Projected rainfall for September 20 through September 22 2010 Deep South Texas/RGV (click to enlarge)


Flash Flooding Nails Cameron County
6 to 9 inches Brownsville to Los Fresnos since Sept. 17th
Dozens of Homes Affected; Numerous Roads Under Water, and More to Come

Story So Far
Deep tropical moisture, a series of upper level disturbances, and a pronounced low level jet streak have produced three days of on and off rainfall across the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas. The big hitter occurred early Sunday, September 19th, when a persistent band of tropical rains set up camp between Brownsville and the east side of Harlingen, dumping 4 to 7 inches of rain in a 3 to 5 hour span and flooding a number of communities, particularly those that drain poorly. As of 4 PM on the 19th, the following conditions had been reported through the day, starting at approximately 5 AM CDT and continuing through at least 10 AM and beyond in some areas:

  • Up to 60 homes with water incursion in neighborhood in West Brownsville along Military Highway (including Calle Galaxia and other streets)
  • Several homes with water in them in Quail Hollow, between Ruben Torres and Alton Gloor, also on the West side of town
  • Paredes Line Road covered with up to 2 feet of water between Paseo Plaza and the T–Mobile Offices (just north of Ruben Torres to CSR Road)
  • Sections of the right lane of southbound FM 511 under water between Alton Gloor and the Port of Brownsville
  • FM 1575 closed near/at State Road 100 in Los Fresnos
  • High water at intersection of Palm Boulevard and Levee Street in Brownsville
  • Flooding along Boca Chica Boulevard between McDavitt and Security in Brownsville
  • At least 2 feet of standing water along Expressway 77 Frontage Road near Price Road
  • Flooding along International Boulevard at 14th Street in Brownsville
  • Parts of State Highway 100 were under water, as well as sections of FM 803 near Los Fresnos
  • Parts of State Highway 345 between San Benito and Rio Hondo were flooded; intersection with FM 106 also covered with high water

 

In addition to the poor drainage flooding, the Rio Grande took some of the runoff between the San Benito gage and east of Brownsville; the stage at Lower Brownsville rose more than a foot from the runoff alone – not related to upstream releases at Falcon International Reservoir.

What’s To come
Another round of locally heavy rainfall is possible again Monday morning September 20th as deep moisture continues to feed along an axis of converging air over the Rio Grande Valley. There are two areas of concern (above): Locations up the Valley into the foothills of northern Mexico, and once again the natural convergence of unstable air in the western Gulf sliding onshore during the pre dawn hours, including Kenedy through Cameron County. Additional heavy rains will immediately run off and cause a quick resurgence of flooding in Cameron, parts of Willacy, and eastern and northern Hidalgo County. Later in the week, the potential exists for additional flooding on the Rio Grande should 5 to 10 inches or more of rain fall along the front range and foothills of the Sierra Madre in Nuevo Leon and perhaps into Coahuila State through early this week.

Flood Watch


URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
202 PM CDT SUN SEP 19 2010
 
...MORE HEAVY RAINFALL AND LOCAL FLASH FLOODING EXPECTED INTO
MONDAY FOR MUCH OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...
 
.DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE COMBINED WITH A MID LEVEL DISTURBANCE
WILL PRODUCE MORE LOCALLY TORRENTIAL RAINS THROUGH MONDAY.
MUCH OF CAMERON...WILLACY...AND HIDALGO COUNTY WAS HEAVILY
SATURATED BY DOWNPOURS SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...AND
MODERATE RAINFALL SINCE LATE FRIDAY ACROSS THE MID AND UPPER RIO
GRANDE VALLEY INTO THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS AND BRUSH COUNTRY FROM
STARR AND BROOKS COUNTY WESTWARD.
 
TXZ248>250-252-200900-
/O.EXB.KBRO.FF.A.0005.100920T0000Z-100921T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-STARR-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ZAPATA...HEBBRONVILLE...FALFURRIAS...
RIO GRANDE CITY...ROMA
202 PM CDT SUN SEP 19 2010
 
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH
MONDAY EVENING...
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS EXPANDED THE
 
* FLASH FLOOD WATCH TO INCLUDE A PORTION OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...
 INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...BROOKS...JIM HOGG...STARR AND
 ZAPATA.
 
