Alert archive / New York / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 29, NWS New York, NY

October 20, 1989Kings County, Queens County, New York

NWS New York, NY issued this flash flood warning at Oct 20, 1989, 12:00 PM EDT for Kings County, Queens County, New York. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Oct 20, 1989, 12:00 PM EDT (16:00 UTC)
Expired
Oct 20, 1989, 3:00 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS New York, NY
Area
Whole counties

Counties Kings County, NY, Queens County, NY

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

Atlantic City In, NJ (KACY), launched 12:00Z, 4.0 hours before the alert went out and 143 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, Atlantic City In, NJ at 12:00Z on 1989-10-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 151 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, Atlantic City In, NJ at 12:00Z on 1989-10-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 123 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
151 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-48 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
526 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
123 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
170 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 KNYC 201611
FFWNYC
NYC087-119-005-061-085-047-081-059-103-201900-
BULLETIN...IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED.
FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
1200 PM EDT FRI OCT 20 1989

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE
TIL 3 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
   IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK
   ROCKLAND..WESTCHESTER..NASSAU..SUFFOLK..NEW YORK..BRONX..
   QUEENS..KINGS..AND RICHMOND
   THIS INCLUDES THE FIVE COUNTIES OF NEW YORK CITY...

BANDS OF HEAVY RAIN..POSSIBLY THUNDERSTORMS..WILL BE MOVING ACROSS
SECTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS LIKELY IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS..LOWLYING AREAS..
ROADWAYS..BASEMENTS..UNDERPASSES..BROOKS AND SMALL STREAMS.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE AS THESE BANDS OF HEAVY
RAIN MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.
MOTORISTS AND OTHER TRAVELERS SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS AND ALERT..AVOID
KNOWN FLOODPRONE AREAS..AND SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED
UNDERPASSES OR ROADWAYS.

RS

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, Oct 20, 6:45 AM EDT, 5 hours 15 minutes before
RADAR SUMMARY AND SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
630 AM EDT FRI OCT 20 1989

...DO NOT USE AFTER 8 AM EDT...

AN AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SHOWERS WERE OVER NORTHERN NEW JERSEY
AND THE METROPOLITAN AREA...MODERATE SHOWERS WERE ALSO OVER NORTHWESTERN
CONNECTICUT. AND WESTERN LONG ISLAND. LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN WAS OVER
COASTAL NEW JERSEY...SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA...THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY
...WESTERN CONNECTICUT...AND WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS. THE RAIN WAS MOVING
NORTH NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
WEATHER STATIONS AROUND THE AREA REPORTED MOSTLY LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN
WITH BIRIDGEPORT REPORTING A THUNDERSHOWER.
THE RAIN ALONG WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME FLOODING WILL CONTINUE
INTO THE MORNING AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ALONG THE MARYLAND COAST MAKES
ITS WAY NORTH.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AT 645 AM EDT OR AS NEEDED.
END/BLS
Special weather statement, Oct 20, 7:52 AM EDT, 4 hours 8 minutes before
RADAR SUMMARY AND SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
730 AM EDT FRI OCT 20 1989

...DO NOT USE AFTER 8 AM EDT...

RADAR SHOWED LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS SCATTERED ACROSS NEW JERSEY...
THE METROPOLITAN AREA...LONG ISLAND...THE HUDSON VALLEY...WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS...AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. THE HEAVIER RAIN MOVED NORTH
AND EAST HOWEVER MANY STATIONS ACROSS THE AREA REPORTED MODERATE RAIN
DURING THE PAST HOUR. THERE MAY BE A BREAK IN THE RAIN BUT IT WILL
ONLY BE A SHORT PAUSE BEFORE IT STARTS AGAIN. THE WARM FRONT WHICH
GAVE US HEAVY RAINS EARLIER THIS MORNING MOVED NORTH OF JFK AIRPORT
RAISING THEIR TEMPERATURE INTO THE 60S.
A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW OFF THE MARYLAND COAST WILL
MOVE THROUGH THE AREA LATER TODAY GIVING US MORE RAIN SO URBAN
AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS STILL POSSIBLE FOR THE AREA TODAY.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AT 845 AM EDT.
END/BLS
Special weather statement, Oct 20, 8:32 AM EDT, 3 hours 28 minutes before
RADAR SUMMARY AND SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
830 AM EDT FRI OCT 20 1989

...DO NOT USE AFTER 10 AM EDT...

RADAR SHOWED LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS SCATTERED ACROSS NEW JERSEY...
THE METROPOLITAN AREA...LONG ISLAND...THE HUDSON VALLEY...WESTERN
CONNECTICUT...AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. THE HEAVIER RAIN MOVED TO THE
NORTH OF THE NEW YORK CITY ARE. THE HEAVIER REPORTS ARE IN WESTCHESTER
AND ROCLAND COUNTIES. THERE MAY BE A BREAK IN THE RAIN BUT IT WILL
ONLY BE A SHORT PAUSE BEFORE IT STARTS AGAIN. THE WARM FRONT WHICH
GAVE US HEAVY RAINS EARLIER THIS MORNING MOVED NORTH OF JFK AIRPORT
RAISING THEIR TEMPERATURE INTO THE 60S.
A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW %OFF THE MARYLAND COAST WILL
MOVE THROUGH THE AREA LATER TODAY GIVING US MORE RAIN SO URBAN
AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS STILL POSSIBLE FOR THE AREA TODAY.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AT 945 AM EDT.
END/GSK
Special weather statement, Oct 20, 9:36 AM EDT, 2 hours 24 minutes before
RADAR SUMMARY AND SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
930 AM EDT FRI OCT 20 1989

...DO NOT USE AFTER 11 AM EDT...

