Alert archive / Minnesota / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 6, NWS La Crosse, WI

July 15, 2011Dodge County, Olmsted County, Wabasha County, Minnesota

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this flash flood warning at Jul 15, 2011, 3:43 PM CDT for Dodge County, Olmsted County, Wabasha County, Minnesota. It was in force for 3 hr. 8 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 15, 2011, 3:43 PM CDT (20:43 UTC)
Expired: Jul 15, 2011, 6:30 PM CDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS La Crosse, WI
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Dodge County, MN, Olmsted County, MN, Wabasha County, MN

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 104 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:45 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
Jul 15, 4:00 PM CDT	HEAVY RAIN 2.01	2 Nw Rochester, MN	SOME MINOR FLOODING REPORTED AROUND THE CITY.
Jul 15, 5:10 PM CDT	HEAVY RAIN 3.18	Mantorville, MN	6 HOUR RAINFALL TOTAL.
Jul 15, 5:13 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	Kasson, MN
Jul 15, 5:13 PM CDT	HEAVY RAIN 3.33	2 Nw Rochester, MN
Jul 15, 5:14 PM CDT	HEAVY RAIN 3.55	Oronoco, MN
Jul 15, 5:17 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	Oslo, MN	WATER OVER PARTS OF HIGHWAY 30 AND COUNTY ROAD 13.
Jul 15, 5:19 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	5 Ne Rochester, MN	WATER PONDING IN FIELDS AND DRAINAGE AREAS ALONG HIGHWAY 63.
Jul 15, 5:40 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	Rochester, MN	WIDESPREAD FLOODING IN SOUTHWEST QUADRANT OF CITY. TRAVEL NOT ADVISED.

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 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 121 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: 1183 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -78 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 585 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 101 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 135 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 3.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

283 
WGUS53 KARX 152043
FFWARX
MNC039-109-157-152330-
/O.NEW.KARX.FF.W.0006.110715T2043Z-110715T2330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
343 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  DODGE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...
  OLMSTED COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...
  WABASHA COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT

* AT 342 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  VERY HEAVY RAIN AND NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PARTS OF 
  SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...ESPECIALLY WABASHA COUNTY AND AREAS
  NEAR ROCHESTER. RAINFALL REPORTS NEAR 2 INCHES HAVE BEEN
  REPORTED SO FAR THIS AFTERNOON AND AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2
  INCHES IS POSSIBLE.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...DODGE
  CENTER...LAKE CITY...MANTORVILLE...ROCHESTER...WABASHA...BYRON.

SOME STREET AND PARKING LOT FLOODING WAS REPORTED EARLIER IN URBAN 
AREAS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 ONLY TAKES A FEW INCHES OF
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER TO CARRY VEHICLES AWAY.

&&

LAT...LON 4420 9304 4419 9256 4436 9255 4437 9243
      4445 9243 4446 9224 4441 9206 4433 9192
      4429 9192 4427 9189 4420 9186 4419 9208
      4385 9208 4385 9244 4383 9248 4385 9305
      4386 9305

$$

SHEA

5 follow-up statements

469 
WGUS73 KARX 152121
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
421 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2011

MNC039-109-157-152330-
/O.CON.KARX.FF.W.0006.000000T0000Z-110715T2330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DODGE MN-OLMSTED MN-WABASHA MN-
421 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WABASHA...OLMSTED AND
DODGE COUNTIES UNTIL 630 PM CDT...

THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN ACROSS PARTS OF 
SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA THIS AFTERNOON. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 2 INCHES OR 
MORE HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM ROCHESTER AND AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY HIGHER 
INTO THE WABASHA COUNTY AREA. STREAMS AND THE ZUMBRO RIVER NEAR 
HAMMOND AND MILLVILLE ARE LIKELY RISING AND FLOODING IS POSSIBLE.

MORE SIGNIFICANT RAIN IS APPROACHING ROCHESTER SO URBAN FLOODING IN 
AND NEAR THE CITY LOOKS LIKE A NEAR CERTAINTY. PREPARE FOR STREET 
FLOODING AND DRAINAGE AREAS TO BE FULL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES
AS WELL AS OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS. STAY AWAY FROM 
DRAINAGE AREAS. DO NOT LET KIDS PLAY NEAR THESE AREAS.

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 ONLY TAKES A FEW
INCHES OF SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER TO CARRY VEHICLES AWAY.

&&

LAT...LON 4420 9304 4419 9256 4436 9255 4437 9243
      4445 9243 4446 9224 4441 9206 4433 9192
      4429 9192 4427 9189 4420 9186 4419 9208
      4385 9208 4385 9244 4383 9248 4385 9305
      4386 9305

$$

SHEA

266 
WGUS73 KARX 152156
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
456 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2011

MNC039-109-157-152330-
/O.CON.KARX.FF.W.0006.000000T0000Z-110715T2330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DODGE MN-OLMSTED MN-WABASHA MN-
456 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WABASHA...OLMSTED AND
DODGE COUNTIES UNTIL 630 PM CDT...

AT 450 PM...THE WABASHA COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT REPORTED HEAVY 
RAIN ACROSS THE COUNTY BUT NO REPORTS OF KNOWN FLOODING AT THIS 
TIME. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER MAINLY 
SOUTHERN PARTS OF WABASHA COUNTY...AS WELL AS BACK TOWARDS THE 
ROCHESTER MINNESOTA AREA.

HEAVY RAIN WAS ALSO STARTING TO MOVE OUT OF DODGE COUNTY.

