Alert archive / California / Flash Flood Warnings in 1992
Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Los Angeles, CA
NWS Los Angeles, CA issued this flash flood warning at Feb 12, 1992, 6:55 AM PST for Santa Barbara County, California. It was in force for 2 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Feb 12, 1992, 6:55 AM PST (14:55 UTC)
- Expired
- Feb 12, 1992, 9:00 AM PST
- In force
- 2 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Los Angeles, CA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Santa Barbara County, CA
The nearest sounding before it
Vandenberg AFB, CA (KVBG), launched 12:00Z, 2.9 hours before the alert went out and 48 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 20 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -24 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 565 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 52 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 312 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 370 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KLAX 121458 FFWLAX CAC083-121700- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES CA 655 AM PST WED FEB 12 1992 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOS ANGELES HAS EXTENDED THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING UNTIL 900 AM PST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...... IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ...SOUTHERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY... AT 645 AM PST...RADAR...SATELLITE...AND SURFACE REPORTS INDICATE THAT VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IS OCCURING IN SOUTHERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY. RAINFALL GAUGES IN THE HILLS ABOVE THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA INDICATE RAINFALL AMOUNTS TO 3/4 OF AN INCH IN THE LAST HOUR. FLASH FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED ON MANY SMALL STREAMS IN THE AREA. IT NOW APPEARS THE HEAVY RAIN WILL TAPER OFF FROM THE WEST IN THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO. PERSONS IN THE AFFECTED AREA SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM FLOODING SMALL STREAMS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATERS LEVELS BEGIN RISING. A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS 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. TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND. HAMILTON
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
Local storm report, Feb 12, 3:04 AM PST, 3 hours 51 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SANTA MARIA CA 300 AM PST WED FEB 12 1991 THE FOLLOWING IS A CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF STORM EVENTS FOR SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES DURING THE LAST 36 HOURS... 02/10/92-0710 AM SPOTTER CALLED NEAR BLACK MOUNTAIN IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY TO REPORT WINDS 50 TO 60 MPH IN A THUNDERSTORM. 02/10/92-0825 AM SPOTTER FROM LOS OSOS IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY REPORTED A THUNDERSTORM WITH 2.70 INCHES OF RAIN IN LAST 24 HOURS. 02/10/92-0930 AM SPOTTER NEAR SUMMERLAND IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY REPORTED HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORM WITH .50 INCHES LAST HOUR. CHP REPORTED SOME BOULDERS COMING DOWN WITH SMALL MUDSLIDES ON HIGHWAY 154 OVER SAN MARCOS PASS...WITH HEAVY RAIN AND DENSE FOG. SOME TREES DOWN NEAR GAVIOTA. 101 CLOSED NEAR TURNPIKE TEMPORARILY DUE TO MAJOR ACCIDENT. 02/10/92-0510 PM SPOTTER FROM LOMPOC REPORTED A THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAIN AND LOCAL STREET FLOODING ON CYPRESS AVE. LOCAL POLICE WERE CLOSING OFF PART OF ROAD DUE TO FLOODING. SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED FLOODING ON COUNTY ROADS NEAR ATASCADERO...AT HALCON...VIEJO CAMINO AND ROCK CANYON ROADS. SANTA BARBARA CHP REPORTED MINOR FLOODING ON HIGHWAY 1...154...AND 101. 02/10/92-0730 PM SPOTTER OVER HIGHWAY 154...SAN MARCOS PASS REPORTED MAJOR MUDSLIDE ON THE ROAD JUST BEFORE LAKE CACHUMA. 02/11/92-1000 AM SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL REPORTED MANY COUNTY ROADS ALONG HIGHWAY 46 FROM PASO ROBLES TO CHALOME WASHED OUT AND CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING. 02/12/92-0200 AM ALERT RAIN GAGES FROM BOTH SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTY HAD FROM .30 TO .50 INCHES OF RAIN WITHIN ONE HOUR. MINOR URBAN FLOODING CONTINUES ON SMALL COUNTY ROADS. 02/12/92-0200 SOME STORM TOTALS FOR THE PAST 36 HOURS... SANTA MARIA ARPT.............1.25 INCHES BUELLTON (25 SE SMX).........1.46 INCHES LOS OSOS (40 NW SMX).........0.51 INCHES LOMPOC (15 S SMX)............1.92 INCHES CUY*AMA (35 E SMX)............0.35 INCHES SAN MARCOS PASS (40 SE SMX)..2.40 INCHES LAKE CACHUMA (35 SE SMX).....2.16 INCHES ALISAL RES (30 SE SMX).......2.56 INCHES FELSCH
