Alert archive / North Dakota / Flash Flood Warnings in 2008

Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Grand Forks, ND

August 11, 2008Richland County, North Dakota; Wilkin County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this flash flood warning at Aug 11, 2008, 9:55 PM CDT for Richland County, North Dakota; Wilkin County, Minnesota. It took effect at Aug 11, 2008, 10:04 PM CDT. It was in force for 8 hr. 4 reports 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
Aug 11, 2008, 9:55 PM CDT (02:55 UTC)
In effect from
Aug 11, 2008, 10:04 PM CDT
Expired
Aug 12, 2008, 6:00 AM CDT
In force
8 hr
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Wilkin County, MN, Richland County, ND

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 139 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:58 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 11, 10:42 PM CDTFLASH FLOODWahpeton, NDNO TRAVEL ADVISED BY CITY OFFICIALS DUE TO FLOODING
Aug 11, 11:55 PM CDTFLASH FLOODBreckenridge, MNCITY PARK FLOODED. SEVERAL STREETS BARACADED DUE TO STREET FLOODING.
Aug 12, 1:55 AM CDTFLASH FLOOD1 N Kent, MNU.S. HIGHWAY 75 FLOODED AT RAIL ROAD UNDERPASS.
Aug 12, 1:55 AM CDTFLASH FLOOD2 Ssw Abercrombie, NDSEVERAL FIELDS AND FARM ACCESS ROADS WERE FLOODED DUE TO RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINS IN NORTHEAST RICHLAND AND NORTHWEST WILKIN COUNTIES. RAINFALL RANGED FROM 3 TO 6 INCHES OVER SEVERAL TOWNSHIPS DURING A ROUGHLY 4 HOUR PERIOD ON THE EVENING OF THE 11TH. THIS FOLL

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

The nearest sounding before it

Aberdeen, SD (KABR), launched 00:00Z, 2.9 hours before the alert went out and 211 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, Aberdeen, SD at 00:00Z on 2008-08-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 174 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, Aberdeen, SD at 00:00Z on 2008-08-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -94 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
174 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-149 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1115 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-94 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-246 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS53 KFGF 120304
FFWFGF
MNC167-NDC077-121100-
/O.NEW.KFGF.FF.W.0002.080812T0304Z-080812T1100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
955 PM CDT MON AUG 11 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  RICHLAND COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA...THIS INCLUDES THE      
  CITY OF WAHPETON...
  WILKIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...THIS INCLUDES THE
  CITY OF BRECKENRIDGE...

* UNTIL 600 AM CDT TUESDAY

* AT 950 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR
  WALCOTT TO 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF GREAT BEND. THE WESTERN EDGE       
  OF THE HEAVIER RAIN WAS ALONG A LINE FROM COLFAX TO MOORETON.      
  NUMEROUS REPORTS OF FLOODING HAVE BEEN RECEIVED ALONG              
  WITH RAINFALL TOTALS BETWEEN 3 AND 6 INCHES IN AND AROUND THE 
  WAHPETON BRECKENRIDGE AREA. LOCAL RUNOFF WILL CONTINUE 
  FLOODING CONCERNS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD...EVEN THOUGH 
  THE RAIN WILL GRADUALLY COME TO AN END.   

* SOME LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE WAHPETON...BRECKENRIDGE...
  MCCAULEYVILLE AND KENT.

MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR
VEHICLE INTO WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH. ONE OR TWO FEET OF WATER WILL
FLOAT MOST CARS DOWNSTREAM.

LAT...LON 4653 9645 4613 9641 4609 9697 4653 9704

$$

WJB
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS73 KFGF 120659
FFSFGF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
153 AM CDT TUE AUG 12 2008

MNC167-NDC077-121100-
/O.CON.KFGF.FF.W.0002.000000T0000Z-080812T1100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WILKIN MN-RICHLAND ND-
153 AM CDT TUE AUG 12 2008

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 AM CDT FOR
CENTRAL RICHLAND AND CENTRAL WILKIN COUNTIES...

AT 150 AM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED FLOODING 
WITHIN THE STREETS OF WAHPETON...ESPECIALLY ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF 
TOWN...WITH AN OVERALL GRADUAL SUBSIDING OF WATER LEVELS.

MORE LIGHT SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE EARLY THIS MORNING ALONG AND EAST OF 
THE RED RIVER BETWEEN RICHLAND AND WILKIN COUNTIES. THE ADDITIONAL 
LIGHT SHOWERS SHOULD BE OF INSIGNIFICANCE TO THE CURRENT FLOODING 
PROBLEMS.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. NEVER DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO
AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. FLOOD WATERS ARE USUALLY
DEEPER THAN THEY APPEAR. JUST ONE FOOT OF FLOWING WATER IS POWERFUL
ENOUGH TO SWEEP VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD. WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED
ROADS MAKE THE SMART CHOICE...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.

LAT...LON 4653 9645 4613 9641 4609 9697 4653 9704

$$

G2/VG
000 
WGUS73 KFGF 121105
FFSFGF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
559 AM CDT TUE AUG 12 2008

MNC167-NDC077-121109-
/O.EXP.KFGF.FF.W.0002.000000T0000Z-080812T1100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WILKIN MN-RICHLAND ND-
559 AM CDT TUE AUG 12 2008

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 600 AM CDT FOR CENTRAL
RICHLAND AND CENTRAL WILKIN COUNTIES...

AT 559 AM CDT...LOCAL REPORTS FROM THE WAHPETON AND BRECKENRIDGE 
AREAS INDICATE THAT STREET FLOODING IS NO LONGER AN ISSUE AS WATERS 
CONTINUE TO SUBSIDE. SINCE NO MORE RAIN IS EXPECTED FOR THE 
REMAINDER OF THE DAY...THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 600 
AM CDT.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION OR
CABLE TELEVISION FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

LAT...LON 4653 9645 4613 9641 4609 9697 4653 9704

$$

G2/VG

The office that day

Everything else NWS Grand Forks, ND issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 12, 9:20 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningFGFClay25 hr
Aug 12, 9:20 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningFGFClay25 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Dakota, 2008Flash Flood Warnings in Minnesota, 2008Every flash flood warning in 2008

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.