Alert archive / New York / Flash Flood Warnings in 1996

Flash Flood Warning 71, NWS New York, NY

October 19, 1996Kings County, Queens County, New York

NWS New York, NY issued this flash flood warning at Oct 19, 1996, 9:15 PM EDT for Kings County, Queens County, New York. It was in force for 7 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
Oct 19, 1996, 9:15 PM EDT (01:15 UTC)
Expired
Oct 20, 1996, 4:00 AM EDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS New York, NY
Area
Whole counties

Counties Kings County, NY, Queens County, NY

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:17 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

Albany, NY (KALB), launched 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 227 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, Albany, NY at 00:00Z on 1996-10-20Temperature 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, Albany, NY at 00:00Z on 1996-10-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 247 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
934 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
247 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
408 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 KNYC 200119
FFWNYC
CTC001-007-009-011-NJC003-013-017-031-039-NYC005-047-
059-061-071-079-081-085-087-103-119-200800-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLOOD WARNING...EXTENDED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
915 PM EDT SAT OCT 19 1996

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEW YORK HAS EXTENDED THE
FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  400 AM EDT
FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

IN SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT

   FAIRFIELD...NEW HAVEN...MIDDLESEX...AND NEW LONDON COUNTIES

IN SOUTHEAST NEW YORK

   ORANGE...PUTNAM...WESTCHESTER...PUTNAM...BRONX...QUEENS...
   KING...RICHMOND...NEW YORK...NASSAU...AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES

IN NORTHERN NEW JERSEY

   PASSAIC...BERGEN...ESSEX...UNION...AND HUDSON COUNTIES

THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAS LIFTED NORTH OF NEW JERSEY INTO THE LOWER
HUDSON RIVER VALLEY AND ACROSS SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT. MOST SMALL
RIVERS AND STREAMS IN THE WARNING AREA HAVE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT
RISES... WITH MANY OVERTOPPING THEIR BANKS.

WIDESPREAD ROAD CLOSURES...SIGNIFICANT PONDING OF WATER...AND
EXTENSIVE FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS WILL CONTINUE DURING
THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD.

ALTHOUGH THE SIGNIFICANT RAIN HAS DECREASED ACROSS MUCH OF NEW
JERSEY...RUNOFF FROM THE HEAVIER RAIN WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT
SEVERAL HOURS CAUSING MINOR TO MODERATE FLOODING.

HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO FALL OVER SOUTHEAST NEW YORK AND 
SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT FOR SEVERAL MORE HOURS.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODS.  IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.
MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  D0 NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO
FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

MCKILLOP

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, Oct 19, 3:40 PM EDT, 5 hours 35 minutes before
NYZ067>081-501-502-508-NJZ002>006-011-CTZ005>012-191500

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND
WEATHER MAP DISCUSSION FOR EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK...
NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
340 PM EDT SAT OCT 19 1996

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED THE FOLLOWING WARNINGS AND
WATCHES...

...A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING FOR ALL COASTAL SECTIONS EXCEPT COASTAL
NEW LONDON AND COASTAL MIDDLESEX COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST CONNECTICUT AT
TIMES OF HIGH TIDE THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...

...A GALE WARNING FOR THE COASTAL WATERS...LONG ISLAND SOUND AND
NEW YORK HARBOR...

...A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR COASTAL SECTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN NEW
YORK...NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT THROUGH
SUNDAY...

 ...A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRI-STATE AREA THROUGH
SUNDAY...

...A FLOOD WARNING FOR THE ENTIRE TRI-STATE AREA...

...RIVER FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SADDLE RIVER...

A LOW PRESSURE CENTER CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER
OF PENNSYLVANIA WILL DRIFT SLOWLY TO THE EAST. ONCE THE LOW REACHES
THE NEW JERSEY COAST IT WILL RAPIDLY INTENSIFY.

THIS NOREASTER WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE NUMEROUS PROBLEMS FOR RESIDENTS
OF THE TRI-STATE AREA THIS EVENING WITH LITTLE RELIEF THROUGH SUNDAY
MORNING. THE NOREASTER IS CUT OFF FROM THE PREVAILING UPPER WIND FLOW
AND AS A RESULT WILL TAKE QUITE A WHILE BEFORE IT LOOSENS ITS HOLD ON
THE REGION.

STRONG ONSHORE WINDS WILL CONTINUE RESULTING IN COASTAL FLOODING AS
TIDES RISE IN RESPONSE TO WATER PILING UP ALONG THE COAST. HIGH TIDES
HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED EXCEPT IN LONG ISLAND SOUND AS OF THIS TIME.
MINOR TO MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED.  HIGH TIDES
SUNDAY MORNING WILL ALSO PRODUCE ANOTHER ROUND OF COASTAL FLOODING
WITH HIGH TIDES RANGING FROM 4 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. THESE LEVELS
WILL ONLY BE ABOUT 2 FEET LESS THAN THOSE PRODUCED BY THE GREAT
DECEMBER NOREASTER OF '92. PREPARE FOR MORE COASTAL FLOODING DURING
THE NIGHT.

WINDSWEPT SOAKING RAINS WILL ALSO CAUSE A VARIETY OF PROBLEMS. SMALL
STREAM...URBAN AND HIGHWAY FLOODING WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY
MORNING WHEN THE RAINS ARE EXPECTED TO START TO SLACKEN OFF. BEFORE
THAT HAPPENS THOUGH A GENERAL RAINFALL OF BETWEEN 2 AND 5 INCHES IS
EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION BEFORE THE STORM FINALLY PULLS AWAY.
SOME LOCALIZED AREAS MAY SEE EVEN HEAVIER AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL.
THESE HIGH AMOUNTS COULD EVEN CAUSE SOME OF THE LARGER RIVERS
ESPECIALLY IN THE PASSAIC BASIN...WHICH INCLUDE THE SADDLE RIVER AT
LODI AND THE RAMAPO RIVER AT MAHWAH...TO GO OVER THEIR BANKS. LOW
LYING ROADS AND PARKWAYS IN THE URBAN AREAS HAVE ALSO SEEN PONDING OF
WATER. MANY AREA ROADS REMAIN CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.

THE HIGH WINDS HAVE ALSO BEEN STRONG ENOUGH TO BRING DOWN LARGE
BRANCHES AND POWER LINES. MANY REPORTS OF POWER OUTAGES AND TREES ON
ROADWAYS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED AS OF THIS TIME. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE
EXPECTED TO OCCUR THIS EVENING THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF
SUNDAY. NEAR THE COAST...WINDS COULD REACH TO NEARLY 60 MPH AT TIMES
DURING THIS TIME FRAME. FURTHER INLAND THEY WILL NOT BE QUITE AS
STRONG BUT NEVER THE LESS WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS HERE AS WELL.

THIS LOW WILL BE A SLOW MOVER SO THE BULK OF THE WEEKEND IS EXPECTED
TO REMAIN WINDY AND RAINY. IN FACT...UNSETTLED WEATHER IS LIKELY TO
CONTINUE UNTIL WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE LOW FINALLY PULLS AWAY.

GOUDSWARD

The office that day

Everything else NWS New York, NY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 19, 9:15 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXNassau, Suffolk7 hr
Oct 19, 9:15 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXBronx, New York, Westchester7 hr
Oct 19, 9:15 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXOrange, Putnam, Rockland7 hr
Oct 19, 9:15 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXRichmond7 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in New York, 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.