Alert archive / Wisconsin / Flash Flood Warnings in 2009

Flash Flood Warning 6, NWS Twin Cities, MN

August 8, 20094 counties in Wisconsin

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this flash flood warning at Aug 8, 2009, 2:03 AM CDT for 4 counties in Wisconsin. It was in force for 4 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: Aug 8, 2009, 2:03 AM CDT (07:03 UTC)
Expired: Aug 8, 2009, 6:00 AM CDT
In force: 4 hr
Issued by: NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Dunn County, WI, Eau Claire County, WI, Pepin County, WI, Pierce County, WI

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 110 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:03 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
Aug 8, 2:10 AM CDT	HEAVY RAIN 5.5	Prescott, WI
Aug 8, 2:30 AM CDT	HEAVY RAIN 2.5	2 Sse Altoona, WI	LOCAL MEDIA REPORTS SOME MINOR STREET FLOODING IN EAU CLAIRE AS WELL.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 7.1 hours before the alert went out and 128 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: 1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 517 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 183 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 341 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS53 KMPX 080703
FFWMPX
WIC033-035-091-093-081100-
/O.NEW.KMPX.FF.W.0006.090808T0703Z-090808T1100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
203 AM CDT SAT AUG 8 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  EAU CLAIRE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN
  PEPIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN
  PIERCE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN
  SOUTHERN DUNN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN

* UNTIL 600 AM CDT

* AT 158 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE
  WARNED AREA...AND ESTIMATED THAT 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN DURING
  THE PAST 3 HOURS OVER MUCH OF THE AREA.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  DURAND...EAU CLAIRE...ELLSWORTH...RIVER FALLS...ALTOONA...
  ARKANSAW...BAY CITY...BELDENVILLE...BRACKETT...CARYVILLE...DIAMOND
  BLUFF...EAU GALLE...ELLA...ELMWOOD AND ESDAILE.

AS OF 2 AM...AN OBSERVER IN PRESCOTT REPORTED 4 INCHES OF RAIN.  


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN
THE WARNED AREA THROUGH 6 AM.

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. DO
NOT ENTER THE WATER. TURN AROUND AND MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO
ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN
WATER BEGINS RISING.

&&

LAT...LON 4459 9092 4459 9202 4457 9204 4442 9210
      4445 9224 4456 9234 4457 9251 4461 9260
      4475 9280 4487 9276 4486 9092

$$
MPG/JPR

1 follow-up statement

000 
WGUS73 KMPX 080822
FFSMPX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
322 AM CDT SAT AUG 8 2009

WIC033-035-091-093-081100-
/O.CON.KMPX.FF.W.0006.000000T0000Z-090808T1100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DUNN WI-PIERCE WI-EAU CLAIRE WI-PEPIN WI-
322 AM CDT SAT AUG 8 2009

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PEPIN...EAU CLAIRE...
PIERCE AND SOUTHERN DUNN COUNTIES IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN UNTIL 600
AM CDT...

AT 314 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THAT HEAVIER RAINFALL RATES HAVE DECREASED...OR MOVED SLIGHTLY SOUTH 
OF THE WARNED AREA. HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS COULD MOVE 
ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH 5 AM. 

THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING TO MOVE FROM WEST TO EAST... 
WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IN THE WARNED AREA. RUNOFF FROM 
THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME 
LOCATIONS THAT COULD EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...DURAND...EAU 
CLAIRE...ELLSWORTH...RIVER FALLS...ALTOONA...DIAMOND BLUFF...
ELMWOOD....FAIRCHILD...FALL CREEK...FOSTER...HAGER 
CITY...PEPIN...PLUM CITY...PRESCOTT...ROCK FALLS...SPRING VALLEY AND 
STOCKHOLM.

AS OF 210 AM...5.5 INCHES OF RAIN WAS REPORTED IN PRESCOTT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY. DO NOT
ENTER THE WATER. TURN AROUND AND MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND. DO NOT
STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 4459 9092 4459 9202 4457 9204 4442 9210
      4445 9224 4456 9234 4457 9251 4461 9260
      4475 9280 4487 9276 4486 9092

$$

JPR

The office that day

Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 8, 12:24 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	MPX	Pierce, Saint Croix	3 hr
Aug 8, 12:28 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	MPX	Pierce, Saint Croix	3 hr
Aug 8, 4:06 AM CDT	Flash Flood Watch	MPX	Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce, Saint Croix	19 hr
Aug 8, 8:11 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Polk	49 min
Aug 8, 8:37 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Polk, Saint Croix	38 min
Aug 8, 9:05 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Barron	40 min
Aug 8, 10:18 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Chippewa	42 min
Aug 8, 10:33 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Saint Croix	57 min
Aug 8, 10:59 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Dunn, Saint Croix	46 min
Aug 8, 11:58 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Chippewa	47 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Wisconsin, 2009 Every 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.