Alert archive / Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 1998

Flash Flood Warning 65, NWS Blacksburg, VA

April 19, 1998Floyd County, Montgomery County, City of Radford, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this flash flood warning at Apr 19, 1998, 3:13 PM EDT for Floyd County, Montgomery County, City of Radford, Virginia. 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
Apr 19, 1998, 3:13 PM EDT (19:13 UTC)
Expired
Apr 19, 1998, 6:15 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Whole counties

Counties City of Radford, VA, Floyd County, VA, Montgomery County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 16 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:17 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

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 7.2 hours before the alert went out and 85 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 1998-04-19Temperature 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 1998-04-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 558 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
492 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
66 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
558 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
654 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KROA 191911
FFWRNK
VAC063-121-750-192215-

BULLETIN--IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WARNING FOR SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
313 PM EDT SUN APR 19 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WARNING FOR SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS FOR...
  FLOYD COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA
  MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA
  RADFORD IN SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 615 PM EDT

* AT 312 PM EDT... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  VERY HEAVY RAINFALL COUNTY WIDE .  A LARGE AREA OF HEAVY RAIN AND
  EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK THROUGH THE AREA
  THROUGH 400 PM.  RAIN SHOULD BEGIN TO TAPER OFF AFTER 400 PM...BUT
  CONTINUED RUNOFF WILL LIKELY BRING SOME SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS
  OUT OF THEIR BANKS.

* NEARLY TWO INCHES OF RAIN HAS BEEN INDICATED BY IFLOWS GAGES AND
  DOPPLER RADAR.  ANOTHER INCH OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE BETWEEN 312 PM
  AND 400 PM.

DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD!

NOGUEIRA

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 Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Apr 19, 2:44 PM EDT, 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 19, 2:44 PM EDT, 29 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
245 PM SUN APR 19 1998

RECOMMENDATIONS...
ALL...GREAT PHONE CONVERSATIONS TODAY.
.CRW...RUN WITH YOUR THOUGHTS REGARDING ZONES/WATCH.
RNK SPECIAL SOUNDING IS UNDERWAY THIS AFTERNOON AS REQUESTED

DISCUSSION...
KFCX 88D AT 18Z SHWD SHWRS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS MAINLY WEST OF
A CLT TO CHO LINE. REVIEW OF GSP 88D INDCTD A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING. SFC LOW WITH ASSOCIATED TROF NEARLY OVERHEAD WITH COLD
FRONT TRAILING SOUTH TO FL. AS PROGD LOW LIFTS N...COLD FRONT PUSHES
EAST. SOME TIMING DIFERENCES NOTED ON CD FROPA BUT PCP SHOULD END
TONIGHT. WEST FLOW AND LINGER LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MAY HOLD CLOUDS IN
THE WESTERN SLOPES. HOWEVER...HIGH PRES SLIDES EAST TONIGHT INTO
MONDAY. HIGH MOVES EAST ALLOWING CLIPPER TYPE SYSTEM HEAD OUR WAY ON
TUESDAY-TUESDAY NIGHT. JUST BEEN BOXED...
A FEW QUICK NUMBERS...
ROA 45/66/45/68 4111
LYH 48/68/45/67 5111
DAN 52/70/46/68 5111
RNK 44/63/43/65 3112
BLF 40/60/44/65 3112
KK

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 19, 11:30 AM EDT, 3 hours 43 minutes before
NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-
059-WVZ042>045-201200-

THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1130 AM EDT SUN APR 19 1998

...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE...

LOW PRESSURE OVER EASTERN TENNESSEE THIS AFTERNOON WILL MOVE ALONG
THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS TO A POSITION OVER THE PANHANDLE OF
MARYLAND THIS EVENING.  AS THE TRACKS NORTHEAST... A WARM FRONT WILL
LIFT ACROSS THE MID ATLANTIC REGION.  THIS WILL ALLOW UNSTABLE AIR TO
SPILL INTO THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA AND INTO FAR
SOUTHERN VIRGINIA.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE RISK AREA THIS
AFTERNOON THOUGH THIS EVENING AHEAD OF AN EASTWARD MOVING COLD
FRONT.  AS COLDER AIR ALOFT AND A STRONG JET STREAM ARRIVE LATE THIS
AFTERNOON...SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE.

THE MAIN THREAT IS EXPECTED TO BE DAMAGING WINDS.  THE DANGER WILL
BE HEIGHTENED BY THE RECENT AND EXPECTED RAINFALL.  TREES AND POORLY
SECURED STRUCTURES WILL BE TOPPLED MORE EASILY BECAUSE OF THE SOFT
GROUND.  LARGE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET
FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

DESROSIERS/KOSTURA
Special weather statement, Apr 19, 11:30 AM EDT, 3 hours 43 minutes before
NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-
059-WVZ042>045-201200-

THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1130 AM EDT SUN APR 19 1998

...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE...

LOW PRESSURE OVER EASTERN TENNESSEE THIS AFTERNOON WILL MOVE ALONG
THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS TO A POSITION OVER THE PANHANDLE OF
MARYLAND THIS EVENING.  AS THE TRACKS NORTHEAST... A WARM FRONT WILL
LIFT ACROSS THE MID ATLANTIC REGION.  THIS WILL ALLOW UNSTABLE AIR TO
SPILL INTO THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA AND INTO FAR
SOUTHERN VIRGINIA.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE RISK AREA THIS
AFTERNOON THOUGH THIS EVENING AHEAD OF AN EASTWARD MOVING COLD
FRONT.  AS COLDER AIR ALOFT AND A STRONG JET STREAM ARRIVE LATE THIS
AFTERNOON...SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE.

THE MAIN THREAT IS EXPECTED TO BE DAMAGING WINDS.  THE DANGER WILL
BE HEIGHTENED BY THE RECENT AND EXPECTED RAINFALL.  TREES AND POORLY
SECURED STRUCTURES WILL BE TOPPLED MORE EASILY BECAUSE OF THE SOFT
GROUND.  LARGE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET
FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

DESROSIERS/KOSTURA

The office that day

Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 19, 7:30 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKTazewell4 hr
Apr 19, 1:22 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKPulaski4 hr
Apr 19, 1:33 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKPulaski4 hr
Apr 19, 3:29 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKWythe3 hr
Apr 19, 4:10 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKHenry, Patrick3 hr
Apr 19, 5:02 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKPittsylvania, City of Danville63 min
Apr 19, 5:15 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKRockbridge, City of Buena Vista3 hr
Apr 19, 5:15 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKCity of Lexington3 hr
Apr 19, 6:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKCharlotte37 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Virginia, 1998Every flash flood warning in 1998

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.