Alert archive / Indiana / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 20, NWS Louisville, KY

May 16, 1990Crawford County, Harrison County, Indiana

NWS Louisville, KY issued this flash flood warning at May 16, 1990, 8:47 PM EST for Crawford County, Harrison County, Indiana. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: May 16, 1990, 8:47 PM EST (01:47 UTC)
Expired: May 16, 1990, 11:45 PM EST
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Louisville, KY
Area: Whole counties

Counties Crawford County, IN, Harrison 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

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 237 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1039 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1226 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 164 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 225 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.7
Supercell composite: 6.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSDF 170148
FFWSDF
INC019-025-043-061-170445-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
947 PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOUISVILLE HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1245 AM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN SOUTH INDIANA
          ...CLARK...CRAWFORD...FLOYD...HARRISON
 
AT 940 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN 40 MILES WEST OF LOUISVILLE APPROACHING
ENGLISH INDIANA IN CRAWFORD COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL TRACK
EAST SLOWLY INTO HARRISON...CLARK AND FLOYD COUNTIES OF SOUTHERN
INDIANA AND DUMP ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN BY MIDNIGHT EDT.
 
STREAMS ARE RUNNING AT BANKFULL AND THIS ADDITIONAL RAIN WILL CAUSE
FLASH FLOODING.
 
A 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 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

Local storm report, May 16, 4:09 PM EST, 4 hours 38 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, 3 hours 2 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, 2 hours 34 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, 2 hours 11 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

Special weather statement, May 16, 7:13 PM EST, 1 hour 34 minutes before

KYZ007-170045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LEXINGTON KY
815PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TONIGHT...

AT 810PM EDT RADAR INDICATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS OVER SCOTT AND HARRISON
COUNTIES OF CENTRAL KENTUCKY ABOUT 15 TO 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF LEXINGTON.
THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS OVER
HARRISON COUNTY >AT 810 PM EDT.
THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT NEAR 40 MPH AND WILL ENTER ROBERTSON
COUNTY 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF LEXINGTON BY 830PM EDT.

Special weather statement, May 16, 8:21 PM EST, 26 minutes before

KYZ004-009-INZ013-015-170210-

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

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR WEST AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH
INDIANA UNTIL 4 AM EDT...

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

AT 900 PM EDT...RADAR SHOWED A 40 MILE WIDE LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS FROM CINCINNATI TO 20 MILES NORTH OF LOUISVILLE TO
EVANSVILLE INDIANA.  THE STORMS WERE PRODUCING TORRENTIAL RAIN AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.  HAIL AND STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.
THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AROUND 40 MPH.  CONSIDERABLE FLOODING
WAS OCCURRING AROUND 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF LOUISVILLE IN ORLEANS
INDIANA.

THE STORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO THE LOUISVILLE AREA AND NORTH CENTRAL
KENTUCKY BETWEEN 10 AND 11 PM EDT.

SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY CAN EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE INTO THAT AREA
AROUND MIDNIGHT EDT.

BE ALERT FOR RAPID RISES IN CREEKS AND SMALL RIVERS.  IF YOU
AFRE 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.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 16, 8:47 PM EST	Flash Flood Warning	LMK	Clark, Floyd	3 hr
May 16, 9:51 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Floyd, Harrison	54 min
May 16, 9:51 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Clark	54 min
May 16, 10:00 PM EST	Flash Flood Warning	LMK	Jefferson, Scott, Washington	2 hr
May 16, 10:00 PM EST	Flash Flood Warning	LMK	Orange	2 hr
May 16, 11:35 PM EST	Flash Flood Warning	LMK	Clark, Floyd	2 hr
May 16, 11:35 PM EST	Flash Flood Warning	LMK	Crawford, Harrison	2 hr
May 16, 11:40 PM EST	Flash Flood Warning	LMK	Jefferson, Scott	2 hr
May 16, 11:40 PM EST	Flash Flood Warning	LMK	Orange, Washington	2 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Indiana, 1990 Every 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.