Tornadoes · United States · Texas · 2003
F1 tornado, Friendswood, Texas, November 17, 2003
This F1 tornado ran 0.2 miles across Galveston County on November 17, 2003, touching down at 9:08 PM CST and reaching 25 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $200,000 of property damage.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
F040 to 72 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F173 to 112 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2113 to 157 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3158 to 206 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4207 to 260 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5261 to 318 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- F1
- Date
- November 17, 2003
- Touchdown
- 9:08 PM CST (03:08 UTC)
- Path length
- 0.2 miles (0.3 km)
- Path width
- 25 yards (23 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $200,000
- County
- Galveston County
- Touchdown point
- 29.530, -95.420
- Lift-off point
- 29.530, -95.420
- Record number
- 85
What the Weather Service recorded
A total of 24 tornadoes touched down during this 15 hour period of severe weather in southeastern Texas on November 17, 2003. In addition to these tornadoes, a major flood developed over Harris and surrounding counties during the middle of this tornadic outbreak. Over 300 homes, along with hundreds of vehicles, were flooded.These tornadic storms developed over parts of Wharton and Matagorda counties shortly after sunrise with the first confirmed tornado occurring just east of El Campo around 9:00 am. Strong 500mb upper level troughing over the western U.S. moved from west to east across the Southern Plains. The polar jet stream associated with this 500 millibar trough surged into west Texas and then curved sharply northeastward into the Central Plains. The sub-tropical jet stream was oriented west to east across deep southern Texas. This jet stream pattern was the impetus to strong lower level convergence due to the enhanced upper level divergence. Low level moisture had substantially increased and was about 200 percent of normal by 6 AM. Vertical wind profiles also showed a great deal of low level wind shear with the greatest shear occurring in the lowest 2000 feet. In addition, these veering wind speeds rapidly increased with height. A focus for the thunderstorm development was provided by a weak low level boundary which was aligned southwest to northeast, or generally along the U.S. Highway 59 corridor. This feature was nearly-stationary and thunderstorms repeatedly developed and moved along this boundary. The axis of heaviest rain was coincident with this boundary.
Tornado struck a Friendswood church on FM 2351. Church's sanctuary received damage, church's bell tower completely torn off.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down. One was issued for the county at another hour that day.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20:12 UTC | 21:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | HGX |
| 20:58 UTC | 21:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | HGX |
| 02:28 UTC | 03:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | HGX |
| 03:38 UTC | 06:45 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | HGX |
Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk, with a 0.02 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 00:58 UTC.
SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Nov 17, 8:25 PM CST, 43 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Nov 17, 8:25 PM CST, 43 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 825 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE AREA AND TORNADO WATCH FOR BRAZORIA...GALVESTON...CHAMBERS...AND LIBERTY COUNTY TIL MIDNIGHT. FLASH FLOOD WATCH ALL SETX THROUGH TONIGHT. FLOODING A PROBLEM IN NORTH CENTRAL HARRIS COUNTY. FAST MOVING TROPICAL STORMS RACING NORTH WITH MORE TROPICAL SPINNING CHARACTERISTICS AND TROPICAL RAINS. TORNADO WARNINGS AND FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS MAY RESUME VERY SHORTLY. 45/40/38/35/31/36/D .HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TORNADO WATCH (#952) FOR BRAZORIA...GALVESTON...CHAMBERS...AND LIBERTY COUNTY TIL MIDNIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINDER OF SETX FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL SE TX THROUGH TONIGHT. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY BAYS AND 00-60 NM WATERS.
Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 17, 11:00 AM CST, 10 hours 8 minutes before
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-181300- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1100 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS. ...FLOOD WATCH THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... ...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH SOUTHEAST TODAY AND MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. STRONG WINDS ARE PRESENT IN THE ATMOSPHERE OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STRONG WINDS ABOVE THE SURFACE AND INCREASING INSTABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE WILL CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. TONIGHT...A SQUALL LINE IS LIKELY TO MOVE ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. THEREFORE...AN ISOLATED SEVERE THREAT DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS MAY INCREASE TONIGHT AS ORGANIZED CONVECTION MOVES ACROSS TONIGHT. IT APPEARS THAT TORNADOES...HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL ALL BE THREATS. IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT. FAST MOVING STORMS WILL LIKELY MOVE REPEATEDLY OVER THE SAME LOCATIONS...CREATING THE HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT AND RESULTANT FLOODING. AVERAGE RAINFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 3 TO 5 INCH RANGE WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 10 TO 15 INCHES POSSIBLE. THESE HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY OCCUR NEAR AND EAST OF A HIGHWAY 59 AND INTERSTATE 10 CORRIDOR...OR ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM EDNA TO KATY TO CONROE TO GROVETON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO END WITH THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST TUESDAY MORNING. DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
In the hours before
Local storm report, Nov 17, 3:20 PM CST, 5 hours 48 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
320 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1207 PM HOUSTON TX TORNADO
11/17/03 HARRIS MINOR ROOF DAMAGE AND
STREET SIGNS TWISTED.
REPORTED AT DAIRY ASHFORD
AND AIRPORT.
0250 PM BRAZORIA TX TORNADO
11/17/03 BRAZORIA DAMAGE TO BUSINESSES IN THE
CITY OF BRAZORIA.
REHBEINLocal storm report, Nov 17, 3:35 PM CST, 5 hours 33 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
335 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0320 PM HOUSTON TX TORNADO
11/17/03 HARRIS DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS IN
DOWNTOWN HOUSTON NEAR
MINUTE MAID PARK.
REHBEINLocal storm report, Nov 17, 6:06 PM CST, 3 hours 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
606 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0520 PM WALLISVILLE TX TORNADO
11/17/03 CHAMBERS 3 VEHICLES OVERTURNED ON
I-10 WEST BOUND AT THE
TRINITY RIVER BRIDGE.
0500 PM BEACH CITY TX TORNADO
11/17/03 CHAMBERS NO REPORTED DAMAGE.
0435 PM DICKINSON TX TORNADO
11/17/03 GALVESTON DAMAGE TO CAR DEALERSHIPS
IN DICKINSON ALONG I-45
XXXLocal storm report, Nov 17, 6:34 PM CST, 2 hours 34 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
634 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0550 PM DEER PARK TX TORNADO
11/17/03 HARRIS SIX HOMES IN DEER PARK
SOMERSET SUBDIVISION HAD
ROOFS BLOWN OFF.
REHBEINLocal storm report, Nov 17, 8:34 PM CST, 34 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT ... CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
834 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0700 PM KINGWOOD TX FLASH FLOOD
11/17/03 HARRIS FLOODING AT INWOOD FOREST
AND IMPERIAL VALLEY
SUBDIVISIONS ALONG WHITE
OAK AND GREENS BAYOUS.
HOMES BEING EVACUATED.
0613 PM PLUM GROVE TX FLASH FLOOD
11/17/03 LIBERTY WATER INTO 6 OR 7 HOMES.
0550 PM DEER PARK TX TORNADO
11/17/03 HARRIS SIX HOMES DAMAGED IN
SOMERSET SUBDIVISION WITH
ROOFS BLOWN OFF.
0520 PM 5 E MONT BELVIEU TX TORNADO
11/17/03 CHAMBERS NUMEROUS VEHICLES
OVERTURNED ON I-10 WEST
BOUND AND EAST BOUND AT THE
TRINITY RIVER BRIDGE.
VEHICLES INCLUDE RVS AND
SEMI TRUCKS. I-10 CLOSED
FOR A PERIOD.
0501 PM 5 N DAYTON TX FUNNEL CLOUD
11/17/03 LIBERTY FUNNEL CLOUD SIGHTED NORTH
OF DAYTON ALONG FM HIGHWAY
1008 TO FM HIGHWAY 2797.
POSSIBLE TOUCHDOWN.
