Uncle! Mid/Upper Rio Grande Valley Flooding, Severe Weather Bring Water Rescues, Damage May 11th through 15th, 2015

Above: Photos taken across the Rio Grande Valley (U.S. and Mexico) and Ranchlands of flooding and wind damage from overnight May 11/12, 2015, and during the afternoon of May 15th. Thanks to NWS Brownsville/Rio Grande Valley Facebook followers and KRGV Channel 5 Weather Facebook Followers for providing most of the photos.
Enough, Already? Deluges Force Water Rescues in Starr, Hidalgo, and Brooks County May 11/12, May 15, 2015 Damaging Wind Strikes Elsa/Edcouch/La Villa Area on May 12th, 2015
0.5° Base Reflectivity radar loop from 8 PM May 11th through 1230 AM May 12th, showing "training" (cells moving over the same areas for a prolonged period of time) across Starr, northern Hidalgo, and Brooks County. May 11/12: One Wild Night for the Mid and Upper Valley In a spring (2015) full of memorable stormy nights, the evening of Monday, May 11th into the wee hours of Tuesday, May 12th may have topped all of them for the combination of impact and coverage of hazardous weather. A dissipating late season front drifted into the ranchlands of Zapata through Kenedy County during the afternoon of the 11th and allowed deep tropical moisture to pool across the Upper Valley. An impulse of jet stream energy high in the atmosphere arrived during the evening and added another source of lift to the mix. The result was a broken area of late afternoon showers and thunderstorms (driven by daytime heating) which was followed by more widespread, slow moving thunderstorms after sunset which ultimately developed into a convective system that produced flash flooding concentrated from Rio Grande City to Sullivan City (southeast Starr/southwest Hidalgo County) and extended northeast through rural northern Hidalgo and eastern Brooks County, including Linn/San Manuel, McCook, Encino, and Falfurrias. If flooding wasn’t enough, a small convective vortex (rotation) injected into the system near Edinburg, ultimately producing estimated winds up to 70 mph from Elsa/Edcouch to La Villa which caused damage to older structures, trees (mainly ash), and power lines/poles. Flooding rains resulted in at least a dozen water rescues in and near Rio Grande City, including the Las Lomas neighborhood and Garciasville, where some homes (above) had up to 3 feet of water inside them after a likely combination of freshwater (drainage) and arroyo flooding from an estimated/measured five to seven inches of rain in two to three hours. Portions of U.S. 83 in southeast Starr were temporarily closed due to 2 to 4 feet of standing water, mainly from Rio Grande City to near the Hidalgo County line, mainly after 1030 PM on the 11th. Higher rain totals, estimated by radar to be between 7 and 9 inches, likely flooded ranches and agricultural fields in northern Hidalgo county north of Farm to Market Road 1017. Along and near 1017, extending southeast to areas north and east of Edinburg, including Faysville and Monte Alto, poor drainage flooding resulted in water rescues that continued well into May 12th. The flooding was not isolated to rural areas of the Mid/Upper Valley. Torrential rains slid into the McAllen/Weslaco/Donna area, where nuisance flooding with water levels up to two feet was noted well after midnight when 2 to 3 inches of rain piled up. Significant flooding was first noted in Hebbronville when storms clustered just before sunset, with up to a foot of water in most areas, including some into at least one building, along with water rescues. Conditions worsened farther east in and near Falfurrias, where an estimated and measured 5 to 7 inches resulted in minor to moderate urban flooding, with several water rescues in one to two feet of water thorughout town just after sunset. High standing water, 1 to 1½ feet, continued through the night. Total rainfall for the week of May 9th through 15th, inclusive, was a mixed bag. Zapata County missed the balance of the rain, as did the populated beaches of Cameron County west through Port Isabel and Brownsville, which only received light, stratiform "debris" rainfall from the remnants of the May 11th/early may 12th Mid/Upper Valley slam. Elsewhere, well over six times the weekly average fell; in some areas, rainfall totals were more than the entire May through July average (6 to 9 inches)! May 9th through 15th, 2015, percentage of average rainfall, based on 1981 to 2010 values, for the Rio Grande Valley/Deep South Texas. Lightning was also a significant hazard during the evening of May 11th and the wee hours of May 12th, with [get estimated strikes from streamer RT here] strikes during the peak of the activity (9 PM through 230 AM) especially in Starr, Hidalgo, and Brooks County. In Edinburg, the assistant Emergency Management Coordinator reported continuous lightning during the peak of the storm there (11 PM through 1 AM), as well as seven separate calls from residents who experienced strikes and, at a minimum, the "smell of smoke" inside their residents. At the peak of the storms, more than 21 thousand and perhaps up to 25 thousand residents in Starr, Hidalgo, and Cameron County were without electricity; outages were likely the result of the persistent cloud to ground lightning strikes in addition to local wind damage and flooding.	