Alert archive / Oklahoma / Flash Flood Warnings in 2001

Flash Flood Warning 15, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 30, 2001Cherokee County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this flash flood warning at May 30, 2001, 3:15 AM CDT for Cherokee 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 30, 2001, 3:15 AM CDT (08:15 UTC)
Expired: May 30, 2001, 6:00 AM CDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Tulsa, OK
Area: Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Cherokee County, OK

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 55 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:02 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, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 155 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: 1073 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 132 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 200 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 
WGUS54 KTSA 300819
FFWTUL
OKC021-301100-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
315 AM CDT WED MAY 30 2001

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR
  CHEROKEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

* UNTIL 600 AM CDT

* AT 315 AM CDT RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH 
VERY HEAVY RAIN ACROSS CHEROKEE COUNTY...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

  RADAR INDICATES THAT 1 INCH OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN OVER THE 
WARNED AREA. ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH 600 AM 
CDT.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE AFFECTED BY THE HEAVY RAIN
  INCLUDE SCRAPER...PEGGS...ELDON...HULBERT...COOKSON...TAHLEQUAH AND
  OAKS.

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

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 3607 9521 3565 9511 3566 9481 3618 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 May 29, 11:10 PM CDT, 4 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 29, 11:10 PM CDT, 4 hours 5 minutes before

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1110 PM CDT TUE MAY 29 2001

SENT A QUICK UPDATE OUT FOR ADDITION OF TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 400 AM.
ALSO ADDED oHEAVY RAIN WORDING TO FLASH FLOOD WATCH ZONES.

HOWIESON
FCSTID = 44

.TSA...
AR...NONE.
OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR
ZONES OKZ054>068...OKZ070>071.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 29, 9:50 PM CDT, 5 hours 25 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-301100-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
950 PM CDT TUE MAY 29 2001

...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TONIGHT...

SEVERAL CLUSTERS OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED
THIS EVENING ACROSS KANSAS AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA. CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO SPREAD INTO EASTERN OKLAHOMA BEFORE
MIDNIGHT...AND INTO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BY 2 AM. A FEW OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO BE SEVERE OVERNIGHT...WITH NICKEL SIZE
HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 70 MPH POSSIBLE.

ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE OVER MUCH OF THE AREA
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
SPOTTERS ACROSS MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA WILL LIKELY NEED TO BE
ACTIVATED BEFORE MIDNIGHT. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED IN
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BY 2 AM.

.DISCUSSION...
ELEVATED CAPES OF UP TO 2000 J/KG AND FAVORABLE DEEP LAYER WIND
SHEAR WILL SUPPORT A CONTINUED EVOLUTION OF STRONG CONVECTION IN THE
WARM ADVECTION REGIME. CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR A LARGE COMPLEX
OF THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS TONIGHT. BOW SEGMENTS...MAINLY ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF
THE EASTWARD MOVING THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX...WILL PRODUCE LOCAL WIND
GUSTS OF 60 TO 70 MPH. A LOW LEVEL JET OF 50 KNOTS WILL EXTEND FROM
SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA DURING THE LATE NIGHT
AND EARLY MORNING HOURS...WHICH IS A FAVORABLE PATTERN FOR EXCESSIVE
RAINS ACROSS NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA.

THREAT TABLE
VALID THROUGH 6 AM WEDNESDAY

THREAT AREA 1...ALL OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA
THUNDERSTORM PROBABILITY...100
SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...90
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...25

THREAT AREA 2...NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
THUNDERSTORM PROBABILITY...70
SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...30
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...10

THREAT AREAS DEFINE THE GREATEST RISK. PROBABILITIES ARE IN PERCENT.
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE IS DEFINED AS F1 OR GREATER WIND/TORNADO DAMAGE
AND/OR GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL OR LARGER.

.OTHER HAZARDS...
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING
FOR MOST OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA. THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH MESSAGE
/OKCFFATUL/ ISSUED AT 935 PM GIVES DETAILS ON THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT.

RELATED GRAPHICAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT...
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA

Local storm report, May 30, 1:43 AM CDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
143 AM CDT WED MAY 30 2001

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

0145 AM    OWASSO                    OK    WIND DAMAGE
05/30/01   TULSA                           POWER LINES BLOWN DOWN
                                           NEAR OWASSO. SPOTTER
                                           REPORT.

Local storm report, May 30, 1:50 AM CDT, 1 hour 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
150 AM CDT WED MAY 30 2001

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

0144 AM    TULSA                     OK    FLOOD
05/30/01   TULSA                           SPOTTER REPORT OF
                                           HARVARD ALMOST
                                           IMPASSABLE AT 71ST ST
                                           AND 81ST ST.

Local storm report, May 30, 2:38 AM CDT, 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
238 AM CDT WED MAY 30 2001

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

0231 AM    KIEFER                    OK    FLOOD
05/30/01   CREEK                           EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
                                           REPORT OF WATER A FOOT
                                           DEEP OVER HIGHWAY 75.

Local storm report, May 30, 3:08 AM CDT, 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
308 AM CDT WED MAY 30 2001

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

0255 AM    BEGGS                     OK    FLOOD
05/30/01   OKMULGEE                        HIGHWAY 16 AND BUSINESS
                                           HIGHWAY 75 UNDERPASSES
                                           CLOSED DUE TO HIGH
                                           WATER.  EMERGENCY
                                           MANAGEMENT REPORT.

0300 AM    COWETA                    OK    FLOOD
05/30/01   WAGONER                         SEVERAL ROADS
                                           IMPASSABLE.  POLICE
                                           DEPARTMENT REPORT.

Special weather statement, May 30, 3:10 AM CDT, 5 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-OKZ054>070-301000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
310 AM CDT WED MAY 30 2001

THE TORNADO AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCHES WHICH HAVE BEEN IN
EFFEC&T FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF
ARKANSAS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING BUT THE THREAT OF SEVERE
WEATHER HAS DIMINISHED.

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 29, 11:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	60 min
May 29, 11:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	63 min
May 30, 12:47 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Creek, Tulsa	58 min
May 30, 1:12 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Rogers	48 min
May 30, 1:26 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	Creek, Tulsa	3 hr
May 30, 2:07 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	Okmulgee, Wagoner	3 hr
May 30, 2:30 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	Muskogee	3 hr
May 30, 3:59 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Okfuskee	46 min
May 30, 4:18 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	McIntosh, Okmulgee	42 min
May 30, 5:47 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Okfuskee	43 min
May 30, 6:29 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	McIntosh, Muskogee	3 hr
May 30, 6:29 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Haskell, McIntosh, Muskogee	46 min
May 30, 6:36 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Pittsburg	24 min
May 30, 6:49 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Sequoyah	56 min
May 30, 7:04 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Latimer	56 min
May 30, 8:58 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	Cherokee, McIntosh, Muskogee, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Sequoyah	2 hr
May 30, 4:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Pushmataha	43 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Oklahoma, 2001 Every flash flood warning in 2001

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.