Alert archive / New York / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 8, NWS Buffalo, NY

May 19, 2011Cattaraugus County, New York

NWS Buffalo, NY issued this flash flood warning at May 19, 2011, 5:21 PM EDT for Cattaraugus County, New York. It was in force for 3 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
May 19, 2011, 5:21 PM EDT (21:21 UTC)
Expired
May 19, 2011, 8:15 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Buffalo, NY
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Cattaraugus County, NY

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 78 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:22 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
May 19, 5:30 PM EDTFLASH FLOODLittle Valley, NYSEVERAL ROADS CLOSED IN LITTLE VALLEY.
May 19, 6:34 PM EDTFLASH FLOODLittle Valley, NY2 TO 2.5 FEET OF WATER ACROSS MANY ROADS HALF OF THE VILLAGE SHUT DOWN.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 76 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 2011-05-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 2011-05-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 11 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
706 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
11 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
99 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.

034 
WGUS51 KBUF 192121
FFWBUF
NYC009-200015-
/O.NEW.KBUF.FF.W.0008.110519T2121Z-110520T0015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
521 PM EDT THU MAY 19 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL CATTARAUGUS COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...

* UNTIL 815 PM EDT

* AT 517 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  FLASH FLOODING FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER THE WARNED AREA. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS...STREAMS AND OTHER LOW
LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

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 4229 7889 4230 7870 4219 7870 4219 7888

$$

TJP
3 follow-up statements
629 
WGUS71 KBUF 192154
FFSBUF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
554 PM EDT THU MAY 19 2011

NYC009-200015-
/O.CON.KBUF.FF.W.0008.000000T0000Z-110520T0015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
CATTARAUGUS NY-
554 PM EDT THU MAY 19 2011

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM EDT FOR
CENTRAL CATTARAUGUS COUNTY...

AT 545 PM EDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED SEVERAL 
ROADS CLOSED IN LITTLE VALLEY...INCLUDING ROUTE 353. NATIONAL 
WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED ABOUT TWO INCHES OF RAIN HAS 
FALLEN IN LITTLE VALLEY...WITH ANOTHER ONE HALF POSSIBLE AS RAIN 
CONTINUES TO LIFT NORTH ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. 

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LITTLE VALLEY

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL 
CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS...STREAMS AND OTHER LOW
LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE.

&&

LAT...LON 4229 7889 4230 7870 4219 7870 4219 7888

$$

TJP
756 
WGUS71 KBUF 192246
FFSBUF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
646 PM EDT THU MAY 19 2011

NYC009-200015-
/O.CON.KBUF.FF.W.0008.000000T0000Z-110520T0015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
CATTARAUGUS NY-
646 PM EDT THU MAY 19 2011

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM EDT FOR
CENTRAL CATTARAUGUS COUNTY...

AT 637 PM EDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED 2.O TO 2.5 
FEET OF WATER FLOODING SEVERAL ROADS IN LITTLE VALLEY. EVEN THOUGH 
THE RAIN HAS ENDED...FLOODING WILL CONTINUE.  

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LITTLE VALLEY

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM PREVIOUS HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE 
FLOODING OF HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY ROADS 
AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS...STREAMS AND OTHER LOW 
LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. 
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. 
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE 
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS 
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY 
AUTOMOBILE.

&&

LAT...LON 4229 7889 4230 7870 4219 7870 4219 7888

$$

TJP
692 
WGUS71 KBUF 200011
FFSBUF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
811 PM EDT THU MAY 19 2011

NYC009-200020-
/O.EXP.KBUF.FF.W.0008.000000T0000Z-110520T0015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
CATTARAUGUS NY-
811 PM EDT THU MAY 19 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 815 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL
CATTARAUGUS COUNTY...

THE INTENSE LOCALIZED STORM WHICH BROUGHT UP TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN 
IN AN HOUR BETWEEN 5 AND 6 PM HAS DISSIPATED BUT CAUSED CONSIDERABLE 
FLOODING IN THE VILLAGE OF LITTLE VALLEY. 

PONDING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE 
FOR AWHILE UNTIL THE WATER HAS TIME TO RUN OFF.

LAT...LON 4229 7889 4230 7870 4219 7870 4219 7888

$$

SFM

The office that day

Everything else NWS Buffalo, NY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 19, 1:09 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBUFCayuga, Oswego3 hr
May 19, 1:17 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBUFAllegany, Livingston, Wyoming3 hr
May 19, 4:08 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBUFChautauqua52 min
May 19, 4:18 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBUFOntario57 min
May 19, 4:38 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBUFOntario52 min
May 19, 4:54 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBUFOntario115 min
May 19, 5:05 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBUFCattaraugus55 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in New York, 2011Every 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.