT THERE WILL BE RAINFALL BULLS-EYES POSSIBLY OF 4 INCHES OR MORE. MOST AREAS WILL WELCOME THE MUCH-NEEDED RAIN...BUT DUE TO THE HEAVY RAIN FALLING OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME...THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF MINOR FLASH FLOODING. AS IS COMMON TO OUR AREA...THE RAINFALL BULLS-EYES WILL BE DEPENDENT UPON OUTFLOW/MICRO-SCALE BOUNDARIES AND THUS DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT FURTHER UNTIL THE EVENT UNFOLDS. DUE TO THE EXPECTATION OF THE FLOODING TO BE MINOR AND ISOLATED...WILL HOLD OFF ON A FLASH FLOOD WATCH AT THIS TIME. CHANCES FOR RAIN WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE FROM THE WEST DURING THE DAY FRIDAY AS THE S/W KICKS OFF TO THE EAST. REMNANT SFC INSTABILITY AND NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT COULD BE ENOUGH FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO LINGER INTO FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY MORNING. LONG TERM (SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY)... BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON...ANY CONVECTION WILL BE ISOLATED AND CONFINED TO AREAS EAST OF THE I-35 CORRIDOR. UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL BUILD ACROSS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST AND EXPAND INTO TEXAS OVER THE WEEKEND AND SHIFT NEAR THE FOUR-CORNERS REGION DURING THE WEEK. DESPITE MY SUSPICION THAT MODELS ARE OVERDOING THE STRENGTH OF THE RIDGE...THE POSITION OF THE RIDGE WILL CAUSE EASTERLY FLOW ACROSS THE REGION. THIS WOULD LEAD TO A DESTABILIZING PATTERN ALOFT...WITH THE POTENTIAL OF A FEW DISTURBANCES MOVING OUT OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND INTO OUR AREA ON THE EASTERN PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE. HAVE THEREFORE KEPT MENTION OF A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR RAIN DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK...AND MOSTLY KEPT HIGHS BELOW THE TRIPLE-DIGIT MARK. TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD WILL FIRST BE MODERATED BY THE RAIN/CLOUD COVER...WITH A SLOW WARMING TREND OVER THE WEEKEND TROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AUSTIN CAMP MABRY 76 88 75 96 77 / 80 50 20 20 10 AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTL AIRPORT 76 89 74 94 76 / 80 50 20 20 10 NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AIRPORT 76 91 75 95 76 / 70 50 20 20 10 BURNET MUNI AIRPORT 73 86 73 92 74 / 80 40 10 10 10 DEL RIO INTL AIRPORT 76 95 78 97 79 / 50 20 20 10 10 GEORGETOWN MUNI AIRPORT 75 87 74 92 76 / 80 50 20 20 10 HONDO MUNI AIRPORT 76 93 75 96 76 / 60 30 20 10 10 SAN MARCOS MUNI AIRPORT 76 89 75 94 76 / 70 50 20 20 10 LA GRANGE - FAYETTE REGIONAL 77 89 77 94 78 / 70 60 30 20 10 SAN ANTONIO INTL AIRPORT 78 92 78 95 78 / 70 40 20 20 10 STINSON MUNI AIRPORT 77 92 76 96 76 / 60 40 20 20 10 && .EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && MESOSCALE/AVIATION...17 SYNOPTIC/GRIDS...24 PUBLIC SERVICE/DATA COLLECTION...33
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 352 PM CDT THU JUL 17 2014 TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-182100- 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- 352 PM CDT THU JUL 17 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL TEXAS TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. ISOLATED POCKETS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE...POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN FLASH FLOODING. IN ADDITION...SOME STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG...PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND SMALL HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING ALONG AND NORTH OF A ROCKSPRINGS TO SAN ANTONIO TO HALLETTSVILLE LINE. ISOLATED POCKETS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE...POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN FLASH FLOODING. NO OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 628 PM CDT THU JUL 17 2014 TXZ184>186-180015- EDWARDS-KERR-REAL- 628 PM CDT THU JUL 17 2014 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN REAL...WESTERN KERR AND EXTREME NORTHEASTERN EDWARDS COUNTIES UNTIL 715 PM CDT... AT 623 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES WEST OF KERR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA... MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES 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... U.S. HIGHWAY 83...STATE HIGHWAY 41 AND OTHER RURAL AREAS OF NORTHEASTERN REAL...WESTERN KERR AND EXTREME NORTHEASTERN EDWARDS COUNTIES. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. IN ADDITION...THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO 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. THE HEAVY RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS. LAT...LON 3017 9951 2996 9965 3009 9986 3018 9983 TIME...MOT...LOC 2324Z 287DEG 12KT 3011 9975
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
755 PM CDT THU JUL 17 2014
TXZ184-180145-
EDWARDS-
755 PM CDT THU JUL 17 2014
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN EDWARDS COUNTY UNTIL 845
PM CDT...
