Alert archive / New York / Flash Flood Warnings in 1999

Flash Flood Warning 16, NWS New York, NY

January 15, 1999Richmond County, New York

NWS New York, NY issued this flash flood warning at Jan 15, 1999, 8:53 AM EST for Richmond County, New York. It was in force for 5 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
Jan 15, 1999, 8:53 AM EST (13:53 UTC)
Expired
Jan 15, 1999, 2:00 PM EST
In force
5 hr
Issued by
NWS New York, NY
Area
Whole counties

County Richmond County, NY

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 74 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:52 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

Brookhaven, NY (KOKX), launched 12:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 113 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, Brookhaven, NY at 12:00Z on 1999-01-15Temperature 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 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Brookhaven, NY at 12:00Z on 1999-01-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 396 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
370 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
66 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
396 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
431 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 151352
FFWNYC
NJC013-017-039-NYC005-047-059-061-081-085-103-151900-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVIATION/IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
853 AM EST FRI JAN 15 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEW YORK HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WARNING FOR URBAN AREAS AND SMALL STREAMS FOR...
  THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST NEW YORK
  NEW YORK
  BRONX
  RICHMOND
  KINGS
  QUEENS
  NASSAU
  SUFFOLK
  AND IN NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY
  ESSEX
  HUDSON
  UNION

* UNTIL 200 PM EST

* AT 845 AM...  NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR
  INDICATES HEAVY RAINS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS
  THE AREA INTO EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THESE RAINS WILL PRODUCE
  WIDESPREAD ROADWAY FLOODING AND SIGNIFICANT PONDING OF WATER IN
  POOR DRAINAGE AND LOW-LYING AREAS.

* DO NOT DRIVE YOUR AUTOMOBILE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS OR
  UNDERPASSES. NEVER DRIVE THROUGH WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH. YOU
  ENDANGER THE LIVES OF ALL OCCUPANTS IN YOUR VEHICLE. FIND AN
  ALTERNATE ROUTE. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS
  DIFFICULT TO SEE PONDING WATER ON THE ROADWAY.

  IAA/SDR


&

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, Jan 15, 4:45 AM EST, 4 hours 8 minutes before
NYZ067>081-CTZ005>012-NJZ002>006-011-151630-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND
WEATHER MAP DISCUSSION FOR EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK...
NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
445 AM EST FRI JAN 15 1999

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONTINUES THE WINTER STORM WARNING
FOR ORANGE...PUTNAM COUNTIES NEW YORK AND WESTERN PASSAIC COUNTY NEW
JERSEY THROUGH THIS MORNING...

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
FOR BERGEN...EASTERN PASSAIC...ESSEX AND UNION COUNTIES NEW JERSEY
AND FAIRFIELD...NEW HAVEN...MIDDLESEX AND NEW LONDON COUNTIES OF
CONNECTICUT FOR THIS MORNING...

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONTINUES THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR
THE ENTIRE REGION THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...

A STRONG STORM...OR LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...WAS MOVING INTO THE
CHESAPEAKE BAY REGION. IT WILL MOVE INTO NEW ENGLAND BY MID
AFTERNOON. RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE REGION
UNTIL THE LOW MOVES THROUGH THE REGION.

WARM AIR JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE...WAS MELTING THE PRECIPITATION TO
RAIN. MOST NEAR THE NEW YORK AND LONG ISLAND COAST LINES WILL SEE
MOSTLY RAIN THIS MORNING. BUT IN PLACES INLAND THE COLD AIR WILL BE
SLOWER TO MOVE OUT. AS A RESULT...THE RAIN WILL FREEZE ON CONTACT.

SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE PROBABLE IN THE WARNING AREAS. ICE
ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO ONE QUARTER INCH ARE LIKELY BEFORE THE CHANGE
OVER TO PLAIN RAIN IN THE ADVISORY AREAS.

WE CAN EXPECT ANYWHERE FROM THREE-QUARTERS OF AN INCH TO ONE INCH
RAINFALL THIS MORNING. TAKE THIS RAIN AMOUNT...WITH THE MELTING SNOW
AND ICE...AND FLASH FLOODS ARE POSSIBLE...AT LEAST THROUGH EARLY
AFTERNOON.

FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL IS ESPECIALLY HIGH ACROSS LOW LYING PARKWAYS
AND IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE. SMALL STREAMS MAY BRIEFLY OVERFLOW
THEIR BANKS AS WELL.

THE RAIN WILL END BY EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON AS THAT LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM MOVES INTO NEW ENGLAND.

THE ROADS ARE MOST LIKELY SLOPPY IN COASTAL SECTIONS WITH MELTING
SNOW AND RAIN. THEY ARE PROBABLY DANGEROUSLY SLICK IN THE WARNING
AREAS. THUS IF YOU HAVE TO DRIVE THIS MORNING...LEAVE EARLY AND
DRIVE SLOWLY.

WOOLDRIDGE
Special weather statement, Jan 15, 4:45 AM EST, 4 hours 8 minutes before
NYZ067>081-CTZ005>012-NJZ002>006-011-151630-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND
WEATHER MAP DISCUSSION FOR EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK...
NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
445 AM EST FRI JAN 15 1999

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONTINUES THE WINTER STORM WARNING
FOR ORANGE...PUTNAM COUNTIES NEW YORK AND WESTERN PASSAIC COUNTY NEW
JERSEY THROUGH THIS MORNING...

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
FOR BERGEN...EASTERN PASSAIC...ESSEX AND UNION COUNTIES NEW JERSEY
AND FAIRFIELD...NEW HAVEN...MIDDLESEX AND NEW LONDON COUNTIES OF
CONNECTICUT FOR THIS MORNING...

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONTINUES THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR
THE ENTIRE REGION THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...

A STRONG STORM...OR LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...WAS MOVING INTO THE
CHESAPEAKE BAY REGION. IT WILL MOVE INTO NEW ENGLAND BY MID
AFTERNOON. RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE REGION
UNTIL THE LOW MOVES THROUGH THE REGION.

WARM AIR JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE...WAS MELTING THE PRECIPITATION TO
RAIN. MOST NEAR THE NEW YORK AND LONG ISLAND COAST LINES WILL SEE
MOSTLY RAIN THIS MORNING. BUT IN PLACES INLAND THE COLD AIR WILL BE
SLOWER TO MOVE OUT. AS A RESULT...THE RAIN WILL FREEZE ON CONTACT.

SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE PROBABLE IN THE WARNING AREAS. ICE
ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO ONE QUARTER INCH ARE LIKELY BEFORE THE CHANGE
OVER TO PLAIN RAIN IN THE ADVISORY AREAS.

WE CAN EXPECT ANYWHERE FROM THREE-QUARTERS OF AN INCH TO ONE INCH
RAINFALL THIS MORNING. TAKE THIS RAIN AMOUNT...WITH THE MELTING SNOW
AND ICE...AND FLASH FLOODS ARE POSSIBLE...AT LEAST THROUGH EARLY
AFTERNOON.

FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL IS ESPECIALLY HIGH ACROSS LOW LYING PARKWAYS
AND IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE. SMALL STREAMS MAY BRIEFLY OVERFLOW
THEIR BANKS AS WELL.

THE RAIN WILL END BY EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON AS THAT LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM MOVES INTO NEW ENGLAND.

THE ROADS ARE MOST LIKELY SLOPPY IN COASTAL SECTIONS WITH MELTING
SNOW AND RAIN. THEY ARE PROBABLY DANGEROUSLY SLICK IN THE WARNING
AREAS. THUS IF YOU HAVE TO DRIVE THIS MORNING...LEAVE EARLY AND
DRIVE SLOWLY.

WOOLDRIDGE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 15, 8:53 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningOKXNassau, Queens, Suffolk5 hr
Jan 15, 8:53 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningOKXNew York5 hr
Jan 15, 8:53 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningOKXBronx5 hr
Jan 15, 8:53 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningOKXKings5 hr
Jan 15, 9:19 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOKXSuffolk61 min
Jan 15, 9:41 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningOKXWestchester4 hr
Jan 15, 9:41 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningOKXRockland4 hr
Jan 15, 10:35 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningOKXWestchester4 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in New York, 1999Every flash flood warning in 1999

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.