Alert archive / Oklahoma / Flash Flood Warnings in 1998

Flash Flood Warning 52, NWS Tulsa, OK

October 5, 19987 counties in Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this flash flood warning at Oct 5, 1998, 7:55 AM CDT for 7 counties in Oklahoma. 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 outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties.

The facts

Issued
Oct 5, 1998, 7:55 AM CDT (12:55 UTC)
Expired
Oct 5, 1998, 10:45 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

Counties Cherokee County, OK, Mayes County, OK, Muskogee County, OK, Okmulgee County, OK, Rogers County, OK, Tulsa County, OK, Wagoner County, OK

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 36 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:58 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 12:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 188 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 12:00Z on 1998-10-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 263 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 1998-10-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 323 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
263 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-97 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
570 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
323 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
352 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
4.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTUL 051255
FFWTUL
ARC007-OKC001-021-035-037-041-097-101-107-111-115-131-143-145-051545-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
755 AM CDT MON OCT 5 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR
     OKFUSKEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
     CHEROKEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
     ADAIR COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
     MUSKOGEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
     CRAIG COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     TULSA COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     WAGONER COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     ROGERS COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     MAYES COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     OTTAWA COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     CREEK COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     OKMULGEE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     DELAWARE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     BENTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

* UNTIL 1045 AM CDT

* AT 745 AM CDT RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN CONTINUING ACROSS A 
LARGE PART OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF ARKANSAS. 
RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH 700 AM HAVE TOTALLED 5 TO 6 INCHES OR MORE 
ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA...INCLUDING THE TULSA AREA. 
SERIOUS FLOODING HAS ALREADY BEEN REPORTED IN MANY URBAN AREAS...AND 
ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS THIS MORNING WILL LEAD TO ADDITIONAL FLOODING 
PROBLEMS.

THE AREA OF RAIN WAS SHIFTING SLOWLY TO THE SOUTHEAST...AND THE 
HEAVY RAINS WILL GRADUALLY END FROM NORTH TO SOUTH ACROSS THE 
MIAMI...TULSA...AND BRISTOW AREAS AFTER 900 AM. 

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS AND OTHER
LOW LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLASH FLOODING.

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.

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 OTHER 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 HIGER GROUND.

LAT...LON 3548 9642 3535 9625 3559 9575 3573 9497
          3583 9461 3621 9457 3632 9411 3694 9483
          3574 9663

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 Oct 5, 3:55 AM CDT, 4 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 5, 3:55 AM CDT, 4 hours before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1010 AM CDT MON OCT 5 1998

HEAVY RAIN HAS SHIFTED SOUTHEAST AND IS STILL MAKING PROGRESS
EASTWARD. HOWEVER BIG PIECE OF ENERGY STILL TO ROUND BASE OF
UPPER TROF AND MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT. SURFACE COLD FRONT WAS EXTENDED FROM NEAR MIAMI TO
OKEMAH BUT 850 MB TROF IS STILL NORTHWEST OF THE FORECAST
AREA. SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND MOVE
NORTHEAST OVER NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA WITH MAIN AREAS OF
THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAINS SOUTHEAST OF CURRENT POSITION
OF SURFACE COLD FRONT. DUE TO CURRENT RUNOFF AND FLASH FLOOD
WARNINGS IN EFFECT WON'T CANCEL  ANY OF THE FFA AT THIS
TIME...BUT THREAT WILL HAVE SHIFTED INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON...SO PLAN ON SHAVING
OFF NORTHWEST PART OF WATCH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.

WILL UPDATE ZONES TO LOWER MAXES BEHIND COLD FRONT WHERE CLOUDS
SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES FROM RISING MUCH.
TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE STEADY OR FALL WITH PRECIP OVER THE
REST OF THE AREA...EXCEPT NEAR RED RIVER WHERE SUNSHINE
COULD LET TEMPS WARM INTO MID 80S. THREAT FOR SEVERE SHOULD
BE LIMITED TO THAT AREA...BUT WILL HAVE TO MONITOR LEADING
EDGE OF STORMS FOR POSSIBLE INTENSIFICATION. UPDATED ZONES
SHOULD BE OUT BY 11AM.