AT 753 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 18 MILES NORTHEAST OF FLOUR MILLS...OR 19 MILES
NORTHWEST OF ROCKSPRINGS...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 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.
THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO 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.
THE HEAVY RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES...LOW WATER
CROSSINGS AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ACROSS FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
LAT...LON 3028 10007 3001 10023 3016 10058 3029 10051
3030 10023
TIME...MOT...LOC 0055Z 295DEG 7KT 3020 10044SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
907 PM CDT THU JUL 17 2014
TXZ173-192>194-180245-
BASTROP-LEE-TRAVIS-WILLIAMSON-
907 PM CDT THU JUL 17 2014
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN BASTROP...SOUTHEASTERN
WILLIAMSON...EASTERN TRAVIS AND NORTHWESTERN LEE COUNTIES UNTIL 945
PM CDT...
AT 900 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES WEST OF COUPLAND...OR 7 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF TAYLOR...MOVING EAST 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.
LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
COUPLAND...
BEYARSVILLE...
BUTLER...
KNOBB SPRINGS...
BLUE...
THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO 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.
THE HEAVY RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES...LOW WATER
CROSSINGS AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ACROSS FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
LAT...LON 3052 9717 3047 9715 3050 9710 3049 9708
3027 9717 3044 9757 3058 9751
TIME...MOT...LOC 0207Z 292DEG 17KT 3047 9743SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 935 PM CDT THU JUL 17 2014 TXZ183>186-202-180315- EDWARDS-KERR-KINNEY-REAL-VAL VERDE- 935 PM CDT THU JUL 17 2014 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR VAL VERDE...NORTHWESTERN REAL... NORTHERN KINNEY...NORTHWESTERN KERR AND EDWARDS COUNTIES UNTIL 1015 PM CDT... AT 931 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 12 MILES WEST OF VANCE TO 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF JUNO...AND MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE... JUNO... LOMA ALTA... CARTA VALLEY... SHUMLA... VINEGARONE... BAKERS CROSSING... DEVILS RIVER STATE NATURAL AREA... KICKAPOO CAVERN STATE PARK... PAFFORD CROSSING... THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO 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. THE HEAVY RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS. LAT...LON 3030 10129 3029 9964 2940 10026 2981 10151 TIME...MOT...LOC 0234Z 056DEG 8KT 2980 10021 3023 10120
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
1058 PM CDT THU JUL 17 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1055 PM HEAVY RAIN 3 E PFLUGERVILLE 30.44N 97.57W
07/17/2014 M1.64 INCH TRAVIS TX STORM CHASER
RAINFALL WITHIN 30 MINUTES...FROM 1020 TO 1050 PM
&&
EVENT NUMBER EWX1400613
CVPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
1126 PM CDT THU JUL 17 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1115 PM HEAVY RAIN 3 E PFLUGERVILLE 30.44N 97.57W
07/17/2014 M2.62 INCH TRAVIS TX STORM CHASER
RAINFALL IN ONE HOUR
&&
EVENT NUMBER EWX1400614
CVPThe Ft Hood radar (KGRK), 49 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:29 UTC.
6 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that caused flash flooding in and around Austin. Some apartments were flooded on Westheimer as was a house in the 4900 block of N. Imperial Dr. In addition there were numerous streets closed due to flooding.
A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 50 mph that damaged a roof at the Broad Viewe Apartments in Balcones Heights area of San Antonio.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that caused street flooding in the Stone Oak area of San Antonio.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that caused flash flooding closing Vance Jackson at Orsinger.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that caused flash flooding. The Austin police and fire departments responded to a vehicle stuck in high water at Mellow Meadow Dr. and Lake Creek Pkwy.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that caused flash flooding closing CR 347 north of CR 346 at Opossum Creek.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that caused flash flooding closing a few roads in Uvalde.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, July 2014
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: 536838, 536839, 536842, 536843, 536847, 536849, 536851.