Tropical Storm Harold moved west across south Texas on the 22nd. An area of low pressure developed over the central Gulf of Mexico on the 21st.
Every event with a place to put it; 20 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 CRP wrote it up.
Tropical Storm Harold moved west across south Texas on the 22nd. An area of low pressure developed over the central Gulf of Mexico on the 21st. A large area of high pressure over the central United States into the northern Gulf Coast steered the system quickly westward toward the Middle Texas coast. The low strengthened into Tropical Storm Harold by the early morning hours of the 22nd. Harold increased in strength and made landfall south of Baffin Bay as a 50 mph tropical storm during the late morning. Harold moved west-northwest and weakened into a tropical depression as it reached Laredo. Beneficial rains occurred over the Coastal Bend and Brush Country with the heaviest rainfall, ranging from 5 to 7 inches, from Corpus Christi to Alice to north of Freer. Flooding occurred in Corpus Christi and Laredo. Two weak tornadoes occurred south of George West and near Orange Grove. Tides ranged from 1 to 2 feet MHHW along the Middle Texas coast. Tidal flooding occurred around Corpus Christi and Nueces Bays with the highest tide level of 2.6 feet MHHW at Nueces Bay.
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 Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 22, 5:19 AM CST, 2 hours 41 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX
619 AM CDT Tue Aug 22 2023
...New AVIATION...
.SHORT TERM...
(Today through Wednesday)
Issued at 344 AM CDT Tue Aug 22 2023
Newly developed Tropical Storm Harold is the main story in the
short term period. Harold is taking it's time getting convective
bands to the coast, but as of now, some bands are finally about to
reach the coast. Satellite depiction has been pretty impressive
all night with bursts of convection noted in IR. The center of the
storm is still well offshore, and will spend the morning
approaching. Expect landfall somewhere around mid-day, south of
Corpus Christi. Current forecast is for a peak wind of 45 kts
around landfall, but expect stronger gusts. The storm will quickly
move off to the west and should be into Mexico late this evening.
Not too much has changed with overall thinking on impacts, with
the biggest concern being potentially heavy rainfall. Forecast
still indicates a widespread 3 to 5 inches of rain, over mainly
the southern half of the forecast area and into the Rio Grand
plains. Locally higher amounts are possible. With the very dry
grounds across the area, flooding threat is pretty low as the
ground should be able to soak up most of the rain, but isolated to
scattered flash floods cant be ruled out, with urban areas being
especially sensitive.
Have issued wind advisory for western counties expecting Harold to
have weakened below tropical storm strength by then. Could see
some 30-40 mph gusts there though with squalls.
Expect widespread precip and wind gusts to end pretty quickly
overnight. Will keep some scattered showers and storms in the area
through Wednesday as a band of vorticity remains over the region.
Temperatures today should be much cooler than we've seen lately,
and currently have mid 80s in the forecast for most of the area
thanks to the cloud cover and rain. These could be even too high
in some areas. Around the Victoria Crossroads we could reach the
90s again where less rain is expected.
There is a high risk for rip currents along gulf facing beaches
today and tonight, and coastal flooding with inundation up to the
3 feet is also expected.
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Wednesday night through next Monday)
Issued at 344 AM CDT Tue Aug 22 2023
High pressure builds back into the region in the long term period.
Our cooler temps are not going to last long as we return to the
90s and low 100s by late week. We'll likely see a return to heat
advisories across portions of the area as well. While there is no
real organized periods of showers and storms in the long term
period, isolated showers or storms cant be ruled out at times as
moisture remains moderate to at times high for this time of year.
&&
.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 615 AM CDT Tue Aug 22 2023
The outer bands of TS Harold have begun moving onshore this
morning. Conditions across S TX are expected to deteriorate from
east to west. Prevailing conditions are expected to be MVFR, with
periods of IFR/LIFR conditions as bands of heavy rainfall move
west-northwest. Winds are expected to gust to tropical storm
force across the eastern portions of S TX, then spreading
westward toward the Rio Grand Plains through the day.
&&
.MARINE...
Issued at 344 AM CDT Tue Aug 22 2023
Strong winds to gales are developing across the region early this
morning as Tropical Storm Harold moves toward the middle Texas
coast. Expect gale to storm force winds to persist through at
least mid-day with some improvement by this evening and into
Wednesday. Band of showers and thunderstorms are expected through
much of the day as well. Conditions will begin to improve late
today and tonight. Mainly light winds are expected by Wednesday.
Seas will be a bit slower to subside.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Corpus Christi 86 78 93 77 / 100 50 40 0
Victoria 93 77 100 76 / 90 20 20 0
Laredo 84 76 94 77 / 100 60 70 20
Alice 86 77 95 74 / 100 60 40 10
Rockport 88 81 93 77 / 100 50 30 0
Cotulla 89 78 97 76 / 90 50 60 10
Kingsville 86 77 94 76 / 100 60 40 0
Navy Corpus 86 81 92 80 / 100 60 40 10
&&
.CRP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...Tropical Storm Warning for TXZ231-232-240>247-342>347-442-443-
447.
