Alert archive / Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2006

Flash Flood Warning 18, NWS Wakefield, VA

July 5, 2006Greensville County, Sussex County, City of Emporia, Virginia

NWS Wakefield, VA issued this flash flood warning at Jul 5, 2006, 5:26 PM EDT for Greensville County, Sussex County, City of Emporia, Virginia. It was in force for 2 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
Jul 5, 2006, 5:26 PM EDT (21:26 UTC)
Expired
Jul 5, 2006, 7:30 PM EDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Wakefield, VA
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties City of Emporia, VA, Greensville County, VA, Sussex County, VA

The radar

The Norfolk radar (KAKQ), 47 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:29 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

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 188 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2006-07-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 353 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2006-07-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 22 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
353 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-88 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
877 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
22 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
40 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Wakefield, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jul 5, 3:03 PM EDT, 2 hours 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 5, 3:03 PM EDT, 2 hours 23 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
303 PM EDT WED JUL 5 2006

.SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
FRONTAL BOUNDARY CONTINUING ITS DESCENT ACROSS THE MID ATLANTIC
REGION. CURRENTLY SHOWERS AND THE ASSOCIATED BOUNDARY REMAIN
DIAGONALLY ACROSS NW VA EXTENDING FROM THE SW TO NE...AND IT WILL
CONTINUE TO ACROSS THE AREA...MOVING FROM NW TO SE...LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE A SEVERE WEATHER WX WATCH WATCH OUT OF THE NW HALF
OF OUR CWA. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS
ACCOMPANYING THESE HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS...ESPECIALLY SINCE THE PARTLY
CLOUDY SKIES ALLOWED US THE NEEDED SFC HEATING. THIS WATCH MAY BE
EXTENDED FURTHER SE LATER THIS EVENING WHERE THERE HAS BEEN ABUNDANT
HEATING AND MORE INSTABILITY.

THE MAIN THREAT FOR THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT WILL BE THE HEAVY
RAIN. LAST NIGHT AND EVEN THIS MORNING MANY AREAS IN OUR CWA
RECEIVED 1 TO 2 INCHES AND POSSIBLY MORE LOCALLY. WE ARE EXPECTED 1
TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT...AND FACTORING HOW
MUCH THE GROUND IS ALREADY SATURATED...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH WAS
ISSUED THIS MORNING FOR THE ENTIRE AREA AND WE WILL OF COURSE
CONTINUE IT UNTIL ITS EXPIRATION OF 7AM THURSDAY MORNING...WHEN THE
FRONT MOVES NEARER THE COAST.

FOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON DECIDED TO GO WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS
RATHER THAN SCATTERED. DO NOT BELIEVE THEY WILL BE SO PREVALENT SINCE
THE FORECAST SOUNDINGS AND MODELS DO NOT SUPPORT THIS SORT OF
INSTABILITY. BY THURSDAY NIGHT THE SHOWERS WILL ALL HAVE ENDED WITH
THE EXCEPTION BEING THE SE PTN OF CWA WHERE THE BOUNDARY IS JUST
MOVING OFFSHORE.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS BUILDING OVER THE REGION FRIDAY. TEMPS AND
HUMIDITY WILL INCREASE AS THE WEEKEND GOES ON. AT THE MOMENT THE
WEEKEND LOOKS PRECIP FREE...BUT WILL HAVE TO MONITOR DEVELOPMENT OF
THE UPPER LOW WHICH HAS BEEN MOVING FURTHER TO THE WEST AND ALMOST
DIRECTLY OVER OUR AREA IN LATER RUNS.

&&

.AVIATION...
EXPECTING WIDESPREAD MVFR CONDS (BRIEF IFR PSBL IN HEAVIER PSPN)
OVRNGT AS SHWRS BECOME MORE NUMEROUS. ONLY SLOW IMPROVEMENT TO VFR
EXPECTED AS PCPN MOVES OUT DURING THE FORENOON HOURS THU.

&&

.MARINE...
MODERATE SW FLOW WILL CONT OVER WATERS OVRNGT. COLD FRONT PRESSING
SE ACRS WATERS LATE TNGT THRU THU MORN. LTST WRF GUIDANCE SUGGS
MARGINAL POST FRONTAL SCA CONDS LIKELY ESP WHERE CRITERIA IS LOWER
IN BAY/SOUND. WILL HOLD OFF ON SCA FOR CSTL WTRS FOR NOW BUT MAY SEE
SCA CONDS (AT LEAST FOR FOR SEAS) IN 3RD FCST PERIOD WHICH IS BEYOND
LOCAL HEADLINE ISSUANCE POLICY.