RADAR SHOWED LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS SCATTERED ACROSS NEW JERSEY...
THE METROPOLITAN AREA...LONG ISLAND...SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK STATE...
EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA...WESTERN THIRD OF CONNECTICUT...AND A SMALL PORTION
OF MASSACHUSETTS. THERE ALSO WAS HEAVY SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSHOWRS
OVER THE OCEAN SOUTH OF LONG ISLAND AND JUST SOUTH OF NEW HEAVEN.
THESE STORMS MIGHT HIT NEW HAVEN AND ISLIP WITHIN THE NEXT 20 MINUTES.

THERE MIGHT BE A SHORT BREAK WITHOUT RAIN BUT IT WILL START UP VERY SHORTLY.
A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW OFF THE MARYLAND KCOAST WILL
MOVE THROUGH THE AREA LATER TODAY GIVING US MORE RAIN SO URBAN
AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS STILL POSSIBLE FOR THE AREA TODAY.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTH AT 25 MILES AN HOUR

GSK
Special weather statement, Oct 20, 10:34 AM EDT, 1 hour 26 minutes before
RADAR SUMMARY AND SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
1030 AM EDT FRI OCT 20 1989

...DO NOT USE AFTER 12 NOON EDT...

AN EXTENSIVE AREA OF RAIN WITH PATCHES OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINSHOWERS
AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSHTORMS WAS LOCATED OVER CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...
ALL OF NEW JERSEY...NORTHERN DELAWARE,,,THE NEW YORK METROLPOITAN AREA...
LONG ISLAND...MOST OF CONNECTICUT..SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK STATE...AND OVER
THE OCEAN ABOUT TO ABOUT 150 MILES SOUTH AND EAST OF NEW YORK CITY.

WITHIN THESE AREA WERE HEAVY SHOWERS OVER CONNECTICUT NEAR BRIDGEPORT AND
OVER NEW JERSEYIN THE COUNTIES OF MONTGOMERY AND BURLINGTON.

THERE MIGHT BE A SHORT BREAK WITHOUT RAIN BUT IT WILL STAR}T UP VERY SHORTLY.
A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW OFF THE MARYLAND COAST WILL
MOVE THROUGH THE AREA LATER TODAY GIVING US MORE RAIN SO URBAN
AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS STILL POSSIBLE FOR THE AREA TODAY.
GSK
Special weather statement, Oct 20, 11:38 AM EDT, 22 minutes before
RADAR SUMMARY AND SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
1130 AM EDT FRI OCT 20 1989

...DO NOT USE AFTER 1 PM EDT...

URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK
STATE AND NORTHERN NEW JERSEY.....

AN EXTENSIVE AREA OF RAIN WITH PATCHES OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINSHOWERS
AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED OVER CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...
ALL OF NEW JERSEY...NORTHERN DELAWARE,,,THE NEW YORK METROLPOITAN AREA...
LONG ISLAND...MOST OF CONNECTICUT..SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK STATE...THE WESTERN
THIRD OF MASSACHUSETTS...AND OVER THE OCEAN OUT TO ABOUT 150 MILES SOUTH
OF NEW YORK CITY.

WITHIN THESE AREA WERE HEAVY SHOWERS OVER CONNECTICUT NEAR BRIDGEPORT AND
OVER MOST OF EASTERN NEW JERSEY.

THERE MIGHT BE A SHORT BREAK WITHOUT RAIN BUT IT WILL START UP VERY SHORTLY.
A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITYH A LOW PRESSURE OFF THE MARYLAND COAST WILL MOVE
THROUGH THE ARE LATER TODAY BRINGING MORE RAIN AND HEAVY AT TIMES. THIS
WILL RESULT IN URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING FOR TODAY.

THE AREA OF RAIN WAS MOVING NORTH AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

GSK

The office that day

Everything else NWS New York, NY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 20, 12:00 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXBronx, New York3 hr
Oct 20, 12:00 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXNassau, Suffolk3 hr
Oct 20, 12:00 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXRockland, Westchester3 hr
Oct 20, 12:00 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXRichmond3 hr
Oct 20, 3:20 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXRockland, Westchester3 hr
Oct 20, 3:20 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXBronx, New York3 hr
Oct 20, 3:20 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXKings, Nassau, Queens3 hr
Oct 20, 3:20 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXRichmond3 hr
Oct 20, 3:20 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXSuffolk3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in New York, 1989Every flash flood warning in 1989

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.