0.5° Base Velocity radar loop from Midnight through 2 AM, May 12th, showing nearly continuous damage potential winds (blue areas) that initially formed near Edinburg and re–formed, stronger, about an hour later (1 to 130 AM) from Elsa/Edcouch to La Villa, extending toward the Cameron/Hidalgo County line May 11/12: One Wild Night for the Mid and Upper Valley (continued) Embedded within the flood–producing thunderstorm clusters were hail and damaging wind producing storms. Quarter sized hail was reported with the evening storms on May 11th (see preliminary report, below). An unusual situation evolved around midnight (below, left), when a tight mesoscale convective system (which may have had elements of a smaller mesocale convective vortex) appeared to form over Hidalgo County, and pivoted around a tight circulation in the Edcouch/Elsa/La Villa area. Initial strong winds, which may have ranged between 50 and 60 mph near Edinburg (the international airport 10 miles north of downtown reported 49 mph just after 11 PM) between 11 PM and 12 AM, strengthened sharply between 1 and 130 AM as the core moved along and just south of State Highway 107 from Edcouch/Elsa to La Villa and La Feria. Visual evidence suggested peak winds up to 70 mph in some areas, where damage included a destroyed press box, numerous snapped and uprooted ash trees, felled fences, and farm building roof damage, mainly between 110 and 140 AM. May 13 to 15: Round Two? Creek Flooding Hits Falfurrias; Another Slam for Hidalgo Co. Though the weather quieted down later on the 12th through midday on the 15th, a second wave of flooding washed over parts of Falfurrias, courtesy of Palo Blanco Creek, which overspilled its banks and caused road closures on Travis Street near Falfurrias High School during the late morning and early afternoon of the 13th. Some of the flooding may have been indirectly caused from upstream rainfall in northern Duval County that morning, where an estimated 5 to 8 inches fell. The general quiet would be broken during the afternoon of the 15th. Yet another thunderstorm system cranked up across the Rio Grande Plains northwest of Laredo/west of Del Rio overnight on the 14th, and pushed heavy rainfall across south central Texas during the Friday, May 15th morning commute. The system continued to pull in tropical moisture overtop the remnant front between Laredo, Corpus, and San Antonio, which would soon transition into a robust squall line that marched into the Coastal Bend by early afternoon. Surface boundaries propagating south from the line aided rapid development of thunderstorm clusters, first near previously flooded Falfurrias, but soon would extend down U.S. 281 into portions of Brooks and Hidalgo County that had already received more than half a foot of rain May 11th and 12th. While most of the downpours held across rural northern Hidalgo County, enough additional rainfall would fall near Edinburg to exacerbate flood concerns in Faysville, where pumping operations would be forced to continue well into the following week (week of May 18th). Boundaries from these storms and the squall line that slammed offshore between Corpus and Kingsville set the stage for slow moving storm clusters from northeast Hidalgo across the King Ranch (Kenedy County), where four to eight inches (estimated) fell. Along the southern edge of the heaviest rain, a radar–indicated circulation, perhaps a tornado, appeared in southwest Kenedy County (below). One last dump of rain caused nuisance urban flooding in Raymondville, where two or more inches fell between 430 and 530 PM on the 15th. Flooding rains on the 15th were not reserved for the U.S.; a small but potent cell may have been the cause of flash flooding in Reynosa (south of Pharr), where photos indicated up to 3 feet of flowing water (gallery, above). 0.9° Base Reflectivity radar loop from 2 through 430 PM, May 15th, showing torrential rainfall developing across northern Hidalgo County and spreading into much of Kenedy County. Heavy rainfall would continue in Kenedy and northwest Willacy County through around 530 PM. 0.5° Base Velocity radar loop from 2 through 330 PM, May 15th, showing well defined circulation (red next to green, in a circular shape) moving steadily through southwest Kenedy County. There may have been a tornado on the ground, but thus far there have been no reports from this very rural area.