THE HIGHEST RISK OF FLOODING WILL LIKELY BE IN THE ROCHESTER AREA 
OVER THE NEXT HOUR...THROUGH 6 PM.

RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO 
OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE
STEWARTVILLE...ROCHESTER...EYOTA AND PLAINVIEW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 ONLY TAKES A FEW 
INCHES OF SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER TO CARRY VEHICLES AWAY.

&&

LAT...LON 4420 9304 4419 9256 4436 9255 4437 9243
      4445 9243 4446 9224 4441 9206 4433 9192
      4429 9192 4427 9189 4420 9186 4419 9208
      4385 9208 4385 9244 4383 9248 4385 9305
      4386 9305

$$


SHEA

742 
WGUS73 KARX 152242
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
542 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2011

MNC039-109-157-152330-
/O.CON.KARX.FF.W.0006.000000T0000Z-110715T2330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DODGE MN-OLMSTED MN-WABASHA MN-
542 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WABASHA...OLMSTED AND
DODGE COUNTIES UNTIL 630 PM CDT...

REPORTS OF STREET AND ROAD FLOODING IN THE WARNED AREA CONTINUE TO 
COME IN WITH RAINFALL BETWEEN 3 TO 4 INCHES COMMON.

IN DODGE COUNTY...THE HARDEST HIT AREAS WERE NEAR OSLO OR THE 
SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE COUNTY NEAR HIGHWAY 30.

IN OLMSTED COUNTY...FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED IN THE SOUTHWEST 
QUADRANT OF THE CITY WITH FIELDS BEING FLOODED NORTH OF THE CITY 
ALONG HIGHWAY 63.

STEADY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO FALL IN WABASHA AND DODGE COUNTY...
BUT HEAVY RAIN WILL LINGER IN OLMSTED COUNTY FOR THE NEXT 30 MINUTES 
OR SO.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 ONLY TAKES A FEW
INCHES OF SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER TO CARRY VEHICLES AWAY.

DO NOT DRIVE INTO FLOOD WATERS AND AVOID DRAINAGE AREAS.

&&

LAT...LON 4420 9304 4419 9256 4436 9255 4437 9243
      4445 9243 4446 9224 4441 9206 4433 9192
      4429 9192 4427 9189 4420 9186 4419 9208
      4385 9208 4385 9244 4383 9248 4385 9305
      4386 9305

$$


SHEA

840 
WGUS73 KARX 152314
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
614 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2011

MNC039-109-157-152330-
/O.CON.KARX.FF.W.0006.000000T0000Z-110715T2330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DODGE MN-OLMSTED MN-WABASHA MN-
614 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WABASHA...OLMSTED AND
DODGE COUNTIES UNTIL 630 PM CDT...

SOME MINOR FLOODING OR HIGH WATER WAS REPORTED IN THE ELGIN AREA OF 
SOUTHERN WABASHA COUNTY FROM RAINFALL LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY 
EVENING. WHILE SOME LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN CONTINUES...MOST OF THE 
HEAVY RAIN AS SHIFTED SOUTH.

FLOODING IN ROCHESTER CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM ACCORDING TO LOCAL 
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS. MANY STREETS STILL HAVE HIGH WATER.

THERE STILL COULD BE SOME LINGERING FLOODING IN PARTS OF SOUTHERN 
DODGE COUNTY AND INTO THE CITY OF ROCHESTER...BUT CONDITIONS SHOULD 
START TO IMPROVE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 ONLY TAKES A FEW
INCHES OF SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER TO CARRY VEHICLES AWAY.

&&

LAT...LON 4420 9304 4419 9256 4436 9255 4437 9243
      4445 9243 4446 9224 4441 9206 4433 9192
      4429 9192 4427 9189 4420 9186 4419 9208
      4385 9208 4385 9244 4383 9248 4385 9305
      4386 9305

$$

SHEA

571 
WGUS73 KARX 152327
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
627 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2011

MNC039-109-157-152336-
/O.EXP.KARX.FF.W.0006.000000T0000Z-110715T2330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DODGE MN-OLMSTED MN-WABASHA MN-
627 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR WABASHA...OLMSTED
AND DODGE COUNTIES WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 630 PM CDT...

HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. HOWEVER...RIVERS AND 
STREAMS IN THE WARNED AREA CONTINUE TO RUN HIGH...ESPECIALLY THE 
SOUTH FORK OF THE ZUMBRO RIVER. IF YOU LIVE NEAR A RIVER OR STREAM 
BE PREPARED FOR RISING WATERS. IF FLOODING HAS BEEN 
OBSERVED...PLEASE REPORT IT TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

LAT...LON 4420 9304 4419 9256 4436 9255 4437 9243
      4445 9243 4446 9224 4441 9206 4433 9192
      4429 9192 4427 9189 4420 9186 4419 9208
      4385 9208 4385 9244 4383 9248 4385 9305
      4386 9305

$$

JW

The office that day

Everything else NWS La Crosse, WI issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 15, 3:57 AM CDT	Excessive Heat Watch	ARX	Dodge, Fillmore, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha and 1 more	36 hr
Jul 15, 2:52 PM CDT	Flash Flood Watch	ARX	Dodge, Olmsted, Wabasha, Winona	13 hr
Jul 15, 4:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Dodge, Mower	41 min
Jul 15, 4:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Fillmore, Mower, Olmsted	42 min
Jul 15, 4:49 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	ARX	Mower	2 hr
Jul 15, 5:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Fillmore	45 min
Jul 15, 5:25 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ARX	Mower	3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Minnesota, 2011 Every flash flood warning in 2011

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.