Corpus Christi flooded with over 10 inches of rain
(Click on the images to enlarge in a new window. Caution: the original images
are quite large!)
What happened and where?![Oso Creek flooding](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081022013258im_/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/crp/images/osoprv.jpg)
On the morning of Sunday, April 25th, heavy rain inundated the southern
Coastal Bend of Texas. Showers and thunderstorms began to form over Kleberg
and Kenedy counties around 2 a.m. These storms intensified and moved north
into western Nueces and San Patricio counties through 3 a.m. From 3 a.m.
to 5 a.m. additional thunderstorms developed across Kleberg county and
southern Nueces county and moved northeast across the Corpus Christi
metro area. By 5 a.m the heaviest rainfall stretched from Taft to downtown
Corpus Christi to Chapman Ranch. National Weather Service (NWS) Doppler
radar estimated rainfall rates close to 2 inches per hour across this area.
From 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. thunderstorms continued to reform over the south
side of Corpus Christi and move northeast across the city, resulting in
a training effect of storms. The heaviest showers and thunderstorms eventually
tapered off and moved east between 10 a.m. and noon. NWS radar estimated
widespread 5 to 8 inches of rainfall across most of Nueces and San Patricio
counties east of U.S. 77. A bull�s eye of 7 to 10 inches of rainfall was
estimated across much of the south side of Corpus Christi.
The heavy rainfall produced extensive flooding of primary and secondary
roads in Nueces and San Patricio counties. The Corpus Christi Police
Department reported over 100 vehicles stalled in Corpus Christi,
with some drivers needing to be rescued. The water reached into several
homes in Tuloso-Midway and Taft as well as isolated spots across
the south side of Corpus Christi. Numerous city streets and intersections
were not passable due to the flooding. Flooding along Interstate
37 was also reported near Calallen, Five Points and Annaville, triggering
closures.
In addition to drivers and residents being impacted, the
extensive heavy rainfall compounded ongoing river flooding problems
throughout the month of April, especially along the Nueces River.
Flash flood warnings were first issued by the NWS office in Corpus Christi
beginning at 432 a.m. for Nueces and San Patricio counties. These warnings
extended through the morning and into the afternoon before eventually being
lifted as flooding subsided.
Area rainfall totals�
Official ASOS and NWS COOP observations ![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081022013258im_/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/crp/images/kingsprv.jpg)
Location Amount (inches)
Corpus Christi Intl Airport 6.18
NAS Corpus Christi 7.38
C.C. Pump Station (Bayfront) 11.35
Weber and Saratoga 11.18
Portland 5.25
Robstown 5.14
Records�
New daily rainfall record for April 25th set at Corpus Christi International
Airport: 6.18 inches (previously 3.76 inches in 1996).
New monthly rainfall record for April established: 9.21 inches (previously
8.04 inches during April 1956).
Why did it happen?
A cold front became nearly stationary from near Victoria to Alice during the
early morning hours of the 25th. A surface low formed across Deep
South Texas and slowly tracked northeast. Analysis revealed strong easterly
gulf inflow on the north side of the low, resulting in strong moisture
convergence along the stalled front across the Southern Coastal Bend.
This led to the development and redevelopment of strong showers and
thunderstorms over Nueces and San Patricio counties, producing a scenario
in which thunderstorms upstream moved along the same path as earlier
storms much like boxcars on a train.
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