Mean steering pattern (~18,000 feet) across the southwest U.S. during the week of May 10 to 16, 2015. Note persistent southwest flow of deep tropical moisture from the very warm eastern tropical Pacific ocean (large green arrow) that combined with rich moisture from the southwest Gulf (thinner green arrow) to produce abundant rainfall in Texas, which killed off drought in many areas for the first time since 2010. Anomalies (departures from average) of the steering pattern (~18,000 feet) across the southwest U.S. during the week of May 10 to 16, 2015. Higher values (i.e. high pressure ridge) are off the chart to the right; much lower values along/west of the southern California Coast ("Min"). One can visualize the anomalous flow from south to north of rich tropical air across Texas, which spawned widespread flooding from parts of the Valley all the way through north central Texas that week.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 850 PM CDT TUE MAY 12 2015 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0704 PM FLASH FLOOD HEBBRONVILLE 27.32N 98.69W 05/11/2015 JIM HOGG TX LAW ENFORCEMENT JIM HOGG COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS 6 INCHES TO 1 FOOT OF WATER ON ALL ROADS IN HEBBRONVILLE. 2 WATER RESCUES FROM VEHICLES COMPLETED. WATER IN 1 BUILDING IN HEBBRONVILLE. SHERIFFS OFFICE ALSO REPORTS LOS OLMOS CREEK AT CAPACITY AND IN DANGER OF FLOWING OVER THE ROADWAY. 0730 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 E FALFURRIAS 27.22N 98.12W 05/11/2015 BROOKS TX LAW ENFORCEMENT POWER POLES BENT OVER ALONG COUNTY ROAD 229 AND HIGHWAY 285. 0836 PM FLASH FLOOD FALFURRIAS 27.23N 98.15W 05/11/2015 BROOKS TX LAW ENFORCEMENT BROOKS COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS 1 FOOT OF WATER AT THE INTERSECTION OF CENTER STREET AND BENNETT STREET IN THE CITY OF FALFURRIAS. 0900 PM FLASH FLOOD FALFURRIAS 27.23N 98.15W 05/11/2015 BROOKS TX LAW ENFORCEMENT BROOKS COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFFICE REPORTS 1 FOOT OF WATER IN ONE SPOT ON THE EXPRESSWAY. ALSO 1 FOOT OF WATER ONE QUARTER MILE SOUTH OF FM 1418 AND 1 FOOT OF WATER AT THE INTERSECTION OF 281 AND CEMETARY ROAD. 0930 PM FLASH FLOOD EL CENIZO COLONIA 26.41N 98.92W 05/11/2015 STARR TX LAW ENFORCEMENT WATER ENTERING HOME ON CHAPOTITO ROAD 1 MILE NORTH OF LA ROSITA IN SOUTHERN STARR COUNTY. 0940 PM FLASH FLOOD FALFURRIAS 27.23N 98.15W 05/11/2015 BROOKS TX LAW ENFORCEMENT BROOKS COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS WOMAN WITH 2 CHILDREN RESCUED FROM VEHICLE FLOODED BY 2 FEET OF WATER ON BUSINESS 281 IN FALFURRIAS. ALSO 1 PERSON RESCUED FROM VEHICLE FLOODED WITH 1 FOOT OF WATER AT INTERSECTION OF ADAMS AND TERELL STREET. ALSO WOMAN AND DOG CURRENTLY BEING RESCUED FROM FLOODED VEHICLE 2 MILES SOUTH OF FALFURRIAS. 0955 PM FLASH FLOOD RIO GRANDE CITY 26.38N 98.83W 05/11/2015 STARR TX LAW ENFORCEMENT STARR COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS 6 INCHES OF WATER ON CROCKETT STREET IN RIO GRANDE CITY. ALSO RESIDENCE ON CHAPOTITO ROAD HAS 5 TO 6 INCHES OF WATER INSIDE THE BUILDING. 1000 PM HAIL 1 E VILLAREALES 26.37N 98.86W 05/11/2015 E1.00 INCH STARR TX LAW ENFORCEMENT SHERIFF OFFICE REPORTED QUARTER SIZE HAIL ON THE WEST SIDE OF RIO GRANDE CITY. 1025 PM HAIL RIO GRANDE CITY 26.38N 98.83W 05/11/2015 E1.00 INCH STARR TX LAW ENFORCEMENT STARR COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS QUARTER SIZE HAIL AT THE INTERSECTION OF FM 3167 AND EISENHOWER ROAD. 1026 PM FLASH FLOOD RIO GRANDE CITY 26.38N 98.83W 05/11/2015 STARR TX LAW ENFORCEMENT STARR COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER AT INTERSECTION OF BRITTON AVENUE AND HIGHWAY 83 HAS 6 INCHES OF WATER IN BUILDING. 