.TUL...
OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TODAY FOR ZONES OKZ049...OKZ053>077.

AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TODAY FOR ZONES $ARZ001>002...ARZ010>011...
ARZ019>020...ARZ029.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 5, 6:00 AM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-061200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
600 AM CDT MON OCT 5 1998

A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THROUGH TONIGHT.

EARLY THIS MORNING A POWERFUL UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WAS LOCATED OVER
THE CENTRAL PART OF THE COUNTRY.  THIS SYSTEM WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR
WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER THAT OCCURRED OVER MUCH OF THE AREA SINCE
YESTERDAY.  THIS SYSTEM WILL MOVE LITTLE THROUGH TONIGHT...THUS THE
THREAT FOR ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER OVER EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS WILL CONTINUE.

EARLY THIS MORNING A FRONTAL SYSTEM STRETCHED FROM EASTERN KANSAS DOWN
ACROSS OKLAHOMA TO A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA.
AHEAD OF THE FRONT VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO
PREVAIL AND SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN ONGOING...MAINLY OVER
NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS MORNING.

IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH TONIGHT...VERY HEAVY
RAINS THAT HAVE FALLEN SINCE LAST EVENING HAVE LEFT THE GROUND SATURATED
OVER MUCH OF THE AREA.  THIS WILL POSE THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING
ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH TONIGHT AS ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO
POSSIBLE.

WITH THE FRONT SLOWLY EXPECTED TO SAG TO THE SOUTHEAST DURING THE
DAY...THE MAIN THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE FROM SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
INTO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BY THIS AFTERNOON...CONTINUING INTO THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS.  THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS.

CIVIL DEFENSE AGENCIES AND SPOTTER GROUPS ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION TODAY
AND TONIGHT.

THIS OUTLOOK IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS CONCERNING TORNADOES...SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS...HIGH WIND EVENTS...FLOODING AND WINTER WEATHER.
INFORMATION CONCERNING OTHER HAZARDS CAN BE FOUND IN OTHER PRODUCTS
ISSUED BY THE TULSA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.
Special weather statement, Oct 5, 6:00 AM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-061200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
600 AM CDT MON OCT 5 1998

A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THROUGH TONIGHT.

EARLY THIS MORNING A POWERFUL UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WAS LOCATED OVER
THE CENTRAL PART OF THE COUNTRY.  THIS SYSTEM WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR
WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER THAT OCCURRED OVER MUCH OF THE AREA SINCE
YESTERDAY.  THIS SYSTEM WILL MOVE LITTLE THROUGH TONIGHT...THUS THE
THREAT FOR ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER OVER EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS WILL CONTINUE.

EARLY THIS MORNING A FRONTAL SYSTEM STRETCHED FROM EASTERN KANSAS DOWN
ACROSS OKLAHOMA TO A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA.
AHEAD OF THE FRONT VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO
PREVAIL AND SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN ONGOING...MAINLY OVER
NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS MORNING.

IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH TONIGHT...VERY HEAVY
RAINS THAT HAVE FALLEN SINCE LAST EVENING HAVE LEFT THE GROUND SATURATED
OVER MUCH OF THE AREA.  THIS WILL POSE THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING
ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH TONIGHT AS ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO
POSSIBLE.

WITH THE FRONT SLOWLY EXPECTED TO SAG TO THE SOUTHEAST DURING THE
DAY...THE MAIN THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE FROM SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
INTO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BY THIS AFTERNOON...CONTINUING INTO THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS.  THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS.

CIVIL DEFENSE AGENCIES AND SPOTTER GROUPS ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION TODAY
AND TONIGHT.

