Alert archive / Kansas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 8, NWS Hastings, NE

September 10, 2003Mitchell County, Kansas

NWS Hastings, NE issued this flash flood warning at Sep 10, 2003, 9:25 PM CDT for Mitchell County, Kansas. It was in force for 6 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Sep 10, 2003, 9:25 PM CDT (02:25 UTC)
Expired: Sep 11, 2003, 3:30 AM CDT
In force: 6 hr
Issued by: NWS Hastings, NE
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Mitchell County, KS

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:24 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 2.4 hours before the alert went out and 227 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: 1765 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -49 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1212 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 148 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 243 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.7
Supercell composite: 9.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS53 KGID 110228
FFWGID
KSC123-110830-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
925 PM CDT WED SEP 10 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  MITCHELL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS

* UNTIL 330 AM CDT

* AT 924 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY
  HEAVY RAIN FROM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF BELOIT TO 13 MILES SOUTHWEST
  OF ASHERVILLE...OR FROM 19 MILES WEST OF CONCORDIA TO 33 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF CONCORDIA....MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IN THIS WARNING INCLUDE...
  ASHERVILLE...
  BELOIT...
  HUNTER...
  VICTOR...

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...AND YOU MAY BE SWEPT AWAY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER
SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

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.

LAT...LON 3925 9845 3923 9796 3953 9796 3951 9842

$$
FAY
NNNN

3 follow-up statements

000 
WGUS73 KGID 110326
FFSGID
KSC123-110830-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1023 PM CDT WED SEP 10 2003

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 330 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE
FOLLOWING COUNTY.

IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
     MITCHELL

AT 1019 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY
HEAVY RAIN FROM 8 MILES NORTH OF ASHERVILLE TO 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
VICTOR...OR FROM 16 MILES WEST OF CONCORDIA TO 43 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
CONCORDIA....MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

RADAR ESTIMATES RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES FROM 
SCOTTSVILLE...TO BELOIT TO 5 MILES EAST OF HUNTER.  MITCHELL COUNTY 
OFFICIALS REPORTED THAT KANSAS HIGHWAY 14 HAS BEEN CLOSED 6 MILES 
SOUTH OF BELOIT DUE TO WATER OVER THE ROAD.  THE WATER OVER THE 
HIGHWAY EXTENDS FOR SEVERAL MILES...AND A BRIDGE MAY BE WASHED OUT.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE FLASH 
FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...ROADS AND UNDERPASSES.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED...
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY

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 HIGHER GROUND.

TO REPORT FLOODING HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY YOUR
REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN HASTINGS.

LAT...LON 3951 9796 3952 9846 3923 9845 3924 9794
$$
FAY
NNNN

000 
WGUS73 KGID 110542
FFSGID
KSC123-110830-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1235 AM CDT THU SEP 11 2003

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 330 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE
FOLLOWING COUNTY.

IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
     MITCHELL

AT 1233 AM CDT...RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE 
EASTERN HALF OF MITCHELL COUNTY...WITH RADAR ESTIMATED RAINFALL 
RATES OF ONE TO ONE AND A HALF INCHES PER HOUR.  THIS AREA WILL 
CONTINUE TO SLIDE NORTHEASTWARD...BUT RUNOFF FROM THE HEAVY RAINFALL 
WILL CONTINUE FOR SEVERE HOURS.

LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED WIDESPREAD STREET AND HIGHWAY FLOODING AND 
PONDING OF WATER.

A FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAD BEEN REPORTED.
EXPECT SLOW RISES ALONG STREAMS AND RIVERS. TAKE NECESSARY
PRECAUTIONS NOW ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED...
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY

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 HIGHER GROUND.

TO REPORT FLOODING HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY YOUR
REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN HASTINGS.

LAT...LON 3956 9796 3918 9796 3918 9845 3956 9845
&
$$
9
NNNN

000 
WGUS73 KGID 110830
FFSGID
KSC123-141-110845-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
322 AM CDT THU SEP 11 2003

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR MITCHELL AND OSBORNE COUNTIES IN NORTH 
CENTRAL HAVE BEEN CANCELED...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AND SPOTTER REPORTS INDICATE A LARGE 
AREA OF LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINFALL ACROSS MITCHELL AND OSBORNE 
COUNTY.  THE MINOR FLOODING THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED BY LAW 
ENFORCEMENT WILL CONTINUE...HOWEVER THE THREAT OF SERIOUS FLASH 
FLOODING HAS ENDED WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS THAT CONTAINED HEAVY 
RAINFALL.

AN ADVISORY FOR NUISANCE FLOODING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM 
THIS MORNING AS LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS REPORTED NO ROAD CLOSURES OR 
LIFE THREATENING PROBLEMS.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES...SO DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS 
BRIDGES...DIPS...OR OTHER LOW SPOTS DURING YOUR MORNING COMMUTE 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 HIGHER 
GROUND.

TO REPORT FLOODING HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY YOUR
REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN HASTINGS.

LAT...LON 3956 9904 3915 9902 3918 9793 3956 9798
$$

9
NNNN

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 Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Sep 10, 8:27 PM CDT, 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 10, 8:27 PM CDT, 58 minutes before

SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
827 PM CDT WED SEP 10 2003

BASED OFF OF LATEST RADAR AND SURFACE REPORTS OF 2-3 INCH RAINFALL
AMOUNTS ALREADY PRESENT OVER YORK...CLAY...FILLMORE...NUCKOLLS AND
THAYER COUNTIES IN NEBRASKA AS WELL AS SMITH...JEWELL...OSBORNE AND
MITCHELL COUNTIES IN KANSAS...WENT AHEAD AND ISSUED FLOOD WATCH
UNTIL 6 AM.  UPDATED FORECAST TO MENTION NEW SEVERE WATCH AS WELL.
NO OTHER CHANGES MADE AT THIS TIME.

