Alert archive / Arkansas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Little Rock, AR

February 15, 1990White County, Arkansas

NWS Little Rock, AR issued this flash flood warning at Feb 15, 1990, 5:17 AM CST for White County, Arkansas. It was in force for 118 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 15, 1990, 5:17 AM CST (11:17 UTC)
Expired
Feb 15, 1990, 7:15 AM CST
In force
118 min
Issued by
NWS Little Rock, AR
Area
Whole counties

County White County, AR

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

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 170 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 1990-02-15Temperature 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 1990-02-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 167 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
3571 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
167 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
210 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 KLIT 151118
FFWLIT
ARC029-045-105-145-151315-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
517 AM CST THU FEB 15 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LITTLE ROCK HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  715 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN CENTRAL ARKANSAS
 
   ...CONWAY COUNTY...FAULKNER COUNTY...PERRY COUNTY...WHITE COUNTY
 
AT 510 AM CST...RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL FROM BALD KNOB TO JUST NORTH OF CONWAY TO
JUST NORTH OF MORRILTON TO HOLLIS.
 
THUNDERSTORMS MOVED ACROSS THE SAME AREA EARLIER IN THE NIGHT...
AND THE RAIN NOW MOVING ACROSS THE AREA HAS BEGUN TO CAUSE
FLOODING. FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE CITY OF CONWAY WITH
SOME STREETS BEING CLOSED AS OF 500 AM.
 
RAIN WILL CONTINUE IN THESE COUNTIES FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS...
SO FLOODING IS LIKELY TO INCREASE.
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS
OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE 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 QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
 
28

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, Feb 15, 2:07 AM CST, 3 hours 10 minutes before
ARZ003-005-006-008-010-011-012-013-014-015-016-150915-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
207 AM CST THU FEB 15 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN ARKANSAS...

AT 200 AM...A BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM HARDY
TO JUST WEST OF HEBER SPRINGS TO MORRILTON TO MURFREESBORO.
THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE 10 MILES WEST OF HOT SPRINGS AND JUST
SOUTH OF GLENWOOD.

THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. ESTIMATES MADE
FROM SATELLITE PICTURES INDICATED THAT UP TO 1 INCH OF RAIN PER
HOUR WAS FALLING...AND THAT SOME PLACES HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED
AROUND 2 INCHES OF RAIN. IN ADDITION...THE STORMS WERE PRODUCING
FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS.

DUE TO THE RAPID RAINFALL RATES...THERE IS LIKELY TO BE SOME
SMALL STREAM AND URBAN FLOODING FOR BRIEF PERIODS WHEN THE
HEAVIEST DOWNPOURS OCCUR. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR
THIS...ESPECIALLY AT LOW-WATER CROSSINGS ON COUNTY ROADS.

IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE STATE...A BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
STRETCHED FROM AUGUSTA TO WYNNE...AND THEN EXTENDED SOUTHWARD TO
THE PINE BLUFF AREA AND THEN ON TO 10 MILES WEST OF WARREN.
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WAS ALSO OCCURRING WITH TPHESE STORMS.

BOTH BANDS OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SPREADING EASTWARD OVER THE
NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

28
Special weather statement, Feb 15, 3:05 AM CST, 2 hours 12 minutes before
ARZ006-008-012-014-015-151000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
304 AM CST THU FEB 15 1990

AT 255 AM CST...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL
WERE LOCATED OVER PARTS OF PERRY...GARLAND...AND SALINE COUNTIES.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE OCCURRING FROM PERRYVILLE TO OWENSVILLE...
NEAR BENTON...AND 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF HOT SPRINGS.

ELSEWHERE...OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING 10 MILES
WEST OF MALVERN...10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MALVERN...AND 10 MILES
WEST OF PINE BLUFF.

IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE STATE...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDED FROM TUCKERMAN TO MCCRORY TO CARLISLE TO ENGLAND.

IN ADDITION...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO LOCATED 5 MILES WEST
OF JONESBORO...10 MILES WEST OF HARRISBURG...AND 10 MILES NORTHWEST
OF WYNNE.

ALL OF THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. IN
SOME OF THE HEAVIER DOWNPOURS...RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY
BETWEEN 1 A|ND 1 1/2 INCHES PER HOUR. THIS WILL BE SUFFICIENT
TO CAUSE SOME URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING FOR BRIEF PERIODS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

28
Special weather statement, Feb 15, 4:03 AM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes before
ARZ006-007-008-009-010-011-012-151100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
403 AM CST THU FEB 15 1990

AT 355 AM CST...A BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM
AUGUSTA TO CABOT TO THE LITTLE ROCK AREA AND ON TO JUST NORTH OF
BENTON.

RAINFALL ESTIMATES MADE FROM SATELLITE PICTURES INDICATE THAT
SOME OF THE STORMS ARE PRODUCING ABOUT ONE INCH OF RAIN PER HOUR.
IT IS LIKELY THAT SOME AREAS HAVE RECEIVED ABOUT 2 INCHES OF RAIN
DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS.

MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN THE
PATCHES OF HEAVY RAIN. SOME URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING CAN
BE EXPECTED FOR BRIEF PERIODS WHERE THE HEAVIEST DOWNPOURS OCCUR.

ELSEWHERE...OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED 10 MILES EAST
OF JONESBORO...NEAR HARRISBURG...10 MILES NORTH OF HOT SPRINGS...
AND NEAR MOUNT IDA.

IN ADDITION...A NEW AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING
INTO SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS FROM NORTHEAST TEXAS AND NORTHWEST
LOUISIANA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN ARKANSAS WERE IN THE
AREA BETWEEN DEQUEEN AND DIERKS.

28
Special weather statement, Feb 15, 4:55 AM CST, 22 minutes before
ARZ005-006-007-011-151200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
454 AM CST THU FEB 15 1990

AT 450 AM CST...A BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN
EXTENDED FROM 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF BALD KNOB TO CONWAY TO PERRYVILLE
TO MOUNT IDA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE JUST NORTH AND EAST OF
CONWAY.

THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH THIS SAME AREA A FEW HOURS AGO...SO
SOME PLACES HAVE LIKELY RECEIVED MORE THAN 2 INCHES OF RAIN DURING
THE NIGHT. THIS WILL BE ENOUGH TO CAUSE SOME FLOODING OF URBAN
AREAS AND SMALL STREAMS. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR
WATER ON THE ROADWAY...ESPECIALLY AT LOW-WATER CROSSINGS ON
COUNTY ROADS.

ELSEWHERE...OTHER THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN WERE IN THE
AREA AROUND EL DORADO...SMACKOVER...AND CAMDEN IN THE SOUTHERN
PART OF THE STATE.

28

The office that day

Everything else NWS Little Rock, AR issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 15, 5:17 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningLZKConway, Faulkner, Perry118 min
Feb 15, 2:37 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKCalhoun, Ouachita53 min
Feb 15, 2:47 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKUnion58 min
Feb 15, 3:28 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKDrew32 min
Feb 15, 3:37 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKBradley53 min
Feb 15, 4:10 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKDrew50 min
Feb 15, 4:33 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKAshley42 min
Feb 15, 5:47 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKChicot28 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arkansas, 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.