Alert archive / Colorado / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 35, NWS Pueblo, CO

August 21, 2004El Paso County, Colorado

NWS Pueblo, CO issued this flash flood warning at Aug 21, 2004, 4:19 PM MDT for El Paso County, Colorado. It was in force for 116 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 21, 2004, 4:19 PM MDT (22:19 UTC)
Expired
Aug 21, 2004, 6:15 PM MDT
In force
116 min
Issued by
NWS Pueblo, CO
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County El Paso County, CO

The radar

The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 59 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:23 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

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 180 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, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 2004-08-21Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 2004-08-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 48 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1611 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
48 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
52 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 
WGUS55 KPUB 212223
FFWPUB
COC041-220015-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
419 PM MDT SAT AUG 21 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST EL PASO COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL          
  COLORADO. THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF SOUTHERN COLORADO SPRINGS.

* UNTIL 615 PM MDT

* AT 415 PM MDT...FLASH FLOODING WAS LIKELY FROM THUNDERSTORMS OVER  
  COLORADO SPRINGS AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.

* THE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING WILL BE...  
  6 MILES WEST OF FOUNTAIN BY 425 PM MDT

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES
AS WELL AS OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS.

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. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY. 
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE.

LAT...LON 3891 10464 3890 10494 3853 10490 3852 10458

$$

LW
3 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS75 KPUB 212312
FFSPUB
COC041-220015-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
505 PM MDT SAT AUG 21 2004

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EL PASO COUNTY 
UNTIL 615 PM MDT SATURDAY EVENING...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BROUGHT INTENSE RAINFALL AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF 
HAIL TO PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN COLORADO SPRINGS...AND TO
THE COMMUNITIES JUST TO THE SOUTH OF COLORADO SPRINGS...INCLUDING
SECURITY...WIDEFIELD...FORT CARSON...AND FOUNTAIN.  THESE AREAS
SAW A RADAR ESTIMATED 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN JUST A COUPLE
HOURS TIME.  THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN WILL LIKELY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING.

BE ALERT FOR FAST RISING WATER AND BE READY TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF
NECESSARY. DO NOT DRIVE OR WALK INTO WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH. AS
LITTLE AS 6 INCHES OF WATER MAY CAUSE YOU TO LOSE CONTROL OF YOUR
VEHICLE...AND 2 FEET OF RUSHING WATER CAN CARRY AWAY MOST VEHICLES...
INCLUDING SUVS AND PICKUPS. NEARLY HALF OF ALL FLOOD FATALITIES ARE
VEHICLE RELATED. KEEP CHILDREN AND OTHERS AWAY FROM FAST FLOWING
WATER. FLOODING WILL OCCUR ALONG CREEKS...IN DRAINAGE AREAS...OVER
RURAL ROADS...IN NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND ARROYOS...AND OVER LOW LYING
LAND ALONG CREEK BANKS.

$$

LW
000 
WGUS75 KPUB 212355
FFSPUB
COC041-220015-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
552 PM MDT SAT AUG 21 2004

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EL PASO COUNTY 
UNTIL 615 PM MDT SATURDAY EVENING...

HEAVY RUNOFF FROM EARLIER THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES OVER CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN COLORADO SPRINGS...SECURITY...WIDEFIELD...FORT CARSON 
AND FOUNTAIN.  AT 449 PM MDT...A FLASH FLOOD HAD CAUSED THE CLOSURE
OF THE B STREET GATE TO FORT CARSON.  CARS WERE STALLED.  WATER WAS 
UP AGAINST DOORS.  THE ROAD ENTERING FORT CARSON WAS CLOSED AND 
TRAFFIC WAS BEING DIVERTED.

BE ALERT FOR FAST RISING WATER AND BE READY TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF
NECESSARY. DO NOT DRIVE OR WALK INTO WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH. AS
LITTLE AS 6 INCHES OF WATER MAY CAUSE YOU TO LOSE CONTROL OF YOUR
VEHICLE...AND 2 FEET OF RUSHING WATER CAN CARRY AWAY MOST VEHICLES...
INCLUDING SUVS AND PICKUPS. NEARLY HALF OF ALL FLOOD FATALITIES ARE
VEHICLE RELATED. KEEP CHILDREN AND OTHERS AWAY FROM FAST FLOWING
WATER AND STORM DRAINS...WHICH COULD BECOME DEADLY DURING HIGH WATER.
FLOODING WILL OCCUR ALONG CREEKS...IN DRAINAGE AREAS...IN
UNDERPASSES...OVER STREETS AND RURAL ROADS...IN NORMALLY DRY WASHES
AND ARROYOS...AND OVER LOW LYING LAND ALONG CREEK BANKS.

$$

LW
000 
WGUS75 KPUB 220035
FFSPUB
COC041-220100-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
630 PM MDT SAT AUG 21 2004

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR EL PASO COUNTY...

...A FLOOD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE FOUNTAIN CREEK NEAR 
FOUNTAIN...

HEAVY RUNOFF FROM EARLIER STORMS IS NO LONGER EXPECTED TO PRODUCE 
FLASH FLOODING.  CONSEQUENTLY...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN 
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

HOWEVER...RUNOFF FROM THE EARLIER STORMS IS EXPECTED TO BRING THE 
FOUNTAIN CREEK TO A CREST NEAR FLOOD STAGE BETWEEN 8 AND 10 PM THIS 
EVENING IN THE VICINITY OF FOUNTAIN.  CONSEQUENTLY...A FLOOD WARNING 
IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THIS REACH OF FOUNTAIN CREEK.

PLEASE REFER TO THE FLOOD WARNING ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER 
SERVICE IN PUEBLO FOR FURTHER DETAILS ON THE FLOODING ALONG FOUNTAIN 
CREEK.  IT CAN BE FOUND UNDER AWIPS IDENTIFIER DENFLWPUB...AND WMO 
HEADER WGUS45.  IT CAN ALSO BE ACCESSED ON THE PUEBLO NATIONAL 
WEATHER SERVICE INTERNET SITE AT WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/PUB.

HEAVY RAINFALL HAS ENDED OVER EL PASO COUNTY.  AFTER THE CREST FROM 
THE RAINS EARLIER RUNS THROUGH FOUNTAIN CREEK THIS EVENING...THE 
RIVER SHOULD DROP BACK TO NORMAL LEVELS BY SUNDAY MORNING.

$$

LW

The office that day

Everything else NWS Pueblo, CO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 21, 1:57 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBEl Paso, Las Animas63 min
Aug 21, 3:00 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBEl Paso75 min
Aug 21, 4:14 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBEl Paso91 min
Aug 21, 5:15 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBPueblo60 min
Aug 21, 5:34 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBProwers86 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Colorado, 2004Every flash flood warning in 2004

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.