Alert archive / Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2009

Flash Flood Warning 49, NWS Blacksburg, VA

June 4, 2009Giles County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this flash flood warning at Jun 4, 2009, 8:26 PM EDT for Giles County, Virginia. It was in force for 5 hr. 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
Jun 4, 2009, 8:26 PM EDT (00:26 UTC)
Expired
Jun 5, 2009, 1:55 AM EDT
In force
5 hr
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Giles County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 54 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:29 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
Jun 5, 1:00 AM EDTFLASH FLOODWhite Gate, VAHWY 42 CLOSED ON WALKER CREEK

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

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 00:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 113 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, Roanoke, VA at 00:00Z on 2009-06-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 181 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, Roanoke, VA at 00:00Z on 2009-06-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 100 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
181 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
478 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
100 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
121 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
1.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS51 KRNK 050026
FFWRNK
VAC071-050630-
/O.NEW.KRNK.FF.W.0049.090605T0026Z-090605T0630Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
826 PM EDT THU JUN 4 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  GILES COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 230 AM EDT FRIDAY.

* AT 826 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER THE WARNED AREA.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO CASCADES...
  PETERSTOWN...RICH CREEK...PEMBROKE...PEARISBURG...NEWPORT...
  NARROWS...MOUNTAIN LAKE...KIRE...KIMBALLTON...INTERIOR...GLEN
  LYN...EGGLESTON AND CHAPEL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE
BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

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.

PLEASE RELAY ANY REPORTS OF FLOODING INCLUDING MUDSLIDES...OR ROAD
CLOSURES TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG BY CALLING
TOLL FREE...1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4. DELAYED REPORTS ARE WELCOME.

&&

LAT...LON 3734 8085 3739 8088 3742 8086 3742 8080
      3739 8080 3737 8076 3748 8052 3746 8049
      3732 8042 3727 8052 3718 8080 3715 8085
      3717 8087 3719 8085 3720 8087 3718 8089
      3727 8100

$$

DS
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS71 KRNK 050235
FFSRNK

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1035 PM EDT THU JUN 4 2009

VAC071-050630-
/O.CON.KRNK.FF.W.0049.000000T0000Z-090605T0630Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
GILES VA-
1035 PM EDT THU JUN 4 2009

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 230 AM EDT FOR GILES
COUNTY...

AT 1029 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE SHOWERS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER THE WARNED AREA.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO CASCADES...
PETERSTOWN...RICH CREEK...PEMBROKE...PEARISBURG...NARROWS...MOUNTAIN
LAKE...KIRE...KIMBALLTON...INTERIOR AND GLEN LYN

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE 
WARNED AREA.

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.

IN HILLY TERRAIN THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS WHICH ARE
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN HEAVY RAIN. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL ACROSS
FLOODED ROADS. FIND ALTERNATE ROUTES. IT TAKES ONLY A FEW INCHES OF
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER TO CARRY VEHICLES AWAY.

&&

LAT...LON 3734 8085 3739 8088 3742 8086 3742 8080
      3739 8080 3737 8076 3748 8052 3746 8049
      3732 8042 3727 8052 3718 8080 3715 8085
      3717 8087 3719 8085 3720 8087 3718 8089
      3727 8100

$$

JH
000 
WGUS71 KRNK 050555
FFSRNK

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
155 AM EDT FRI JUN 5 2009

VAC071-050605-
/O.CAN.KRNK.FF.W.0049.000000T0000Z-090605T0630Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
GILES VA-
155 AM EDT FRI JUN 5 2009

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR GILES COUNTY...

FLOODING HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA...THUS THE FLASH FLOOD
WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 3734 8085 3739 8088 3742 8086 3742 8080
      3739 8080 3737 8076 3748 8052 3746 8049
      3732 8042 3727 8052 3718 8080 3715 8085
      3717 8087 3719 8085 3720 8087 3718 8089
      3727 8100

$$

PC

The office that day

Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 4, 8:38 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningRNKPittsylvania, City of Danville5 hr
Jun 5, 1:30 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningRNKHenry, Patrick14 hr
Jun 5, 3:19 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningRNKFranklin8 hr
Jun 5, 7:21 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningRNKHalifax58 hr
Jun 5, 7:36 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningRNKHenry, Patrick8 hr
Jun 5, 10:55 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningRNKCharlotte, Halifax34 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Virginia, 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.