Alert archive / North Dakota / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 38, NWS Bismarck, ND

July 31, 20114 counties in North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this flash flood warning at Jul 31, 2011, 10:35 PM CDT for 4 counties in North Dakota. It was in force for 5 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 31, 2011, 10:35 PM CDT (03:35 UTC)
Expired: Aug 1, 2011, 3:51 AM CDT
In force: 5 hr
Issued by: NWS Bismarck, ND
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Burleigh County, ND, Grant County, ND, Morton County, ND, Sioux County, ND

The radar

The Bismarck radar (KBIS), 26 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:39 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 31, 11:04 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	Mandan, ND	HEAVY RAIN CREATING FLASH FLOODING.
Jul 31, 11:33 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	Bismarck, ND	1 FOOT TO 1.5 FEET OF WATER ON AIRPORT ROAD.

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 29 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

Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), launched 00:00Z, 3.6 hours before the alert went out and 31 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: 5391 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -56 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1026 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 111 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 243 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 5.9
Supercell composite: 30.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

230 
WGUS53 KBIS 010335
FFWBIS
NDC015-037-059-085-010930-
/O.NEW.KBIS.FF.W.0038.110801T0335Z-110801T0930Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1035 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BISMARCK HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  BURLEIGH COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...
  GRANT COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...
  MORTON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...
  SOUTHWESTERN SIOUX COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...

* UNTIL 430 AM CDT/330 AM MDT/

* AT 1033 PM CDT/933 PM MDT/...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR
  INDICATED SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS
  THE WARNED AREA. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES BETWEEN ONE AND TWO       
  INCHES OF RAINFALL HAS FALLEN IN THE WARNED AREA. WITH SATURATED   
  SOILS FROM RECENT RAINS...FLASH FLOODING IS LIKELY. 

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...     
  NEW SALEM...CARSON...BISMARCK AND MANDAN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

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 4593 10200 4628 10200 4670 10207 4699 10123
      4698 10094 4701 10088 4708 10093 4730 10024
      4680 10009 4663 10046 4664 10065 4659 10056

$$

VINING

2 follow-up statements

191 
WGUS73 KBIS 010543
FFSBIS

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1243 AM CDT MON AUG 1 2011

NDC037-085-010555-
/O.CAN.KBIS.FF.W.0038.000000T0000Z-110801T0930Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
GRANT ND-SIOUX ND-
1143 PM MDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWESTERN SIOUX
AND GRANT COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

EXCESS RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. STREAMS
AND CREEKS IN THE WARNED AREA HAVE RECEDED OR WERE BEGINNING TO
RECEDE...ENDING THE FLOOD THREAT. IF FLOODING HAS BEEN OBSERVED...
PLEASE REPORT IT TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

LAT...LON 4698 10113 4698 10094 4701 10088 4704 10088
      4708 10093 4730 10024 4680 10009 4663 10045
      4664 10065 4659 10056 4651 10073

$$

NDC015-059-010930-
/O.CON.KBIS.FF.W.0038.000000T0000Z-110801T0930Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
BURLEIGH ND-MORTON ND-
1243 AM CDT MON AUG 1 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEASTERN MORTON AND
BURLEIGH COUNTIES UNTIL 430 AM CDT...

AT 1240 AM CDT...LINGERING STANDING WATER IN LOW LYING AREAS OF  
BISMARCK AND MANDAN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. 

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...BISMARCK AND
MANDAN.

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 4698 10113 4698 10094 4701 10088 4704 10088
      4708 10093 4730 10024 4680 10009 4663 10045
      4664 10065 4659 10056 4651 10073

$$

KINNEY

217 
WGUS73 KBIS 010851
FFSBIS

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
351 AM CDT MON AUG 1 2011

NDC015-059-010905-
/O.CAN.KBIS.FF.W.0038.000000T0000Z-110801T0930Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
BURLEIGH ND-MORTON ND-
351 AM CDT MON AUG 1 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEASTERN MORTON
AND BURLEIGH COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

EXCESS RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. SOME 
LOW-LYING UNDERPASSES IN MANDAN ARE STILL BARRICADED DUE TO PONDING 
WATER...HOWEVER THE THREAT FOR ADDITIONAL FLOODING HAS ENDED. IF 
FLOODING HAS BEEN OBSERVED...PLEASE REPORT IT TO YOUR LOCAL LAW 
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

LAT...LON 4698 10113 4698 10094 4701 10088 4704 10088
      4708 10093 4730 10024 4680 10009 4663 10045
      4664 10065 4659 10056 4651 10073

$$

KINNEY

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 Bismarck, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jul 31, 10:27 PM CDT, 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 10:27 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1027 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

.UPDATE...

UPDATE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH

&&

.DISCUSSION...

THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE NORTH WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LLJ.

&&

.AVIATION...

UNCHANGED.

