Alert archive / Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 1996

Flash Flood Warning 49, NWS Morristown, TN

December 1, 1996Lee County, Scott County, Wise County, Virginia

NWS Morristown, TN issued this flash flood warning at Dec 1, 1996, 2:46 AM EST for Lee County, Scott County, Wise County, Virginia. It was in force for 6 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Dec 1, 1996, 2:46 AM EST (07:46 UTC)
Expired
Dec 1, 1996, 8:45 AM EST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Morristown, TN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Lee County, VA, Scott County, VA, Wise County, VA

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:47 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 270 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 1996-12-01Temperature 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 1996-12-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 431 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
489 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
431 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
504 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 KMRX 010749
FFWMRX
TNC013-025-035-049-129-145-151-VAC105-169-195-011345-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE TRI CITIES TN
246 AM EST (146 AM CST) SUN DEC 1 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KNOXVILLE TRI CITIES HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  845 AM EST (745 AM CST)
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN EAST TENNESSEE
 
   ...CAMPBELL COUNTY...CLAIBORNE COUNTY...CUMBERLAND COUNTY
   ...FENTRESS COUNTY...MORGAN COUNTY...ROANE COUNTY...SCOTT COUNTY
 
 
IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
 
   ...LEE COUNTY...SCOTT COUNTY...WISE COUNTY
 
AS OF 245 AM EST WIDESPREAD FLOODING CONTINUED TO OCCUR ACROSS MOST OF
THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. MANY ROADS
REMAIN TOTALLY IMPASSABLE DUE TO STANDING OR RISING WATER. ALSO NUMEROUS
SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS REMAIN ABOVE THEIR BANKS. SINCE THE RAIN IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR MOST OF THE NIGHT THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING
WILL ALSO CONTINUE.
 
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.

NWS Morristown, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Nov 30, 9:16 PM EST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 30, 9:16 PM EST, 5 hours 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN
910 PM EST SAT NOV 30 1996

NOT MUCH TIME TO LOOK AT ANYTHING DUE TO MULTIPLE WARNINGS.  KMRX 88D
IS SHOWING A BREAK IN THE PCPN ACROSS THE PLATEAU AND CNTRL AND SRN
VLYS.  HOWEVER MORE RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE IN LATER TONIGHT
AHEAD OF THE DIFFLUENT S/W TROUGH MOVING THROUGH TX AND OK.  TROPICAL
CONNECTION...LOW LVL THETA-E RDG...LLJ BETWEEN 40 AND 50 KNOTS ALONG
WITH IMPRESIVE UVVS WILL KEEP THE THREAT FOR MORE FLOODING TONIGHT AND
TMW MORNING ACROSS MOST OF MY CWA.

MB

In the hours before

Local storm report, Nov 30, 10:51 PM EST, 3 hours 55 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN
1031 PM EST SAT NOV 30 1996

TIME(EST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

400 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   CUMBERLAND                     MANY SECONDARY ROADS UNDER
                                          WATER AND CLOSED

420 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   MORGAN                         SOME SECONDARY ROADS CLOSED
                                          DUE TO FLOODING

455 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   FENTRESS                       ROADS CLOSED DUE TO RISING
                                          WATER...ESPECIALLY IN THE
                                          SOUTHERN PART OF COUNTY

455 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   SCOTT                          SOME SECONDARY ROADS UNDER
                                          WATER. LOCALIZED FLOODING IN
                                          ONEIDA.

545 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   CLAIBORNE                      2 BRIDGES UNDER WATER. 4
                                          HOMES FLOODED.

745 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   FENTRESS                       7 ROADS CLOSED. SMALL
                                          BRIDGES AND LOW SPOTS
                                          FLOODED.

745 PM     BIG STONE GAP             VA   FLOODING
11/30/96   WISE                           FOUR FEET OF WATER IN A
                                          PARKING LOT

745 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   SCOTT                          EVACUATION OF SOME HOMES. 13
                                          ROADS CLOSED.

745 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   MORGAN                         MINOR FLOODING OF LOW-LYING
                                          AREAS REPORTED.

800 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   SCOTT                          FOUR FT OF WATER IN RIGGS
                                          CHAPEL CHURCH. WATER OVER
                                          MANY ROADS.

850 PM                               VA   FLOODING
11/30/96   LEE                            MANY STREAMS REPORTED TO BE
                                          OUT OF THEIR BANKS.

915 PM                               VA   FLOODING
11/30/96   LEE                            NORTH FORK OF POWELL RIVER
                                          OUT OF ITS BANKS...2 FT FROM
                                          ROUTE 606.

930 PM     BIG STONE GAP             VA   FLOODING
11/30/96   WISE                           1 1/2 FEET OF WATER ON ROADS
                                          WEST OF BIG STONE GAP AND
                                          RISING RAPIDLY.
Local storm report, Nov 30, 11:05 PM EST, 3 hours 41 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN
1100 PM EST SAT NOV 30 1996

TIME(EST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

400 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   CUMBERLAND                     MANY SECONDARY ROADS UNDER
                                          WATER AND CLOSED

420 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   MORGAN                         SOME SECONDARY ROADS CLOSED
                                          DUE TO FLOODING

455 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   FENTRESS                       ROADS CLOSED DUE TO RISING
                                          WATER...ESPECIALLY IN THE
                                          SOUTHERN PART OF COUNTY

455 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   SCOTT                          SOME SECONDARY ROADS UNDER
                                          WATER. LOCALIZED FLOODING IN
                                          ONEIDA.

545 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   CLAIBORNE                      2 BRIDGES UNDER WATER. 4
                                          HOMES FLOODED.

745 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   FENTRESS                       7 ROADS CLOSED. SMALL
                                          BRIDGES AND LOW SPOTS
                                          FLOODED.

745 PM     BIG STONE GAP             VA   FLOODING
11/30/96   WISE                           FOUR FEET OF WATER IN A
                                          PARKING LOT

745 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   SCOTT                          EVACUATION OF SOME HOMES. 13
                                          ROADS CLOSED.

745 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   MORGAN                         MINOR FLOODING OF LOW-LYING
                                          AREAS REPORTED.

800 PM                               TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   SCOTT                          FOUR FT OF WATER IN RIGGS
                                          CHAPEL CHURCH. WATER OVER
                                          MANY ROADS.

830 PM     CLAIRFIELD                TN   FLOODING
11/30/96   CLAIBORNE                      CLAIRFIELD COMMUNITY
                                          COMPLETELY CUT-OFF DUE TO
                                          RISING WATER FROM
                                          SURROUNDING CREEKS AND ROCK
                                          SLIDES

850 PM                               VA   FLOODING
11/30/96   LEE                            MANY STREAMS REPORTED TO BE
                                          OUT OF THEIR BANKS.

915 PM                               VA   FLOODING
11/30/96   LEE                            NORTH FORK OF POWELL RIVER
                                          OUT OF ITS BANKS...2 FT FROM
                                          ROUTE 606.

930 PM     BIG STONE GAP             VA   FLOODING
11/30/96   WISE                           1 1/2 FEET OF WATER ON R0OADS
                                          WEST OF BIG STONE GAP AND
                                          RISING RAPIDLY.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Morristown, TN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 30, 7:19 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningMRXWise4 hr
Nov 30, 8:25 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningMRXScott3 hr
Nov 30, 10:03 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningMRXLee3 hr
Nov 30, 11:43 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningMRXWise3 hr
Dec 1, 1:00 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningMRXLee, Scott5 hr
Dec 1, 8:55 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningMRXWise3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Virginia, 1996Every flash flood warning in 1996

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.