Alert archive / Kentucky / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 29, NWS Louisville, KY

May 21, 1990Bath County, Montgomery County, Kentucky

NWS Louisville, KY issued this flash flood warning at May 21, 1990, 9:19 PM EDT for Bath County, Montgomery County, Kentucky. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 21, 1990, 9:19 PM EDT (01:19 UTC)
Expired
May 22, 1990, 12:15 AM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Louisville, KY
Area
Whole counties

Counties Bath County, KY, Montgomery 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

Huntington/Tri S, WV (KHTS), launched 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 120 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, Huntington/Tri S, WV at 00:00Z on 1990-05-22Temperature 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 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Huntington/Tri S, WV at 00:00Z on 1990-05-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 10 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
686 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
10 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
70 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 KLEX 220119
FFWLEX
KYC011-173-220415-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1215 AM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE EAST CENTRAL PART OF KENTUCKY
      BATH...MONTGOMERY

VERY HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH
MONTGOMERY AND BATH COUNTIES THIS EVENING AT 915 PM. THERE WERE
LOCATIONS IN THESE COUNTIES THAT HAD RECEIVED MORE THAN 2 INCHES
OF RAIN IN LESS THAN AN HOUR. RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH
THESE AREAS AFFECTING ALL LOW LYING AREAS IN BOTH COUNTIES TONIGHT.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS FLOODING IS IMMINENT.  IT IS IMPORTANT TO
KNOW WHERE YOU ARE IN RELATION TO STREAMS...RIVERS...OR CREEKS THAT
CAN BECOME DEADLY WHEN SWOLLEN BY HEAVY RAIN.  CAMPERS SHOULD AVOID
CAMPING ALONG STREAMS OR CREEKS WHEN HEAVY RAIN THREATENS.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOOD WATERS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED...
ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

 ULLOM

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, 7:08 PM EDT, 2 hours 11 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, 2 hours 3 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
Special weather statement, May 21, 8:13 PM EDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
KYZ004-220210-

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

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SPENCER COUNTY...
...HEAVY RAINS CONTINUE OVER ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH
CENTRAL INDIANA.

AT 8 PM EDT HEAVY RAINS CONTINUED OVER ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY
AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA INCLUDING THE LOUISVILLE METROPOLITAN AREA.
RAINFALL OF 2 INCHES HAS FALLEN IN LOUISVILLE IN THE PAST 4 HOURS
AND SOME AREAS HAVE REPORTED MORE RAINFALL. WATER IS PONDIND IN LOW
AREAS AND SOME FLOODING OF ROADS AND UNDERPASSES IS LIKELY ACRSSO NORTH
CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA.

RAINFALL WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH TO THE WEST OF LOUISV3ILLE BY 9 PM
BUT WILL CONTINUE TO THE EAST THROUGH 10 PM EDT.

MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AND NOT DRIVE THROUGH AREAS COVERED WITH
WATER. STAY AWAY FROM CREEKS AND SMALL STEAMS AS WATER WILL RISE
RAPIDLY.

SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, May 21, 8:19 PM EDT, 1 hour before
KYZ009-220210-

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

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

AT 8 PM EDT A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL
KENTUCKY FROM EAST OF LIBERTY TO NEAR ALBANY...ABOUT 20 TO 25 MILES
NORTHWEST TO SOUTHWEST OF SOMERSET.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS IN EASTERN
CASEY COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINS
...GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL AS THEY MOVE TO THE EAST
AROUND 25 MPH.

THESE STORMS WILL MOVE EAST TO NEAR RICHMOND...EAST OF SOMERSET AND
WEST OF WHITLEY CITY BY 9 PM EDT. STAY ALERT AND SEEK SHELTER IF THE
WEATHER BECOMES UN<USUALLY THREATENING.

SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, May 21, 9:11 PM EDT, 8 minutes before
KYZ009-220310-

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

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

AT 9 PM EDT A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL
KENTUCKY FROM 25 MILES NORTEAST OF SOMERSET...NORTH OF MOUNT VERNON TO
25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SOMERSET NEAR MONTICELLO. THESE THEUNDESTORMS
WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY SOuME
SMALL HAIL AS THEY MOVE TO THE EAST AROUND 25 MPH.

THESE STORMS WILL MOVE EAST INTO THE LONDON...WHITELY CITY AND
WILLIAMSBURG AREAS BY 1030 PM EDT. STAY ALERT AND SEEK SHELTER IF THE
WEATHER BECOMES UNUSUALLY THREATENING.

SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, May 21, 9:16 PM EDT, 3 minutes before
KYZ004-220310-

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

...HEAVY RAINS CONTINUE OVER TO THE EAST OF LOUISVILLE...

AT 9 PM EDT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME CONTAINING HEAVY RAINS
CONTINUED OVER NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY TO THE EAST OF LOUISVILLE.
LIGHTER RAINFALL CONTINUED FROM LOUISVILLE WEST AND OVER SOUTH CENTRAL
INDIANA. TO THE EAST OF LOUISIVILLE...PONDING OF WATER IN LOW AREAS AND
SOME FLOODING OF ROADS AND UNDERPASSES IS LIKELY.

RAINFALL WILL GRADUALLY END WEST OF LOUISVILLE AND WILL SLOWLY DIMINISH
TO THE EAST THROUGH 11 PM EDT.

MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AND NOT DRIVE THROUGH AREAS COVERED WITH
WATER. STAY AWAY FROM CREEKSx AND SMALL STEAMS AS WATER WILL RISE
RAPIDLY.

SCHOLZ

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 21, 8:00 PM EDTTornado WarningLMKMenifee, Montgomery, Powell45 min
May 21, 8:30 PM EDTTornado WarningLMKMadison60 min
May 21, 8:55 PM EDTTornado WarningLMKAnderson, Franklin, Woodford50 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.