Alert archive / Michigan / Flash Flood Warnings in 1987

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Detroit, MI

September 8, 1987Genesee County, Michigan

NWS Detroit, MI issued this flash flood warning at Sep 8, 1987, 4:49 PM EDT for Genesee County, Michigan. It was in force for 116 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 8, 1987, 4:49 PM EDT (20:49 UTC)
Expired
Sep 8, 1987, 6:45 PM EDT
In force
116 min
Issued by
NWS Detroit, MI
Area
Whole counties

County Genesee 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, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 40 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 1987-09-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 21 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 1987-09-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 45 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
21 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-162 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1240 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
60 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFNT 082049
FFWFNT
MIC049-082245-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
449 PM EDT TUE SEP 8 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  645 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL MICHIGAN
          ...GENESEE
 
SINCE 400 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON 1.38 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN AT
FLINT BISHOP AIRPORT WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN
OUTLYING AREAS. MOST UNDERPASSES IN GENESEE COUNTY HAVE AT LEAST 1
FOOT OF WATER STANDING..WITH LOW LYING AREAS BEGINNING TO FILL AT
THIS TIME. HEAVY RAINS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT
HOUR..ADDING TO THE PRESENT FLASH FLOOD DANGER.
 
FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS
IMMINENT.  MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS
THE ROADWAY.  NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A OSMALL
ONE...ON FOOT.  TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.

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, Sep 8, 4:35 PM EDT, 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
430 PM EDT TUE SEP 08 1987

   THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN MOVE INTO EAST CENTRAL MICHIGAN

AS OF 420 PM EDT THIS EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTENING WERE OVER EAST CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN. THE HEAVY
RAIN HAS REDUCED VISIBILITY TO LESS THAN 1/2 MILE AND FLOODING
OF STREETS UNDERPASSES AND LOW LYING AREAS IS LIKELY.
ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN IS LIKELY DURRING THE NEXT HOUR AS THE
THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE FLINT AND SURROUNDING
AREA.
 MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO USE CAUTION WHILE TRAVELING AND PERSONS IN
FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR> LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO
STATIONS FOR FURTHER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

BURNS

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Michigan, 1987Every flash flood warning in 1987

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.