Alert archive / Michigan / Flash Flood Warnings in 1986

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Grand Rapids, MI

June 11, 1986Ingham County, Michigan

NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this flash flood warning at Jun 11, 1986, 6:12 PM EDT for Ingham County, Michigan. It was in force for 93 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 11, 1986, 6:12 PM EDT (22:12 UTC)
Expired
Jun 11, 1986, 7:45 PM EDT
In force
93 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Rapids, MI
Area
Whole counties

County Ingham County, MI

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KFNT), launched 12:00Z, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 78 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Detroit, MI at 12:00Z on 1986-06-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 994 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Detroit, MI at 12:00Z on 1986-06-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 39 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
994 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-29 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
631 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
39 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
54 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KLAN 112212
FFWLAN
MIC065-112345-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING MI
612 PM EDT WED JUN 11 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 745 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF

SOUTH CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN...INGHAM

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE PRODUCED HEAVY RAIN IN THE LANSING AREA.
2.5 INCHES OF RAIN FELL BETWEEN 1 AND 3 PM EDT OVER SOUTHERN LANSING
WITH ADDITIONAL .80  FALLING AFTER 5 PM EDT. THIS HAS CREATED
A STRONG POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING OVER INGHAM COUNTY.  THE
POTENTIAL WILL CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING AS ADDITIONAL
THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.  PEOPLE IN THE LANSING AREA
SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR RAPID RISE IN WATER LEVELS.
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN
REPORTED.  TAKE ACTION TO SAFEGUARD LIFE AND PROPERTY.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 11, 12:21 PM EDT, 5 hours 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1210 PM EDT WED JUN 11 1986

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER WEST MICHIGAN...

AT 1210 PM EDT..A LINE OF MODERATE TO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED
FROM AROUND EDMORE SOUTHWEST THROUGH GREENVILLE..CASCADE..CALEDONIA
..WAYLAND AND OTSEGO TO MATTAWAN..I.E. FROM ABOUT 50 MILES NORTHEAST
OF GRAND RAPIDS TO 50 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRAND RAPIDS.  THE THUNDER-
STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT ABOUT 30 MPH. BY 1 PM THE LINE OF THINDER-
STORMS SHOULD EXTEND FROM ABOUT ITACHA SOUTHWEST THROUGH ST. JOHNS..
PORTLAND AND NASHVILLE TO KALAMAZOO.

AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN HAIL UP TO
1/2 INCH IN DIAMETER WAS REPORTED NORTHEAST OF HOLLAND. WIND GUSTS
REACHED 43 MPH AT THE KENT COUNTY AIRPORT AND 35 MPH AT WZZM TV
BOTH IN THE GRAND RAPIDS AREA.  HEAVY RAINFALL ACCUMULATED 1.5 INCHES
AT THE AIRPORT IN LESS THAN AN HOUR..AT WZZM TV .66 IN 1/2 HOUR..AT
WOTV .90 IN 16 MINUTES..WOTV PERSONNEL NEAR EAST GRAND RAPIDS 1.65
IN AN HOUR AND A HALF.  STREET FLOODING IS REPORTED IN MANY LOW
SPOTS IN THE GRAND RAPIDS AREA.

PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT
FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS OVER 40 MPHX..HEAVY RAIN THAT COULD WASH OUT
ROADS OR CREATE FLOODING OF LOW SPOTS ON ROADS.
COOLEY
Special weather statement, Jun 11, 12:33 PM EDT, 5 hours 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING MI
1225 PM EDT WED JUN 11 1986

...THUNDERSHOWERS OVER SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN...

AT 1225 PM A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTEREN LOWER MICHIGAN FROM
MIDLAND COUNTY TO THE SOUTHWEST THRU ALLEGAN COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS
HAVE PRODUCED HEAVY RAIN AND ONE HALF INCH HAIL IN KENT COUNTY. THE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING EAST WARD AT 30 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOUbLD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR RAPID
ACCUMULATION OF WATER IN LOW LYING AREAS AND SOME URBAN FLOODING MAY
OCCUR.E
SUTTLE
Special weather statement, Jun 11, 3:17 PM EDT, 2 hours 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING MI
305 PM EDT WED JUN 11 1986

....TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL 9 PM EDT...
      ...HEAVY RAIN IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN...

THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED HEAVY RAIN IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN THIS
AFTERNOON.  1.09 INCHES OF RAIN FELL AT THE CAPITAL CITY AIRPORT BETWEEN
130 PM AND 3 PM EDT.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AND WILL MOVE
OUT OF THE LANSING AREA BY 4 PM EDT.  ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS...SOME
POSSIBLY SEVERE...MAY REDEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON AS WARM MOIST AIR
CONTINUES TO MOVE INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION AHEAD OF A VIGOUROUS
WEATHER SYSTEM THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS LOWER MICHIGAN TONIGHT.

SOME URBAN FLOODING HAS OCCURED IN THE LANSING AREA DUE TO THE HEAVY
RAIN.  MOTORISTS SHOULD USE EXTRA CAUTION AND BE PREPARED FOR AREAS
OF HIGH WATER.
FORTUNE
Special weather statement, Jun 11, 3:33 PM EDT, 2 hours 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT    ...  ADDITIONAL RAINFALL REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING MI
330 PM EDT WED JUN 11 1986

....TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL 9 PM EDT...
      ...HEAVY RAIN IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN...

THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED HEAVY RAIN IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN THIS
AFTERNOON.  1.09 INCHES OF RAIN FELL AT THE CAPITAL CITY AIRPORT BETWEEN
130 PM AND 3 PM EDT.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AND WILL MOVE
OUT OF THE LANSING AREA BY 4 PM EDT.  ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS...SOME
POSSIBLY SEVERE...MAY REDEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON AS WARM MOIST AIR
CONTINUES TO MOVE INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION AHEAD OF A VIGOUROUS
WEATHER SYSTEM THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS LOWER MICHIGAN TONIGHT.

2.48 INCHES OF RAIN WAS REPORTED IN SOUTH LANSING BETWEEN 1 PM AND
315 PM EDT.  SOME URBAN FLOODING HAS OCCURRED IN THE LANSING AREA.
MOTORISTS SHOULD USE EXTRA CAUTION AND BE PREPARED FOR AREAS OF HIGH
WATER.
FORTUNE
Special weather statement, Jun 11, 4:51 PM EDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING MI
450 PM EDT WED JUN 11 1986

....TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL 9 PM EDT...
      ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN...

AT 445 PM EDT A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS IN SOUTHERN IONIA COUNTY MOVING
TO THE NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH.  THIS MOVEMENT WILL BRING THE STORM
INTO CLINTON COUNTY BETWEEN 5 AND 6 PM EDT.  VERY HEAVY RAIN...SMALL
HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND DANG\EROUS LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.

THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THIS STORM WILL ALSO CAUSE FLOODING IN LOW
AREAS.
FORTUNE
Special weather statement, Jun 11, 5:20 PM EDT, 52 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING MI
520 PM EDT WED JUN 11 1986

....TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL 9 PM EDT...
      ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN...

AT 515 PM EDT A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS IN CENTRAL EATON COUNTY MOVING
EAST NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.  THIS STORM WILL MOVE INTO THE CITY OF LANSING
BETWEEN 520 AND 6 PM EDT AND WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL
...GUSTY WINDS AND DANGqEROUS LIGHTNING.

THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THIS STORM WILL ALSO CAUSE ADDITIIONAL FLOODING
IN LOW AREAS THAT WILL ADD TO THE PROBLEM CREATED BY HEAVY RAIN EARLIER
IN THE AFTERNOON.
FORTUNE

The office that day

Everything else NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 11, 5:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRJackson56 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Michigan, 1986Every flash flood warning in 1986

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.