Deep moisture, a retreating frontal boundary and an upper level disturbance led to Morning thunderstorms across the southwest Texas Panhandle led to localized flooding and 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 AMA wrote it up.
Deep moisture, a retreating frontal boundary and an upper level disturbance led to Morning thunderstorms across the southwest Texas Panhandle led to localized flooding and 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 Amarillo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 4, 2:58 AM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Amarillo TX 358 AM CDT Fri Oct 4 2019 .SHORT TERM...Today and Tonight Plentiful moisture remains in place today given maintenance of southwest flow aloft between upper high pressure over southeast CONUS and upper trough moving east over the Great Basin. Some overrunning is currently occurring in the Texas Panhandle as warm air advection has resumed in wake of Sunday's cold front. Showers and a few elevated thunderstorms are persistent from Amarillo to Clovis where 850mb Theta-E advection is most notable. High PWATs and training will support flooding concerns as this activity slowly shifts north through the morning. However, recent radar trends suggest a decrease in the rainfall rates over the last hour which will mitigate the flood threat some (although it won't take much given all the rain in the last 72 hours). As the rain shifts north, fog may try to develop in its wake. There is still uncertainty on how dense and widespread the fog will be, so for now keeping areas of fog favoring the southern and eastern Texas Panhandle. If low level moisture advection is strong enough, dense fog may become widespread and warrant the need for an advisory. Conditions should improve by mid to late morning. As the upper trough continues shifting east today, a leading shortwave will help generate another round of thunderstorms this afternoon and evening, favoring the western half of the CWA. This will occur in conjunction with a modest lee surface trough which will also produce some breezy winds in the northwest today. Thunderstorms may also have a bit more instability to work with this evening if there are enough breaks in the cloud cover (RAP suggest around 1000 J/kg MLCAPE). This with the large PWATs will promote heavy rain (flooding) and some small hail can't be ruled out. The moisture plume is expected to finally shift east of the area as zonal flow increases with the upper wave tonight. Ward && .LONG TERM...Saturday through Thursday... Tropical moisture feed is greatly reduced beginning Saturday as mid-level flow trends from southwest to near-zonal as shortwave trof moves through northern plains. Cold front moves through the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles during the day on Saturday, with drier low-level air in its wake. A few showers and thunderstorms will be possible in the far eastern parts of the Panhandles on Saturday as the front moves through. Otherwise, mostly sunny conditions are expected with high temperatures much closer to normal. On Saturday night, showers and thunderstorms may develop in northeast sections as low-level jet strengthens in region of higher 700 mb theta-e values. Reinforcing cool surge arrives on Sunday, with cold air advection offsetting insolation with highs 5 to 10 degrees below normal. A few showers or elevated thunderstorms may develop Sunday morning in eastern sections as a shortwave trof encounters residual instability near the elevated frontal surface around 800 mb. Sunny and cool on Monday with a warming trend Tuesday and Wednesday. A shortwave trof passing Tuesday night may support showers and thunderstorms in southeast sections in region of 700 mb theta-e advection. Strong cold front arrives Wednesday night, with breezy north winds on Thursday keeping highs 10 to 15 degrees below normal. Cockrell && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Amarillo TX 71 59 77 50 69 / 20 30 5 5 10 Beaver OK 71 59 73 47 68 / 60 20 10 20 10 Boise City OK 70 53 70 40 67 / 40 20 0 5 5 Borger TX 74 61 78 51 71 / 30 20 5 10 10 Boys Ranch TX 74 59 78 48 71 / 40 30 0 5 10 Canyon TX 72 58 78 51 71 / 20 30 5 5 10 Clarendon TX 73 61 81 53 71 / 5 20 10 5 10 Dalhart TX 71 54 73 43 69 / 60 20 0 5 5 Guymon OK 72 57 71 45 68 / 40 20 5 10 10 Hereford TX 73 58 79 51 71 / 20 30 5 5 10 Lipscomb TX 73 61 77 50 68 / 20 30 20 20 20 Pampa TX 71 60 77 49 69 / 20 20 5 10 10 Shamrock TX 74 62 82 53 71 / 5 10 10 10 20 Wellington TX 76 62 85 55 74 / 5 10 20 10 10 && .AMA Watches/Warnings/Advisories... TX...None. OK...None. && 07/03
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Amarillo TX 357 AM CDT Fri Oct 4 2019 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-042100- Cimarron-Texas-Beaver-Dallam-Sherman-Hansford-Ochiltree-Lipscomb- Hartley-Moore-Hutchinson-Roberts-Hemphill-Oldham-Potter-Carson- Gray-Wheeler-Deaf Smith-Randall-Armstrong-Donley-Collingsworth- Palo Duro Canyon- 357 AM CDT Fri Oct 4 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Areas of fog this morning may reduce visibilities below one mile at times. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected through tonight across the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. Any storms that develop should remain below severe levels at this time. However, heavy rainfall may occur with the stronger showers and storms, which could lead to localized flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Thunderstorms will be possible across eastern parts of the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles Saturday through Sunday morning, and again Tuesday night. Any storms that develop are expected to remain below severe levels at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time. Cockrell
The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 88 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:27 UTC.
2 flood, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several roads were reported to be flooded south of Adrian and south of Vega. The time of the report is estimated.
A water rescue took place along FM 1412 west of US Highway 385 near a creek bed. A motorist attempted to drive through fast flowing water. The vehicle was swept about 100 feet and off the road into a creek. The person was rescued. FM 1412 was closed due to high water approximately 3 miles west of US Highway 385.
Water was reported to be over the road on FM 1061.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, October 2019
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: 859879, 859881, 859884.