Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993

Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

February 19, 1993Apache County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Feb 19, 1993, 9:39 PM MST for Apache County, Arizona. It was in force for 6 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 19, 1993, 9:39 PM MST (04:39 UTC)
Expired
Feb 20, 1993, 3:45 AM MST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area
Whole counties

County Apache County, AZ

The nearest sounding before it

Winslow (Autob), AZ (KINW), launched 00:00Z, 4.7 hours before the alert went out and 118 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, Winslow (Autob), AZ at 00:00Z on 1993-02-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Winslow (Autob), AZ at 00:00Z on 1993-02-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 249 square meters per square second.1939587897117136156Sfc1 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
1071 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
75 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
249 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
266 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KPHX 200441
FFWPHX
AZC001-017-201045-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX ARIZONA
939 PM MST FRI FEB 19 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX ARIZONA HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  345 AM MST
FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTHEAST ARIZONA
 
   ...SOUTHERN APACHE COUNTY...SOUTHERN NAVAJO COUNTY
 
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL AND WEATHER SPOTTERS IN NAVAJO COUNTY
HAS REPORTED FLOODING IN THE PINETOP/LAKESIDE AREA AS WELL AS THE HEBER
AND SHOW LOW AREAS.  PETERSON DAM AND SCOTTS RESERVOIR DAM ARE BOTH
FLOWING OVER THEIR SPILLWAYS...THREATENING AREAS DOWNSTREAM FROM THE
DAMS. PORTER CREEK...BETWEEN SHOW LOW AND PINETOP/LAKESIDE...IS FLOWING
OUT OF ITS BANKS.
 
NUMEROUS ROADS AND HIGHWAYS HAVE BEEN CLOSED IN THE AREA INCLUDING STATE
ROUTE 377 BETWEEN HEBER AND HOLBROOK.  ABOUT A 100 FOOT SECTION OF THE
HIGHWAY HAD WATER FLOWING OVER IT.
 
ALL PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN NAVAJO AND APACHE COUNTIES NEED TO BE ALERT THIS
EVENING FOR RISING WATER.  TOWNS INCLUDED IN THIS WARNING
INCLUDE...HEBER...SNOWFLAKE...SHOW LOW...PINETOP/LAKESIDE...MCNARY AND
SPRINGERVILLE.
 
MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DONT TRY TO CROSS
FLOODING WASHES OR STREAMS. NEVER DRIVE ONTO A BRIDGE COVERED BY
WATER. STAY OFF FLOODED CITY STREETS. OUTSIDE THE CITY...STAY ON MAIN
HIGHWAYS. AVOID SECONDARY ROADS AND FARM ROADS...ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.
 
LOVEGROVE

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 19, 6:38 PM MST, 3 hours 1 minute before
AZZALL-200500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF ARIZONA
630 PM MST FRI FEB 19 1993

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR ALL OF THE MOGOLLONG RIM IN COCONINO
   COUNTY UNTIL 1000 PM...
...FLOOD WARNING FOR THE VERDE RIVER SYSTEM INCLUDING OAK CREEK
   UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ARIZONA TONIGHT...

IT HAS BEEN RAINING IN NORTHERN ARIZONA BELOW ABOUT 8 THOUSAND FEET
SINCE THURSDAY AFTERNOON.  HEAVY SNOWFALL HAS OCCURRED ABOVE THAT
ELEVATION.  RAINFALL AMOUNTS HAVE VARRIED WIDELY DUE TO THE SHOWERY
NATURE OF THE RAINFALL BUT MOST AREAS HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST AN INCH
OF RAINFALL IN THE PAST 24 HOURS.  SOME LOCATIONS HAVE RECEIVED
NEARLY 3 AND A HALF INCHES.  FLASTAFF RECEIVED OVER AN INCH OF RAIN
BETWEEN 11 AM AND 5 PM.

STREAMS THROUGHT THE MOGOLLON RIM AREA ARE FLOWING NEAR BANKFULL AND
SOME ARE PRESENTLY FLOODING.

PEOPLE IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ARIZONA SHOULD STAY AWAY  FROM STREAMS
TONIGHT.  IF YOU LIVE OR OTHERWISE MUST BE NEAR STREAMS KEEP AWARE
OF THE WATER LEVEL AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND AT ANY
MOMENT.

