Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993

Flash Flood Warning 20, NWS Tucson, AZ

August 24, 1993Cochise County, Pima County, Santa Cruz County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 24, 1993, 4:50 PM MST for Cochise County, Pima County, Santa Cruz County, Arizona. It was in force for 70 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 24, 1993, 4:50 PM MST (23:50 UTC)
Expired
Aug 24, 1993, 6:00 PM MST
In force
70 min
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Whole counties

Counties Cochise County, AZ, Pima County, AZ, Santa Cruz County, AZ

The nearest sounding before it

Tuscon, AZ (KTUS), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 39 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, Tuscon, AZ at 12:00Z on 1993-08-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1219 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Tuscon, AZ at 12:00Z on 1993-08-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -15 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
1219 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-72 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1231 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-15 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
66 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 KTUS 242353
FFWTUS
AZC019-023-003-250100-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON ARIZONA
450 PM MST TUE AUG 24 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON ARIZONA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  600 PM MST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA
 
   ...EASTERN PIMA COUNTY...SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
 
IN SOUTHEAST ARIZONA
 
   ...COCHISE COUNTY
 
AT 4:50 PM MST...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR
COCHISE...SANTA CRUZ...AND EASTERN PIMA COUNTIES WAS EXTENDED UNTIL
6:00 PM MST.
 
AT 4:37 PM...LOCAL FLOODING...STRANDED CARS...DOWNED FENCES AND POWER
OUTAGES WERE REPORTED IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IN THE VICINITY RIO RICO.
THEY ALSO REPORTED WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH AND CONTINUOUS
LIGHTNING.
 
AT 4:35 PM...1/2 TO 3/4 INCH HAIL WAS REPORTED IN BENSEN ALONG WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN...LOTS OF LIGHTNING...AND WINDS OF 25 TO 30 MPH.
 
AT 4:45 PM...A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING INTO TUCSON FROM
THE SOUTH AND ANOTHER WAS APPROACHING DOUGLAS FROM THE MEXICAN BORDER.
NEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO MOVING INTO SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
 
AT 4:50 PM MST...NUMEROUS SEVERE OR POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
WERE STILL OCCURRING IN THE THREE MENTIONED COUNTIES.  THEY HAVE BEEN
PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...VERY STRONG WIND...LOCAL FLOODING AND FREQENT
LIGHTNING.  ANYONE IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS SHOULD TAKE
IMMEDIATE PROTECTIVE ACTION!!
 
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT.  IT'S
IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE RELATIVE TO STREAMS...RIVERS...OR
CREEKS WHICH CAN BECOME KILLERS IN HEAVY RAINS.  CAMPERS SHOULD
AVOID CAMPING ALONG STREAMS OR CREEKS DURING THREATENING RAINS.
 
THESE ARE DANGEROUS STORMS.  IF YOU ARE IN THEIR PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...
DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.  IF OUTSIDE...MOVE TO A
SHELTER OR INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING...BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
 
END...SHOGREN

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, Aug 24, 1:19 PM MST, 3 hours 31 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUSCON AZ

STATE...ARIZONA          N0... 10        MONTH AND YEAR... AUGUST 1993
...............................................................................
                                         | NO    OF |ESTIMATED|
                                         | PERSONS  | DAMAGE  |
.........................................|    |     |    |    |................
    PLACE    |DATE|  TIME  |LNGTH |WIDTH |DEAD|INJRD|PPTY|CRPS| CHARTR OF STRM
...............................................................................
  PIMA CO.   |21  |1700-1930 MST -|   -  |  0 |  0  |UNK | UNK| SVR TSMS &
  AZC019                                                        FLASH FLOODING

              (SVR & FFW 5:50-7:30 PM MST)

              A SERIES OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH EASTERN PIMA CO.
              ON 8/21 SUPPORTED BY THE FOLLOWING:
              5:05 PM - 7 MILES EAST OF TUCSON... .59 OF AN INCH IN 25 MINUTES
              5:27 PM - NW TUCSON OLDFATHER AND FIRETHORN...HEAVY RAIN AND
                        OCCASIONAL HAIL...UP TO 1/2 INC
              5:15-7:00 PM... 1.75 INCHES..LOCAL FLOODING..GREEN VALLEY SPTR.
              5:36 PM...1.50 INCH OF RAIN IN SOUTHWEST GREEN VALLEY IN
                        45 MINUTES.  SOME HAIL 5/16 INCH IN DIAMETER.
              5:31 PM...FROM ALERT GAGE #6050, 5 SOUTH OF GREEN VALLEY...
                        .87 INCH OF RAIN IN 32 MINUTES.