0500 PM BEACH CITY TX TORNADO
11/17/03 CHAMBERS NO REPORTED DAMAGE.
0435 PM DICKINSON TX TORNADO
11/17/03 GALVESTON DAMAGE TO CAR DEALERSHIPS
IN DICKINSON ALONG I-45
0433 PM HOUSTON TX FLASH FLOOD
11/17/03 HARRIS PARKING LOTS STREETS AND
FEEDER ROADS FLOODED AT
BELTWAY 8 AND WESTHEIMER IN
WEST HOUSTON.
0425 PM SANTA FE TX TORNADO
11/17/03 GALVESTON TREE DOWNED.
0320 PM HOUSTON TX TORNADO
11/17/03 HARRIS DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS IN
DOWNTOWN HOUSTON NEAR
MINUTE MAID PARK. EXTENSIVE
DAMAGE REPORTED FROM THIS
AREA SOUTHWESTWARD TOWARD
THE MEDICAL CENTER AREA.
0320 PM HOUSTON TX FLASH FLOOD
11/17/03 HARRIS ROADS IMPASSABLE AT
MANCHESTER AND INTERSTATE
610 AND LAWNDALE AND
INTERSTATE 610.
0305 PM HOUSTON TX TORNADO
11/17/03 HARRIS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN THE
MEDICAL CENTER AREA ALONG
SOUTHMORE NEAR STATE
HIGHWAY 288. CHURCH
DESTROYED AND NUMEROUS
TREES DOWNED.
0250 PM BRAZORIA TX TORNADO
11/17/03 BRAZORIA DAMAGE TO BUSINESSES IN THE
CITY OF BRAZORIA.
0207 PM THE WOODLANDS TX FUNNEL CLOUD
11/17/03 MONTGOMERY FUNNEL CLOUD SIGHTED IN
SOUTHERN PART OF COUNTY
MOVING TOWARDS NEW CANEY.
1215 PM SW HOUSTON TX TORNADO
11/17/03 HARRIS MAJOR DAMAGE TO SOUTHWEST
VILLAGE APARTMENTS LOCATED
AT WEST BELLFORT AND
KIRKWOOD.
1207 PM HOUSTON TX TORNADO
11/17/03 HARRIS MINOR ROOF DAMAGE AND
STREET SIGNS DAMAGED AT
DAIRY ASHFORD AND WEST
AIRPORT ROAD.
1200 PM MEADOWS TX TORNADO
11/17/03 FORT BEND *** 16 INJ *** TORNADO
TOUCHDOWN IN THE CITY OF
MEADOWS. MAJOR DAMAGE TO
HOMES WITH REPORTS OF
SECOND STORIES OF HOMES
BLOWN AWAY. TREES AND POWER
LINES DOWN. NUMEROUS
VEHICLES OVERTURNED. TWO OF
THE INJURIES CONSIDERED
SERIOUS.
1030 AM 3 NW BOLING-IAGO TX TORNADO
11/17/03 WHARTON TOUCHDOWN NEAR INTERSECTION
OF COTTONDALE ROAD AND
COUNTY ROAD 111. DESTROYED
ONE SMALL BUILDING. HEAVY
DAMAGE TO THREE BARNS. PATH
WIDTH 1/4 MILE. DEBRIS PATH
1/2 MILE LONG.
0915 AM WHARTON TX TSTM WND DMG
11/17/03 WHARTON POWER LINES DOWNED AT
INTERSECTION OF COUNTY
ROADS 426 AND 441.
0910 AM PIERCE TX TORNADO
11/17/03 WHARTON CARS BLOWN OFF US HIGHWAY
59.
0909 AM MARKHAM TX FUNNEL CLOUD
11/17/03 MATAGORDA FUNNEL CLOUD SIGHTED NEAR
MARKHAM. POSSIBLE
TOUCHDOWN.
