Alert archive / Oklahoma / Flash Flood Warnings in 1998

Flash Flood Warning 37, NWS Tulsa, OK

September 14, 1998Ottawa County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this flash flood warning at Sep 14, 1998, 6:12 AM CDT for Ottawa County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 108 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties.

The facts

Issued
Sep 14, 1998, 6:12 AM CDT (11:12 UTC)
Expired
Sep 14, 1998, 8:00 AM CDT
In force
108 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Ottawa County, OK

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 97 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 11:11 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

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 00:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 93 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, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 1998-09-14Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 1998-09-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 286 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
888 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
286 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
349 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 KTUL 141115
FFWTUL
OKC115-141300-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
612 AM CDT MON SEP 14 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR
     OTTAWA COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA

* UNTIL 800 AM CDT

* AT 608 AM CDT RADAR INDICATED A BAND OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN 
MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-44.  ALTHOUGH THE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL 
WHICH PRODUCED UP TO 5 INCHES EARLIER THIS MORNING HAS TAPERED 
OFF...ADDITIONAL RAINFALL UP TO 1 INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH 8 
AM.  CREEKS AND SMALLER WATERWAYS WILL CONTINUE TO RISE EVEN AS THE 
RAIN ENDS. STREET FLOODING IN THE MIAMI AREA WILL LIKELY CONTINUE 
THROUGH 8 AM.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE... QUAPAW...PEORIA...OTTAWA...
  WYANDOTTE...NARCISSA...FAIRLAND...AFTON...COMMERCE AND MIAMI

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 HIGHER GROUND.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT
QUI
CKLY. MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY
IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

LAT...LON 3681 9499 3670 9497 3670 9465 3698 9465
          3698 9483

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 Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Sep 14, 4:55 AM CDT, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 14, 4:55 AM CDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
455 AM CDT MON SEP 14 1998

PROBLEM(S) OF THE DAY:
WILL THERE BE ANY FLOODING?
HOW MUCH RAIN WILL FALL?
POPS
LOW CLOUDS

REMNANTS OF FRANCES HAVE MOSTLY SPREAD NEWD INTO MO AHEAD OF SLOW
MOVING S/W TROUGH. INTERESTING SFC MAP SHOWS SFC LOW N OF CNU WITH
WK FRONT EXTENDING TO W OF BVO TO OKC TO CDS. WITH SLOW MOVEMENT OF
S/W TROF AND LACK OF SFC RIDGING BEHIND FRONT...THINK FRONT WILL NOT
MOVE VERY QUICKLY TODAY. AM NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT SHRA MOVING OUT OF
THE ERN ZONES...BUT DO THINK THAT RAINFALL RATES WILL DECREASE SOME
TODAY AS LIFTING WEAKENS AND PW VALUES DECREASE TO 1.5-2.0 INCHES VS
THE 2-2.3 INCH VALUES THE LAST 36 HOURS. MODELS..ESP THE ETA...KEEP
TRYING TO GEN UP SOME MORE PRECIP TO THE S ACROSS NE TX BUT DO NOT
SEE THE FORCING FOR THIS. ETA HAS A 40KT H3 JET ACROSS ERN OK WITH
GOOD HORIZ GRADIENT OF WIND SPEED IN THE RR QUAD BUT NGM IS MUCH
WEAKER. EXPECTED LL TEMP GRAD DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS FEATURE SO HAVE
SIDED MORE WITH NGM AND AVN QPF. THINK CHCS OF POST-FRONTAL PRECIP
WEST OF TROPICAL PLUME WILL BE MUCH LOWER THAN GUIDANCE BUT SHOULD AT
LEAST KEEP 30 POPS MAYBE HIGHER. DZ HAS MEASURED HERE AT KTUL IN THE
LAST 2 HOURS...ALWAYS A FORECASTERS NEMESIS.