* FROM 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY EVENING
 
* SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS OF
  AND FRONT RANGE OF THE SIERRA MADRE MOUNTAINS IN NORTHEAST
  MEXICO LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A LOW LEVEL JET WILL
  COMBINE WITH BOUNDARIES FROM THESE STORMS TO INCREASE THE THREAT
  FOR A PERSISTENT BAND...OR COMPLEX...OF SHOWERS AND STORMS
  COVERING PORTIONS OF STARR...ZAPATA...AND JIM HOGG COUNTY
  OVERNIGHT AND INTO MONDAY MORNING. ADDITIONAL RAINS MAY DEVELOP
  MONDAY AFTERNOON IF SKIES CLEAR A BIT A TEMPERATURES WARM UP.
 
* RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH LOCALLY 5 INCHES OR MORE IF BANDS
  DEVELOP IS POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA. THESE RAINS WOULD BRING
  AN EVENT TOTAL SINCE FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH TO 3 TO 7 INCHES BY
  SUNSET MONDAY WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS IN BANDS. ARROYOS AND POOR
  DRAINAGE LOCATIONS IN DEVELOPED AREAS.
 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
 
A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT FLOODING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT
24 TO 36 HOURS. RESIDENTS LIVING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD TAKE
ACTION TO PROTECT PROPERTY.
 
RESIDENTS...PARTICULARLY THOSE IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS...AS WELL AS
THOSE LIVING NEAR ARROYOS AND OTHER SMALL STREAMS...SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND QUICKLY SHOULD HEAVY RAINS
DEVELOP. IF POSSIBLE...CLEAR DRAINAGE SYSTEMS OF ANY DEBRIS WHICH
MAY BECOME CLOGGED IN FLOODING RAINS.
 
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR
ADVISORIES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS LATER TONIGHT AND MONDAY.
 
&&
 
$$
 
TXZ251-253>257-200900-
/O.EXT.KBRO.FF.A.0005.000000T0000Z-100921T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
KENEDY-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY-INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-
COASTAL CAMERON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SARITA...MCALLEN...EDINBURG...PHARR...
MISSION...WESLACO...RAYMONDVILLE...BROWNSVILLE...HARLINGEN...
PORT MANSFIELD...PORT ISABEL...SOUTH PADRE ISLAND...
LAGUNA HEIGHTS...LAGUNA VISTA
202 PM CDT SUN SEP 19 2010
 
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING...
 
THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR
 
* A PORTION OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING
  AREAS...COASTAL CAMERON...COASTAL WILLACY...HIDALGO...INLAND
  CAMERON...INLAND WILLACY AND KENEDY.
 
* THROUGH MONDAY EVENING
 
* AFTER A BREAK IN ACTIVITY THIS EVENING...ANOTHER ROUND OF
  SHOWERS AND A FEW STORMS...SOME WITH TORRENTIAL RAINS...SHOULD
  DEVELOP AFTER MIDNIGHT IN THE GULF AND PROGRESS ONSHORE DURING
  THE PRE DAWN HOURS MONDAY. CURRENT DATA SUGGEST THAT THE
  LIKELIHOOD FOR ANOTHER 4 TO 7 INCH BAND SIMILAR TO SUNDAY
  MORNING IS LOWER. HOWEVER...EVEN 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN WITH
  LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL RUN OFF IMMEDIATELY AND COULD CAUSE
  LIFE THREATENING FLOODING IN POOR DRAINAGE LOCATIONS ESPECIALLY
  FOR THE MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE AND SCHOOL BUS RIDES.
 
