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The
July 2002 floods in
south Texas resulted from unprecedented July rainfall from an innocuous weather
system.
A westerly moving tropical wave tracked slowly across the gulf coast states the week of June 24th. By the weekend of June 29-30th, the wave had moved southwestward and become nearly stationary over south central Texas. The low pressure system began to act much like a decaying tropical storm -- which usually spells big trouble for south Texas! Strong thunderstorms developed overnight on June 30th just east of the center of the low where the system could capitalize on the proximity of rich moisture available from the Gulf of Mexico.
The thunderstorms remained entrenched over the Texas Hill Country producing rainfall rates in excess of 3.00 inches per hour much like a tropical system. The heaviest rainfall occurred from the early morning hours to around noon, after which the core cluster of thunderstorms weakened. Afternoon heating aided thunderstorm development around the periphery of the upper system. These afternoon and evening thunderstorms also produce heavy rainfall. This pattern of overnight explosive core rainfall occurred for several nights in a row the first week of July with resulting rainfall causing major to record flooding on south Texas rivers.
The low pressure system shifted northwestward the second week of July and produced heavy rainfall in the Brownwood area which resulted in flooding along Pecan Bayou and the Colorado River.
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Shortly following the event, WGRFC sent a team of hydrologists to the flooded areas to record the damages. The photos are on the following pages.
| The upper portions of the Colorado River | The upper portions of the Guadalupe and San Antonio Rivers | The Nueces River and the lower portions of the Guadalupe and San Antonio Rivers |