&&

.BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

UPDATE...NH

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 31, 8:14 PM CDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
814 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-020115-
DIVIDE-BURKE-RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-WARD-
MCHENRY-PIERCE-MCKENZIE-DUNN-MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN-WELLS-
FOSTER-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-MORTON-BURLEIGH-KIDDER-
STUTSMAN-SLOPE-HETTINGER-GRANT-BOWMAN-ADAMS-SIOUX-EMMONS-LOGAN-
LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-DICKEY-
814 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011 /714 PM MDT SUN JUL 31 2011/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
NORTH DAKOTA...NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH
DAKOTA...SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

THERE REMAINS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEST AND CENTRAL. SOME
THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH A THREAT OF LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WIND. ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL AND
SOUTHEAST...THERE IS AN INCREASED CHANCE FOR AN ISOLATED TORNADO
OR TWO NEAR A NORTHWARD ADVANCING WARM FRONT THROUGH THIS
EVENING.

FOR LATER TONIGHT...THE WARM FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH AND A LOW
LEVEL JET WILL DEVELOP WHICH WILL PROMOTE A BETTER CHANCE FOR
WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS OVER A LARGER AREA...SOME OF WHICH COULD
BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

FOR MONDAY...A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE FROM WEST TO EAST.
THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD
FRONT. SOME THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN COULD BECOME SEVERE MONDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. PRIOR TO THE COLD FRONT MOVING
THROUGH...HEAT INDICES MAY REACH 100 TO 105 DEGREES OVER PORTIONS
OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES.

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS AND COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SEVERE
WEATHER TO THE BISMARCK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 1-800-247-0212.

NH

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 31, 8:47 PM CDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
847 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

NDZ037-010245-
STUTSMAN-
847 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...

AT 843 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR JAMESTOWN...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

NICKEL SIZE HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 30 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH
THIS STORM.

* THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  JAMESTOWN NOW...
  YPSILANTI AND SPIRITWOOD BY 900 PM CDT...

GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW
AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK
SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED.

HEINERT

Local storm report, Jul 31, 9:21 PM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
921 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

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

0855 PM     HAIL             5 S REEDER              46.03N 102.94W
07/31/2011  M2.00 INCH       ADAMS              ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            HAIL LASTED AROUND 5 MINUTES.

&&

JTAEGER

Local storm report, Jul 31, 9:32 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
932 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

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

0915 PM     TSTM WND GST     50 W SELFRIDGE          46.04N 101.97W
07/31/2011  E80 MPH          SIOUX              ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            WIND GUST TORE A SMALL DECK OFF OF A HOUSE.

&&

JTAEGER

Local storm report, Jul 31, 9:44 PM CDT, 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
944 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

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

0944 PM     HAIL             5 W MOTT                46.37N 102.43W
07/31/2011  M1.00 INCH       HETTINGER          ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            50 MPH WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN.

&&

JVINING

Local storm report, Jul 31, 10:04 PM CDT, 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1004 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

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

1000 PM     TSTM WND GST     15 S ELGIN              46.19N 101.85W
07/31/2011  E60 MPH          GRANT              ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            OCCURED FROM 935 - 1035 PM CDT/835 - 935 PM MDT.

&&

JMETZ

The office that day

Everything else NWS Bismarck, ND issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 31, 8:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Adams, Grant, Sioux	57 min
Jul 31, 8:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Adams, Bowman, Hettinger	55 min
Jul 31, 9:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Adams, Grant, Hettinger, Morton	65 min
Jul 31, 9:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Adams, Grant, Hettinger	63 min
Jul 31, 10:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burleigh, Grant, Morton, Oliver	60 min
Jul 31, 10:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Grant, Hettinger, Morton	47 min
Jul 31, 10:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Mercer, Morton, Stark	46 min
Jul 31, 10:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Mercer, Morton, Oliver	56 min
Jul 31, 11:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burleigh, Emmons, Kidder, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan	60 min
Jul 31, 11:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burleigh, McHenry, McLean, Mercer, Oliver, Sheridan and 1 more	64 min
Jul 31, 11:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burleigh, Emmons, Kidder, Logan, McLean, Sheridan and 1 more	54 min
Aug 1, 12:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Foster, Kidder, Stutsman, Wells	64 min
Aug 1, 12:53 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Foster, Wells	52 min
Aug 1, 1:02 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Pierce	28 min
Aug 1, 1:07 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Foster, Stutsman, Wells	53 min
Aug 1, 1:28 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Emmons, Logan, McIntosh	47 min
Aug 1, 2:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Dickey, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh	64 min
Aug 1, 3:00 AM CDT	Heat Advisory	BIS	Burleigh, Dickey, Emmons, Foster, Grant, Kidder and 5 more	16 hr
Aug 1, 4:14 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BIS	Foster, Kidder, Sheridan, Stutsman, Wells	13 hr
Aug 1, 1:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Adams, Bowman	49 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Dakota, 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.