Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 1995

Flash Flood Warning 9, NWS Wakefield, VA

July 4, 1995Hertford County, Northampton County, North Carolina

NWS Wakefield, VA issued this flash flood warning at Jul 4, 1995, 8:26 PM EDT for Hertford County, Northampton County, North Carolina. It was in force for 93 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 4, 1995, 8:26 PM EDT (00:26 UTC)
Expired
Jul 4, 1995, 9:59 PM EDT
In force
93 min
Issued by
NWS Wakefield, VA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Hertford County, NC, Northampton County, NC

The nearest sounding before it

Newport, NC (KMHX), launched 00:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 181 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, Newport, NC at 00:00Z on 1995-07-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1375 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, Newport, NC at 00:00Z on 1995-07-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -11 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
1375 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-19 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
832 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-11 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
22 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KAKQ 050028
FFWAKQ
NCC131-091-050230-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
826 PM EDT TUE JUL 4 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WAKEFIELD HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...EASTERN NORTHAMPTON COUNTY
 
IN NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...NORTHERN HERTFORD COUNTY
 
AT 820 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
CONTINUING OVER NORTHERN HERTFORD AND EASTERN NORTHAMPTON COUNTIES. THE
STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES WEST OF MURFREESBORO NORTH CAROLINA.
 
THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR...AND HAVE
HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN.  2.5 INCHES OF RAIN WAS
REPORTED IN SOUTH HILL VIRGINIA IN A 45 MINUTE PERIOD BY A STORM
SPOTTER.
 
RADAR-BASED ONE HOUR PRECIPITATION ESTIMATES WERE 2.5 TO 3.0 INCHES NEAR
MURFREESBORO NORTH CAROLINA.
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS
OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.
 
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 HIGHERB GROUND.
 
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
 
SMITH/COBB
 
&

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.

NWS Wakefield, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jul 4, 1:27 PM EDT, 6 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 4, 1:27 PM EDT, 6 hours 59 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
123 PM TUE JUL 4 1995

WBC...LIKED WRKZFP...CUD ADD 20% OR 30% FOR INTERIOR VA ZNS TMRW.

RDU...NO CHGS.

CWFWBC...NO CHGS.

CWFRDU...NO CHGS.

ON THE SHORT TERM...ADAP AND SFC PLOT NAILING AREA OF SCT PINPOINT SIZED
RW/TRW. SSW WNDS OVR WRN VA/NC CNVRGS WTH SSE FLOW OVR ERN NC/VA.  ADAP
ALSO NAILING BEST CNVRGNC OVR NRN VA AND CNTRL MD.  AXIS OF CNVCTN ALSO
NCLY ALIGNS WTH WHERE CLOUDY/SUNNY LN WAS THS MORN.  SAT PIX SHWS THE
INTERIOR CLOUDS CONT TO DSPT.  SAT PIX ALSO SHWS LTL S/WV OVR NRN GULF
MVG TWD NC/VA WHCH CUD ARRIVE TMRW.  SW FLOW INLAND TOOK ME A LTL
OFFGUARD BUT NOW THAT IT'S ESTABLISHED...SHUD CONT THRU THE DAY AND
AXIS OF CNVRGNC SHUD SLWLY SHFT INLAND.  ATMOSPHERE TOO UNIFORMLY
UNSTBL FOR SVR TRW...ALL RW/TRW FIGHTING EACH OTHER.

ON THE BROADER SCENE...12Z MDLS CAN'T BE USED IN THIS SITUATION...IN A
GENERAL SENSE...BNDRY LYR WND FLDS SUGG CONT CNVRGNC OF SW FLOW INLAND
AND ONSHOR FLOW ON COAST.  NGM HAS BEST HNDL ON Q-VEC FRCG BUT ETA AND
NGM AMBIGUOUS WTH LOW LVL MOISTURE CNVRGNC.  LOW LVL THETA-E RDG POKES
INTO CNTRL AND WRN VA WTH STG GRAD ALG THE COAST DUE TO MARITIME
INFLUENCE.  AVN DSN'T HV ABILITY TO RESOLVE LTL S/WVS AND NOTICED ETA
AND NGM HV A WK VORT LOBE SWINGING THRU CNTRL/WRN NC/VA WTH SHEAR AXIS
THRU ERN VA/NC TMRW.  SYS OVR NRN GULF CUD PROPAGATE TO NC/VA AND HELP
TRIGGER TRW TMRW.  ALL THIS ADDS UP TO SIMILAR CONDS TMRW AS TDY SO AT
LEAST SLGT CHC FOR TMRW EVEN THO GDNC LWRD POPS FOR TMRW. NGM
INTERESTING THO WTH FRLY DEEP N FLOW ABV H5 IN 24-48 HRS. CUD BE
PRECURSOR TO BACKDOOR IN XTND PDS.

CSTL WTRS FCSTS GUD PER CURRENT CONDS...TRENDS AND GDNC.

