Alert archive / Florida / Flash Flood Warnings in 1991

Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Tallahassee, FL

March 2, 1991Bay County, Washington County, Florida

NWS Tallahassee, FL issued this flash flood warning at Mar 2, 1991, 9:02 AM CST for Bay County, Washington County, Florida. It was in force for 118 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 2, 1991, 9:02 AM CST (15:02 UTC)
Expired
Mar 2, 1991, 11:00 AM CST
In force
118 min
Issued by
NWS Tallahassee, FL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Bay County, FL, Washington County, FL

The nearest sounding before it

Eglin AFB/Valpar, FL (KVPS), launched 12:00Z, 3.0 hours before the alert went out and 82 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, Eglin AFB/Valpar, FL at 12:00Z on 1991-03-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 370 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Eglin AFB/Valpar, FL at 12:00Z on 1991-03-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -157 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 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
370 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-82 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
562 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-157 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-113 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KPNS 021504
FFWPNS
FLC005-133-021700-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
902 AM CST SAT MAR 2 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PENSACOLA HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA
 
   ...BAY COUNTY...WASHINGTON COUNTY
 
NUMEROUS ROADS AND HIGHWAYS ARE UNDERWATER IN BOTH OF THE COUNTIES.
CIVIL DEFENSE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES REQUEST THAT ALL TRAVEL
BE CURTAILED OR RESTRICTED. SMALL STREAMS AND DITCHES ARE OUT OF THEIR
BANKS AND OVER FLOWING IN COUNTY WIDE IN BOTH COUNTIES.
 
NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE INTO THESE TWO
COUNTIES FROM THE GULF WITH NO APPARENT RELEIF WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS.
 
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.
 
MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING 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.

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, Mar 2, 4:24 AM CST, 4 hours 38 minutes before
FL004-020530-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FLORIDA
500 AM EST SAT MAR 2 1991

AT 500 AM EST...A LARGE AREA OF VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MILES AN HOUR WERE LOCATED SOUTHWEST OF APALACHICO-
LA.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER GULF AND FRANKLIN
COUNTIES IN THE NEXT FEW OF HOURS.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IN A SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME WHICH MAY RESULT IN SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING.  STRONG
GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTING COULD ALSO BE ASSOCIATED WITH
THESE THUNDERSTORMS.
Special weather statement, Mar 2, 4:25 AM CST, 4 hours 37 minutes before
FL004-020700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FLORIDA
500 AM EST SAT MAR 2 1991

AT 500 AM EST...A LARGE AREA OF VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MILES AN HOUR WERE LOCATED SOUTHWEST OF APALACHICO-
LA.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER GULF AND FRANKLIN
COUNTIES IN THE NEXT FEW OF HOURS.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IN A SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME WHICH MAY RESULT IN SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING.  STRONG
GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTING COULD ALSO BE ASSOCIATED WITH
THESE THUNDERSTORMS.
Special weather statement, Mar 2, 5:19 AM CST, 3 hours 43 minutes before
FLZ003-005-GAZ011-012-021215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
622 AM EST (522 AM CST) SAT MAR 2 1991

AT 620 AM EST WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS COVERING MOST OF SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...THE FLORIDA BIG
BEND AREA AND EXTENDING INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO FOR ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF APALACHICOLA. THE STORMS WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WERE LOCATED FROM
SOUTHERN LIBERTY COUNTY FLORIDA EAST ACROSS NORTHERN WAKULLA..SOUTHERN
LEON AND INTO SOUTHERN JEFFERSON AND MADISON COUNTIES IN FLORIDA.
ELSEWHERE..LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN SHOWERS CONTINUED ACROSS SOUTH GEORGIA
EXTENDING INTO THE CENTRAL FLORIDA PANHANDLE.  THESE STORMS WERE
MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH.