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

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 4, 7:00 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAPawnee45 min
Oct 4, 7:35 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAOsage, Pawnee40 min
Oct 4, 8:12 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAOsage48 min
Oct 4, 8:20 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAPawnee25 min
Oct 4, 8:30 PM CDTTornado WarningTSACreek45 min
Oct 4, 8:39 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAOsage, Pawnee51 min
Oct 4, 9:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSATulsa, Washington29 min
Oct 4, 9:11 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAOsage, Pawnee3 hr
Oct 4, 9:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSANowata, Rogers34 min
Oct 4, 9:27 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAOsage, Pawnee33 min
Oct 4, 9:40 PM CDTTornado WarningTSACreek, Okfuskee50 min
Oct 4, 9:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACraig, Nowata, Rogers56 min
Oct 4, 9:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage36 min
Oct 4, 10:02 PM CDTTornado WarningTSATulsa, Washington43 min
Oct 4, 10:11 PM CDTTornado WarningTSACraig, Nowata49 min
Oct 4, 10:26 PM CDTTornado WarningTSARogers34 min
Oct 4, 10:27 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAOkfuskee48 min
Oct 4, 10:36 PM CDTTornado WarningTSATulsa, Washington39 min
Oct 4, 10:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACreek, Okmulgee45 min
Oct 4, 10:49 PM CDTTornado WarningTSACreek, Okmulgee41 min
Oct 4, 10:56 PM CDTTornado WarningTSARogers34 min
Oct 4, 11:07 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAOkfuskee38 min
Oct 4, 11:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACraig36 min
Oct 4, 11:24 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAMuskogee, Okmulgee51 min
Oct 4, 11:52 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAOsage, Pawnee2 hr
Oct 4, 11:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSATulsa, Wagoner51 min
Oct 5, 12:03 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACreek, Okfuskee, Okmulgee42 min
Oct 5, 12:10 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMcIntosh, Muskogee, Wagoner50 min
Oct 5, 12:11 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSANowata, Washington2 hr
Oct 5, 12:11 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSATulsa2 hr
Oct 5, 12:16 AM CDTTornado WarningTSAMuskogee, Wagoner29 min
Oct 5, 12:29 AM CDTTornado WarningTSACherokee46 min
Oct 5, 12:35 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSACreek, Okmulgee115 min
Oct 5, 12:38 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACreek, Okmulgee52 min
Oct 5, 12:56 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAAdair, Cherokee, Delaware49 min
Oct 5, 1:08 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACraig37 min
Oct 5, 1:09 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMuskogee, Wagoner51 min
Oct 5, 1:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOttawa39 min
Oct 5, 1:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAAdair, Cherokee, Delaware41 min
Oct 5, 2:01 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSACherokee, Craig, Delaware, Mayes, Ottawa3 hr
Oct 5, 2:01 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSACreek, Okmulgee, Osage, Pawnee, Rogers, Tulsa and 2 more3 hr
Oct 5, 2:01 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAMuskogee3 hr
Oct 5, 2:01 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSANowata3 hr
Oct 5, 3:34 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSADelaware26 min
Oct 5, 3:56 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSADelaware49 min
Oct 5, 4:35 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSACherokee, Craig, Delaware, Mayes, Ottawa3 hr
Oct 5, 4:35 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSACreek, Osage, Pawnee, Tulsa3 hr
Oct 5, 4:35 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSANowata, Rogers, Washington3 hr
Oct 5, 4:35 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAWagoner3 hr
Oct 5, 7:55 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSACreek, Okfuskee3 hr
Oct 5, 7:55 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSACraig, Delaware, Ottawa3 hr
Oct 5, 7:55 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAAdair3 hr
Oct 5, 10:53 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAHaskell, McIntosh, Pittsburg3 hr
Oct 5, 10:53 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAAdair, Cherokee, Delaware, Muskogee, Sequoyah3 hr
Oct 5, 1:45 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSALatimer, Pushmataha3 hr
Oct 5, 1:45 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAHaskell3 hr
Oct 5, 1:46 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAPushmataha3 hr
Oct 5, 1:49 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAAdair3 hr
Oct 5, 1:59 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSALeFlore, Sequoyah3 hr
Oct 5, 2:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPushmataha61 min
Oct 5, 2:45 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSALeFlore, Sequoyah2 hr
Oct 5, 3:15 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSALeFlore3 hr
Oct 5, 4:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSALeFlore25 min
Oct 5, 5:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAHaskell, LeFlore, Sequoyah33 min

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.