0903 AM 4 E EL CAMPO TX TORNADO
11/17/03 WHARTON BARN DAMAGED AT COUNTY ROAD
307 AND COUNTY ROAD 320.
0848 AM 3 S EL CAMPO TX FUNNEL CLOUD
11/17/03 WHARTON FUNNEL CLOUD SIGHTED NEAR
MARKHAM. POSSIBLE
TOUCHDOWN.
MM/MRLocal storm report, Nov 17, 8:40 PM CST, 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
840 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003
...SUMMARY REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 17TH SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK...
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0700 PM KINGWOOD TX FLASH FLOOD
11/17/03 HARRIS FLOODING AT INWOOD FOREST
AND IMPERIAL VALLEY
SUBDIVISIONS ALONG WHITE
OAK AND GREENS BAYOUS.
HOMES BEING EVACUATED.
0613 PM PLUM GROVE TX FLASH FLOOD
11/17/03 LIBERTY WATER INTO 6 OR 7 HOMES.
0550 PM DEER PARK TX TORNADO
11/17/03 HARRIS SIX HOMES DAMAGED IN
SOMERSET SUBDIVISION WITH
ROOFS BLOWN OFF.
0520 PM 5 E MONT BELVIEU TX TORNADO
11/17/03 CHAMBERS NUMEROUS VEHICLES
OVERTURNED ON I-10 WEST
BOUND AND EAST BOUND AT THE
TRINITY RIVER BRIDGE.
VEHICLES INCLUDE RVS AND
SEMI TRUCKS. I-10 CLOSED
FOR A PERIOD.
0501 PM 5 N DAYTON TX FUNNEL CLOUD
11/17/03 LIBERTY FUNNEL CLOUD SIGHTED NORTH
OF DAYTON ALONG FM HIGHWAY
1008 TO FM HIGHWAY 2797.
POSSIBLE TOUCHDOWN.
0500 PM BEACH CITY TX TORNADO
11/17/03 CHAMBERS NO REPORTED DAMAGE.
0435 PM DICKINSON TX TORNADO
11/17/03 GALVESTON DAMAGE TO CAR DEALERSHIPS
IN DICKINSON ALONG I-45
0433 PM HOUSTON TX FLASH FLOOD
11/17/03 HARRIS PARKING LOTS STREETS AND
FEEDER ROADS FLOODED AT
BELTWAY 8 AND WESTHEIMER IN
WEST HOUSTON.
0425 PM SANTA FE TX TORNADO
11/17/03 GALVESTON TREE DOWNED.
0320 PM HOUSTON TX TORNADO
11/17/03 HARRIS DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS IN
DOWNTOWN HOUSTON NEAR
MINUTE MAID PARK. EXTENSIVE
DAMAGE REPORTED FROM THIS
AREA SOUTHWESTWARD TOWARD
THE MEDICAL CENTER AREA.
0320 PM HOUSTON TX FLASH FLOOD
11/17/03 HARRIS ROADS IMPASSABLE AT
MANCHESTER AND INTERSTATE
610 AND LAWNDALE AND
INTERSTATE 610.
0305 PM HOUSTON TX TORNADO
11/17/03 HARRIS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN THE
MEDICAL CENTER AREA ALONG
SOUTHMORE NEAR STATE
HIGHWAY 288. CHURCH
DESTROYED AND NUMEROUS
TREES DOWNED.
0250 PM BRAZORIA TX TORNADO
11/17/03 BRAZORIA DAMAGE TO BUSINESSES IN THE
CITY OF BRAZORIA.
0207 PM THE WOODLANDS TX FUNNEL CLOUD
11/17/03 MONTGOMERY FUNNEL CLOUD SIGHTED IN
SOUTHERN PART OF COUNTY
MOVING TOWARDS NEW CANEY.
1215 PM SW HOUSTON TX TORNADO
11/17/03 HARRIS MAJOR DAMAGE TO SOUTHWEST
VILLAGE APARTMENTS LOCATED
AT WEST BELLFORT AND
KIRKWOOD.
1207 PM HOUSTON TX TORNADO
11/17/03 HARRIS MINOR ROOF DAMAGE AND
STREET SIGNS DAMAGED AT
DAIRY ASHFORD AND WEST
AIRPORT ROAD.
