Alert archive / Oklahoma / Flash Flood Warnings in 2009

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Tulsa, OK

February 10, 2009Osage County, Pawnee County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this flash flood warning at Feb 10, 2009, 5:47 PM CST for Osage County, Pawnee County, Oklahoma. 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: Feb 10, 2009, 5:47 PM CST (23:47 UTC)
Expired: Feb 10, 2009, 9:45 PM CST
In force: 4 hr
Issued by: NWS Tulsa, OK
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Osage County, OK, Pawnee County, OK

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 118 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:46 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
Feb 10, 7:30 PM CST	FLASH FLOOD	4 Ne Pawnee, OK	WATER FLOWING OVER RURAL ROADS...
Feb 10, 7:45 PM CST	FLASH FLOOD	3 Ese Fairfax, OK	WATER OVER NUMEROUS COUNTY ROADS. HAD TO DETOUR TO GET TO DOWNED POWER LINES.

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

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 2 storm reports to this flash flood warning; the first came 103 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Lamont, OK (KLMN), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 62 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 2319 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 64 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 51 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 109 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 
WGUS54 KTSA 102347
FFWTSA
OKC113-117-110345-
/O.NEW.KTSA.FF.W.0001.090210T2347Z-090211T0345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
547 PM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  OSAGE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
  PAWNEE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA

* UNTIL 945 PM CST

* AT 542 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF PAWHUSKA...     
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. RADAR INDICATES THAT 1 TO 2 INCHES     
  OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN. ANOTHER 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE      
  THROUGH 945 PM CST AS ADDITIONAL STORMS MOVE THROUGH THE WARNED    
  AREA. INTENSE RAINFALL RATES CAN QUICKLY LEAD TO FLOODING.

* LOCATIONS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE AFFECTED BY HEAVY RAIN
  INCLUDE...PEARSONIA...FORAKER...GRAINOLA...OKESA...BIGHEART AND
  HULAH.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD TO
UNKNOWN DEPTHS. IT ONLY TAKES TWO FEET OF RUSHING WATER TO CARRY AWAY
MOST SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND PICKUPS. TAKE A DIFFERENT ROUTE TO
REACH YOUR DESTINATION OR WAIT UNTIL THE WATER RECEDES. REMEMBER...
MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.

WHEN WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY REMEMBER...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN. 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE 
DANGERS OF FLASH FLOODS. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AT NIGHT TO TELL HOW 
MUCH WATER IS ON THE ROADS. 

LAT...LON 3699 9600 3618 9601 3617 9681 3625 9683
      3625 9692 3634 9692 3635 9703 3651 9703
      3658 9688 3661 9691 3658 9699 3659 9704
      3670 9706 3671 9703 3669 9694 3676 9689
      3676 9683 3679 9676 3700 9674

$$

1 follow-up statement

000 
WGUS74 KTSA 110342
FFSTSA

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
942 PM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

OKC113-117-110352-
/O.EXP.KTSA.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-090211T0345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
OSAGE OK-PAWNEE OK-
942 PM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR PAWNEE AND OSAGE COUNTIES EXPIRES AT
945 PM CST...

THE HEAVY RAINFALL HAS ENDED ACROSS THE WARNED AREA...THEREFORE THE
FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

TO REPORT PREVIOUS FLOODING...HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN
TULSA.

LAT...LON 3699 9600 3618 9601 3617 9681 3625 9683
      3625 9692 3634 9692 3635 9703 3651 9703
      3658 9688 3661 9691 3658 9699 3659 9704
      3670 9706 3671 9703 3669 9694 3676 9689
      3676 9683 3679 9676 3700 9674

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Feb 10, 5:29 PM CST, 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 10, 5:29 PM CST, 18 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
529 PM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

.DISCUSSION...

.AVIATION...
AREAS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PERSIST LATE
THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS EASTERN OK AND WESTERN
AR...WHILE A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER
CENTRAL OK CONTINUES TO PRESS SLOWLY EAST. OCCASIONAL
IFR CIGS AND VISIBILITIES AROUND 1SM WILL BE
POSSIBLE IN ANY THUNDERSTORMS...ALONG WITH VERY
GUSTY WINDS...MAINLY THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS.
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BEGIN TO DIMINISH AREAWIDE
AFTER ABOUT 09Z...ALTHOUGH MVFR CIGS AND AREAS OF
SHOWERS MAY PERSIST.

&&

.TSA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY FOR OKZ049-OKZ053-OKZ076.

AR...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY FOR ARZ001-ARZ002-ARZ010-ARZ011-
     ARZ019-ARZ020-ARZ029.

&&

AVIATION...18

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 10, 5:10 PM CST, 37 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
510 PM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-111100-
ADAIR OK-BENTON AR-CARROLL AR-CHEROKEE OK-CHOCTAW OK-CRAIG OK-
CRAWFORD AR-CREEK OK-DELAWARE OK-FRANKLIN AR-HASKELL OK-LATIMER OK-
LE FLORE OK-MADISON AR-MAYES OK-MCINTOSH OK-MUSKOGEE OK-NOWATA OK-
OKFUSKEE OK-OKMULGEE OK-OSAGE OK-OTTAWA OK-PAWNEE OK-PITTSBURG OK-
PUSHMATAHA OK-ROGERS OK-SEBASTIAN AR-SEQUOYAH OK-TULSA OK-WAGONER OK-
WASHINGTON OK-WASHINGTON AR-
446 PM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

...WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER EXPECTED TONIGHT...

THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS
MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.
TORNADO.
RISK...SIGNIFICANT.
AREA...ALL OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
ONSET...ONGOING.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.
RISK...SIGNIFICANT.
AREA...ALL OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
ONSET...ONGOING.

FLASH FLOOD.
RISK...ELEVATED.
AREA...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
ONSET...MAINLY AFTER 9 PM.
AREA AT GREATEST RISK...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA INTO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

HEAVY RAIN.
RISK...SIGNIFICANT.
AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
ONSET...MAINLY AFTER 9 PM.
AREA AT GREATEST RISK...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

DISCUSSION...
A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA
TONIGHT. SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING AT THE TIME
OF THIS ISSUANCE. OTHER STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS CENTRAL OKLAHOMA DURING THE EVENING
AND MOVE EASTWARD INTO DEEPER...MOIST UNSTABLE AIR. WIND FIELDS ALOFT
WILL PROVIDE SUFFICIENT SHEAR TO DEVELOP SUPER CELLS WITH THE
POTENTIAL FOR TORNADO DEVELOPMENT. TORNADOES HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED
DURING THE AFTERNOON WITH SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS. LARGE HAIL TO
THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THE SYSTEM WILL MOVE
RAPIDLY EAST DURING THE NIGHT...EXITING EASTERN OKLAHOMA BETWEEN
MIDNIGHT AND ABOUT 2 AM. THE SEVERE POTENTIAL SHOULD MOVE OUT OF NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS BY AROUND 4 TO 6 AM.

SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION
STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.
WEDNESDAY...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL EARLY...VERY HIGH FIRE
WEATHER POTENTIAL...HIGH WIND POTENTIAL.
THURSDAY...NO HAZARDS.
FRIDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL...VERY HIGH FIRE WEATHER
POTENTIAL...HIGH WIND POTENTIAL.
SATURDAY...VERY HIGH FIRE WEATHER
POTENTIAL...HIGH WIND POTENTIAL.
SUNDAY...NO HAZARDS.
MONDAY...NO HAZARDS.

EXTENDED DISCUSSION...
THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOW EXPECTED TO END AROUND SUNRISE WEDNESDAY.
HOWEVER...INCREASING DRY SOUTHWEST WINDS ON FRIDAY WILL RESULT IN
HIGH WILD FIRE RISK AS GRASSES WILL DRY QUICKLY DESPITE THE PREVIOUS
RAINS. A COOL DOWN TO MORE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED BY
LATE WEEK...ALONG WITH CHANCES FOR RAIN.

WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA CONTAINS ADDITIONAL TABULAR AND GRAPHICAL
INFORMATION. $$

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 10, 5:00 PM CST, 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
500 PM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0450 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 ENE PAWNEE            36.35N 96.75W
02/10/2009  M62 MPH          PAWNEE             OK   MESONET

&&

PBS

Local storm report, Feb 10, 5:05 PM CST, 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
505 PM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0501 PM     HAIL             1 N PAWNEE              36.35N 96.80W
02/10/2009  E1.00 INCH       PAWNEE             OK   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

PBS

Local storm report, Feb 10, 5:07 PM CST, 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
507 PM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0438 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 S PAWNEE              36.32N 96.80W
02/10/2009                   PAWNEE             OK   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            SINGLE-WIDE MOBILE OVERTURNED...EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO A
            DOUBLE-WDE MOBILE HOME. REPORTED AS WIND DAMAGE. LOCATION
            ESTIMATED.

&&

SFP

Local storm report, Feb 10, 5:08 PM CST, 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
508 PM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0501 PM     TSTM WND DMG     PAWNEE                  36.34N 96.80W
02/10/2009                   PAWNEE             OK   EMERGENCY MNGR

            LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWN.

&&

PBS

Local storm report, Feb 10, 5:40 PM CST, 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
540 PM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0538 PM     HAIL             3 E PAWHUSKA            36.67N 96.28W
02/10/2009  E0.75 INCH       OSAGE              OK   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

SFP

Local storm report, Feb 10, 5:45 PM CST, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
545 PM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0545 PM     HAIL             PAWHUSKA                36.67N 96.34W
02/10/2009  E1.00 INCH       OSAGE              OK   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

SFP

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 10, 2:10 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	TSA	Latimer	35 min
Feb 10, 2:46 PM CST	Flood Watch	TSA	Adair, Cherokee, Choctaw, Craig, Creek, Delaware and 15 more	13 hr
Feb 10, 2:51 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Haskell, Latimer, Pittsburg	39 min
Feb 10, 3:09 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Haskell, Latimer, LeFlore	51 min
Feb 10, 3:22 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	McIntosh, Muskogee, Sequoyah	27 min
Feb 10, 3:38 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	TSA	Pittsburg	52 min
Feb 10, 3:59 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Adair, LeFlore, Sequoyah	61 min
Feb 10, 4:20 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	40 min
Feb 10, 4:35 PM CST	Tornado Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	25 min
Feb 10, 4:59 PM CST	Tornado Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	46 min
Feb 10, 5:38 PM CST	Tornado Warning	TSA	Osage, Washington	52 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Oklahoma, 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.