Special weather statement, Feb 12, 4:07 AM PST, 2 hours 48 minutes before
CAZ011>021-121600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES CA 400 AM PST WED FEB 12 1992 ...WINTER STORM WARNING HIGHER ELEVATIONS SAN JACINTO MOUNTAINS NORTH TODAY... A VIGOROUS STORM SYSTEM CONTINUES TO AFFECT CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THIS MORNING. RADAR...SATELLITE...AND SURFACE REPORTS INDICATE LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN FROM THE LOS ANGELES METRO AREA WEST. HEAVIER SHOWERS WERE IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY. THE RAIN WAS MOVING EAST. ALSO...SOUTH WINDS 20 TO 35 MPH WERE OBSERVED ALONG THE COAST AND OVER MOUNTAIN AREAS WEST AND NORTH OF POINT MUGU. WINTER STORM WARNINGS CONTINUE FROM THE SAN JACINTO MOUNTAINS NORTH. 5 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW COULD ACCUMULATE ABOVE 6500 FEET TODAY. ALSO... SOUTHERLY WINDS 20 TO 35 MPH WITH A FEW GUSTS TO 50 MPH WILL OCCUR... ESPECIALLY OVER THE NORTHERN RANGES. PEOPLE TRAVELING INTO THE MOUNTAINS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS. CARRY CHAINS...ADDITIONAL CLOTHING...AND LISTEN TO THE LATEST WEATHER AND ROAD REPORTS BEFORE VENTURING INTO THE MOUNTAINS. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL IF YOU ARE DRIVING A HIGH PROFILE OR LIGHT WEIGHT VEHICLE. THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AT 8 AM PST. PASHOS,
Special weather statement, Feb 12, 6:32 AM PST, 23 minutes before
CAZ003-004-015-122000- URBAN FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SANTA MARIA CA 630 AM PST WED FEB 12 1992 ...URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY CONTINUES FOR SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES UNTIL NOON TODAY... AN URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY CONTINUES FOR ALL OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES UNTIL NOON TODAY. AT 615 AM...A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WAS SLOWLY MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL COAST AND PRODUCING MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL. DURING THE PAST SIX HOURS...ONE INCH OF RAIN OR MORE HAS FALLEN IN MANY LOCATIONS ALONG THE CENTRAL COAST INCLUDING THE CITIES OF SANTA MARIA...SAN LUIS OBISPO...ATASCADERO...AND OVER 2 1/2 INCHES OF RAIN IN THE BUELLTON AREA. SATELLITE AND RADAR DATA INDICATE THESE HEAVY SHOWERS ARE BEGINNING TO SLOWLY TAPER OFF IN THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY...BUT WILL CONTINUE OVER THE SOUTHERN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND SANTA BARABARA COUNTY FOR THE NEXT 2 TO 3 HOURS ESPECIALLY IN THE SANTA BARBARA AREAS...THE SANTA YNEZ VALLEY AND THE SURROUNDING HILLS. SAN LUIS OBISPO HIGHWAY PATROL AND SPOTTERS REPORT FLOODING ALONG HIGHWAY 1 NEAR LOMPOC AND GUADALUPE...AND PORTIONS OF MOST HIGHWAYS IN THE NORTHERN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY INCLUDING HIGHWAY 58 AND 166. IN ADDITION...FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED ALONG MOST OF HIGHWAY 246 BETWEEN SANTA YNEZ AND BUELLTON...AND SAN MARCOS PASS BETWEEN SANTA BARBARA AND SANTA YNEZ. ALL PERSONS...AND ESPECIALLY MOTORISTS...IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SHOULD EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION AND AVOID ANY FLOODED AREAS IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...IF YOU LIVE NEAR SMALL STREAMS THAT MAY BECOME SWOLLEN AND THREATEN TO RISE FURfTHER...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. FOR FURTHER UPDATES AND THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION LISTEN TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADIO ON FREQUENCIES 162.55 OR 162.40 MHZ. DLR
The office that day
Everything else NWS Los Angeles, CA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 4:45 AM PST | Flash Flood Warning | LOX | Santa Barbara | 2 hr |
| Feb 12, 9:37 AM PST | Flash Flood Warning | LOX | Los Angeles, Ventura | 2 hr |
| Feb 12, 11:18 AM PST | Flash Flood Warning | LOX | Los Angeles, Ventura | 117 min |
| Feb 12, 1:02 PM PST | Flash Flood Warning | LOX | Riverside | 3 hr |
| Feb 12, 1:02 PM PST | Flash Flood Warning | LOX | Los Angeles, San Bernardino | 3 hr |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in California, 1992Every flash flood warning in 1992
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.