1200 PM MEADOWS TX TORNADO
11/17/03 FORT BEND *** 16 INJ *** TORNADO
TOUCHDOWN IN THE CITY OF
MEADOWS. MAJOR DAMAGE TO
HOMES WITH REPORTS OF
SECOND STORIES OF HOMES
BLOWN AWAY. TREES AND POWER
LINES DOWN. NUMEROUS
VEHICLES OVERTURNED. TWO OF
THE INJURIES CONSIDERED
SERIOUS.
1030 AM 3 NW BOLING-IAGO TX TORNADO
11/17/03 WHARTON TOUCHDOWN NEAR INTERSECTION
OF COTTONDALE ROAD AND
COUNTY ROAD 111. DESTROYED
ONE SMALL BUILDING. HEAVY
DAMAGE TO THREE BARNS. PATH
WIDTH 1/4 MILE. DEBRIS PATH
1/2 MILE LONG.
0915 AM WHARTON TX TSTM WND DMG
11/17/03 WHARTON POWER LINES DOWNED AT
INTERSECTION OF COUNTY
ROADS 426 AND 441.
0910 AM PIERCE TX TORNADO
11/17/03 WHARTON CARS BLOWN OFF US HIGHWAY
59.
0909 AM MARKHAM TX FUNNEL CLOUD
11/17/03 MATAGORDA FUNNEL CLOUD SIGHTED NEAR
MARKHAM. POSSIBLE
TOUCHDOWN.
0903 AM 4 E EL CAMPO TX TORNADO
11/17/03 WHARTON BARN DAMAGED AT COUNTY ROAD
307 AND COUNTY ROAD 320.
0848 AM 3 S EL CAMPO TX FUNNEL CLOUD
11/17/03 WHARTON FUNNEL CLOUD SIGHTED NEAR
MARKHAM. POSSIBLE
TOUCHDOWN.
MORELAND/REHBEINThe air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), 00:00Z
3.1 hours before the tornado, 224 km from the path. November 18, 2003.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 877 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -1 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 1753 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 631 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 58 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 23 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 200 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 222 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.2
- Supercell composite
- 7.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 6.1 K/km
Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), 12:00Z
8.9 hours after it, 224 km from the path. November 18, 2003.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -65019 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 749 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 72 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 32 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 19 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 33 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 3.4 K/km
The surface observations
Pearland Regional (LVJ), 17 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01:11 UTC | 77 | 75.2 | 170° 15 kt | 25 | 1007.8 | |
| 01:53 UTC | 76 | 75 | 190° 16 kt | 23 | 1007.8 | -RA |
| 02:02 UTC | 75.2 | 75.2 | 180° 12 kt | 24 | 1007.5 | +RA BR |
| 02:14 UTC | 75.2 | 75.2 | 180° 16 kt | 25 | 1007.5 | -RA |
| 02:35 UTC | 75.2 | 75.2 | 180° 11 kt | 1007.1 | VCTS +RA BR | |
| 02:44 UTC | 75.2 | 75.2 | 200° 17 kt | 23 | 1007.8 | +TSRA BR |
| 02:53 UTC | 75 | 75 | 180° 18 kt | 23 | 1007.8 | +TSRA BR |
| 03:00 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 240° 13 kt | 23 | 1007.5 | VCTS +RA BR |
| 03:04 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 210° 11 kt | 23 | 1007.5 | VCTS +RA BR |