&&

.AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MD...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR MDZ021>025 UNTIL 9 AM THURSDAY.
NC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NCZ012>017-030>032-102 UNTIL 9 AM
     THURSDAY.
VA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR VAZ048-049-060>100 UNTIL 9 AM THURSDAY.
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ANZ630>632 FROM 11 AM THURSDAY TO 9
     PM THURSDAY.
  ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ANZ633 FROM 2 PM THURSDAY TO 9 PM
     THURSDAY.
&&

SHORT/LONG TERM...33
AVIATION...KIMBALL/CULLEN
MARINE...CULLEN
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 5, 5:40 AM EDT, 11 hours 46 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
540 AM EDT WED JUL 05 2006

ANZ630>632-650-652-654-656-658-
MDZ021>025-NCZ012>017-030>032-102-VAZ048-049-060>100-061030-
CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SMITH POINT TO WINDMILL POINT-
CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM WINDMILL POINT TO NEW POINT COMFORT-
CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NEW POINT COMFORT TO CAPE HENRY-
COASTAL WATERS FROM FENWICK ISLAND TO CHINCOTEAGUE OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM CHINCOTEAGUE TO PARRAMORE ISLAND OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM PARRAMORE ISLAND TO CAPE CHARLES LIGHT OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE CHARLES LIGHT TO NC-VA BORDER OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM NC-VA BORDER TO CURRITUCK BEACH LIGHT OUT 20 NM-
ACCOMACK VA-AMELIA VA-BERTIE NC-BRUNSWICK VA-CAMDEN NC-CAROLINE VA-
CHARLES CITY VA-CHESAPEAKE VA-CHESTERFIELD VA-CHOWAN NC-
CUMBERLAND VA-DINWIDDIE VA-DORCHESTER MD-EASTERN CURRITUCK NC-
ESSEX VA-FLUVANNA VA-GATES NC-GLOUCESTER VA-GOOCHLAND VA-
GREENSVILLE VA-HANOVER VA-HENRICO VA-HERTFORD NC-INLAND WORCESTER MD-
ISLE OF WIGHT VA-JAMES CITY VA-KING AND QUEEN VA-KING WILLIAM VA-
LANCASTER VA-LOUISA VA-LUNENBURG VA-MARYLAND BEACHES MD-MATHEWS VA-
MECKLENBURG VA-MIDDLESEX VA-NEW KENT VA-NEWPORT NEWS/HAMPTON VA-
NORFOLK/PORTSMOUTH VA-NORTHAMPTON VA-NORTHAMPTON NC-
NORTHUMBERLAND VA-NOTTOWAY VA-PASQUOTANK NC-PERQUIMANS NC-
POWHATAN VA-PRINCE EDWARD VA-PRINCE GEORGE VA-RICHMOND VA-
SOMERSET MD-SOUTHAMPTON VA-SUFFOLK VA-SURRY VA-SUSSEX VA-
VIRGINIA BEACH VA-WESTERN CURRITUCK NC-WESTMORELAND VA-WICOMICO MD-
YORK VA-
540 AM EDT WED JUL 05 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN VIRGINIA...
NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND THE EASTERN MARYLAND SHORE.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TODAY AND
TONIGHT. AS A RESULT OF THIS AND RAINFALL FROM LATE TUESDAY
NIGHT...THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK OF FLASH FLOODING.

THERE IS ALSO A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL
AND DAMAGING WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.

FORECASTER ID
32

THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES...AND
STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN
WAKEFIELD, VA CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT THE FOLLOWING
(LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/AKQ.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 5, 4:28 PM EDT, 58 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
428 PM EDT WED JUL 5 2006

VAZ070-080-081-052115-
CHESTERFIELD VA-DINWIDDIE VA-PRINCE GEORGE VA-
428 PM EDT WED JUL 5 2006

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING THROUGH DINWIDDIE COUNTY...

AT 426 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES WEST OF DINWIDDIE...OR ABOUT 6 MILES
NORTH OF MCKENNEY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THE STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR CENTER STAR AT 435 PM EDT...CHURCH ROAD AT
440 PM EDT...PETERSBURG AIRPORT AT 450 PM EDT...MATOACA AT 500 PM
EDT...PETERSBURG AT 505 PM EDT.

WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
EXPECT FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM.
RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER
ON ROADWAYS AND POSSIBLE LOCALIZED FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS.

CULLEN
Special weather statement, Jul 5, 4:34 PM EDT, 52 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
434 PM EDT WED JUL 5 2006

VAZ049-062>064-052130-
CAROLINE VA-GOOCHLAND VA-HANOVER VA-LOUISA VA-
434 PM EDT WED JUL 5 2006

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO CAROLINE...HANOVER AND GOOCHLAND
COUNTIES...

AT 432 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM 19 MILES WEST OF MILFORD TO HADENSVILLE...
OR FROM 13 MILES NORTHEAST OF MINERAL TO HADENSVILLE...MOVING EAST AT
20 MPH. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...MILFORD AROUND 525
PM EDT.

IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY
LIGHTNING. MOVE INTO A SAFE SHELTER BEFORE THESE STORMS REACH YOUR
AREA. REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS HAVE PASSED.

WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IN AN
HOUR OR LESS...SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
EXPECTED IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE
PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS...AND POSSIBLE LOCALIZED FLOODING IN
LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS.

SAMMLER
Special weather statement, Jul 5, 4:55 PM EDT, 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
455 PM EDT WED JUL 5 2006

VAZ049-061>063-068-069-071-052145-
AMELIA VA-CUMBERLAND VA-GOOCHLAND VA-HANOVER VA-HENRICO VA-LOUISA
VA-POWHATAN VA-
455 PM EDT WED JUL 5 2006

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE RICHMOND
METRO AREA...

AT 452 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM 13 MILES NORTH OF GOOCHLAND TO
CUMBERLAND...OR FROM HADENSVILLE TO CUMBERLAND...MOVING EAST AT 20
MPH. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...GOOCHLAND AROUND 515 PM
EDT...AND POWHATAN AROUND 530 PM EDT. IN ADDITION...OTHER
THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO DEVELOP THROUGH 545 PM ACROSS POWHATAN
AND EASTERN GOOCHLAND COUNTIES.

WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IN AN
HOUR OR LESS...SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
EXPECTED IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE
PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS...AND POSSIBLE LOCALIZED FLOODING IN
LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS.

IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY
LIGHTNING. MOVE INTO A SAFE SHELTER BEFORE THESE STORMS REACH YOUR
AREA. REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS HAVE PASSED.

SAMMLER
Special weather statement, Jul 5, 5:05 PM EDT, 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
505 PM EDT WED JUL 5 2006

MDZ023>025-VAZ099-052130-
ACCOMACK VA-INLAND WORCESTER MD-MARYLAND BEACHES MD-SOMERSET MD-
505 PM EDT WED JUL 5 2006

AT 505 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM 11 MILES EAST OF POCOMOKE CITY TO
7 MILES EAST OF CRISFIELD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH. THE
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...CHINCOTEAGUE AROUND 525 PM EDT.

WIND GUSTS TO 30 MPH AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE
WITH THIS STORM. RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO THREE INCHES PER HOUR WILL
CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND POSSIBLE LOCALIZED FLOODING
IN LOW LYING AREAS.

44
Local storm report, Jul 5, 5:08 PM EDT, 18 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 5, 5:13 PM EDT, 13 minutes before
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The office that day

Everything else NWS Wakefield, VA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 4, 8:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAKQLunenburg26 min
Jul 4, 9:58 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningAKQ62 min
Jul 5, 5:06 AM EDTFlash Flood WatchAKQAccomack, Amelia, Brunswick, Caroline, Charles City, Cumberland and 30 more36 hr
Jul 5, 4:13 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningAKQNottoway2 hr
Jul 5, 4:20 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningAKQLouisa115 min
Jul 5, 5:49 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningAKQSurry3 hr
Jul 5, 5:55 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningAKQ65 min
Jul 5, 6:25 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningAKQAmelia, Chesterfield2 hr
Jul 5, 6:52 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningAKQ83 min
Jul 4, 8:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAKQWicomico29 min
Jul 4, 8:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAKQSomerset37 min
Jul 5, 4:44 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningAKQSomerset2 hr
Jul 5, 5:31 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningAKQWorcester119 min
Jul 5, 6:33 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningAKQSomerset117 min
Jul 5, 7:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAKQSomerset38 min
Jul 5, 7:29 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningAKQWorcester91 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Virginia, 2006Every flash flood warning in 2006

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.