South Texas Heavy Rain, Severe Weather and Wake Low Wind Event for May 25th 2010

Summary

On the evening of May 24th 2010, a complex of severe thunderstorms with strong winds in excess of 60 mph and quarter size hail began developing near Del Rio, Texas. These thunderstorms then slowly began moving southeastward towards South Texas during the early morning hours on the 25th. The leading edge of thunderstorms reached La Salle county by 600 AM CDT on the 25th.

The line of showers and thunderstorms continued to move southeastward across the remainder of the Rio Grande Plains and across most of the Coastal Bend on the 25th. The strongest portion of the line moved across McMullen...Duval...Live Oak...Jim Wells and the western portions of San Patricio...Nueces and Kleberg counties during the morning and afternoon hours. A swath of 1 to 4 inches of rainfall with isolated 5 to 6 inches fell across these particular locations. Flooding of streets and other low-lying areas were reported in Jim Wells county.

Isolated severe thunderstorms were embedded within this line of showers and thunderstorms. Downed trees due to the strong winds along the leading edge of advancing thunderstorms were observed in southern Live Oak and northern Jim Wells counties.

A weather phenomena called a "Wake Low" occurred with this system. A "Wake Low" is an area of lower atmospheric pressure which sometimes develops well behind the main line of storms. Often it is accompanied by little to no rainfall. In some cases, high winds can be observed especially if the atmospheric pressure falls are substantial. This was the case with this system as many wind gusts between 40 and 50 mph were observed for at least an hour.

Radar Loop

KCRP Radar Reflectivity loop beginning at 527 AM CDT on 05/25/10 and ending at 734 PM CDT on 05/25/10.

Satellite Loops

Visible Satellite loop beginning at 845 AM CDT on 05/25/10 and ending at 445 PM CDT on 05/25/10.

Infrared Satellite loop beginning at 445 AM CDT on 05/25/10 and ending at 1231 PM CDT on 05/25/10.

Photos

Orange Grove Deer Farm Damage

Southeastern Live Oak County Damage Photos

Storm Reports

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
241 PM CDT TUE MAY 25 2010

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0640 AM     HAIL             COTULLA                 28.44N 99.24W
05/25/2010  M0.50 INCH       LA SALLE           TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            PEA TO MARBLE SIZED HAIL REPORTED BY SHERIFF OFFICE.
						
1109 AM     HEAVY RAIN       SSW COTULLA             28.43N 99.24W
05/25/2010  M3.45 INCH       LA SALLE           TX   MESONET

            HADS REPORT PAST 6 HOURS.
						
1130 AM     TSTM WND GST     10 NNW ORANGE GROVE     28.09N 98.00W
05/25/2010  M72.00 MPH       LIVE OAK           TX   PUBLIC

            DAVIS INSTRUMENT MEASURED GUST. SEVERAL LARGE TREES DOWN
            AND NUMEROUS BRANCHES. END OF FARM ROAD 308.

1200 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MATHIS                  28.09N 97.82W
05/25/2010                   SAN PATRICIO       TX   AMATEUR RADIO

            12 INCH TREES DOWN. AT LEAST ONE FROM LIGHTNING AND
            OTHERS FROM WIND. PEA SIZE HAIL. LOCATION AT BOY SCOUT
            CAMP KARANKAWA.

0130 PM     HEAVY RAIN       ORANGE GROVE            27.96N 97.94W
05/25/2010  M3.70 INCH       JIM WELLS          TX   EMERGENCY MNGR

            WATER ON ROADS UP TO SEVERAL INCHES. 1 MILES NORTHWEST CR
            305.

0130 PM     FLOOD            PREMONT                 27.36N 98.12W
05/25/2010                   JIM WELLS          TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            SEVERAL INCHES OF WATER COVERING MANY STREETS

0200 PM     FLASH FLOOD      PREMONT                 27.36N 98.12W
05/25/2010                   JIM WELLS          TX   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            281 AND 3RD STREET HAD CARS STALLED. LAGOON FILLING THAT
            MAY AFFECT 3RD STREET. RADAR ESTIMATED 3 TO 5 INCHES. 6
            TO 18 INCHES OF WATER ON ROADS.

Rainfall

48 Hour Rainfall ending at 700 AM CDT on May 26th 2010.

Storm Total Rainfall between 952 AM CDT on May 24th and 645 PM CDT on May 25th 2010.

Wake Low Wind Gusts

Location Wind Gust (MPH) Time (CDT)
Port Aransas CMAN 49 400 PM
Orange Grove 48 110 PM
Alice 47 145 PM
Waldron Field 47 503 PM
Rockport TCOON 47 342 PM
Bob Hall Pier 46 600 PM
Copano Bay 46 312 PM
Beeville 46 104 PM
Ingleside 45 325 PM
Packery Channel 45 454 PM
Nueces Bay 45 254 PM
Corpus Christi Navy 45 407 PM
Kingsville Navy 45 509 PM
Seadrift 43 300 PM
Rockport 41 318 PM
South Bird Island 37 642 PM
Port O'Connor 37 324 PM
Corpus Christi Intl AP 37 435 PM
Port Aransas TCOON 36 400 PM
Ingleside TCOON 36 336 PM
Corpus Christi Marina 36 324 PM
Baffin Bay 33 648 PM

The Peak of the Wake Low Wind Gusts at 403 PM CDT on 05/25/10.
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