Alert archive / Arkansas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1987

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Memphis, TN

November 16, 1987Crittenden County, Arkansas

NWS Memphis, TN issued this flash flood warning at Nov 16, 1987, 4:37 PM CST for Crittenden County, Arkansas. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Nov 16, 1987, 4:37 PM CST (22:37 UTC)
Expired
Nov 16, 1987, 8:45 PM CST
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Whole counties

County Crittenden County, AR

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

Jackson, MS (KJAN), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 322 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, Jackson, MS at 12:00Z on 1987-11-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 166 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, Jackson, MS at 12:00Z on 1987-11-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 412 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
166 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-109 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
707 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
412 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
733 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMEM 162237
FFWMEM
ARC035-170245-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
437 PM CST MON NOV 16 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  845 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN EAST ARKANSAS
          ...CRITTENDEN
 
HEAVY RAINS HAVE CAUSED FLOODING OF SOME LOW LYING AREAS IN WEST
MEMPHIS ARKANSAS. CONTINUED RAINS WILL KEEP A THREAT OF FLOODING FOR
SEVERAL MORE HOURS IN THIS AREA.
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.  MOVE 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, Nov 16, 11:08 AM CST, 5 hours 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
1108 AM CST MON NOV 16 1987

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 550 IN EFFECT FOR A SMALL PORTION OF
NORTH MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 200 PM THIS AFTERNOON...

AT 1100 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LARGE
AREA LIGHT RAIN AND ISOLATED RAINSHOWERS OVER NORTH AND WEST
MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE. THE ACTIVITY OVER MISSISSIPPI
IS MAINLY CONCENTRATED WEST OF A RIPLEY TO WINONA LINE. THE ACTIVITY
IS MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

PEOPLE IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE
PREPARE TO TAKE NECESSARY ACTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE.

IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINS ARE POSSIBLE OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
Special weather statement, Nov 16, 12:27 PM CST, 4 hours 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
1225 PM CST MON NOV 16 1987

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 551 IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF MISSISSIPPI
FROM 1230 PM TILL 800 PM THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

AT 1221 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LARGE
AREA LIGHT RAIN AND ISOLATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER WEST
MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE. THE ACTIVITY OVER MISSISSIPPI
IS MAINLY CONCENTRATED WEST OF A HOLLY SPRINGS TO KOSCIUSKO LINE. THE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM IS LOCATED 12 MILES NORTHWEST OF KOSCIUSKO
MISSISSIPPI.

THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS WEATHER SYSTEM. ALL RESIDENTS IN NORTH
MISSISSIPPI SHOULD REMAIN HIGHLY ALERT AND SHOULD ALREADY BE MAKING
PLANS TO TAKE PROTECTIVE ACTIONS IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES
LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

TORNAODO WATCH NUMBER 551 REPLACES TORNAODO WATCH NUMBER 550 AT
1230 PM.

STAY TUNE FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Nov 16, 1:25 PM CST, 3 hours 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
125 PM CST MON NOV 16 1987

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 551 IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF MISSISSIPPI
UNTIL 800 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

AT 121 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA
LIGHT RAIN AND ISOLATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER WEST
MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE. THE ACTIVITY OVER MISSISSIPPI
IS LOCATED WEST OF A LINE FROM ASHLAND TO LOUISVILLE. THE
THUNDERSTORMS WITHIN THIS AREA ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN
HOUR.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS ARE LOCATED NEAR WINONA AND 10 MILES
NORTHWEST OF KOSCIUSKO.

THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION AND ALL RESIDENTS IN NORTH
MISSISSIPPI SHOULD REMAIN HIGHLY ALERT AND SHOULD ALREADY BE MAKING
PLANS TO TAKE PROTECTIVE ACTIONS IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES
LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

STAY TUNE FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND JPOSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Nov 16, 2:26 PM CST, 2 hours 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
225 PM CST MON NOV 16 1987

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 551 IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF MISSISSIPPI
UNTIL 800 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

AT 220 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA
OF RAIN AND WIDELY SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WEST OF LINE FROM
RIPLEY TO KOSCIUSKO. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT
40 MILES AN HOUR.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM IS LOCATED 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BRUCE
MISSISSIPPI.

THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION AND ALL RESIDENTS IN NORTH
MISSISSIPPI SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND SHOULD ALREADY BE MAKING PLANS TO
TAKE PROTECTIVE ACTIONS IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES LATER THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

STAY TUNE FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arkansas, 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.