1028 PM FLASH FLOOD RIO GRANDE CITY 26.38N 98.83W 05/11/2015 STARR TX LAW ENFORCEMENT STARR COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS 3 FEET OF WATER ON HIGHWAY 83 NEAR ALVAREZ ROAD. 1042 PM FLASH FLOOD RIO GRANDE CITY 26.38N 98.83W 05/11/2015 STARR TX LAW ENFORCEMENT STARR COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS 6 TO 8 INCHES OF WATER ON HIGHWAY 83 IN RIO GRANDE CITY IN FRONT OF WALMART. 1100 PM FLASH FLOOD SAN MANUEL 26.57N 98.12W 05/11/2015 HIDALGO TX EMERGENCY MNGR EM FROM HIDALGO COUNTY REPORTED WATER WAS ENTERING THE FIRE STATION IN SAN MANUEL. 1109 PM FLASH FLOOD LA CASITA 26.32N 98.72W 05/11/2015 STARR TX FIRE DEPT/RESCUE LA CASITA FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS WIDESPREAD 3 TO 4 FEET OF WATER ON HIGHWAY 83 BETWEEN LA CASITA AND RIO GRANDE CITY. WATER UP TO THE ENGINE ON FIRE DEPARTMENT VEHICLE. 1115 PM FLASH FLOOD 1 S LAS LOMAS 26.36N 98.78W 05/11/2015 STARR TX LAW ENFORCEMENT ROAD WAS REPORTED CLOSED AT THE INTERSECTION OF US 83 AND EMBASSY STREET IN THE LAS LOMAS AREA. 1115 PM FLASH FLOOD 1 S LAS LOMAS 26.36N 98.78W 05/11/2015 STARR TX LAW ENFORCEMENT CAR WAS REPORTED FLOATING IN 3 TO 4 FEET OF MOVING WATER IN THE LAS LOMAS AREA. WATER RESCUE WAS IN PROGRESS. 1115 PM FLASH FLOOD 1 W LAS LOMAS 26.36N 98.79W 05/11/2015 STARR TX LAW ENFORCEMENT 3 FEET OF WATER WAS REPORTED IN FRONT OF WALMART IN THE LAS LOMAS AREA ALONG HIGHWAY 83. 1150 PM TSTM WND DMG ALTO BONITO 26.31N 98.64W 05/11/2015 STARR TX LAW ENFORCEMENT STARR COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS SHINGLES BLOWN OFF ROOF AND DAMAGE TO WALLS OF STRUCTURE IN COLONIA. 1205 AM TSTM WND DMG LA BLANCA 26.29N 98.04W 05/12/2015 HIDALGO TX PUBLIC FACEBOOK USER REPORTS OVER 60 ACRES OF CORN LEVELED BY STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS AT THE CORNER OF FM 493 AND FM 2812. EVENT TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR IMAGERY. 1225 AM FLASH FLOOD 2 E RIO GRANDE CITY 26.38N 98.79W 05/12/2015 STARR TX LAW ENFORCEMENT FAMILY RESCUED FROM HOME AMID AROUND 4 FEET OF RUSHING WATER FLOWING DOWN THE STREET EN ROUTE TO THE LOS OLMOS CREEK. 1230 AM FLASH FLOOD 3 E RIO GRANDE CITY 26.38N 98.78W 05/12/2015 STARR TX PUBLIC SEVERAL SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS WITH WATER 3 TO 6 INCHES DEEP IN HOMES IN SOUTHEASTERN STARR COUNTY. 1243 AM FLASH FLOOD MCCOOK 26.48N 98.38W 05/12/2015 HIDALGO TX DEPT OF HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY REPORTS 8 INCHES OF WATER ON MONTE CRISTO ROAD AND 4 INCHES OF WATER ON FM 681 IN THE VICINITY OF MCCOOK. 1251 AM FLASH FLOOD RIO GRANDE CITY 26.38N 98.83W 05/12/2015 STARR TX LAW ENFORCEMENT STARR COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS 6 NEW WATER RESCUES IN THE LAS LOMAS SUBDIVISION. WATER WAS 1 FOOT DEEP IN ONE OF THE HOUSES. 0110 AM TSTM WND DMG PROGRESO 26.10N 97.96W 05/12/2015 HIDALGO TX LAW ENFORCEMENT PROGRESO POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS TREE BLOWN DOWN ONTO VEHICLE AT RESIDENCE ON WATTS STREET IN PROGRESO. 0120 AM FLASH FLOOD EDINBURG 26.30N 98.16W 05/12/2015 HIDALGO TX PUBLIC SEVERAL SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND MEDIA REPORTS SHOW 6 TO 10 INCHES OF WATER IN STREETS AND PARKING LOTS IN EDINBURG MCALLEN...AND VICINITY. 