Alert archive / Tennessee / Flash Flood Warnings in 1992

Flash Flood Warning 5, NWS Memphis, TN

June 12, 1992Fayette County, Tennessee

NWS Memphis, TN issued this flash flood warning at Jun 12, 1992, 5:05 PM CDT for Fayette County, Tennessee. It was in force for 115 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 12, 1992, 5:05 PM CDT (22:05 UTC)
Expired
Jun 12, 1992, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
115 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Whole counties

County Fayette County, TN

The nearest sounding before it

Paducah/Barkley, KY (KPAH), launched 12:00Z, 10.1 hours before the alert went out and 218 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, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 12:00Z on 1992-06-12Temperature 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, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 12:00Z on 1992-06-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -8 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1038 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
3 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 KMEM 122208
FFWMEM
TNC047-130000-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
505 PM CDT FRI JUN 12 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  700 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN WEST TENNESSEE
 
   ...SOUTHERN FAYETTE COUNTY
 
NEARLY STATIONARY THUNDERSTORMS WERE DUMPING VERY HEAVY RAIN ON SOUTH
PARTS OF FAYETTE COUNTY TENNESSEE THIS AFTERNOON...SOME COUNTY ROADS
WERE BECOMING COVERED WITH WATER AND HIGHWAY 57 HAS WATER ACROSS IT
BETWEEN LAGRANGE AND MOSCOW.
 
THE FLOOD PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS WERE STARTING TO WEAKEN IN SOUTHEAST
FAYETTE COUNTY BUT WERE GAINING STRENGTH IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF
THE COUNTY AT 500 PM.  MORE THAN TWO INCHES OF RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE
IN LESS THAN AN HOUR WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.
 
THAT AMOUNT OF RAIN...ON TOP OF THE RAINS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS
WILL CAUSE SMALL STREAMS TO RISE OUT OF THEIR BANKS...FLOOD
ROADS AND DITCHES.
 
THE SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF FAYETTE COUNTY ... FROM COLLIERVILLE TO
ROSSVILLE...TO MOSCOW...TO LAGRANGE WILL BE MOST AFFECTED BY THESE
TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS.
 
BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN DRIVING...MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN CARS.
 
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.

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, Jun 12, 11:17 AM CDT, 5 hours 48 minutes before
MSZ005-007-121715-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
1117 AM CDT FRI JUN 12 1992

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EASTERN CLAY COUNTY EXPIRED...

AT 1115 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO INDICATED
SCATTERED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING TO DEVELOP AND
INTENSIFY OVER PARTS OF NORTH AND EAST MISSISSIPPI. THE THUNDERSTORMS
ARE MOVING SLOWLY EAST AT 5 MILES AN HOUR.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF
PONTOTOC...12 MILES WEST OF OKOLONA...SOUTHEAST CORNER OF CHICKASAW
COUNTY AND 5 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF WEST POINT.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING TORRENTIAL
RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AS
WELL AS HAIL.

DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS...LOCALIZED FLOODING IS A
POSSIBLITY.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES OR A WARNING IS ISSUED...GO TO A
PLACE OF SAFETY. STAY TUNE FOR FURTHER STATE7MENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNING.

NNNN
Local storm report, Jun 12, 2:56 PM CDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
255 PM CDT FRI JUN 12 1992

...STORM REPORT FOR FRIDAY JUNE 12 1992...

1215 PM CDT         4 COUNTY AREA ELECTRIC REPORTED A TREE FELL...
                    DOWNING POWER LINE JUST WEST OF COLUMBUS
                    (LOWNDES COUNTY)
Special weather statement, Jun 12, 4:48 PM CDT, 17 minutes before
TNZ013-014-015-MSZ001-004-ARZ014-122245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
446 PM CDT FRI JUN 12 1992

...THUNDERSTORMS BRING HEAVY DOWNPOURS...

VIGOROUS THUNDERSTORMS ERUPTED OUT OF THIS AFTERNOON'S HEAT AND
HUMIDITY AND WERE CAUSING TORRENTIAL RAIN ... AND DEADLY LIGHTNING
OVER THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF TENNESSEE ... EXTREME NORTHWEST
MISSISSIPPI ... AND PARTS OF EAST ARKANSAS.  THE HEAVIEST DOWNPOURS
WERE FALLING ... IN THE GRAND JNCTION - LAGRANGE AREA OF SOUTHWEST
TENNESSEE WHERE SECTIONS OF HIGHWAY 18 BETWEEN LAGRANGE AND BOLIVAR
WERE CLOSED BY WATER .... IN MISSISSIPPI ALONG THE TATE - DESOTO
COUNTY LINE BETWEEN SENATOBIA AND HOLLY SPRINGS .... AND OVER WESTERN
ST FRANCIS COUNTY ARKANSAS WEST OF FORREST CITY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING VERY SLOWLY SO ANY AREAS BENEATH THE
STORMS MAY GET INUNDATED BY RAINWATER.  THERE WILL ALSO BE A CHANCE OF
A STRONG WIND GUST WITH THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMSg.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO FORM AS THE EVENING WEARS ON SO MOST
OF WEST TENNESSEE ... NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI AND EAST ARKANSAS SHOULD
STAY ALERT TO LOCAL WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER BULLETINS.
Special weather statement, Jun 12, 4:49 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
TNZ013-014-015-MSZ001-004-ARZ014-122245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
446 PM CDT FRI JUN 12 1992

...THUNDERSTORMS BRING HEAVY DOWNPOURS...

VIGOROUS THUNDERSTORMS ERUPTED OUT OF THIS AFTERNOON'S HEAT AND
HUMIDITY AND WERE CAUSING TORRENTIAL RAIN ... AND DEADLY LIGHTNING
OVER THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF TENNESSEE ... EXTREME NORTHWEST
MISSISSIPPI ... AND PARTS OF EAST ARKANSAS.  THE HEAVIEST DOWNPOURS
WERE FALLING ... IN THE GRAND JNCTION - LAGRANGE AREA OF SOUTHWEST
TENNESSEE WHERE SECTIONS OF HIGHWAY 18 BETWEEN LAGRANGE AND BOLIVAR
WERE CLOSED BY WATER .... IN MISSISSIPPI ALONG THE TATE - DESOTO
COUNTY LINE BETWEEN SENATOBIA AND HOLLY SPRINGS .... AND OVER WESTERN
ST FRANCIS COUNTY ARKANSAS WEST OF FORREST CITY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING VERY SLOWLY SO ANY AREAS BENEATH THE
STORMS MAY GET INUNDATED BY RAINWATER.  THERE WILL ALSO BE A CHANCE OF
A STRONG WIND GUST WITH THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO FORM AS THE EVENING WEARS ON SO MOST
OF WEST TENNESSEE ... NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI AND EAST ARKANSAS SHOULD
STAY ALERT TO LOCAL WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER BULLETINS.

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Tennessee, 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.