Alert archive / Oklahoma / Flash Flood Warnings in 1999

Flash Flood Warning 55, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 17, 1999LeFlore County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this flash flood warning at May 17, 1999, 4:56 PM CDT for LeFlore County, 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: May 17, 1999, 4:56 PM CDT (21:56 UTC)
Expired: May 17, 1999, 8:00 PM CDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Tulsa, OK
Area: Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County LeFlore County, OK

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 202 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1332 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -88 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -53 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 172202
FFWTUL
ARC047-131-OKC079-180100-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
456 PM CDT MON MAY 17 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR
  SOUTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
  SEBASTIAN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
  NORTHERN LE FLORE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA

* UNTIL 800 PM CDT

* AT 456 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE ALONG A LINE      
  EXTENDING FROM 4 MILES NORTH OF BOKOSHE TO 11 MILES WEST OF POTEAU 
  TO 14 MILES NORTH OF BRANCH..MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

4 TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS NORTHERN LE FORE COUNTY TO 
AROUND GREENWOOD AND INTO SOUTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY...INCLUDING THE 
FORT SMITH AREA.  AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL FALL IN THE 
WARNED AREA AND THIS WILL PRODUCE CONTINUED FLASH FLOODING OF 
STREETS...DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS.


DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER MAY BE TOO DEEP TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY.
VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY. MOVE TO
HIGHER GROUND.

LAT...LON 3509 9494 3502 9492 3497 9427 3542 9369
          3534 9408 3535 9484
8

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 May 17, 4:00 PM CDT, 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 17, 4:00 PM CDT, 56 minutes before

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
400 PM CDT MON MAY 17 1999

PROBLEM(S) OF THE DAY:
HOW MUCH RAIN WILL FALL?
WILL THERE BE SEVERE CONVECTION?

DO NOT HAVE MUCH TIME SO THIS WILL BE SHORT.

ANSWERS TO THE PROBLEMS OF THE DAY ARE A DEFINITIVE YES...AT LEAST
FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS ANYWAY.  STRONG TO SEVERE CONVECTION AND FLASH
FLOODING ARE ONGOING AND WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS.
ACTIVITY WILL COME TO AN END AS A COLD FRONT PUSHING SOUTHEAST ACROSS
NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AT THIS TIME PUSHES THROUGH NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND
AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHMA.  MUCH DRIER AND MORE STABLE AIR TO MOVE INTO
THE AREA.

SHOULD SEE A DECLINE IN THE WIND AND CLOUDS OVERNIGHT AS WELL SO MOS
LOWS APPEAR REASONABLE.  BEST COOL NIGHT LIKELY TOMORROW NIGHT WITH
CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS ACROSS THE AREA.  HIGH PRESSURE TO BE IN
CONTROL THE NEXT DAY OR SO THEN WINDS RETURN TO THE SOUTH.  AVN
BRINGS A SHORTWAVE TO OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT BUT
BELIEVE ACTIVITY WILL STAY TO OUR WEST AND NORTH.  PREDOMINANT
PATTERN WILL BE UPPER LOW OVER THE ROCKIES AND A RIDGE OVER THE
CENTRAL U.S. THROUGH THE EXTENDED.  THUS...WILL KEEP THE FORECAST DRY
AND WARM.

FCSTID = 17
TUL   53  80  55  83 /   0   0   0   0
FSM   55  80  52  83 /  60   0   0   0
MLC   55  82  55  85 /  40   0   0   0
BVO   50  80  53  83 /   0   0   0   0
FYV   50  78  48  80 /  30   0   0   0
IDB   58  85  55  87 /  60   0   0   0
BYV   50  78  48  80 /  30   0   0   0
MIO   50  78  50  81 /   0   0   0   0
MKO   53  80  55  83 /   0   0   0   0
F10   53  80  55  83 /   0   0   0   0
HHW   58  85  55  87 /  60   0   0   0

.TUL...
AR...NONE.
OK...NONE.

ABBAS

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

HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED NEXT 24 HOURS: SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND
FLASH FLOODING LIKELY THIS EVENING.
NGM CONFIDENCE:  8 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10
ETA CONFIDENCE:  8 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10
AVN CONFIDENCE:  8 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10
FCST CONFIDENCE: 9 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 17, 3:12 PM CDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
312 PM CDT MON MAY 17 1999

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0306 PM    2 W RED OAK               OK    .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/99   LATIMER

Local storm report, May 17, 3:12 PM CDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
312 PM CDT MON MAY 17 1999

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0306 PM    2 W RED OAK               OK    .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/99   LATIMER

Local storm report, May 17, 3:26 PM CDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
326 PM CDT MON MAY 17 1999

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0320 PM    FT SMITH                  AR    FLOOD
05/17/99   SEBASTIAN                       WIDESPREAD STREET
                                           FLOODING

0325 PM    GREENWOOD                 AR    FLOOD
05/17/99   SEBASTIAN                       WIDESPREAD STREET
                                           FLOODING - WATER IS
                                           FLOODING THE CITY HALL
                                           BASEMENT

Local storm report, May 17, 3:26 PM CDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
326 PM CDT MON MAY 17 1999

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0320 PM    FT SMITH                  AR    FLOOD
05/17/99   SEBASTIAN                       WIDESPREAD STREET
                                           FLOODING

0325 PM    GREENWOOD                 AR    FLOOD
05/17/99   SEBASTIAN                       WIDESPREAD STREET
                                           FLOODING - WATER IS
                                           FLOODING THE CITY HALL
                                           BASEMENT

Local storm report, May 17, 3:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
355 PM CDT MON MAY 17 1999

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0337 PM    BRANCH                    AR    .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/99   FRANKLIN

Local storm report, May 17, 3:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
355 PM CDT MON MAY 17 1999

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0337 PM    BRANCH                    AR    .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/99   FRANKLIN

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 16, 11:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	66 min
May 16, 11:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Creek	50 min
May 17, 12:26 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	49 min
May 17, 12:32 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Washington	43 min
May 17, 12:50 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Tulsa	25 min
May 17, 12:52 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Okfuskee	53 min
May 17, 1:14 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Nowata	46 min
May 17, 1:18 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	McIntosh, Okmulgee	57 min
May 17, 1:18 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Pittsburg	57 min
May 17, 1:34 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Craig	41 min
May 17, 2:04 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Haskell, Latimer, Muskogee	56 min
May 17, 2:27 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Cherokee, Sequoyah	63 min
May 17, 2:36 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Delaware, Mayes	54 min
May 17, 2:50 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Adair	55 min
May 17, 2:50 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	LeFlore	55 min
May 17, 3:07 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Craig, Ottawa	53 min
May 17, 8:13 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Creek	32 min
May 17, 8:30 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Tulsa	30 min
May 17, 9:16 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Muskogee, Wagoner	29 min
May 17, 10:00 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Haskell	45 min
May 17, 10:10 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Latimer, Pittsburg	35 min
May 17, 10:30 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Adair	45 min
May 17, 10:30 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Sequoyah	45 min
May 17, 1:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Haskell	35 min
May 17, 2:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Pittsburg	40 min
May 17, 2:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Pushmataha	44 min
May 17, 2:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Latimer, Pittsburg	43 min
May 17, 3:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	LeFlore	40 min
May 17, 3:11 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	LeFlore	2 hr
May 17, 3:35 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	Latimer	115 min
May 17, 4:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Latimer, LeFlore	37 min
May 17, 4:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Pushmataha	54 min
May 17, 5:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	LeFlore, Sequoyah	51 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Oklahoma, 1999 Every 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.