Alert archive / Massachusetts / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 11, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

August 12, 2003Worcester County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this flash flood warning at Aug 12, 2003, 8:23 PM EDT for Worcester County, Massachusetts. 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 counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 12, 2003, 8:23 PM EDT (00:23 UTC)
Expired
Aug 12, 2003, 11:30 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Whole counties

County Worcester County, MA

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:24 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

Albany, NY (KALY), launched 00:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 162 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, Albany, NY at 00:00Z on 2003-08-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2388 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Albany, NY at 00:00Z on 2003-08-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 13 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
2388 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-3 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
820 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
13 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
16 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS51 KBOX 130027
FFWBOX
MAC027-130330-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
823 PM EDT TUE AUG 12 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR SMALL STREAMS...
  CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS

* UNTIL 1130 PM EDT.

* AT 819 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL RAINFALL OVER RUTLAND...OR ABOUT 9   
  MILES NORTHWEST OF WORCESTER. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST
  AT 10 MPH.

  THE MUSCHOPAUGE BROOK...SOUTH WACHUSETT BROOK AND MILL BROOK
  NEAR RUTLAND MASSACHUSETTS WERE NEAR BANKFUL AT 820 PM...AND       
  SHOULD RISE SLIGHTLY ABOVE BANKFUL BETWEEN 9 AND 10 PM.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT. IT IS
IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE RELATIVE TO RIVERS AND STREAMS. EVEN
THE SMALLEST STREAMS CAN BECOME KILLERS IN TORRENTIAL RAINS.

IF YOU LIVE ALONG A FLOOD PRONE STREAM NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE ACTION
TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. RAPID RISES ON SMALL RIVERS AND STREAMS
CAN FLOOD HOMES...BUSINESSES AND ROADWAYS WITHOUT WARNING.

$$

LAT...LON 4234 7199 4234 7188 4242 7187 4242 7200

STRAUSS
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS71 KBOX 130141 CCA
FFSBOX
MAC027-130330-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
940 PM EDT TUE AUG 12 2003

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR SMALL STREAMS REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR
CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS UNTIL 1130 PM...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WHICH BROUGHT TORRENTIAL RAINS TO CENTRAL 
MASSACHUSETTS HAVE BEGUN TO DIMINISH IN INTENSITY AND COVERAGE.
HOWEVER...REPORTS INDICATE SMALL STREAM FLOODING AND ROAD CLOSURES
OCCURRING IN THE RUTLAND AREA. PORTIONS OF THE MUSCHOPAUGE 
BROOK...SOUTH WACHUSETT BROOK AND MILL BROOK IN THE RUTLAND AREA 
REMAIN ABOVE BANKFUL AT 930 PM. THEREFORE THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
FOR SMALL STREAMS IN CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS 
REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1130 PM. 

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT. IT IS 
IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE RELATIVE TO RIVERS AND STREAMS. EVEN 
THE SMALLEST STREAMS CAN BECOME KILLERS IN TORRENTIAL RAINS.

IF YOU LIVE ALONG A FLOOD PRONE STREAM NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE ACTION
TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. RAPID RISES ON SMALL RIVERS AND STREAMS
CAN FLOOD HOMES...BUSINESSES AND ROADWAYS WITHOUT WARNING. 

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY HAS BEEN 
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WHICH BROUGHT TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS THIS 
EVENING ACROSS THE WESTBOROUGH AND NORTHBOROUGH AREAS IN EAST 
CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY HAVE MOVED EAST AND ARE BEGINNING TO 
DIMINISH IN INTENSITY. ROAD CLOSURES WERE REPORTED ON ROUTES 30 AND 
135 IN WESTBOROUGH AT 740 PM AS WELL AS ROUTE 20...KENDALL ROAD
AND PINEHAVEN DRIVE IN NORTHBOROUGH BETWEEN 7 AND 8 PM.

REPORTS IN THESE AREAS INDICATE THAT THE POOR DRAINAGE AND STREET 
FLOODING WHICH HAD OCCURRED EARLIER THIS EVENING...IS NOW IMPROVING. 
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL EXPECTED IN CENTRAL 
MASSACHUSETTS OVERNIGHT...HOWEVER...THERE IS NO IMMINENT THREAT OF 
FLOODING AT THIS TIME.

ONCE AGAIN...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL WORCESTER 
COUNTY AS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

$$

STRAUSS
000 
WGUS71 KBOX 130348 CCA
FFSBOX
MAC027-130500-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1150 PM EDT TUE AUG 12 2003

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR SMALL STREAMS IN CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY
HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WHICH BROUGHT TORRENTIAL RAINS TO CENTRAL 
MASSACHUSETTS HAVE DIMINISHED. REPORTS INDICATED THAT SMALL STREAM 
FLOODING AND ROAD CLOSURES OCCURRED IN THE RUTLAND AREA EARLIER
THIS EVENING...AND THAT CURRENTLY CONDITIONS ARE IMPROVING. 

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL EXPECTED IN CENTRAL 
MASSACHUSETTS OVERNIGHT...HOWEVER...THERE IS NO IMMINENT THREAT OF 
FLOODING AT THIS TIME.

ONCE AGAIN...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY 
HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

$$

STRAUSS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 13, 3:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXMiddlesex45 min
Aug 13, 3:27 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX93 min
Aug 13, 3:27 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX93 min
Aug 13, 3:29 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX22 hr
Aug 13, 3:29 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX22 hr
Aug 13, 4:50 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX70 min
Aug 13, 4:50 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX70 min
Aug 13, 4:51 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX21 hr
Aug 13, 4:51 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX21 hr
Aug 13, 5:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXPlymouth40 min
Aug 13, 5:51 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningBOXPlymouth3 hr
Aug 13, 7:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXBristol28 min
Aug 13, 7:28 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningBOXBristol3 hr
Aug 13, 7:40 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX21 hr
Aug 13, 7:40 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX65 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Massachusetts, 2003Every flash flood warning in 2003

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.