| 03:07 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 220° 10 kt | 23 | 1007.5 | RA BR |
| 03:17 UTC | 75.2 | 75.2 | 190° 16 kt | 20 | 1007.1 | +RA BR |
| 03:25 UTC | 75.2 | 75.2 | 210° 12 kt | 19 | 1007.5 | RA BR |
| 03:27 UTC | 75.2 | 75.2 | 200° 8 kt | 18 | 1007.5 | VCTS -RA BR |
| 03:31 UTC | 75.2 | 75.2 | 190° 18 kt | 29 | 1007.8 | VCTS RA BR |
| 03:38 UTC | 75.2 | 75.2 | 180° 16 kt | 29 | 1007.1 | VCTS +RA BR |
| 03:45 UTC | 75.2 | 75.2 | 200° 13 kt | 26 | 1007.5 | +TSRA BR |
| 03:53 UTC | 75 | 74 | 210° 11 kt | 22 | 1007.5 | -TSRA BR |
| 04:06 UTC | 75.2 | 75.2 | 200° 12 kt | 19 | 1007.5 | |
| 04:41 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 190° 13 kt | 19 | 1007.1 | |
| 04:53 UTC | 74 | 72 | 180° 10 kt | 20 | 1006.8 |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Houston radar (KHGX), 34 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 03:06 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2003 tornado in TexasEvery tornado in Texas since 1950Warnings in force in Texas nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of November 17, 2003
26 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 17 | 8:33 AM CST | F0 | Wharton, TX | 0.5 | 25 | $1,000 | ||
| November 17 | 8:38 AM CST | F0 | Wharton, TX | 1.0 | 100 | 2 | $10,000 | |
| November 17 | 9:10 AM CST | F0 | Matagorda, TX | 0.5 | 75 | $30,000 | ||
| November 17 | 9:10 AM CST | F0 | Wharton, TX | 0.5 | 50 | $2,000 | ||
| November 17 | 9:20 AM CST | F0 | Wharton, TX | 0.2 | 20 | |||
| November 17 | 10:00 AM CST | F0 | Wharton, TX | 1.0 | 50 | $20,000 | ||
| November 17 | 12:05 PM CST | F2 | Fort Bend, TX | 1.5 | 200 | 60 | $500,000 | |
| November 17 | 12:15 PM CST | F2 | Fort Bend, TX | 1.0 | 50 | $800,000 | ||
| November 17 | 1:00 PM CST | F0 | Harris, TX | 0.2 | 50 | |||
| November 17 | 2:50 PM CST | F0 | Brazoria, TX | 1.0 | 75 | 1 | $70,000 | |
| November 17 | 3:01 PM CST | F2 | Harris, TX | 0.7 | 100 | $550,000 | ||
| November 17 | 4:25 PM CST | F0 | Galveston, TX | 0.1 | 30 | $100,000 | ||
| November 17 | 4:40 PM CST | F0 | Galveston, TX | 1.0 | 30 | $30,000 | ||
| November 17 | 4:50 PM CST | F0 | Chambers, TX | 0.1 | 25 | |||
| November 17 | 5:20 PM CST | F0 | Harris, TX | 0.5 | 50 | $30,000 | ||
| November 17 | 5:20 PM CST | F0 | Cass, NE | 0.1 | 40 | |||
| November 17 | 5:30 PM CST | F1 | Chambers, TX | 0.5 | 100 | 5 | $100,000 | |
| November 17 | 5:42 PM CST | F0 | Liberty, TX | 0.2 | 20 | $10,000 | ||
| November 17 | 5:45 PM CST | F1 | Liberty, TX | 0.2 | 20 | $30,000 | ||
| November 17 | 8:55 PM CST | F0 | Harris, TX | 1.4 | 20 | $10,000 | ||
| November 17 | 9:15 PM CST | F1 | Galveston, TX | 0.2 | 50 | $280,000 | ||
| November 17 | 9:15 PM CST | F2 | Newton, TX | 1.0 | 20 | $1.0 million | ||
| November 17 | 9:30 PM CST | F0 | Harris, TX | 0.5 | 50 | $50,000 | ||
| November 17 | 10:30 PM CST | F1 | Harris, TX | 1.5 | 50 | 3 | $230,000 | |
| November 17 | 11:15 PM CST | F1 | Jasper, TX | 5.0 | 50 | $1.0 million | ||
| November 17 | 11:35 PM CST | F1 | Chambers, TX | 1.0 | 50 | $300,000 |
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.