Alert archive / Kentucky / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 28, NWS Louisville, KY

May 21, 1990Spencer County, Kentucky

NWS Louisville, KY issued this flash flood warning at May 21, 1990, 7:35 PM EDT for Spencer County, Kentucky. It was in force for 65 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 21, 1990, 7:35 PM EDT (23:35 UTC)
Expired
May 21, 1990, 8:40 PM EDT
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Louisville, KY
Area
Whole counties

County Spencer County, KY

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, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 229 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 1990-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 1990-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 83 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
573 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
83 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
110 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 KSDF 212335
FFWSDF
KYC215-220130-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
735 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 930 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY

   IN THE NORTH CENTRAL PART OF KENTUCKY
      SPENCER

AT 720 PM EDT SEVERAL ROADS WERE REPORTED UNDER WATER FROM AN
ESTIMATED 3 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE 3 PM. HIWAY 44 WEST OF
TAYLORSVILLE...15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LOUISVILLE...WAS FLOODED IN
SEVERAL PLACES...AS WAS HIWAY 55. SOME LOW SPOTS WERE COVERED BY
2 TO 3 FEET OF WATER.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE 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 IMMEDIATELY.
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

 REITMEYER

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 21, 5:10 PM EDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
KYZ004-212310-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
510 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990

...HEAVY RAINS ARE MOVING ACROSS THE LOUISVILLE METROPOLITAN AREA...

AT 5 PM EDT HEAVY RAINS WERE MOVING ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND
SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA INCLUDING THE LOUISVILLE METROPOLITAN AREA.
RAINFALL OF NEARLY 1 INCH HAS FALLEN AT STANDIFORD FIELD IN LOUISVILLE
IN THE PAST HOUR AND 15 MINUTES. PONDING OF WATER IS LIKELY IN LOW
AREAS.

RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH
CENTRAL INDIANA THROUGH 8 PM EDT. THE RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO BE BRIEFLY
HEAVY AT TIMES.

MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AND NOT DRIVE THROUGH AREAS COVERED WITH
WATER.
SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, May 21, 6:09 PM EDT, 1 hour 26 minutes before
KYZ004-220010-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
608 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990

...HEAVY RAINS ARE CONTINUE OVER THE LOUISVILLE METROPOLITAN AREA...

AT 6 PM EDT HEAVY RAINS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTH CENTRAL
KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA INCLUDING THE LOUISVILLE
METROPOLITAN AREA. RAINFALL OF 1.4 INCHES HAS FALLEN AT STANDIFORD
FIELD IN LOUISVILLE IN THE PAST 2 1/4 HOURS. PONDING OF WATER IN LOW
AREAS AND IN UNDERPASSES IS LIKELY.

RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH
CENTRAL INDIANA THROUGH 8 PM EDT. THE RAIN WILL HEAVY AT TIMES.

MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AND NOT DRIVE THROUGH AREAS COVERED WITH
WATER. STAY AWAY FROM RISING CREEKS AND STREAMS.

SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, May 21, 6:25 PM EDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
KYZ004-220010-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
608 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990

...HEAVY RAINS ARE CONTINUING OVER THE LOUISVILLE METROPOLITAN AREA...

AT 6 PM EDT HEAVY RAINS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTH CENTRAL
KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA INCLUDING THE LOUISVILLE
METROPOLITAN AREA. RAINFALL OF 1.4 INCHES HAS FALLEN AT STANDIFORD
FIELD IN LOUISVILLE IN THE PAST 2 1/4 HOURS. PONDING OF WATER IN LOW
AREAS AND IN UNDERPASSES IS LIKELY.

RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH
CENTRAL INDIANA THROUGH 8 PM EDT. THE RAIN WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES.

MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AND NOT DRIVE THROUGH AREAS COVERED WITH
WATER. STAY AWAY FROM RISING CREEKS AND STREAMS.

...CORRECTION FOR TYPING MISTAKES..
SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, May 21, 7:08 PM EDT, 27 minutes before
KYZ004-220110-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
707 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990

...HEAVY RAINS ARE CONTINUING OVER THE LOUISVILLE METROPOLITAN AREA...

AT 7 PM EDT HEAVY RAINS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTH CENTRAL
KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA INCLUDING THE LOUISVILLE
METROPOLITAN AREA. RAINFALL OF 1 AND 3/4 INCHES HAS FALLEN AT
STANDIFORD FIELD IN LOUISVILLE IN THE PAST 3 1/4 HOURS. PONDING OF
WATER IN LOW AREAS AND IN UNDERPASSES IS LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH
CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA.

RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH
CENTRAL INDIANA THROUGH 9 PM EDT. THE RAIN WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES.

MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AND NOT DRIVE THROUGH AREAS COVERED WITH
WATER. STAY AWAY FROM RISING CREEKS AND STREAMS.
SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, May 21, 7:16 PM EDT, 19 minutes before
KYZ009-220110-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
715 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY...

AT 7 PM EDT A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL
KENTUCKY FROM EAST OF LEBANON TO EAST OF CAMPBELLSVILLE TO NEAR
TOMPKINSVILLE...ABOUT 40 MILES NORTHWEST AND WEST OF SOMERSET.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY
WINDS AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL AS THEY MOVE TO THE EAST AROUND
35 MPH.

THESE STORMS WILL MOVE EAST TO NEAR RICHMOND...SOMERSET AND MONTICELLO
BY 815 PM EDT. STAY ALERT AND SEEK SHELTER IF THE WEATHER BECOMES
UNUSUALLY THREATENING.

SCHOLZ

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 21, 6:36 PM EDTTornado WarningLMKJessamine, Mercer, Woodford39 min
May 21, 7:17 PM EDTTornado WarningLMKClark, Estill, Powell43 min
May 21, 7:33 PM EDTTornado WarningLMKMadison42 min
May 21, 7:37 PM EDTTornado WarningLMKAnderson38 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Kentucky, 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.