Strong thunderstorms erupted along a nearly stationary frontal boundary that extended across south Texas from near Cotulla to Three Rivers and Victoria Saturday evening (Nov 20). Moist, southerly winds off the Gulf of Mexico in the lower levels of the atmosphere fueled the storms along the front. Meanwhile, in the middle to upper level portions of the atmosphere, winds were nearly parallel to the frontal boundary out of the southwest. This combination caused thunderstorms to regenerate and train over the same areas Saturday evening through early afternoon on Sunday. Radar Animation captures the initial round of storms, and slow moving supercell, which tracked across northern Goliad and central Victoria Counties between 356 PM to 824 PM Saturday Nov 20th.

Flash flood warnings were re-issued for northern Goliad County at 6:42 am, Sunday morning as thunderstorms with heavy rainfall moved across areas that had already received several inches of rain Saturday evening. The warnings were extended at 842 am as thunderstorms continued to train across the same areas. Satellite Animation depicts southwest flow aloft and training precipitation in the region with greatest lightning strikes from 615 AM to 1145 AM Nov 21st. Shortly after 9 am, doppler radar estimated rainfall amounts north of Goliad had exceeded 10 inches with additional heavy rainfall moving into the region. Emergency management reported several roads as flooded and impassible. Additional warnings and statements called for catastrophic flooding in northern Goliad County as heavy rainfall continued.

The storms began to impact areas further east and flash flood warnings where extended into northern Victoria County around 10 am. The thunderstorms finally began breaking up across the area in the early afternoon allowing flood waters to subside. In all, doppler radar estimated 10 to 15 inches of rain fell in an 18 hour period beginning Saturday afternoon across northern Goliad County from Charco east to Schroeder and near Coletto Creek Reservoir. This was confirmed by reliable rain gauge reports north of Goliad. In addition, rainfall totals across portions of northwest and central Victoria County reached 5 to 10 inches during this period. Emergency management in both counties reported widespread, major flooding problems with numerous road closers. Several motorists were rescued as they became stranded in rising water. Officials also reported that several homes were flooded and some bridges across northeast Goliad County were washed out by severe flood waters. View Local storm reports from Goliad and Victoria from this event.