PERSONS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...SPECIFICALLY RESIDENTS OF LIBERTY..
WAKULLA..SOUTHERN LEON..SOUTHERN JEFFERSON AND MADISON IN NORTHERN
FLORIDA SHOULD EXPECT HEAVY RAIN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WHICH MAY
RESULT IN SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING OF FLOOD PRONE AREAS.  FLOODING HAS
BEEN REPORTED AROUND QUINCY AND SNEADS FLORIDA.  HIGH WIND GUSTS AND
FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

CTC
Special weather statement, Mar 2, 5:58 AM CST, 3 hours 4 minutes before
FL004-020900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FLORIDA
700 AM EST SAT MAR 2 1991

AT 700 AM EST...A LARGE AREA OF VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MILES AN HOUR WERE LOCATED SOUTHWEST OF APALACHICO-
LA.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER GULF AND FRANKLIN
COUNTIES IN THE NEXT FEW OF HOURS.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IN A SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME WHICH MAY RESULT IN SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING.  STRONG
GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTING COULD ALSO BE ASSOCIATED WITH
THESE THUNDERSTORMS.
Special weather statement, Mar 2, 7:59 AM CST, 1 hour 3 minutes before
FLZ003-005-006-007-GAZ011-012-021600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
855 AM EST (755 AM CST) SAT MAR 2 1991

...URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH
FLORIDA BIG BEND AREA THIS MORNING...

HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUES ACROSS MUCH OF THE NORTH FLORIDA BIG BEND
AREA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST GEORGIA THIS MORNING.  REPORTS RECEIVED
SO FAR THIS MORNING INDICATE RAINFALL TOTALS OVER 3.5 INCHES IN
PORTIONS OF LEON COUNTY.  OVER 3.70 INCHES OF RAIN HAD FALLEN AT THE
TALLAHASSEE AIRPORT AS OF 845 AM.

LOCAL FLOODING WAS REPORTED EARLIER THIS MORNING IN QUINCY AND
MARIANNA...AND JACKSON COUNTY REPORTS SOME STATE ROADS CLOSED DUE TO
HIGH WATER.  SOME CITY STREETS ARE ALSO REPORTED CLOSED IN TALLAHASSEE
DUE TO POOLING OF WATER.

AT 845 AM EST APALACHICOLA WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THE THUNDERSTORMS
WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL HAD MOVED OFFSHORE INTO APALACHEE BAY...AND
EXTENDED FROM SOUTH OF APALACHICOLA NORTHEASTWARD INTO TAYLOR COUNTY
AND INTO SOUTHERN MADISON COUNTY.  MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL
COVERED MUCH OF MADISON...JEFFERSON...LEON...WAKULLA...LIBERTY AND
GADSDEN COUNTIES.

RESIDENTS OF THE NORTH FLORIDA BIG BEND AREA CAN EXPECT MODERATE TO
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL TO CONTINUE FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS...AND MORE LOCAL FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS
IS LIKELY THROUGHOUT THE MORNING.

MOTORISTS ARE CAUTIONED NOT TO ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOODED STREETS OR
BRIDGES.  PARENTS SHOULD KEEP CHILDREN AWAY FROM STREAMS AND
DITCHES...MANY OF WHICH ARE RUNNING AT OR NEAR NEAR BANKFULL THIS
MORNING.
Special weather statement, Mar 2, 8:03 AM CST, 59 minutes before
FLZ003 FLZ004-021500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FLORIDA
859 AM EST (759 AM CST) SAT MAR 2 1991

AT 0834 EST...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED
OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND THE GULF FROM 60 MILES SOUTHEAST
THROUGH 75 MILES SOUTHWEST OF APALACHICOLA.

THE STROMGEST STORMS WERE 30 TO 35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF APALACHICOLA
WITH SOME STRONG STORMS OCCURRING NEAR WEWAHITCHICA EAND SOUTH OF PORT
ST JOE.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tallahassee, FL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 2, 2:15 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningTAECalhoun5 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Florida, 1991Every flash flood warning in 1991

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.