Meteorologist Explains Devastating Texas Hill Country Flooding

Genesis of the Flooding

• Tropical Storm Barry's remnants, which developed in the Bay of Campeche, made landfall near Tampico, Mexico on June 29th.
• Deep tropical moisture from Barry was funneled into central Texas after interacting with the Sierra Madre Mountain Range.

Contributing Weather Phenomena

• The moisture encountered a mesoscale convective vortex (MCV), a stationary cutoff low, in central Texas.
• This interaction produced training thunderstorms, leading to extreme rainfall rates of four to six inches per hour.

Guadalupe River Impact

• The North and South Forks of the Guadalupe River, including tributaries like Camp Mystic and Camp Lahont, were overwhelmed.
• Prolific rainfall rates combined with water from various lakes and streams caused the Guadalupe River to rise 20 feet above flood stage.

Warning and Broadcast Information

• An initial flood watch was issued on Thursday afternoon.
• The first flash flood warning, disseminated via cell phones and Noah's radios, began by 1:00 AM Friday.
• Further details are available on khou.com.