Alert archive / Arkansas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2006

Flash Flood Warning 8, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 9, 2006Franklin County, Arkansas

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this flash flood warning at May 9, 2006, 9:46 PM CDT for Franklin County, Arkansas. It was in force for 119 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: May 9, 2006, 9:46 PM CDT (02:46 UTC)
Expired: May 9, 2006, 11:45 PM CDT
In force: 119 min
Issued by: NWS Tulsa, OK
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Franklin County, AR

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 46 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:47 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 9, 10:08 PM CDT	FLOOD	Charleston, AR	ROADS FLOODED

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

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

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 00:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 172 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: 680 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -46 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1161 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -6 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 97 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.4
Supercell composite: 3.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS54 KTSA 100247
FFWTSA
ARC047-100445-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
946 PM CDT TUE MAY 9 2006

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  FRANKLIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS

* UNTIL 1145 PM CDT

* AT 942 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF 
BRANCH...MOVING   EAST AT 15 MPH. RADAR INDICATES THAT 1 TO 2 INCHES 
OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN. ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE 
THROUGH 1145 PM CDT.

* LOCATIONS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE AFFECTED BY HEAVY RAIN
  INCLUDE...ALTUS...DENNING AND WIEDERKEHR VILLAGE.


BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLASH FLOODS. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AT NIGHT TO TELL HOW
MUCH WATER IS ON THE ROADS. IT ONLY TAKES TWO FEET OF RUSHING WATER
TO CARRY AWAY MOST SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND PICKUPS. MOTORISTS
SHOULD NOT DRIVE THROUGH WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH. TAKE A DIFFERENT
ROUTE TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION OR WAIT UNTIL THE WATER RECEDES.

LAT...LON 3538 9374 3539 9378 3541 9380 3532 9380
      3532 9391 3524 9391 3523 9407 3523 9407
      3542 9406 3552 9370 3538 9370

$$

1 follow-up statement

000 
WGUS74 KTSA 100356
FFSTSA

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1056 PM CDT TUE MAY 9 2006

ARC047-100445-
FRANKLIN AR-
1056 PM CDT TUE MAY 9 2006

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1145 PM CDT FOR
FRANKLIN COUNTY...

AT 1052 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN ACROSS MUCH OF FRANKLIN COUNTY. NO 
SIGNIFICANT RAINS ARE IMMINENT FOR FRANKLIN COUNTY...HOWEVER RUN 
OFF FROM PREVIOUS RAINS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE FLASH FLOODING 
CONCERNS.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL CONTINUE IN THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING INCLUDE 
OZARK...DENNING...ALTUS AND WIEDERKEHR VILLAGE.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD TO
UNKNOWN DEPTHS. IT ONLY TAKES TWO FEET OF RUSHING WATER TO CARRY AWAY
MOST SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND PICKUPS. TAKE A DIFFERENT ROUTE TO
REACH YOUR DESTINATION OR WAIT UNTIL THE WATER RECEDES. REMEMBER...
MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLASH FLOODS. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AT NIGHT TO TELL HOW
MUCH WATER IS ON THE ROADS. IT ONLY TAKES TWO FEET OF RUSHING WATER
TO CARRY AWAY MOST SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND PICKUPS. MOTORISTS
SHOULD NOT DRIVE THROUGH WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH. TAKE A DIFFERENT
ROUTE TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION OR WAIT UNTIL THE WATER RECEDES.

LAT...LON 3538 9374 3539 9378 3541 9380 3532 9380
      3532 9391 3524 9391 3523 9407 3523 9407
      3542 9406 3552 9370 3538 9370

$$

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 9, 9:29 PM CDT, 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 9, 9:29 PM CDT, 17 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
929 PM CDT TUE MAY 9 2006

.MESOSCALE UPDATE...
THE SUPERCELL MOVING ACROSS FORT SMITH HAS LOST SOME ORGANIZATION.
THE UPSTREAM CELL OVER SEQUOYAH COUNTY LOOKS IN BOUND TO FORT SMITH
AND ITS MAIN THREAT COULD BE FLASH FLOODING AS ITS HEAVY RAIN ADDS
TO THE RUNOFF FROM THE PREVIOUS CELL.

THE LINE OF STORMS FROM SOUTHERN LE FLORE COUNTY INTO NORTHWEST CHOCTAW
COUNTY CONTINUES TO BE A WIND AND HAIL THREAT AS THE COLD POOL PUSHES THE
STORMS SOUTHEAST.  WE ARE SEEING A SURGE IN THE REFLECTIVITY ACROSS
SOUTHEAST PUSMATAHA COUNTY THAT COULD BE A INDICATION OF INCREASING
WIND POTENTIAL.

&&

.TSA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 AM WEDNESDAY FOR OKZ049-OKZ053-OKZ054-
     OKZ055-OKZ056-OKZ057-OKZ058-OKZ059-OKZ060-OKZ061-OKZ062-
     OKZ063-OKZ064-OKZ065-OKZ066-OKZ067-OKZ068-OKZ069-OKZ070-
     OKZ071-OKZ072-OKZ073-OKZ074-OKZ075-OKZ076.

AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 AM WEDNESDAY FOR ARZ001-ARZ002-ARZ010-
     ARZ011-ARZ019-ARZ020-ARZ029.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, May 9, 6:22 PM CDT, 3 hours 24 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
622 PM CDT TUE MAY 9 2006

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-101000-
ADAIR OK-BENTON AR-CARROLL AR-CHEROKEE OK-CHOCTAW OK-CRAIG OK-
CRAWFORD AR-CREEK OK-DELAWARE OK-FRANKLIN AR-HASKELL OK-LATIMER OK-
LE FLORE OK-MADISON AR-MAYES OK-MCINTOSH OK-MUSKOGEE OK-NOWATA OK-
OKFUSKEE OK-OKMULGEE OK-OSAGE OK-OTTAWA OK-PAWNEE OK-PITTSBURG OK-
PUSHMATAHA OK-ROGERS OK-SEBASTIAN AR-SEQUOYAH OK-TULSA OK-WAGONER OK-
WASHINGTON OK-WASHINGTON AR-
622 PM CDT TUE MAY 9 2006

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE AREA THIS EVENING...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE AREA TONIGHT...

THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS
MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

.DAY ONE...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT.

TORNADO.
	RISK...ELEVATED.
	AREA...SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 44.
	ONSET...ONGOING.

	AREA AT GREATEST RISK...ALONG AND NEAR A FORT SMITH...
        MCALESTER LINE.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.
	RISK...SIGNIFICANT.
	AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
	ONSET...ONGOING.

	AREA AT GREATEST RISK...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND
        WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS.

FLASH FLOOD.
	RISK...LIMITED.
	AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
	ONSET...ONGOING.

HEAVY RAIN.
	RISK...LIMITED.
	AREA...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA.
	ONSET...ONGOING.

DISCUSSION...
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE RAPIDLY DEVELOPED EARLY THIS EVENING AND HAVE
QUICKLY STRENGTHENED. WITH THE ATMOSPHERE REMAINING EXTREMELY
UNSTABLE...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING.
EARLY THIS EVENING THE REMNANTS OF AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY OVER THE
SOUTHERN PART OF THE AREA...AND A WEAK COLD FRONT IN THE NORTH WERE
PROVIDING THE MAIN FOCUS FOR DEVELOPMENT. INSTABILITY AND SHEAR
PROFILES CONTINUE TO SUGGEST SUPERCELLS ARE LIKELY WITH VERY LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS AND A FEW TORNADOES. THE TORNADO
THREAT WILL BE ENHANCED ALONG THE BOUNDARIES...ESPECIALLY IF ANY
SUPERCELLS RESIDE ALONG THE BOUNDARIES FOR ANY EXTENDED AMOUNT OF
TIME.

THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL LIKELY CONTINUE WELL INTO THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS AS A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE APPROACHES THE
AREA. THE MAIN THREAT OVERNIGHT WILL BE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
DOWNBURST WIND. IN ADDITION...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE LIKELY IN
THE STRONGER STORMS WITH FLASH FLOODING. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FOR EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS TONIGHT.

SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.
WEDNESDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL.
THURSDAY...NO HAZARDS.
FRIDAY...NO HAZARDS.
SATURDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL.
SUNDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL.
MONDAY...NO HAZARDS.

EXTENDED DISCUSSION...
THUNDERSTORMS COULD REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA WEDNESDAY MORNING BUT
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING DRY WEATHER TO THE AREA FOR THURSDAY AND
FRIDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL THEN RETURN FOR THE WEEKEND AS ANOTHER
COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA.

WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA CONTAINS ADDITIONAL TABULAR AND GRAPHICAL
INFORMATION.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 9, 8:16 PM CDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
816 PM CDT TUE MAY 09 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0810 PM     HAIL             4 N MULDROW             35.46N 94.60W
05/09/2006  E1.00 INCH       SEQUOYAH           OK   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

SFP

Local storm report, May 9, 8:41 PM CDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
841 PM CDT TUE MAY 09 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0841 PM     HAIL             FORT SMITH              35.39N 94.40W
05/09/2006  E0.88 INCH       SEBASTIAN          AR   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

SFP

Special weather statement, May 9, 8:44 PM CDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
844 PM CDT TUE MAY 9 2006

OKZ072-074-100245-
HASKELL OK-SEQUOYAH OK-
844 PM CDT TUE MAY 9 2006

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 945 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
     WESTERN SEQUOYAH

IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     EASTERN HASKELL

AT 844 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF GORE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT
WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...TAMAHA...SALLISAW...MC
KEY...VIAN AND GORE.

THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO
50 MPH. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE THE
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS UPGRADED TO A WARNING.

Local storm report, May 9, 8:48 PM CDT, 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
848 PM CDT TUE MAY 09 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0846 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 NE POCOLA             35.26N 94.44W
05/09/2006  E60 MPH          LE FLORE           OK   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

SFP

Local storm report, May 9, 8:59 PM CDT, 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
859 PM CDT TUE MAY 09 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0855 PM     HAIL             1 S FORT SMITH          35.37N 94.40W
05/09/2006  E0.88 INCH       SEBASTIAN          AR   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

SFP

Local storm report, May 9, 9:05 PM CDT, 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
905 PM CDT TUE MAY 09 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0904 PM     HAIL             FORT SMITH              35.39N 94.40W
05/09/2006  E0.75 INCH       SEBASTIAN          AR   AMATEUR RADIO

            JUST EAST AND NORTH OF THE AIRPORT

&&

SFP

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 9, 7:54 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Sebastian	66 min
May 9, 8:53 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Sebastian	57 min
May 9, 9:26 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	Sebastian	3 hr
May 9, 9:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Franklin	32 min
May 9, 11:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Benton	66 min
May 10, 3:44 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Crawford, Sebastian	33 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arkansas, 2006 Every 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.