Alert archive / Indiana / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 18, NWS Louisville, KY

May 16, 1990Jefferson County, Scott County, Indiana

NWS Louisville, KY issued this flash flood warning at May 16, 1990, 6:55 PM EST for Jefferson County, Scott County, Indiana. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 16, 1990, 6:55 PM EST (23:55 UTC)
Expired
May 16, 1990, 10:00 PM EST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Louisville, KY
Area
Whole counties

Counties Jefferson County, IN, Scott County, IN

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

Dayton/James M C, OH (KDAY), launched 12:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 176 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, Dayton/James M C, OH at 12:00Z on 1990-05-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 474 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, Dayton/James M C, OH at 12:00Z on 1990-05-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 358 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
474 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-19 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
620 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
358 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
312 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.7
Supercell composite
3.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSDF 162357
FFWSDF
INC077-117-143-175-170300-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
755 PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOUISVILLE HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN SOUTH INDIANA
          ...JEFFERSON...ORANGE...SCOTT...WASHINGTON
 
AT 750 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM 30 TO 40 MILES NORTH OF LOUISVILLE
OVER THE SOUTHERN INDIANA COUNTIES OF SCOTT...WASHINGTON...ORANGE
AND JEFFERSON.  HIGHWAY 150 BETWEEN PAOLI AND FRENCH LICK IN ORANGE
COUNTY IS REPORTED CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER.
 
MORE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH SOUTHERN INDIANA...DUMPING
ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN BY 1000 PM EDT.
 
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS
IMMINENT.  MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDG9ES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS
THE ROADWAY.  NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL
ONE...ON FOOT.  TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.
 
KIRKPATRICK

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, May 16, 3:30 PM EST, 3 hours 25 minutes before
KYZ007-162000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LEXINGTON KY
430 PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990

THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS WERE MOVING THRU PARTS OF
CENTRAL KENTUCKY. AT 430PM EDT RADAR SHOWED THE STRONGEST STORMS OVER
ANDERSON AND WOODFORD COUNTIES 15 MILES WEST AND NORTHWEST OF LEXINGTON
AND ACROSS BOURBON HARRISON NICHOAS AND ROBERTSON COUNTIES NORTHEAST
OF LEXINGTON. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT NiEAR 50 MPH AND
WILL LIKELY PRODUCE STRONG WINDS VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SOME HAIL.
Special weather statement, May 16, 3:57 PM EST, 2 hours 58 minutes before
KYZ007-162130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LEXINGTON KY
455PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990

AT 455PM EDT RADAR INDICTED A THUNDERSTORM OVER NICHOLAS AND
BOURBON COUNTIES OF KENTUCKY 20 TO 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF LEXINGTON.
THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS VERY HEAVY RAIN
AND HAIL AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST AT NEAR 45 MPH. NUMEROUS OTHER STORMS
WERE OCCURRING ACROSS CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND EXTENDED FROM FLEMING COUNTY
50 MILES NORTHEAST OF LEXINGTON TO LEXINGTON AND SOUTHWEST TO MERCER
COUNTY. THIS LINE OF STORMS IS MOVING SOUTHEAST WITH INDIVIDUAL
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING RAPIDLY NORTHEAST.
WINDS OF 36 MPH WERE RECORDED AT BLUE GRASS AIRPORT AT 436PM EDT.
Local storm report, May 16, 4:09 PM EST, 2 hours 46 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT...PRELIMINARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
500 PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990

TIME           EVENT...AFTERNOON OF WED MAY 16

220 PM EDT     PEA SIZE HAIL AND 30-40 MPH WINDS 25 NW LOUISVILLE
               IN NORTHERN HARRISON CO. INDIANA.  REPORTED BY
               SELLERSBURG STATE POLICE.

314 PM EDT     TREE LIMB FELL ON WIRES WHICH WERE THEN PUSHED
               AGAINST A HOME IN THE LOUISVILLE SUBURB OF PLEASURE
               RIDGE PARK.  PEAK GUST OF 45 MPH RECORDED AT THE
               NWS OFFICE IN LOUISVILLE AT 312 PM EDT.

318 PM EDT     40 MPH WINDS 20 NE LOUISVILLE NEAR CRESTWOOD KY...
               OLDHAM CO.  REPORT FROM LAGRANGE STATE POLICE.

KIRKPATRICK
Special weather statement, May 16, 5:45 PM EST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
INZ015-KYZ004-162330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
635 PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN
AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA UNTIL 11 PM EDT...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN KENTUCKY TONIGHT...

AT 630 PM EDT...RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN
AND SMALL HAIL ACROSS SOUTHERN INDIANA AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY. THE
STRONGEST STORMS WERE JUST NORTH OF LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY...JUST NORTH
OF CORYDON INDIANA AND ABOUT 30 MILES WEST OF LOUISVILLE. THE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH COULD CAUSE
LOCAL FLOODING...HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. IF YOU LIVE IN JEFFERSON
COUNTY...OLDHAM COUNTY IN KENTUCKY AND HARRISON COUNTY IN INDIANA BE
PREPARED FOR VERY HEAVY RAINS AND SMALL HAIL.

BE ALERT FOR RAPID RISES IN CREEKS AND SMALL RIVERS. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS GO INTO A SAFE INDOOR SHELTER.
LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
...OR LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR UPDATES AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

WILSON
Special weather statement, May 16, 6:13 PM EST, 42 minutes before
KYZ007-170000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LEXINGTON KY
710PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT
Special weather statement, May 16, 6:36 PM EST, 19 minutes before
INZ015-KYZ004-170035-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
735 PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN
AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA UNTIL 11 PM EDT...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN KENTUCKY TONIGHT...

AT 730 PM EDT...RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...
FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH OVER MUCH OF NORTH
CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA INCLUDING METROPOLITAN
LOUISVILLE.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM...LOCATED 10 MILES SOUTH OF LOUISVILLE IN
SOUTHERN JEFFERSON AND NORTHERN BULLITT COUNTIES...WILL MOVE EAST
INTO THE CITY OF MOUNT WASHINGTON KENTUCKY IN NORTHEAST BULLITT
COUNTY.  THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL.
>
BE ALERT FOR RAPID RISES IN CREEKS AND SMALL RIVERS.  IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS $GO INTO A SAFE INDOOR SHELTER.
LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
...OR LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR UPDATES AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

KIRKPATRICK

The office that day

Everything else NWS Louisville, KY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 16, 6:55 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningLMKOrange, Washington3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Indiana, 1990Every flash flood warning in 1990

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.