Alert archive / Oklahoma / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 48, NWS Norman, OK

May 31, 1990Beckham County, Greer County, Harmon County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this flash flood warning at May 31, 1990, 9:10 PM CDT for Beckham County, Greer County, Harmon County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 31, 1990, 9:10 PM CDT (02:10 UTC)
Expired
Jun 1, 1990, 12:15 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Norman, OK
Area
Whole counties

Counties Beckham County, OK, Greer County, OK, Harmon County, OK

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

Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 00:00Z, 2.2 hours before the alert went out and 184 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, Amarillo Airport, TX at 00:00Z on 1990-06-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 49 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Amarillo Airport, TX at 00:00Z on 1990-06-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 9 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
49 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
3540 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
9 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
54 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 KOKC 010214
FFWOKC
OKC009-055-057-010615-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
910 PM CDT THU MAY 31 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OKLAHOMA CITY HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  115 AM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING OKLAHOMA LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA
 
   ...SOUTHERN BECKHAM COUNTY...NORTHERN GREER COUNTY...HARMON COUNTY
 
AT 910 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A LARGE THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL CENTERED 9 MILES SOUTH OF ERICK. THIS STORM HAS SLOWED ITS
EASTWARD MOTION TO LESS THAN 10 MILES PER HOUR AND LIKELY IS
PRODUCING RAINFALL RATES IN EXCESS OF 3 INCHES PER HOUR. ANOTHER
THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WAS CENTERED 5 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF HOLLIS...MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 15 MILES PER HOUR. THIS STORM
LIKELY WILL PRODUCE LOCAL RAINFALL IN EXCESS OF 2 INCHES AS IT MOVES
SLOWLY ACROSS HARMON COUNTY.
 
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OCCURRED IN THIS AREA TUESDAY...AND MUCH OF THE
HEAVY RAINFALL THIS EVENING WILL RUN OFF. VERY RAPID RISES CAN BE
EXPECTED ON SMALL STREAMS THIS EVENING...AND SOME ROADWAYS LIKELY WILL
BE BLOCKED. STREAMS MOST LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
BULL CREEK...DEER CREEK...FISH CREEK...HAYSTACK CREEK...AND THE WEST
FORK OF SANDY CREEK.
 
PERSONS WITH LIVESTOCK OR FARM EQUIPMENT IN LOW LYING AREAS IN THE
FLASH FLOOD WARNING AREA SHOULD TAKE ACTION NOW TO PROTECT THEIR
PROPERTY.
 
 
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.

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 31, 4:36 PM CDT, 4 hours 34 minutes before
TXZ020-019-312230-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
433 PM CDT THU MAY 31 1990

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR FOARD AND HARDEMAN
COUNTIES...

AT 425 PM WICHITA FALLS RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER
PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL TEXAS. THESE STORMS WERE
OCCURRING FROM DENTON EAST TO HONEY GROVE AND THEN EXTENDS SOUTH
ACROSS THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH METROPLEX...KAUFMAN...CORSICANA TO NEAR
NORMANGEE. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE SOUTH OF BONHAM...JUST NORTHEAST
OF DENTON AND EAST OF WAXAHACHIE. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 20 MPH.

OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE
PANHANDLE TO THE SOUTH PLAINS ALONG A MDRY LINE. THE ACTIVITY WAS
NORTHEAST OF AMARILLO SOUTH OF SPEARMAN AND BETWEEN AMARILLO AND
LUBBOCK. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 31, 4:56 PM CDT, 4 hours 14 minutes before
OKZ023-024-312300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
450 PM CDT THU MAY 31 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL MOVING INTO SOUTHERN
   OKLAHOMA...

AT 450 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND JUST SOUTH OF THE RED RIVER FROM SOUTH OF
DURANT TO SOUTH OF THACKERVILLE. BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS
AND PERHAPS SOME SMALL HAIL MAY ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE
NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD AT 20 MPH.

IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAINFALL...THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE
FREQUENT LIGHTNING. BOATERS AND CAMPERS IN THE LAKE TEXOMA AREA
SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE APPROACH OF THUNDERSTORMS AND
BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SHELTER.
Special weather statement, May 31, 7:36 PM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
OKZALL-010200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
730 PM CDT THU MAY 31 1990

...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE TEXAS PANHANDLE ARE MOVING TOWARD
OKLAHOMA...

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 356 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM FOR PARTS OF
WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND THE EASTERN OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE...

AT 730 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED TWO AREAS OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS OVER
THE TEXAS PANHANDLE. THE FIRST STORM...WHICH HAS HAD A HISTORY OF
PRODUCING TORNADOES...WAS OVER WESTERN OCHILTREE COUNTY AND WAS MOVING
EASTWARD AT 25 MILES PER HOUR. IF THIS STORM HOLDS TOGETHER...IT WILL
MOVE INTO WESTERN ELLIS COUNTY AROUND 930 PM CDT.

ANOTHER AREA OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER EASTERN DONLEY AND
WESTERN COLLINGSWORTH COUNTIES OF THE EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE. THESE
STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES PER HOUR AND
LIKELY WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN BECKHAM COUNTY BETWEEN 830 AND 900 PM
CDT.

OTHER STORMS WERE BUILDING RAPIDLY OVER SOUTHERN COMANCHE COUNTY SOUTH
OF CACHE.

THE ATMOSPHERE OVER OKLAHOMA IS EXTREMELY UNSTABLE THIS EVENING...AND
THE WIND PROFILE REMAINS FAVORABLE FOR TORNADIC THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE
TEXAS PANHANDLE AND NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA THIS EVENING. OVER MOST OF
THE REMAINDER OF OKLAHOMA...THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND
HEAVY RAINFALL.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE EVENING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO
OR TO COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR LATER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 31, 8:01 PM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
OKZ014-021-010200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
800 PM CDT THU MAY 31 1990

HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER HARMNON AND BECKHAM COUNTIES...

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 356 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM FOR PORTIONS OF
WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND THE EASTERN OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE.

AT 800 PM RADAR INDICATED RAPIDLY INTESIFYING THUNDERSTORMS OVER
SOUTHERN BECKHAM AND HARMON COUNTIES.  THE STORMS EXTENDED FROM 5
MILES SOUTHWEST OF ERICK SOUTHWARD TO 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF VINSON. THE
STORMS WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
Special weather statement, May 31, 8:21 PM CDT, 49 minutes before
TXZ020-019-010300-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
820 PM CDT THU MAY 31 1990

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR FOARD AND HARDEMAN
COUNTIES...

AT 815 PM WICHITA FALLS RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER
SOUTHERN YOUNG COUNTY AND OVER SOUTHERN BAYLOR COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORM
OVER YOUNG COUNTY WAS MOVING SLOWLY TO THE NORTH AND WILL PROBABLY
BE IN THE GRAHAM AREA BY 830 PM. THE STORM OVER BAYLOR COUNTY WAS MOVING
TOWARD SEYMOUR AND SHOULD SOON BE IN THE SEYMOUR AREA. SMALL HAIL
AND GUSTY WINDS WILL PROBABLY OCCUR WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA AND IN  THE
EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE AND EXTENDED INTO THE SOUTH PLAINS. THE STORMS
IN THE PANHANDLE WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Norman, OK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 31, 8:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBeckham, Greer67 min
May 31, 8:41 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNGreer49 min
May 31, 8:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNHarmon61 min
May 31, 9:21 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNHarmon54 min
May 31, 9:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGreer64 min
May 31, 9:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNJackson63 min
May 31, 10:47 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOUNGreer, Jackson2 hr
May 31, 11:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNTillman63 min
Jun 1, 8:55 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGreer, Jackson, Kiowa65 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Oklahoma, 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.