Alert archive / New York / Flash Flood Warnings in 1997

Flash Flood Warning 6, NWS New York, NY

July 15, 1997Queens County, New York

NWS New York, NY issued this flash flood warning at Jul 15, 1997, 7:40 PM EDT for Queens County, New York. It was in force for 3 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
Jul 15, 1997, 7:40 PM EDT (23:40 UTC)
Expired
Jul 15, 1997, 10:45 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS New York, NY
Area
Whole counties

County Queens County, NY

The radar

The Brookhaven radar (KOKX), 85 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:40 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 (KALY), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 226 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 12:00Z on 1997-07-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1020 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, Albany, NY at 12:00Z on 1997-07-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 24 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
1020 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-62 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
794 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
24 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
46 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 152341
FFWNYC
NYC081-160245-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
740 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEW YORK HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1045 PM EDT
FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHEAST NEW YORK
 
   ...NORTHWESTERN QUEENS COUNTY
 
AS OF 740 PM...NEARLY 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN FROM THE SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM IN QUEENS NEAR LAGUARDIA AIRPORT...WITH RADAR ESTIMATES OF
AROUND 5 INCHES. THE HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST 800
PM. THIS WILL CAUSE LOCALIZED ROADWAY FLOODING...ESPECIALLY ON THE GRAND
CENTRAL PARKWAY.
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE fWATER 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 HIGHER GROUND.
 
REYNOLDS/TONGUE

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, Jul 15, 3:00 PM EDT, 4 hours 40 minutes before
NYZ067>081-NJZ002>006-011-CTZ005>012-160230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER MAP DISCUSSION FOR
EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK...NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY
AND SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK
300 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 1997

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS EXTENDED THE HEAT ADVISORY
THROUGH THURSDAY FOR NEW YORK CITY AND THE URBAN AREAS OF
NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY FOR DAYTIME HEAT INDICIES NEAR 105 DEGREES
AND NIGHTTIME HEAT INDICIES REMAINING ABOVE 80 DEGREES...

THE HEAT AND OPPRESSIVE HUMIDITY WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE
OF DAYS AT LEAST. THIS COMBINATION WILL PUSH THE HEAT INDEX...A
MEASURE OF JUST HOW HOT IT FEELS...TO AROUND 105 DEGREES DURING THE
AFTERNOON HOURS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. NIGHTTIME HEAT INDICIES
WILL REMAIN ABOVE 80 DEGREES.

USE CAUTION AND COMMON SENSE DURING THIS ONGOING HEAT WAVE. DRINK
PLENTY OF FLUIDS...WEAR LOOSE AND LIGHT COLORED CLOTHING AND NEVER
LEAVE CHILDREN OR PETS IN AN ENCLOSED CAR FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME. TRY
TO SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS YOU CAN IN COOLER PLACES. COASTAL LOCATIONS
WOULD BE A FAIRLY GOOD PLACE TO ESCAPE THE BRUNT OF THE HEAT AS
COOLING SEA BREEZES DEVELOP EACH DAY.

WITH REGARD TO OTHER ASPECTS OF THE WEATHER...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS
HAVE DEVELOPED NORTH AND WEST OF THE CITY. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL
PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS...HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS INTO THE EVENING HOURS. AT
THIS TIME IT APPEARS THAT THEY WILL NOT MOVE INTO THE COASTAL AREAS
BEFORE THEY DISSIPATE WITH THE SETTING OF THE SUN.

OVERNIGHT SKIES WILL BE PARTLY CLOUDY BUT HAZY. TEMPERATURES WILL
STAY QUITE WARM AND CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN VERY MUGGY.

WEDNESDAY WILL FEATURE A MIX OF HAZY SUN AND CLOUDS. A WEAKENING COLD
FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WILL TRIGGER SOME ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS.

THIS FRONT BASICALLY FALLS APART ACROSS THE TRI-STATE REGION
WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. AS SUCH THERE WILL NOT BE A SIGNIFICANT
CHANGE OF AIRMASS...MEANING TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL
REMAIN AT RATHER UNCOMFORTABLE LEVELS.

IT APPEARS THAT SOME REAL RELIEF FOR THE HEAT WAVE WILL ARRIVE
SATURDAY WHEN A FAIRLY DECENT COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PASS THROUGH
THE AREA.

STALKER
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 3:04 PM EDT, 4 hours 36 minutes before
NYZ067>081-NJZ002>006-011-CTZ005>012-160230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER MAP DISCUSSION FOR
EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK...NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY
AND SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK
300 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 1997

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS EXTENDED THE HEAT ADVISORY
THROUGH THURSDAY FOR NEW YORK CITY AND THE URBAN AREAS OF
NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY FOR DAYTIME HEAT INDICIES NEAR 105 DEGREES
AND NIGHTTIME HEAT INDICIES REMAINING ABOVE 80 DEGREES...

THE HEAT AND OPPRESSIVE HUMIDITY WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE
OF DAYS AT LEAST. THIS COMBINATION WILL PUSH THE HEAT INDEX...A
MEASURE OF JUST HOW HOT IT FEELS...TO AROUND 105 DEGREES DURING THE
AFTERNOON HOURS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. NIGHTTIME HEAT INDICIES
WILL REMAIN ABOVE 80 DEGREES.