RIC 70/90/71/90  2333    ORF 71/88/71/90  2233
SBY 70/90/70/91  2223    ECG 72/88/72/89  2233

NS

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 4, 3:49 PM EDT, 4 hours 37 minutes before
VAZ074-075-076-042145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
349 PM EDT TUE JUL 4 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN THE NORTHERN NECK AREA OF
VIRGINIA...

WESTMORELAND AND RICHMOND COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED SOME PONDING
OF WATER WAS BEGINNING TO OCCUR ON SECONDARY ROADS.  STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO REDEVELOP OVER THE AREA...MOVING SLOWLY
NORTHEAST AT AROUND 15 MPH.

WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED BETWEEN 3 AND 4 INCHES OF RAIN
HAS FALLEN OVER THE AREA TODAY AND RAINFALL RATES CONTINUE TO BE AROUND
1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE OUT OF THE AREA BY
5PM.

RESIDENTS IN THE NORTHERN NECK AREA OF VIRGINIA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
POSSIBLE LOCAL FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.  MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED NOT
TO DRIVE THROUGH DEEP WATER ON ROADWAYS.  FREQUENT LIGHTNING...SMALL
HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS SO PEOPLE
ARE ADVISED TO STAY INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS PASS.

REPORT ANY FLOODING OR SEVERE WEATHER TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR
RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.  STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

NS
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 3:50 PM EDT, 4 hours 36 minutes before
VAZ074-075-076-042145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
349 PM EDT TUE JUL 4 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN THE NORTHERN NECK AREA OF
VIRGINIA...

WESTMORELAND AND RICHMOND COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED SOME PONDING
OF WATER WAS BEGINNING TO OCCUR ON SECONDARY ROADS.  STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO REDEVELOP OVER THE AREA...MOVING SLOWLY
NORTHEAST AT AROUND 15 MPH.

WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED BETWEEN 3 AND 4 INCHES OF RAIN
HAS FALLEN OVER THE AREA TODAY AND RAINFALL RATES CONTINUE TO BE AROUND
1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE OUT OF THE AREA BY
5PM.

RESIDENTS IN THE NORTHERN NECK AREA OF VIRGINIA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
POSSIBLE LOCAL FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.  MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED NOT
TO DRIVE THROUGH DEEP WATER ON ROADWAYS.  FREQUENT LIGHTNING...SMALL
HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS SO PEOPLE
ARE ADVISED TO STAY INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS PASS.

REPORT ANY FLOODING OR SEVERE WEATHER TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR
RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.  STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

NS
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 5:10 PM EDT, 3 hours 16 minutes before
VAZ081-088-089-042215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
510 PM EDT TUE JUL 4 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN
VIRGINIA...

AT 500 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE
LOCATED OVER WESTERN SUSSEX AND PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY NEAR THE
TOWNS OF STONY CREEK AND CARSON.

THESE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH AND WILL
MOVE INTO PORTIONS OF SURRY AND CHARLES CITY COUNTIES IN THE NEXT
HOUR

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DEADLY LIGHTNING...STRONG
GUSTY WINDS...AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES
OF 1.5 INCHES IN THE PAST HOUR WERE NOTED NEAR STONY CREEK.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS WITH THESE STORMS.

DS
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 5:11 PM EDT, 3 hours 15 minutes before
VAZ081-088-089-042215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
510 PM EDT TUE JUL 4 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN
VIRGINIA...

AT 500 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE
LOCATED OVER WESTERN SUSSEX AND PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY NEAR THE
TOWNS OF STONY CREEK AND CARSON.

THESE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH AND WILL
MOVE INTO PORTIONS OF SURRY AND CHARLES CITY COUNTIES IN THE NEXT
HOUR

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DEADLY LIGHTNING...STRONG
GUSTY WINDS...AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES
OF 1.5b INCHES IN THE PAST HOUR WERE NOTED NEAR STONY CREEK.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS WITH THESE STORMS.

DS
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 6:28 PM EDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before
VAZ088-092-042330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
628 PM EDT TUE JUL 4 1995

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SUSSEX COUNTY AND WESTERN
SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY HAS EXPIRED...

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SUSSEX COUNTY UNTIL 7
PM...

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN
SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY UNTIL 7 PM...

AT 625 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
OVER DREWRYVILLE IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY.

THIS STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS ARE ENCOURAGED TO FORWARD ANY STORM REPORTS TO LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 1-800-697-3373.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

SMITH
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 6:29 PM EDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
VAZ088-092-042330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
628 PM EDT TUE JUL 4 1995

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SUSSEX COUNTY AND WESTERN
SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY HAS EXPIRED...

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SUSSEX COUNTY UNTIL 7
PM...

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN
SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY UNTIL 7 PM...

AT 625 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
OVER DREWRYVILLE IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY.

THIS STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS ARE ENCOURAGED TO FORWARD ANY STORM REPORTS TO LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 1-800-697-3373.

ST^AY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

SMITH

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 1995Every flash flood warning in 1995

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.