.GID...FLOOD WATCH SOUTHEAST OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM YORK
       TO KENSINGTON.

AWJ

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 10, 7:17 PM CDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-111200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
717 PM CDT WED SEP 10 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND
PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL CONTINUE ACROSS ALL OF SOUTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS THROUGH TONIGHT.  TWO MAIN
AREAS OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE ACROSS THE OUTLOOK
AREA OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.  THE FIRST LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
EAST OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM CENTRAL CITY IN MERRICK COUNTY NEBRASKA
TO PHILLIPSBURG IN PHILLIPS COUNTY KANSAS...WILL CONTINUE TO SLIDE
EAST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS.  LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND
FLASH FLOODING WILL REMAIN THE BIGGEST THREAT WITH THIS LINE OF
STORMS ALTHOUGH ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE
NEXT FEW HOURS.

AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA THIS EVENING A SECOND LINE
OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO EVOLVE OVER THE NORTHWESTERN HALF OF
THE OUTLOOK AREA. THIS LINE WILL PUSH RAPIDLY EAST ACROSS SOUTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS BEFORE EXITING THE AREA
DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND SOME
FLASH FLOODING WILL POSE THE BIGGEST THREAT WITH THESE STORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER ALONG THE COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY THURSDAY...
MAINLY EAST OF HIGHWAY 14...HOWEVER CHANCES DIMINISH BEHIND THE FRONT
BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. DRY AND COOL WEATHER IS FORECAST THROUGH THE
WEEKEND...BEFORE A SLOW WARMING TREND NEXT WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTERS WILL BE NEEDED THROUGH THE EVENING AND EARLY
OVERNIGHT HOURS ACROSS ALL OF THE OUTLOOK AREA.

AWJ

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 10, 6:55 PM CDT, 2 hours 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
655 PM CDT WED SEP 10 2003

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

0647 PM    2 W WEBBER                KS   1.75 INCH HAIL
09/10/03   JEWELL

Local storm report, Sep 10, 6:58 PM CDT, 2 hours 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
658 PM CDT WED SEP 10 2003

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

0652 PM    EDGAR                     NE   .88 INCH HAIL
09/10/03   CLAY                           REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

Local storm report, Sep 10, 7:06 PM CDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
706 PM CDT WED SEP 10 2003

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

0705 PM    1 W OSBORNE               KS   .75 INCH HAIL
09/10/03   OSBORNE

Local storm report, Sep 10, 8:31 PM CDT, 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
831 PM CDT WED SEP 10 2003

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

0655 PM    SHICKLEY                  NE   .75 INCH HAIL
09/10/03   FILLMORE

0707 PM    4 N BURR OAK              KS   65 MPH TSTM GUST
09/10/03   JEWELL                         REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

0724 PM    CARLETON                  NE   60 MPH TSTM GUST
09/10/03   THAYER                         REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

Local storm report, Sep 10, 8:58 PM CDT, 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
858 PM CDT WED SEP 10 2003

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

0845 PM    GLEN ELDER                KS   80 MPH TSTM GUST
09/10/03   MITCHELL                       REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT
                                          OFFICIAL...MANY TREE
                                          LIMBS DOWN AROUND TOWN.

Special weather statement, Sep 10, 9:14 PM CDT, 11 minutes before

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-110500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
914 PM CDT WED SEP 10 2003

...HEAVY RAIN OVERNIGHT...

WIDESPREAD RAIN AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT AS
THUNDERSTORMS TRAIN ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL
KANSAS.  THE STORMS HAVE DEVELOPED AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT AND UPPER
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WHICH WILL GRADUALLY PUSH EAST TONIGHT.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM FOR YORK...CLAY...FILLMORE...
NUCKOLLS AND THAYER COUNTIES IN NEBRASKA...AND FOR SMITH...JEWELL...
OSBORNE...AND MITCHELL COUNTIES IN KANSAS.  RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO
4 INCHES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN FILLMORE AND THAYER COUNTIES AS OF 9
PM.

THE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND ACROSS
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS OVERNIGHT.
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT.  THE
RECENT DRY CONDITIONS SHOULD PRECLUDE WIDESPREAD FLOODING OUTSIDE OF
THE FLOOD WATCH AREA.  HOWEVER...DITCHES...CREEKS AND
STREAMS WILL FILL RAPIDLY...AND CONSIDERABLE LOW LAND AND URBAN
FLOODING IS POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT.

PEOPLE LIVING IN LOW LYING AREAS SHOULD MONITORED THE WATER
SITUATION AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED.
MOTORISTS SHOULD BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS ON AREA ROADWAYS...AND BE ON THE
LOOKOUT FOR WATER PONDING OR FLOWING OVER THE ROAD.

THE RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO END FROM WEST TO EAST AROUND DAYBREAK
THURSDAY.

FAY/T

The office that day

Everything else NWS Hastings, NE issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 10, 7:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Mitchell	66 min
Sep 10, 8:21 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Osborne	39 min
Sep 10, 8:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Mitchell	43 min
Sep 10, 9:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Mitchell	60 min
Sep 10, 11:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Mitchell	42 min
Sep 10, 11:06 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	GID	Osborne	6 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Kansas, 2003 Every 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.