Wind Advisory from noon today to 7 PM CDT this evening for
TXZ229-230-239.
Coastal Flood Warning until 7 PM CDT this evening for TXZ345-442-
443-447.
High Rip Current Risk through Wednesday morning for TXZ345-442-
443-447.
GM...Tropical Storm Warning for GMZ231-232-236-237-250-255-270-275.
&&
SHORT TERM...PH
LONG TERM....PH
AVIATION...TE/81The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 43 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:45 UTC.
17 tropical storm, 5 flash flood, 3 storm surge/tide, 2 tornado, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Doppler radar indicated tropical storm force winds occurred over the region.
Doppler radar indicated tropical storm force winds occurred over the region.
Observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. There was fence and tree damage in Flour Bluff. Tree limbs were blown down near Airline and McArdle Roads in Corpus Christi. Light poles were blown down at the McDonald's on Saratoga and Cimarron Boulevards. Winds gusted as high as 55 knots (63 mph) at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi.
Observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. Winds gusted as high as 47 knots (54 mph) at mesonet site on north Padre Island and 42 knots (48 mph) at Port Aransas.
Tide levels became elevated around Corpus Christi and Nueces Bays. Tides reached 2.6 feet MHHW at Nueces Bay TCOON site, 2.43 feet MHHW at the Viola Turning Basin in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, and 2.01 feet MHHW at the USS Lexington on Corpus Christi Bay. Tides flooded the Highway 181 turnaround on North Beach. Many roads were closed due to flooding on North Beach along Surfside Boulevard. The high tides flooded the parking lot of the South Texas Art Museum and North Shoreline Boulevard.
Tide levels became elevated on the barrier islands south of Port Aransas. NWS storm survey indicated the tide/storm surge reached 3.30 feet MHHW at Whitecap Beach on north Padre Island. This caused minor dune erosion on north Padre Island.
Tide levels became elevated on the barrier islands south of Port Aransas. The effect of the tides were similar to what was seen at Whitecap Beach, where tides reached 3.30 feet MHHW. This caused minor dune erosion on north Padre Island.
Observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. Trees were blown down on the campus of Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Winds gusted as high as 58 knots (67 mph) at Loyola Beach.
Observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. Winds gusted as high as 54 knots (62 mph) at the Corpus Christi International Airport.
Observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. Winds gusted as high as 42 knots (48 mph) at the Wildcat Weatherflow site near Portland.
Observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. Winds gusted as high as 46 knots (53 mph) at the Rockport-Aransas County Airport.
Observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. Winds gusted as high as 43 knots (50 mph) at the C-MAN station near the Aransas Pass.
Observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. Winds gusted as high as 40 knots (46 mph) at a mesonet site at Bayside.
The northwest loop exit from Interstate 37 to Highway 286 flooded.
Observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. Winds gusted as high as 45 knots (52 mph) at the Alice International Airport.
Observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. Winds gusted as high as 35 knots (40 mph) at the RAWS site on Matagorda Island.
Observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. Winds gusted as high as 36 knots (41 mph) at a mesonet site on a farm northwest of Sinton.
Observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. Winds gusted as high as 35 knots (40 mph) at TCOON mesonet sites in Port Lavaca and Port O'Connor.
Observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. Winds gusted as high as 36 knots (41 mph) at Calhoun County Airport north of Port Lavaca.
Observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. Winds gusted as high as 37 knots (42 mph) at mesonet site at Duval County Airport near Benavides.
An EF-0 tornado with 85 mph winds touched down just east of Highway 281 on County Road 151 and moved southwest along the county road. The tornado snapped large branches and split a few trees. The tornado lifted just west of Highway 281.
Flooding of streets occurred on 14th Street between Ailsie and Caesar Avenues in Kingsville.
An EF-0 tornado with 75 mph winds touched down 3 miles north of Orange Grove. The tornado moved west across Farm to Market Road 738. The tornado snapped a few branches 3 to 4 inches in diameter.
Observations indicated tropical storm force wind gusts occurred. Winds gusted as high as 38 knots (44 mph) at the Laredo International Airport.
A vehicle drove into a flooded low water crossing 5 miles north northeast of Lake Alice. The local fire department had to perform a high water rescue.
The intersection of Highway 83/Interstate 35 and Mines Road was closed due to flood waters.
Heavy rainfall flooded several intersection from the north northeast to the south southeast parts of Laredo. Highway 83 was flooded at the intersections of Market Street and Chihuahua Street.
Flooding occurred on Highway 83 at Sierra Vista Boulevard on the extreme south side of Laredo.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2023Warnings in Texas, August 2023The 2023 hurricane season
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: 1133835, 1133836, 1133837, 1133838, 1133268, 1133829, 1133832, 1133834, 1133839, 1133841, 1134102, 1134104, 1134115, 1133250, 1133840, 1134112, 1134123, 1134126, 1134127, 1134132, 1133252, 1133253, 1133257, 1134133, 1134518, 1133254, 1133255, 1133261.