              INFO FROM TUCSON ELECTRIC RECEIVED AFTER THE STORM:
              5:31-6:41 POWER OUTAGE IN NW TUCSON...RIVER RD AND ORACLE AREA
              5:49-6:00 DURING THIS PERIOD...13 POWER POLES WERE BLOWN OVER
                        8 SNAPPED OFF...SOME ROOF DAMAGE IN LOCAL AREA.
                        (NW TUCSON  NORTH SILVERBELL RD AND CAMINO DEL CERRO)

              6:12 PM...FROM WSFO PHX...FROM 25 SOUTH OF GREEN VALLEY...
                        1.25 INCHES OF RAIN IN LAST HOUR.
              6:20 PM...ALERT #6050, 5 SOUTH OF GREEN VALLEY...1.20 INCHES
                        OF RAIN IN 1 HR 6 MIN ENDING AT 6:18 PM.
              6:40 PM...ALERT #1080, RANCHO SOLANO...IN ORO VALLEY 31 MILES
                        NORTH OF AIRPORT... .59 INCH IN 22 MINUTES.
              7:00 PM...PIMA CO. SHERIFF REPORTED SOME TREES DOWN IN THE
                        AREA WHERE POWER LINES WERE TAKEN OUT AT ABOUT 6 PM.
                        ALSO PANTANO WASH `(NE TUCSON) WAS RUNNING STRONG.
              7:20 PM...LOTS OF LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN OFF AN ON SINCE 6 PM.
                                                             END...SHOGREN
Local storm report, Aug 24, 1:19 PM MST, 3 hours 31 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUSCON AZ

STATE...ARIZONA          N0... 10        MONTH AND YEAR... AUGUST 1993
...............................................................................
                                         | NO    OF |ESTIMATED|
                                         | PERSONS  | DAMAGE  |
.........................................|    |     |    |    |................
    PLACE    |DATE|  TIME  |LNGTH |WIDTH |DEAD|INJRD|PPTY|CRPS| CHARTR OF STRM
...............................................................................
  PIMA CO.   |21  |1700-1930 MST -|   -  |  0 |  0  |UNK | UNK| SVR TSMS &
  AZC019                                                        FLASH FLOODING

              (SVR & FFW 5:50-7:30 PM MST)

              A SERIES OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH EASTERN PIMA CO.
              ON 8/21 SUPPORTED BY THE FOLLOWING:
              5:05 PM - 7 MILES EAST OF TUCSON... .59 OF AN INCH IN 25 MINUTES
              5:27 PM - NW TUCSON OLDFATHER AND FIRETHORN...HEAVY RAIN AND
                        OCCASIONAL HAIL...UP TO 1/2 INC
              5:15-7:00 PM... 1.75 INCHES..LOCAL FLOODING..GREEN VALLEY SPTR.
              5:36 PM...1.50 INCH OF RAIN IN SOUTHWEST GREEN VALLEY IN
                        45 MINUTES.  SOME HAIL 5/16 INCH IN DIAMETER.
              5:31 PM...FROM ALERT GAGE #6050, 5 SOUTH OF GREEN VALLEY...
                        .87 INCH OF RAIN IN 32 MINUTES.

              INFO FROM TUCSON ELECTRIC RECEIVED AFTER THE STORM:
              5:31-6:41 POWER OUTAGE IN NW TUCSON...RIVER RD AND ORACLE AREA
              5:49-6:00 DURING THIS PERIOD...13 POWER POLES WERE BLOWN OVER
                        8 SNAPPED OFF...SOME ROOF DAMAGE IN LOCAL AREA.
                        (NW TUCSON  NORTH SILVERBELL RD AND CAMINO DEL CERRO)

              6:12 PM...FROM WSFO PHX...FROM 25 SOUTH OF GREEN VALLEY...
                        1.25 INCHES OF RAIN IN LAST HOUR.
              6:20 PM...ALERT #6050, 5 SOUTH OF GREEN VALLEY...1.20 INCHES
                        OF RAIN IN 1 HR 6 MIN ENDING AT 6:18 PM.
              6:40 PM...ALERT #1080, RANCHO SOLANO...IN ORO VALLEY 31 MILES
                        NORTH OF AIRPORT... .59 INCH IN 22 MINUTES.
              7:00 PM...PIMA CO. SHERIFF REPORTED SOME TREES DOWN IN THE
                        AREA WHERE POWER LINES WERE TAKEN OUT AT ABOUT 6 PM.
                        ALSO PANTANO WASH (NE TUCSON) WAS RUNNING STRONG.
              7:20 PM...LOTS OF LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN OFF AN ON SINCE 6 PM.
                                                             END...SHOGREN
Special weather statement, Aug 24, 1:49 PM MST, 3 hours 1 minute before
AZC003-019-023-241445-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON ARIZONA
150 AM MST TUE AUG 24 1993

AT 145 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED RAPIDLY
DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS IN PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA.
MOST OF THE NEW STORMS WERE IN COCHISE...SANTA CRUZ...AND
EASTERN PIMA COUNTIES.    A FEW WERE ALREADY QUITE STRONG.
SOME OF THE STRONGEST WERE ABOUT 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF DOUGLAS...
NEAR NOGALES...AND ABOUT 35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TUCSON.  MOVEMENT
HAD YET TO BE DETERMINED AT 145 PM...BUT THE STORMS SHOULD
GENERALLY MOVE TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AT AROUND 10 MPH.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.
SOME OF THE STORMS WILL BECOME QUITE STRONG...PRODUCING LOCALLY
HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WIND...POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL...AND
LOTS OF DEADLY LIGHTNING.