0120 AM TSTM WND DMG 1 N LA VILLA 26.31N 97.93W 05/12/2015 HIDALGO TX EMERGENCY MNGR SOCIAL MEDIA REPORTS AND HIDALGO COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER CONFIRMS MULTIPLE METAL WALLS OF PREFABRICATED BUILDING PEELED BACK AND BLOWN OUT 1 MILE NORTH OF LA VILLA AT THE INTERSECTION OF 17 1/2 ROAD AND FM 491. EVENT TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR IMAGERY. 0120 AM TSTM WND DMG LA VILLA 26.30N 97.93W 05/12/2015 HIDALGO TX EMERGENCY MNGR HIDALGO COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTS METAL FENCE BLOWN DOWN AND METAL CANOPIES FOR RECREATIONAL VEHICLES BLOWN OFF AT NATURE RESORT RV PARK AT 10201 EAST MONTE CRISTO ROAD IN LA VILLA. EVENT TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR IMAGERY. 0120 AM TSTM WND DMG LA VILLA 26.30N 97.93W 05/12/2015 HIDALGO TX EMERGENCY MNGR HIDALGO COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTS WIDESPREAD DAMAGE IN LA VILLA. SHINGLED ROOFS PEELED BACK. LARGE METAL CANOPY FOR RV BENT. MULTIPLE TREES DOWN. SMALL WOODEN AND METAL STORAGE BUILDINGS EITHER TOPPLED OVER OR MOVED OFF FOUNDATIONS. MULTIPLE CEDAR FENCES BLOWN OVER. MOBILE HOME SHIFTED OFF FOUNDATION BLOCKS. TRAMPOLINE BLOWN INTO THE MIDDLE OF COTTON FIELD. PRESS BOX AT LA VILLA HIGH SCHOOL DESTROYED. 6 UTILITY POLES DOWN EAST OF THE CITY. EVENT TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR IMAGERY. 0130 AM TSTM WND DMG EDCOUCH 26.29N 97.96W 05/12/2015 HIDALGO TX LAW ENFORCEMENT EDCOUCH POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS 4 TO 5 TREES BLOWN DOWN AT THE INTERSECTION OF WEST 107 AND SOUTH INDUSTRIAL. 0130 AM FLASH FLOOD MERCEDES 26.15N 97.92W 05/12/2015 HIDALGO TX LAW ENFORCEMENT MERCEDES POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS 6 TO 8 INCHES OF WATER AT INTERSECTION OF BUSINESS 83 AND INDIANA AND BUSINESS 83 AND WASHINGTON. 0140 AM FLASH FLOOD WESLACO 26.16N 97.98W 05/12/2015 HIDALGO TX LAW ENFORCEMENT WESLACO POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS 1 FOOT OF WATER ON AIRPORT ROAD FROM BUSINESS 83 TO 8TH STREET. ALSO 1.5 TO 2 FEET OF WATER AT THE INTERSECTION OF WESTGATE AND PIKE. 0140 AM TSTM WND DMG ELSA 26.30N 97.99W 05/12/2015 HIDALGO TX LAW ENFORCEMENT ELSA POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS TREE BLOWN DOWN BY THUNDERSTORM WINDS ON NORTH FANNIN IN ELSA. 0140 AM TSTM WND DMG LA FERIA 26.16N 97.82W 05/12/2015 CAMERON TX LAW ENFORCEMENT LA FERIA POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS UTILITY POLE LEANING HEAVILY ON PALM TREE DUE TO THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS AT INTERSECTION OF THE FRONTAGE ROAD AND SOLIS ROAD. ALSO TREE BLOWN DOWN IN ALLEY BETWEEN SEVENTH STREET AND EIGHTH STREET. EVENT TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR IMAGERY. 0140 AM TSTM WND DMG SANTA ROSA 26.25N 97.83W 05/12/2015 CAMERON TX PUBLIC EMPLOYEE AT SUGAR MILL IN SANTA ROSA REPORTS UTILITY POLE LEANING HEAVILY ON FM 1425 DUE TO THUNDERSTORM WINDS. EVENT TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR IMAGERY. 0155 AM TSTM WND DMG MERCEDES 26.15N 97.92W 05/12/2015 HIDALGO TX LAW ENFORCEMENT MERCEDES POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS WINDOW BLOWN OUT AT OUTLET MALL. ALSO PALM TREE BLOWN DOWN ON DAWSON STREET. 0322 AM FLASH FLOOD FALFURRIAS 27.23N 98.15W 05/12/2015 BROOKS TX LAW ENFORCEMENT WATER 12 TO 18 INCHES DEEP ON MANY ROADS IN FALFURRIAS...INCLUDING HIGHWAY 281. WATER UP TO THE POINT RESIDENTS CANT GET OUT OF THEIR HOMES.