Alert archive / Georgia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2009

Flash Flood Warning 53, NWS Atlanta, GA

December 9, 2009Gordon County, Murray County, Whitfield County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this flash flood warning at Dec 9, 2009, 2:40 AM EST for Gordon County, Murray County, Whitfield County, Georgia. It was in force for 6 hr. 3 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
Dec 9, 2009, 2:40 AM EST (07:40 UTC)
Expired
Dec 9, 2009, 8:30 AM EST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Gordon County, GA, Murray County, GA, Whitfield County, GA

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 120 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:41 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
Dec 9, 4:30 AM ESTFLASH FLOOD2 Sw Tilton, GAFRAZIER DRIVE WAS WASHED OUT BY A STREAM.
Dec 9, 4:30 AM ESTFLASH FLOOD3 Sw Dalton, GADROWNING BEAR CREEK WASHED OUT VINEWOOD DRIVE. THE BASEMENT OF A HOME NEAR BY WAS FLOODED.
Dec 9, 7:00 AM ESTFLASH FLOODSugar Valley, GASNAKE CREEK CAME OUT OF ITS BANKS AND FLOODED BAUGH MOUNTAIN ROAD.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 7.7 hours before the alert went out and 150 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2009-12-09Temperature 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 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2009-12-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 0 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
449 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
0 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
0 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
0 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 
WGUS52 KFFC 090740
FFWFFC
GAC129-213-313-091330-
/O.NEW.KFFC.FF.W.0053.091209T0740Z-091209T1330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
240 AM EST WED DEC 9 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN GORDON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
  SOUTHERN MURRAY COUNTY IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
  SOUTHERN WHITFIELD COUNTY IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA

* UNTIL 830 AM EST

* AT 233 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL CAPABLE OF PRODUCING        
  FLASH FLOODING ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM CHATSWORTH TO RESACA... 
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES      
  HAVE OCCURRED AND ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING THE AREA    
  WILL PRODUCE ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  AUDUBON...NICKELSVILLE...NORTH GEORGIA SPEEDWAY...CARTERS AND
  RAMHURST.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...AS WELL AS HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES.
ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF
CREEKS...STREAMS AND OTHER LOW LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. 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.

IF YOU SEE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
TOLL FREE AT 1 8 6 6 7 6 3 4 4 6 6.

&&

LAT...LON 3486 8462 3483 8460 3478 8461 3477 8464
      3473 8465 3466 8465 3458 8467 3449 8509
      3454 8507 3459 8507 3463 8505 3473 8505

$$
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS72 KFFC 091145
FFSFFC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
645 AM EST WED DEC 9 2009

GAC129-213-313-091330-
/O.CON.KFFC.FF.W.0053.000000T0000Z-091209T1330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
GORDON GA-WHITFIELD GA-MURRAY GA-
645 AM EST WED DEC 9 2009

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 AM EST FOR
SOUTHERN MURRAY...SOUTHERN WHITFIELD AND NORTHERN GORDON COUNTIES...

AS OF 640 AM EST...THE RAIN HAD ENDED ACROSS FAR NORTHWEST GEORGIA. 
HOWEVER...3 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS SOUTHERN WHITFIELD 
...NORTHERN GORDON AND MUCH OF MURRAY COUNTY. THE RUNOFF FROM THIS 
RAIN CONTINUES TO FILL AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS CAUSING WATER LEVELS 
TO RISE WELL ABOVE BANKFULL.

AT 630 AM EST...THE STAGE AT COAHULLA CREEK NEAR KEITHS MILL IS 16.1 
FEET AND CONTINUES TO SLOWLY RISE. THE RIVER IS EXPECTED TO CREST 
AROUND 16.5 FEET LATER THIS MORNING. THIS IS 0.5 FEET ABOVE FLOOD 
STAGE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL THIS MORNING ON 
YOUR DRIVE TO WORK OR SCHOOL 

IF YOU SEE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
TOLL FREE AT 1 8 6 6 7 6 3 4 4 6 6.

&&

LAT...LON 3486 8462 3483 8460 3478 8461 3477 8464
      3473 8465 3466 8465 3458 8467 3449 8509
      3454 8507 3459 8507 3463 8505 3473 8505

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 9, 12:46 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCatoosa, Dade, Walker29 min
Dec 9, 1:01 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCChattooga, Floyd, Walker44 min
Dec 9, 1:18 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGordon, Murray, Whitfield42 min
Dec 9, 1:31 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCChattooga, Floyd, Walker6 hr
Dec 9, 2:12 AM ESTRiver Flood WarningFFCForsyth, Fulton41 hr
Dec 9, 2:23 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCFloyd, Polk32 min
Dec 9, 3:48 AM ESTRiver Flood WarningFFCClarke, Greene, Oconee5 days
Dec 9, 3:53 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCoweta, Fayette22 min
Dec 9, 3:59 AM ESTRiver Flood WarningFFCDade19 hr
Dec 9, 4:03 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClayton, Henry, Newton, Rockdale, Spalding27 min
Dec 9, 4:18 AM ESTTornado WarningFFCBarrow, Oconee, Walton27 min
Dec 9, 4:28 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCButts, Clarke, Jasper, Morgan, Newton, Walton28 min
Dec 9, 4:33 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClarke, Jackson, Madison, Oconee, Oglethorpe43 min
Dec 9, 5:17 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGreene, Hancock, Putnam, Taliaferro28 min
Dec 9, 5:44 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHancock, Taliaferro, Warren, Wilkes31 min
Dec 9, 5:50 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCSumter, Webster25 min
Dec 9, 7:08 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCrisp, Wilcox52 min
Dec 9, 7:29 AM ESTRiver Flood WarningFFCChattooga32 hr
Dec 9, 7:29 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDodge, Laurens, Treutlen46 min
Dec 9, 8:03 AM ESTRiver Flood WarningFFCDawson, Forsyth8 hr
Dec 9, 8:09 AM ESTRiver Flood WarningFFCWhitfield62 hr
Dec 9, 8:09 AM ESTRiver Flood WarningFFCGordon, Murray, Whitfield69 hr
Dec 9, 10:46 AM ESTRiver Flood WarningFFCMurray, Whitfield34 hr
Dec 9, 2:10 PM ESTRiver Flood WarningFFCBibb, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Twiggs18 hr
Dec 9, 3:38 PM ESTRiver Flood WarningFFCFloyd, Gordon39 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Georgia, 2009Every flash flood warning in 2009

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.