* AREAS MOST VULNERABLE TO THE FLOODING POTENTIAL WILL BE LOW
  LYING AREAS...AREAS WITH POOR DRAINAGE OF STREETS...AND HIGHWAY
  UNDERPASSES AND SERVICE ROADS ALONG HIGHWAY 77 AND 83.
 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
 
A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT FLOODING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24
TO 36 HOURS. RESIDENTS LIVING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD TAKE
ACTION TO PROTECT PROPERTY.
 
RESIDENTS...PARTICULARLY THOSE IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS...AS WELL AS
THOSE LIVING NEAR SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS...SHOULD BE PREPARED TO
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.  IF POSSIBLE...CLEAR DRAINAGE SYSTEMS OF
ANY DEBRIS WHICH MAY BECOME CLOGGED IN FLOODING RAINS.
 
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR
ADVISORIES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS LATER TONIGHT AND MONDAY.
 
&&
 
$$

 

Coastal Statement/Rip Currents and High Surf


COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
952 AM CDT SUN SEP 19 2010
 
...RIP CURRENTS AND TIDAL RUN UP CONTINUING THROUGH EARLY MONDAY...
 
.HIGH PRESSURE ANCHORED ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES
COMBINED WITH LOW PRESSURE ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN GULF WILL
MAINTAIN A LONG EASTERLY FETCH AND SWELL PERIOD...MAINTAINING
ABOVE PREDICTED TIDES AND RELATIVELY HIGH SURF.
 
TXZ251-256-257-200330-
/O.NEW.KBRO.CF.S.0002.100919T1452Z-100920T1200Z/
KENEDY-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
952 AM CDT SUN SEP 19 2010
 
...DANGEROUS SURF FOR INEXPERIENCED SWIMMERS AND TIDAL RUN UP NEAR
THE DUNES EXPECTED INTO MONDAY MORNING AT HIGH TIDE...
 
RIP CURRENTS: A LONG FETCH OF EAST WINDS BETWEEN 15 AND 20 KNOTS
AND HIGHER OVER THE OPEN GULF WILL CONTINUE TO BRING SURF WAVES
BETWEEN 4 AND 6 FEET INTO SOUTH PADRE ISLAND...WITH HEAD OR OVER
HEAD LEVELS AT THE ISLA BLANCA JETTIES. THE EASTERLY SWELL
DIRECTION AND SWELL PERIOD OF 7 TO 8 SECONDS WILL MAINTAIN A HIGH
THREAT FOR RIP CURRENTS INTO EARLY MONDAY.
 
TIDES: ON SUNDAY MORNING...TIDE DEPARTURES WERE GENERALLY BETWEEN
1 AND 1.2 FEET ABOVE PREDICTED. AT PORT ISABEL...THE TIDE LEVEL
REACHED JUST OVER 2.5 FEET AT HIGH TIDE...AND ON THE BAY SIDE OF
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND...JUST UNDER 2.5 FEET. BEACH CAMERAS SUGGEST
WATER LEVELS NEARING THE BASE OF THE DUNE LINE THIS MORNING.
DURING HIGH TIDE...DRIVERS ARE HIGHLY DISCOURAGED FROM ENTERING
THE BEACH AT THE COUNTY ACCESS POINTS NORTH OF THE RESORT AREAS.
 
TIDES WILL FALL THIS AFTERNOON REACHING LOW TIDE THIS EVENING AND
ANOTHER HIGH TIDE EARLY MONDAY MORNING.
 
AT PORT ISABEL:
LOW TIDE AT 822 PM SUNDAY.
HIGH TIDE AT 427 AM MONDAY.
SECONDARY HIGH TIDE AT 144 PM MONDAY.
 
AT SOUTH PADRE ISLAND COAST GUARD:
LOW TIDE AT 808 PM SUNDAY.
HIGH TIDE AT 430 AM MONDAY.
SECONDARY HIGH TIDE AT 1256 PM MONDAY.
 
&&
 
FOR ALL YOUR LOCAL WEATHER NEEDS...GO TO OUR WEBSITE AT
 
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV
 
$$
Rainy story for Deep South Texas so far: September 17-19 2010(click to enlarge)
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