Alert archive / Georgia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2009

Flash Flood Warning 8, NWS Atlanta, GA

July 12, 2009DeKalb County, Fulton County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this flash flood warning at Jul 12, 2009, 8:38 PM EDT for DeKalb County, Fulton County, Georgia. It was in force for 3 hr. 2 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
Jul 12, 2009, 8:38 PM EDT (00:38 UTC)
Expired
Jul 12, 2009, 11:30 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties DeKalb County, GA, Fulton County, GA

The radar

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 50 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:40 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
Jul 12, 9:10 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD1 Nne Virginia Highland, GASOUTH FORK OF PEACHTREE CREEK REACHES STAGE OF 12.6 FEET. FLOOD STAGE IS 12.0 FEET. EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTS HIGH WATER IN THE AREA AND CREEK OUT OF BANKS...BUT JUST MINOR FLOODING. NO DAMAGE TO PROPERTY OR ROAD CLOSURES AT THE TIME.
Jul 12, 9:30 PM EDTFLOODVirginia Highland, GAWSB TV OF ATLANTA REPORTS THAT THE BASEMENTS OF SEVERAL HOMES IN THE VIRGINIA HIGHLAND AREA OF EASTERN FULTON COUNTY NEAR THE SOUTH FORK OF PEACHTREE CREEK WERE FLOODED.

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, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 47 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 2009-07-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 723 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2009-07-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 3 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
723 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1587 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
47 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 130038
FFWFFC
GAC089-121-130330-
/O.NEW.KFFC.FF.W.0008.090713T0038Z-090713T0330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
838 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL DEKALB COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA
  CENTRAL FULTON COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA

* UNTIL 1130 PM EDT

* AT 832 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  VERY HEAVY RAIN MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL FULTON AND CENTRAL DEKALB
  COUNTIES...FROM AVONDALE ESTATES TO ATLANTA...TO COLLEGE PARK.
  RAINFALL RATES IN THESE STORMS EXCEEDS TWO INCHES PER HOUR IN
  SOME AREAS. SOME RAINFALL REPORTS OF OVER THREE INCHES OF RAIN
  HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECEIVED IN WESTERN DEKALB COUNTY FROM PREVIOUS
  STORMS THIS EVENING. THE SOUTH FORK OF PEACHTREE CREEK IN EASTERN 
  FULTON COUNTY WAS RAPIDLY APPROACHING THE FLOOD STAGE OF 12.0 
  FEET...AND WILL LIKELY EXCEED THIS VALUE WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO BUCKHEAD...
  PINE LAKE...AVONDALE ESTATES...DECATUR...CLARKSTON...DRUID HILLS
  AND MIDTOWN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

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 3386 8442 3384 8420 3366 8421 3368 8460

$$
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS72 KFFC 130151
FFSFFC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
951 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009

GAC089-121-130330-
/O.CON.KFFC.FF.W.0008.000000T0000Z-090713T0330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DEKALB GA-FULTON GA-
951 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1130 PM EDT FOR
CENTRAL FULTON AND SOUTHWESTERN DEKALB COUNTIES...

AT 936 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES 
THAT MODERATE RAIN CONTINUES ACROSS THE FLASH FLOOD WARNED AREA.  
THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED EAST OF THE AREA.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF TWO TO THREE INCHES FELL ACROSS CENTRAL FULTON 
AND CENTRAL DEKALB COUNTIES SINCE 6 PM.  SOME SPOTS SAW IN EXCESS OF 
THREE INCHES OF RAIN THIS EVENING. THE HEAVY RAIN HAS CAUSED THE 
SOUTH FORK OF PEACHTREE CREEK...LOCATED BETWEEN VIRGINIA 
HIGHLANDS...TO RISE TO 12.6 FEET. THE FLOOD STAGE IS 12.0 FEET. 
THIS WATER FLOWING DOWNSTREAM AND ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL IN THE 
BASIN HAS ALSO CAUSED SIGNIFICANT RISES ALONG PEACHTREE CREEK. 
PEACHTREE CREEK NEAR NORTHSIDE DRIVE HAD RISEN TO 8.2 FEET AT 945 
PM. ACTION STAGE IS 13.0 FEET AND FLOOD STAGE IS 17.0 FEET. WHILE 
ADDITIONAL RISES ARE EXPECTED...FLOODING ON PEACHTREE CREEK AT 
NORTHSIDE DRIVE IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO BUCKHEAD...
PINE LAKE...AVONDALE ESTATES...DECATUR...CLARKSTON...DRUID HILLS AND
MIDTOWN

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

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 3386 8442 3384 8420 3366 8421 3368 8460

$$



19
000 
WGUS72 KFFC 130336
FFSFFC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1136 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009

GAC089-121-130340-
/O.EXP.KFFC.FF.W.0008.000000T0000Z-090713T0330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DEKALB GA-FULTON GA-
1136 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR CENTRAL FULTON AND
SOUTHWESTERN DEKALB COUNTIES...

THE HEAVY RAINFALL THAT PROMPTED THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR THESE
AREAS HAS MOVED EAST OUT OF THE AREA.  ONLY LIGHT RAIN AND A FEW 
SPOTTY HEAVIER SHOWERS ARE NOTED IN THE AREA AT THIS TIME. THE SOUTH 
FORK OF THE PEACHTREE CREEK NEAR VIRGINIA HIGHLAND HAS FALLEN BELOW 
THE 12.0 FOOT FLOOD STAGE. THE CREEK HAD FALLEN RAPIDLY AND WAS DOWN 
TO 7.9 FEET AT 1130 PM EDT. ALONG THE NORTH FORK OF PEACHTREE 
CREEK...JUST NORTHWEST OF LA VISTA...THE CREEK CRESTED AT 10.7 FEET 
AT 10 PM EDT...JUST BELOW THE ACTION STAGE OF 11.0 FEET...AND HAD 
FALLEN BELOW THE ACTION STAGE BY 1130 PM EDT. ON PEACHTREE CREEK 
NEAR NORTHSIDE DRIVE...UPSTREAM RUNOFF HAD CAUSED THE CREEK TO RISE 
TO 14.0 FEET AT 1130 PM...WELL ABOVE THE 13.0 FOOT ACTION STAGE. 
RUNOFF IS DECREASING AND RAINFALL HAS MOSTLY ENDED IN THIS AREA. 
THUS...AT THIS TIME...PEACHTREE CREEK IS NOT EXPECTED TO REACH THE 
17.0 FOOT FLOOD STAGE NEAR NORTHSIDE DRIVE.

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 3386 8442 3384 8420 3366 8421 3368 8460

$$



19

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.