LATEST MRF HOLDS BACK TROPICAL SYSTEM IN THE GULF. THE FUTURE OF THIS
FEATURE WILL BE IMPORTANT IF WE PLAN ON KEEPING POPS IN FCST FOR
FRIDAY ON. HAVE REMOVED POPS FOR FRIDAY...BIG S/W TROUGH OVER NW US
SHOULD BECOME BAROTROPIC OVER SRN CA AND NO BIG IMPACT ON LOCAL WX AS
WESTERLIES REMAIN JUST TO OUR N.

FCSTID = 26
TUL   81  65  83  63 /  60  30  30  20
FSM   77  71  83  65 / 100  70  40  30
MLC   79  69  84  64 /  90  60  40  20
BVO   85  62  85  63 /  30  20  20  20
FYV   76  68  79  62 / 100  70  40  30
IDB   78  71  85  65 / 100  60  30  20
BYV   76  68  79  62 / 100  70  40  30
MIO   79  66  81  62 /  90  60  30  30
MKO   79  69  84  64 /  90  60  40  20
F10   81  65  83  63 /  60  30  30  20
HHW   78  71  85  65 / 100  60  30  20

.TUL...
OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TODAY FOR ZONES OKZ049...OKZ053...
OKZ058...OKZ063...OKZ068>077.
AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TODAY FOR ZONES ARZ001>002...ARZ010>011...
ARZ019>020...ARZ029.

--------------------
EXPERIMENTAL OUTPUT:

EXPECTED MESOSCALE FEATURE: MODERATE AREAS/BANDS OF PRECIP
GENERAL WEATHER EXPECTED NEXT 24 HOURS: CONVECTIVE PRECIP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED NEXT 24 HOURS: GOOD CHANCE HEAVY RAINFALL
NGM CONFIDENCE:  7 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10
ETA CONFIDENCE:  6 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10
AVN CONFIDENCE:  7 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10
FCST CONFIDENCE: 8 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10
MOST USEFUL TOOL: MOD4EL GRIDS
BEST MODEL FIELD: PRECIP.. H7 OMEGA.. H3 AND H8 WINDS

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 14, 6:00 AM CDT, 12 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-151200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
600 AM CDT MON SEP 14 1998

THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM FRANCES WILL CONTINUE TO BRING HEAVY
RAINS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF FLASH FLOODING TO FAR EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS TODAY AND INTO TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE FLASH
FLOOD WATCH AND ANY FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE FOR MORE
INFORMATION ON THE FLOODING POTENTIAL.

A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO OCCUR...BUT DUE TO THE DEEP TROPICAL
MOISTURE...INSTABILITY WILL BE LIMITED. A FEW STORMS COULD PRODUCE WIND
GUSTS AROUND 40 MPH...BUT THEY ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS.

THIS OUTLOOK IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS CONCERNING TORNADOES...SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS...HIGH WIND EVENTS AND FLOODING. INFORMATION CONCERNING
OTHER HAZARDS CAN BE FOUND IN OTHER PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE.
Special weather statement, Sep 14, 6:00 AM CDT, 12 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-151200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
600 AM CDT MON SEP 14 1998

THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM FRANCES WILL CONTINUE TO BRING HEAVY
RAINS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF FLASH FLOODING TO FAR EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS TODAY AND INTO TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE FLASH
FLOOD WATCH AND ANY FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE FOR MORE
INFORMATION ON THE FLOODING POTENTIAL.

A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO OCCUR...BUT DUE TO THE DEEP TROPICAL
MOISTURE...INSTABILITY WILL BE LIMITED. A FEW STORMS COULD PRODUCE WIND
GUSTS AROUND 40 MPH...BUT THEY ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS.

THIS OUTLOOK IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS CONCERNING TORNADOES...SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS...HIGH WIND EVENTS AND FLOODING. INFORMATION CONCERNING
OTHER HAZARDS CAN BE FOUND IN OTHER PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 13, 11:37 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSACherokee, Muskogee3 hr
Sep 14, 1:25 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAAdair, Cherokee, Sequoyah4 hr
Sep 14, 3:18 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAOttawa3 hr
Sep 14, 4:54 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSADelaware3 hr
Sep 14, 5:02 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAMuskogee3 hr
Sep 14, 5:18 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAAdair, Cherokee, Sequoyah3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Oklahoma, 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.