USE CAUTION AND COMMON SENSE DURING THIS ONGOING HEAT WAVE. DRINK
PLENTY OF FLUIDS...WEAR LOOSE AND LIGHT COLORED CLOTHING AND NEVER
LEAVE CHILDREN OR PETS IN AN ENCLOSED CAR FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME. TRY
TO SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS YOU CAN IN COOLER PLACES. COASTAL LOCATIONS
WOULD BE A FAIRLY GOOD PLACE TO ESCAPE THE BRUNT OF THE HEAT AS
COOLING SEA BREEZES DEVELOP EACH DAY.

WITH REGARD TO OTHER ASPECTS OF THE WEATHER...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS
HAVE DEVELOPED NORTH AND WEST OF THE CITY. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL
PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS...HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS INTO THE EVENING HOURS. AT
THIS TIME IT APPEARS THAT THEY WILL NOT MOVE INTO THE COASTAL AREAS
BEFORE THEY DISSIPATE WITH THE SETTING OF THE SUN.

OVERNIGHT SKIES WILL BE PARTLY CLOUDY BUT HAZY. TEMPERATURES WILL
STAY QUITE WARM AND CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN VERY MUGGY.

WEDNESDAY WILL FEATURE A MIX OF HAZY SUN AND CLOUDS. A WEAKENING COLD
FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WILL TRIGGER SOME ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS.

THIS FRONT BASICALLY FALLS APART ACROSS THE TRI-STATE REGION
WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. AS SUCH THERE WILL NOT BE A SIGNIFICANT
CHANGE OF AIRMASS...MEANING TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL
REMAIN AT RATHER UNCOMFORTABLE LEVELS.

IT APPEARS THAT SOME REAL RELIEF FOR THE HEAT WAVE WILL ARRIVE
SATURDAY WHEN A FAIRLY DECENT COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PASS THROUGH
THE AREA.

STALKER
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 5:51 PM EDT, 1 hour 49 minutes before
NYZ078>081-160900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - FIRE DANGER FOR SUFFOLK COUNTY NY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK
551 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 1997

...FIRE DANGER IS INCREASING ACROSS SUFFOLK COUNTY NEW YORK...

DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WELL INTO THE 80S AND 90S EACH DAY FOR NEARLY A
MONTH COMBINED WITH MINIMAL RAINFALL HAS CAUSED VERY DRY CONDITIONS
TO DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF SUFFOLK COUNTY.  RAINFALL SINCE JUNE 1ST
HAS ONLY BEEN BETWEEN 2 AND 2.5 INCHES AT MOST REPORTING STATIONS...
AND LESS THAN 1/4 INCH OF RAIN SINCE JULY 1ST.  RAINFALL HAS ONLY
TOTALLED 2.33 INCHES AT THE BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABS IN UPTON NY
SINCE JUNE 1ST.

THESE DRY AND WARM CONDITIONS HAVE INCREASED THE CHANCES FOR BRUSH
OR GRASS FIRES ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF LONG ISLAND.  UNTIL SOME
SUBSTANTIAL RAINFALL OCCURS...PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PREVENT
FIRES FROM STARTING.

EXTREME CAUTION SHOULD BE USED WITH ANY FLAMMABLE MATERIALS BEING
USED OUTDOORS.  DON/T TOSS LIT CIGARETTES OR DRIVE VEHICLES ONTO
GRASSY AREAS.  BARBEQUES AND CAMPFIRES NEED TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED
AND SHOULD BE COMPLETELY EXTINGUISHED BEFORE LEAVING.

REYNOLDS
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 5:52 PM EDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before
NYZ078>081-160900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - FIRE DANGER FOR SUFFOLK COUNTY NY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK
551 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 1997

...FIRE DANGER IS INCREASING ACROSS SUFFOLK COUNTY NEW YORK...

DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WELL INTO THE 80S AND 90S EACH DAY FOR NEARLY A
MONTH COMBINED WITH MINIMAL RAINFALL HAS CAUSED VERY DRY CONDITIONS
TO DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF SUFFOLK COUNTY.  RAINFALL SINCE JUNE 1ST
HAS ONLY BEEN BETWEEN 2 AND 2.5 INCHES AT MOST REPORTING STATIONS...
AND LESS THAN 1/4 INCH OF RAIN SINCE JULY 1ST.  RAINFALL HAS ONLY
TOTALLED 2.33 INCHES AT THE BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABS IN UPTON NY
SINCE JUNE 1ST.

THESE DRY AND WARM CONDITIONS HAVE INCREASED THE CHANCES FOR BRUSH
OR GRASS FIRES ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF LONG ISLAND.  UNTIL SOME
SUBSTANTIAL RAINFALL OCCURS...PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PREVENT
FIRES FROM STARTING.

EXTREME CAUTION SHOULD BE USED WITH ANY FLAMMABLE MATERIALS BEING
USED OUTDOORS.  DON/T TOSS LIT CIGARETTES OR DRIVE VEHICLES ONTO
GRASSY AREAS.  BARBEQUES AND CAMPFIRES NEED TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED
AND SHOULD BE COMPLETELY EXTINGUISHED BEFORE LEAVING.

REYNOLDS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 15, 6:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOKXQueens44 min
Jul 15, 6:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOKXBronx, New York44 min
Jul 15, 7:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOKXQueens47 min
Jul 15, 7:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOKXBronx47 min
Jul 15, 7:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOKXWestchester64 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in New York, 1997Every flash flood warning in 1997

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.