PETERSON
Special weather statement, Feb 19, 9:04 PM MST, 35 minutes before
AZZALL-200500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF ARIZONA
900 PM MST FRI FEB 19 1993

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR ALL OF THE MOGOLLONG RIM IN COCONINO
   COUNTY UNTIL 1000 PM...
...FLOOD WARNING FOR THE VERDE RIVER SYSTEM INCLUDING OAK CREEK
   UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ARIZONA TONIGHT...

FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODING IS A REAL THREAT OVER MUCH OF SOUTHERN CO
CONINO COUNTY TONIGHT.  FLAGSTAFF HAS HAD 1.10 INCHES OF RAIN SINC
5 PM AND OVER 2 AND A HALF INCHES SINCE THE STORM BEGAN THURSDAY
AFTERNOON.

ROADS ARE FLOODED IN MANY AREAS EAST...WEST AND SOUTH OF FLAGSTAFF
AS WELL AS IN TOWN.  UP TO TWO FEET OF WATER ON ROADS IN TOWN.  MANY
ROADS ARE BECOMING IMPASSIBLE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY...
AND PEOPLE SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM THESE FLOODED ROADS.

SOME PEOPLE ARE BEING EVACUATED ALONG CATARACT CREEK IN THE TOWN
OF WILLIAMS...30 MILES WEST OF FLAGSTAFF...AS THE WATER FLOWS OVER
THE DAM ABOVE TOWN.

ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF FLAGSTAFF A STREAM HAS BEGUN FLOODING INTO SOME
HOMES.

A BROAD BAND OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING INTO THE
MOGOLLON RIM AREA FROM AS FAR SOUTH AS YUMA.  HEAVY RAINFALL WILL
RETURN TO THE AREA AFTER A BRIEF RESPITE WITH LIGHT RAIN.

PERSONS IN THE MOGOLLON RIM AREA SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM CREEKS...
NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND RIVERS.  IF YOU ARE CLOSE TO ANY WATERCOURSE
BE READY TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND AT ANY MOMENT.

PETERSON
Special weather statement, Feb 19, 9:08 PM MST, 31 minutes before
AZZALL-200500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF ARIZONA
900 PM MST FRI FEB 19 1993

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR ALL OF THE MOGOLLONG RIM IN COCONINO
   COUNTY UNTIL 1000 PM...
...FLOOD WARNING FOR THE VERDE RIVER SYSTEM INCLUDING OAK CREEK
   UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ARIZONA TONIGHT...

FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODING IS A REAL THREAT OVER MUCH OF SOUTHERN
COCONINO COUNTY TONIGHT.  FLAGSTAFF HAS HAD 1.10 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE
5 PM AND OVER 2 AND A HALF INCHES SINCE THE STORM BEGAN THURSDAY
AFTERNOON.

ROADS ARE FLOODED IN MANY AREAS EAST...WEST AND SOUTH OF FLAGSTAFF
AS WELL AS IN TOWN.  UP TO TWO FEET OF WATER ON ROADS IN TOWN.  MANY
ROADS ARE BECOMING IMPASSIBLE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY...
AND PEOPLE SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM THESE FLOODED ROADS.

SOME PEOPLE ARE BEING EVACUATED ALONG CATARACT CREEK IN THE TOWN
OF WILLIAMS...30 MILES WEST OF FLAGSTAFF...AS THE WATER FLOWS OVER
THE DAM ABOVE TOWN.

ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF FLAGSTAFF A STREAM HAS BEGUN FLOODING INTO SOME
HOMES.

A BROAD BAND OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING INTO THE
MOGOLLON RIM AREA FROM AS FAR SOUTH AS YUMA.  HEAVY RAINFALL WILL
RETURN TO THE AREA AFTER A BRIEF RESPITE WITH LIGHT RAIN.

PERSONS IN THE MOGOLLON RIM AREA SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM CREEKS...
NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND RIVERS.  IF YOU ARE CLOSE TO ANY WATERCOURSE
BE READY TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND AT ANY MOMENT.

PETERSON

The office that day

Everything else NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 19, 9:39 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZNavajo6 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 1993Every flash flood warning in 1993

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.