Coastal Flood — Coastal Willacy, Texas

2023-04-23 · Coastal Willacy, Texas

Event narrative

High northeasterly winds, associated with a wake low developing behind a thunderstorm complex, contributed to enhanced northeasterly swell which led to coastal flooding across portions of Coastal Willacy County on the afternoon of April 23rd. Water levels topped out at 2.38ft above mean sea level (an estimated for water levels above normally dry ground) around 2:12PM CDT in the Port Mansfield area. Pictures from the Emergency Manager in Port Mansfield shows portions of docks damaged or washed away.

Wider weather episode

A 500mb shortwave trough worked from northwest to southeast from the Texas Big Bend through Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, bringing a cold front through the region. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) forecasted an Enhanced Risk of severe weather for all of Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley for April 23rd. While hail was a potential threat, damaging winds were the highlight of the event as the squall line raced from north to south across the region. Following the squall line, a strong wake low formed and lasted for a few hours the afternoon of April 23rd and contributed to a coastal flooding event and a capsized boat in the Laguna Madre near Port Isabel and some dock damage in Port Mansfield.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1083257. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.