PERSONS IN THE VICINITY OF ANY OF THESE AFTERNOON AND EVENING
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS
WEATHER CONDITIONS OR UNUSUAL SURPRISES.  FOR EXAMPLE...PRESENTLY
DRY STREAMS...WASHES AND ROADWAYS CAN FILL QUICKLY WITH WATER FROM
A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM AND CAUSE SERIOS PROBLEMS SOME DISTANCE AWAY
FROM THE ACTUAL STORM.  BEING PREPARED ANzD USING CAUTION CAN
CERTAINLY SAVE LIVES.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE FOR
ANY ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OF BULLETINS.

END...SHOGREN
Special weather statement, Aug 24, 1:50 PM MST, 3 hours before
AZC003-019-023-241445-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON ARIZONA
150 PM MST TUE AUG 24 1993

AT 145 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED RAPIDLY
DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS IN PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA.
MOST OF THE NEW STORMS WERE IN COCHISE...SANTA CRUZ...AND
EASTERN PIMA COUNTIES.    A FEW WERE ALREADY QUITE STRONG.
SOME OF THE STRONGEST WERE ABOUT 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF DOUGLAS...
NEAR NOGALES...AND ABOUT 35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TUCSON.  MOVEMENT
HAD YET TO BE DETERMINED AT 145 PM...BUT THE STORMS SHOULD
GENERALLY MOVE TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AT AROUND 10 MPH.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.
SOME OF THE STORMS WILL BECOME QUITE STRONG...PRODUCING LOCALLY
HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WIND...POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL...AND
LOTS OF DEADLY LIGHTNING.

PERSONS IN THE VICINITY OF ANY OF THESE AFTERNOON AND EVENING
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS
WEATHER CONDITIONS OR UNUSUAL SURPRISES.  FOR EXAMPLE...PRESENTLY
DRY STREAMS...WASHES AND ROADWAYS CAN FILL QUICKLY WITH WATER FROM
A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM AND CAUSE SERIOS PROBLEMS SOME DISTANCE AWAY
FROM THE ACTUAL STORM.  BEING PREPARED AND USING CAUTION CAN
CERTAINLY SAVE LIVES.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE FOR
ANY ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OF BULLETINS.

END...SHOGREN
Special weather statement, Aug 24, 1:52 PM MST, 2 hours 58 minutes before
AZC003-019-023-241445-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON ARIZONA
150 PM MST TUE AUG 24 1993

AT 145 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED RAPIDLY
DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS IN PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA.
MOST OF THE NEW STORMS WERE IN COCHISE...SANTA CRUZ...AND
EASTERN PIMA COUNTIES.    A FEW WERE ALREADY QUITE STRONG.
SOME OF THE STRONGEST WERE ABOUT 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF DOUGLAS...
NEAR NOGALES...AND ABOUT 35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TUCSON.  MOVEMENT
HAD YET TO BE DETERMINED AT 145 PM...BUT THE STORMS SHOULD
GENERALLY MOVE TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AT AROUND 10 MPH.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.
SOME OF THE STORMS WILL BECOME QUITE STRONG...PRODUCING LOCALLY
HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WIND...POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL...AND
LOTS OF DEADLY LIGHTNING.

PERSONS IN THE VICINITY OF ANY OF THESE AFTERNOON AND EVENING
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS
WEATHER CONDITIONS OR UNUSUAL SURPRISES.  FOR EXAMPLE...PRESENTLY
DRY STREAMS...WASHES AND ROADWAYS CAN FILL QUICKLY WITH WATER FROM
A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM AND CAUSE SERIOS PROBLEMS SOME DISTANCE AWAY
FROM THE ACTUAL STORM.  BEING PR~EPARED AND USING CAUTION CAN
CERTAINLY SAVE LIVES.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE FOR
ANY ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OF BULLETINS.

END...SHOGREN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 24, 2:30 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise, Pima, Santa Cruz60 min
Aug 24, 3:15 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCCochise, Pima, Santa Cruz2 hr
Aug 24, 3:15 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise, Pima, Santa Cruz2 hr
Aug 24, 4:50 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise, Pima, Santa Cruz70 min

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.